Great American Bash '91

[milky wimpshake]

I watched the Bash '91 the other day for the first time since I rented it as a kid that year. Being fairly young, I didn't recognize it as being actively autrocious, but rather just boring. I was an enormous wrestling fan, and consumed any content I could get my eyes on, but WCW was my favorite, for all the same reasons that I've read others tell. This show was obviously a low point for the promotion, when it should have been a transformative show for the company. So, I had this fantasy booking concept bounce through my head for literally years, and I'm going to throw it out here and see how it looks in type.

 

(Note-The only MAJOR bit of reality that I have taken liberties with is that Ric Flair stays with the company until the Bash. In my make believe land, grown men can solve their issues without having to steal pretend championships and settle problems with gobs of cash. Cash is the cure for all that ails,)

 

I'll start with the build up to our show. The PPV year kicks off with Wrestle War, which in my story, is exactly as it actually went down. Sid nearly cripples Pillman, the Horsemen escape with the big win in the War Games, Luger and Spivey have a freakishly good mactch, with Nikita Koloff returning to get revenge on Luger, DOOM splits up, Dustin Rhodes gets a showcase and the Freebirds defy good taste and common sense by remaining employed. The one detail I will embellish is this: after the War Games, as Brian Pillman is being removed from the ring, with the heels already having exited, Sting is hanging back in the cage watching his friend, Flyin Brian with concern. As he moves to leave through the cage door, out of no where, Larry Z, the surrogate Horseman, subbing for Arn Anderson, makes his move to earn the respect of his villanous allies by smashing the cage door on the Stingers head, ala the Von Eric cage match some ten years earlier.

 

Over the next several weeks on WCW programming, Pillman's very real injuries are played up as being career threatening, while Sting will be out for a couple weeks. The 4 Horsemen proudly brag that they took out Brian and Sting out for good. The Steiners are attacked at every turn, and escape injury, but with with Zybysco joining the fray, they are out numbered 5 on 2. US Champion Lex Luger makes a big save for the Steiners, and the Total Package announces that he wants just one more shot at Flair for the World Championship. Sting returns 3 weeks after getting injured at Wrestle War and makes it undeniably clear that Larry Z is a dead man. Finally, a month or so after being powerbombed twice by Sid Vicious in horrifying fashion, Pillman gives his first interview, doing the familiar "against my doctors orders, I'm coming back for revenge" speech. Jim Ross is in the middle of the ring with Flyin Brian, preparing to ask him how he plans to overcome the odds, out come the Horsemen. With Flair in the lead and all smiling from ear to ear, like hyenas surrounding their prey, Flair starts in, mock sincerity oozing from every word he says. "We are so happy to see you're feeling better big guy", so on and so forth. Sid takes the mic and "apologizes" for hurting Pillman, with each word he takes a step closer to Brian, emphasizing the size difference, Pillman slowly moving backwards giving the impression that he was intimidated. Just as it seemed as though the end was near for Brian, El Gigante hits the ring. With Pillman's adversaries distracted, Flyin Brian, low blows Sid from behind, and flees the ring through the crowd. Gigante, obviously in on this ruse, laughs as Sid is on his knees in pain, and Flair screams for Pillman to get back to the ring, that he was a dead man. The next week, as Sid is killing a nobody in a squash match, Pillman pops up and smashes Sid with a chair and again disappears into the crowd. Later in the show, Sid comes out and challenges Pillman to a match at SuperBrawl. Pillman, comes out, keeping a safe distance from Sid, declines the match to the crowds confusion, then clarifies, he doesn't want a "match" with Sid, he wants a stretcher match! Pillman says he wants Sid to know what it feels like to have the whole world watch as you are helplessly wheeled away, unable to stand on your own. Sid looks absolutely incredulous, and accepts the challenge, calling Brian insane and suddenly, the Horseman and Zybysco are out attacking Pillman followed by Sting, Luger, the Steiners and El Gigante. A huge brawl ensues in which Larry gets to Sting again, this time injuring his eye, while Arn and Barry Windham and the Steiners cannot be seperated.

 

(Note-The Tokyo Dome show is of no significance to my story...the Steiners can win the IWGP titles, and Flair can lose to Fujinami, non-title, in a legend vs legend match. Moving forward to SuperBrawl, the Stretcher Match is just another nomenclature for Last Man Standing or Death Match.)

