Grimmas

SuperBrawl III February 21, 1993 in Asheville, NC Civic Center The show opens with the White Castle of Fear video. At ringside Tony Schiavone and Jesse Ventura welcome us to the show and talk about the main event. They note that Ron Simmons has suffered an injury and will not be able to compete for the United States Title against Dustin Rhodes and The Barbarian has been picked as a replacement. Opening Contest: “Flyin’” Brian Pillman & “Stunning” Steve Austin vs Erik Watts & Marcus Alexander Bagwell A shortened version of the real timeline match. Pillman pinned Bagwell after Austin came off the top rope behind the referee’s back with a forearm to Bagwell as Bagwell had Pillman covered with a fisherman suplex. Winners: Brian Pillman & Steve Austin @ 9:35. On the podium Eric Bischoff & Missy Hyatt announce that Bill Watts has been removed as Executive Vice President of World Championship Wrestling. Later this evening, the new Commissioner of WCW who will be the voice of the championship committee will be announced. Match 2: Chirs Benoit vs Too Cold Scoprio Exact match. Scorpio wins with a modified victory roll as Benoit attempted the Dragon Suplex. Winner: Too Cold Scorpio @ 19:59 Eric Bischoff is backstage with Davey Boy Smith who says he has come to the WCW to take it international and will be on the European tour, where he plans to win the World Title. The British Bulldog Debut: “Wild” Bill Irwin vs “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith Same match, Bulldog wins with the Running Powerslam after catching Irwin coming off the middle turnbuckle. Winner: Davey Boy Smith @ 5:50 Missy Hyatt is with Paul Orndorff behind the curtain, but before Orndorff could say anything Cactus Jack appears and scares Orndorff through the curtains. Falls Count Anywhere Match: “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff vs Cactus Jack Same match, Cactus wins by hitting Orndorff with a shovel. Winner: Cactus Jack @ 12:19 Backstage Eric Bischoff is with Ricky Steamboat, who is about to compete in a “Bonus Match” facing Jushin “Thunder” Liger. He promotes how great the former Light Heavyweight Champion is, and how tough this match will be. Bonus Match: Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat with Shane Douglas These two have a fast paced contest which saw Liger go for a Victory Roll, which Steamboat countered for the win. Winner: Ricky Steamboat @ 12:21 A video package is played showing the Jim Cornette SMW angles setting up the upcoming match. Smoky Mountain Wrestling Showcase Match: The Heavenly Bodies with Jim Cornette vs The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express Same match. Robert Gibson pinned Tom Prichard after Eaton’s interference backfired and he came off the top rope onto Prichard when Morton moved out of the way. Eaton escorted Cornette, Lane, and Prichard to ringside before the match, but was ejected before the bout began. After the match Prichard and Eaton got into a shoving match. Winner: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express @ 12:52 Backstage Eric Bischoff is with Dustin Rhodes who compares the differences between Simmons and The Barbarian and talks about he will do his best to keep his title. WCW United States Title Match: The Barbarian vs Champion “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes The Barbarian dominates, but Dustin has some firing comebacks. Dustin ducks a giant kick and hits the bulldog for the win. Winner: Dustin Rhodes @ 10:26 to retain the WCW United States Title. Eric Bischoff & Missy Hyatt are in the ring and introduce the brand new Commissioner of WCW, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair! Flair struts to the ring and says he will be the voice of the Championship Committee and will be fair. Nobody knows how to break the rules more than him, so nobody is better suited to enforce the rules. He will be on the upcoming Saturday Night to make some exciting announcements. NWA World Heavyweight Title Match: Barry Windham vs Champion The Great Muta with Hiro Matsuda A shorter condensed version of the real timeline match. Windham wins the title with a lariat and the DDT after lifting his knees to block the champion’s moonsault. Winner: Barry Windham @ 10:28 to win the NWA World Title. A video backstage shows highlights of the previous Sting vs Vader matches setting up the matin event. Tony Schiavone and Jesse Ventura run down the rules of the strap match. White Castle of Fear Strap Match: Big Van Vader with Harley Race vs Sting Exact same match as the real timeline, because it rules so much! Winner: Big Van Vader @ 20:55 After the match Sting whipped Vader repeatedly with the strap until Vader fell out of the ring.

I liked the main event a lot, and the possibility of a Rick Rude vs Lightning Kid match? Holy shit that would rule!

It's an obvious but complicated goal. Keeping Benoit alive!

Bill Watts was fired/resigned as Vice President of Wrestling Operations from WCW on February 10, 1993. Two days later Eric Bischoff was named Executive Producer of WCW and Ole Anderson was named Vice President of Wrestling Operations from WCW. That means Bischoff controlled TV and Ole the house shows, essentially. Now instead of those two, what happens if I time travel to the year of 1983 and use my power of hindsight to take the job? This thread will follow WCW from that point going forward. There will be a lot of questions to answer, especially about talent. Things like, can Austin become a star in WCW if treated well? Can WCW become big without Hogan (I'm not signing Hogan, btw). If I am going to keep Benoit, can I prevent him becoming a murderer? Kevin Nash is about to leave, should I let him go to become a star and return in 96 or keep him and have him become a star here? Obviously with future knowledge, drug tests and concussion protocols should be introduced. Either way, this will be slow paced run through WCW at this time. I'm going to at least book Saturday Night, the Clashes, and the pay-per-views in my own time. First show will be SuperBrawl III (as essentially all TV up to it was taped or booked) and I will post that when I can.