 

Throughout the previous weeks of chaos, Nikita Koloff has been told that he has no ranking in WCW and must start at the bottom and work his way up to get a shot at Luger and the US title. Koloff gives interviews stating that if Luger was the hero he said he was, he would DEMAND to face Koloff. When asked in promos about Koloff, Luger would simply state that Koloff was not a contender, never musing on why he did not want to accept Koloff's challenge. Nikita is scheduled for his biggest bout to date at SuperBrawl against Tom Zenk, but is already looking past this match, and challenging for the US title at a later date. Meanwhile, the Steiners win the WCW tag belts from the Freebirds as happened in reality, setting up the top of the card for SuperBrawl, as follows-

 

World Champion Ric Flair vs US Champion Lex Luger

WCW Tag Champions The Steiner Bros vs Arn Anderson and Barry Windham

Stretcher Match-Sid Vicious vs Brian Pillman

Submit or Surrender Match-Sting vs Larry Zybysco

Koloff vs Zenk

 

 

SuperBrawl is the heroes revenge show after the ass kicking they recieved at Wrestle War, starting at the top of the card with Luger FINALLY winning the title from Flair, clean as a whistle in the middle of the ring off of a failed top rope cross body attempt. Flair threw himself at Luger in desperation, but was caught and the manuver was turned into a powerslam resulting in the greatest moment in Luger's early career. Flanked by his compatriats, Sting, Rick and Scott Steiner, Pillman, El Gigante and others, the show closes with the dawn of a new, newer era in WCW!! Earlier in the evening, The Steiners retained their titles over Anderson and Windham by DQ after Arn DDT'd Scott onto a steel chair, leaving this feud open to continue. Sting beat the everloving tar out of Zybysco in the "Submit or Surrender Match", toying with him at times, and finishing him with the Scorpion Deathlock, Zybysco's screams of "I Quit" filling the arena. Koloff defeated Zenk in 30 seconds with his patented clothesline. Lastly, in the "Stretcher Match", Pillman and Sid were both in a can't lose situation...Pillmans' lust for revenge vs Sid's reputation, Classic David vs Goliath match; Sid as Frankenstien, stalking Flyin Brian around the ring, never letting Brian get too far, then Brian breaking free, and true to his namesake, flying around Sid with clotheslines, dropkicks and quick jabs, but never taking the monster down. Sid would regain control by catching his smaller opponent off of a bodypress attempt and bodyslamming him with authority. Leg drop and chokeslam from Sid and then he sets up the powerbomb. As he gets Brian up, Pillman produces a pair of knux from his trunks and bops Sid in the head, causing Sid to go down. This brings Anderson and Windham out to ringside, as this is a no dq match, but El Gigante follows behind them, keeping them at bay. Pillman runs through his offense, dropping Sid with Air Pillman, and a huge cross body block, but it becomes clear that Brian does not have a move strong enough to keep Sid down long enough to put him on the stretcher. As the action spills outside the ring, Windham blinds El Gigante with a foreign object long enough for Arn to get to Pillman with a spinebuster on the floor, and giving Sid the opportunity to powerbomb Pillman onto the actual stretcher. Pillman bounces off the stretcher and lands in a heap on the arena floor, leaving the Horsemen to celebrate as if Sid had already won the match. WCW officials rush out to check on Pillman, and begin pushing Anderson and Windham to the dressing room, much to their aggrevation. Sid returns to Pillman, pushing the officials and medics out of the way, grabbing Brian by the hair and laying him on the stretcher. Turning his back to Pillman, he begins mocking the crowd, but when he turns around he is met with the stretcher to the gut by El Gigante, who has rolled Pillman off. The officials begin pushing the giant back and Pillman, now somewhat recovered, runs the stretcher repeatedly into Sids legs and knees as he is down on the floor. As Sid is attempting to crawl around the other side of the ring to get away, Brian takes a running start with the stretcher and rams Sids head between the stretcher and the ring post! Sid is out, and Brian pulls him up onto the stretcher, rolls back into the ring and the referee counts to 10! Flyin Brian has defeated Sid Vicious in the upset of the decade!!!