The last point is key. A part of me wishes we could do GWE (or something similar or even different) again. I am much better prepared to make a list like that now than I was in 2015/16. Looking back, excluding the Top 7 or so, I don't like the ballot I had submitted at all. In hindsight, say what you will about the process, the final list and people's reactions, I found it to be very informative and it certainly expanded my knowledge of pro wrestling. You warmed my heart, thank you!

I remember trying to watch a dvd with the blurred attitude stuff and the mast was unwatchable. Everything was blurry EVERYWHERE!

I heard awful stuff about Moolah, but not against Mae. News to me. I'm excited for the tournament though. Love these tournaments and there is so much talent out there, can't wait to see the line up.

Not necessarily? Ambrose --> Styles --> Cena --> Wyatt --> Orton --> Mahal This is not necessarily a logical progression. Basing this on history, not on logic. The last brand split had great champions, but a LOT of folks who never would had won it in the past. When you have two champions you can take shots you can't take with one.

People wanted a brand split. I think that's worked out well. However when people demanded a title for each show, this is what you get. A touring World Champion is really the best way to go, it sucks they don't do it that way. If we have to have two World Champions, I have no issues with Mahal winning. If there was only one World Champion though, he would not be even close to winning it.

Actually giving money to Slaughter seems the most likely.

If Andre easily beats Hogan and is the heel champion for a bit, you build up whoever (Savage, DiBiase, Steamboat, Jake, or Duggan) as the mega babyface to finally defeat him. I think that is your best path.

Bret said his dream match would be with Angle, years ago.

I don't think they would had gone in that direction.

It's ridiculous how great a roster you could have at that time.

A scenario where Bret is the one in charge of creative and Triple H fades into obscurity is a scenario I am ok with. Trips was getting pushed, he won KOTR and was feuding with Foley on the under card. DX had just started, without the name, but without HBK I don't know. Triple H maybe leaves for WCW as soon as he could?

He did have Taker.

So with Bret around, Foley never gets his moment? Quite possible. I don't think that made or would break the boom though. Rock/Austin and McMahon is all that matters really.

He was pretty down the card in 95 no problem and his contract was for 3 years wrestling (so 99) then going to backstage role. He probably does steal Foley's 99 reigns, but I don't see that changing history too much. I think Rock may had been more over beating Bret than Foley in 99?

Vince was headed towards that anyways. The night Vince said he couldn't pay Bret was the night he was stunnered in MSG. Vince played a heel in Memphis, Austin was anti authority, I think a McMahon-Austin feud still happens.

Bret putting both over huge and then moving down the card would not be enough? Austin beats Bret for the title at Mania. Then Rock gets a singles feud with Bret elevating him to the top? Bret still probably retires in 2000?

In Marvel I really love What If? comics as it's fun to explore if things were different. I thought it would be fun to play that with wrestling. What if... Vince chose Bret over Shawn? In September 1997 Vince approaches Bret and tells him he can't afford his contract anymore, was going to breach it, and Bret can either take a huge pay cut or try to get the WCW deal before the WWE goes under. What if he approaches Shawn instead? Shawn just signed a huge contract as well and asking Shawn to go instead would accomplish the same thing. It wasn't all money, but Shawn/Bret obviously weren't going to work together going forward. What changes? Bret holds the title till Mania and drops it to Austin then jump starting Austin as the top star. Tyson can easily come in and still help draw a huge buy rate. Going forward Bret is around, while Shawn was injured. What would Bret be doing post Mania. It would probably be like 95 where he was in the middle of the card? Bret/Owen tag titles run? I think the chances of Austin/McMahon feud still going on is pretty good. They had already started with Austin being anti authority, stunnering Slaughter and JR. I think it's a natural evolution. Could the McMahon character be as over not screwing Bret? Attitude era. I think with Austin/Rock as top stars, it still would had been as big without being as dirty. Bret would be against a lot of the things attitude did, but I don't think it matters with Austin/Rock as the stars. Owen doesn't get Blue Blazer gimmick, does it save his life? Does the boom happen? Do the Radicalz still jump? With Bret/Owen around that only seems like positives. Shawn in WCW? It didn't work with Bret, Shawn being in nWo with Hogan there seems like it wouldn't had worked earlier. I guess you speed up the Wolfpac break up. Does Shawn still get injured? Does his drug problems get even worse? Does he work in WCW? Any other WCW affects? Overall if you do this switch does the WWF do better or worse? Does WCW do better or worse? What do you think?

I'd rather they just make NXT 50/50 men/women then give them their own show.

Here's hoping.

I really don't understand what they are doing with Sami Zayn's backstage character? What are they even going for? How is this supposed to be a babyface? they are making him a super nerd or something?

I was live at the ROH show last night in Toronto. Really a bunch of nothing matches with Jay Lethal vs Kushida being pretty good, about 3 stars. The main event was Omega//Young Bucks vs Daniels/Kazarian/Tanahashi. Just a spot fest with bad comedy and sloppyness and two million super kicks. If you like that, you'll like this. They should do the pick a name out of the hat and have Cheeseburger win the world title.