 

The following week, Flair declares war on Brian Pillman. Sid is gone but the humiliation was felt by Flair, Arn and Barry, and they will not let Pillman bask in his glory. At every turn, Pillman is attacked, culminating in a gory locker room beatdown, remanisent of the Morton beatdown in '86. Windham challenges Brian to a match on Saturday Night, and beats Pillman after Arn and Flair interfere. Pillman is left broken, bloodied and beaten after the match, being helped to the back by officials. Meanwhile, the US title has been declared vacant due to Lugers World title win. Sting, Koloff, Dustin Rhodes, Ric Flair, Ron Simmons and 11 other are entered into a tournament to determine the new champion, with the finals to be held at the GAB. With the Clash of the Champions coming up first, an epic tag match is announced; The Steiners vs Sting and Luger! Plus, Pillman gets a rematch with Barry Windham in a taped fist match. We'll also see a first round match ups in the US title tourney featuring Dustin Rhodes vs Ric Flair and Nikita Koloff vs Ron Simmons.

 

(So this is where I will stop for now, but let me know what you think. If this was stupid, let me know, and I won't waste your time with the rest)

[Matt D]

No offense, but I think it's a little disingenuous to book a Bash '91 without having already lost Flair. That sort of takes out everything interesting from the equation.

[milky wimpshake]

No offense taken. Thats why it's called fantasy booking.

[spaldoni]

Hello. Its funny because I was just thinking about this event. No matter what it was going to be a hostile crowd with the departure of Ric Flair. The show must go on so I think I would of gone with an 8 man tournament to determine the new world champion. I would hope this would at least keep the fans interested and invested.

 

Round 1- Arn Anderson def. Dustin Rhodes

Lex Luger def. Dan Spivey

Sting and Nikita Koloff go to a wild double countout

Barry Windham def. Rick Steiner

 

Semi Finals- Lex Luger def. Arn Anderson

Barry Windham advances due to Sting/Nikita double c.o.

 

Finals- Lex Luger def. Barry Windham to win vacated title.

 

I would keep Luger as a face and Windham as a heel. Arn tries to interfere in finals but Luger fights him off and still comes up victorious. I would try to get the fans behind Luger all night by stacking the odds against him. Luger was over and I think he deserved his moment to celebrate with the fans. It would of been a hard fought way for him to win the title and really get the fans behind him.

 

Also on the card,

 

Steve Austin would win the TV title on this card against Bobby Eaton.

Ricky Morton/Terry Taylor def. Robert Gibson/Z-Man

Ron Simmons wins a Bunkhouse Battle Royal

 

I know the fans would still be upset over Flair leaving but I hope they would at least walk away feeling they got their money's worth.

 

[sturm316]

This card's really not that hard to rebook with the existing talent and many of the same matches. All of these would be standard, no gimmick matches, with the possible exception of the main event still in a cage:

 

PN News & Bobby Eaton vs Steve Austin & Johnny B. Badd (winners)

 

Oz (winner) vs Mike Graham

 

Big Josh (winner) vs Black Blood

 

Young Pistols & Dustin Rhodes (winners) vs The Freebirds

 

Diamond Studd (winner) vs Tom Zenk

 

El Gigante (winner) vs One Man Gang

 

Terrence Taylor & Richard Morton (winners) vs Robert Gibson & Tommy Rich when Rich turns on Gibson and joins the York Foundation

 

Ron Simmons (winner) vs Nikita Koloff in a #1 contender's match, winner faces the champion at Halloween Havoc

 

Rick Steiner & Yellow Dog (winners) w/Missy Hyatt vs Arn Anderson & Barry Windham w/Paul E. Dangerously. Anderson turns on Windham after the match and maybe have Larry Zybszko come out and join Anderson in the beat down, forming the Enforcers and foreshadowing the Dangerous Alliance.

 

Lex Luger (winner) vs Sting for the vacant World Title. Match ends the same as the Luger vs Windham match but maybe with more interference from Race/Hughes to screw Sting over for the belt and solidify Luger's heel turn.

[dgrblue]

Whatever happens, PN News has to be on a scaffold, plus that bowling trophy makers makeshift WCW title slapped on a random championship belt has to be included.