LowBlowPodcast

he was given the TV title like pretty damn immediately when he came in as a company. It’s really interesting to watch the TV from that era because he debuts and then he is already pushed as a star. This was very different than a lot of the other guys that came in around that time that you would maybe see the job or work and then turn into a name Aaliyah Johnny be bad.

I agree with other people sentiment. I think wrestlewar is shaping up to be a marquis event for the spring that can really light things up for the summer. I’m also interested to see the long-term effects of Jerry Lawler here. I know his and ring ability matches that of the top-tier guys, but the star power is always something I felt was passion. Long story short, you have no lack of power here everyone seems to have something cooking in the right direction.

One of the biggest what if’s, the 1989 Jim Crockett Memorial cup. It’s really amazing that if NWA would’ve held this in the fall of 89 it would’ve been drastically different than the spring of 89 with the inclusion of doing a Skyscrapers and steiner’s. However, in the spring he would’ve had the varsity club and others. Looking forward to what you put together.

So many great match opportunities here. I also really like how austin is being used and groomed by some really top-tier workers around this time.

I may have asked this before, but did Billy Robinson ever work for UWF?

3/11 SUPERSTARS LIVE! We are LIVE here with Jesse Ventura and Vince McMahon who put over a big night of action. This is a very special event and we will see some huge contests with our special set. They talk about the pick your poison matches… we go to the back and see Randy Savage walk into the room… he is there with Gorilla Monsoon. Here comes the Ultimate Warrior… Gorilla has three envelopes… he holds them up and Warrior picks one… he holds up three more and Savage picks one… Savage opens it up to reveal… Davey Boy Smith! The Warrior smiles but then opens up his envelope… oh my… it says… THE GREAT MUTA! Savage vs Bulldog… Warrior vs Muta… it is happening tonight! Demolition vs The Varsity Club w/ Kevin Sullivan A fun one with some really good action. Rotundo can really throw hands when he has to. Spivey is a monster. Demolition don’t give any shit either and we’ve got a really good contest. It goes about 12-minutes. The real happening is the final moments when Spivey clotheslines Smash out of the ring. Kevin Sullivan then gets in the ring with the referee’s back turned and he attacks Ax! The referee calls for the bell. We’ve got a DQ and the Varsity Club isn’t holding anything back. Spivey then grabs a chair and he NAILS Smash! They go in the ring and here come the Rockers?!? The Rockers run down and they are savingish Demolition. Here come the Steiners now. The baby faces are aligned… the Varsity Club smile and back off… what a visual… what could this become? We’re back and Mean Gene is standing by… he’s got Davey Boy Smith with him… he’s hyped up for this huge showdown with Randy Savage tonight. He talks about his power and strength but his grit… he will do whatever it takes to win! Pick Your Poison The Macho Man Randy Savage versus Davey Boy Smith Welcome to the show Davey Boy Smith… Randy Savage puts him over in a huge way. Savage sells all the power and strength. Savage is bouncing around and Bulldog is looking like he’s next in line for a world title! We see Savage turn things around and get control. Savage is able to hit a huge double ax handle. Savage even pulls out a nasty piledriver! Davey Boy then does everything he can to fight back, back, and now he’s up… and Davey Boy is throwing some bombs! The Bulldog picks up Savage for the POWERSLAM but Savage jumps off his back and rams him into the ring post… then a school boy with a hand full of tights for the 3-count! WWF Champion Randy Savage walks out of here with the title. Davey Boy walks out knowing that he went toe to toe with the best wrestler in the world right now. When we return from break… we see Brutus Beefcake strutting around the ring and then he does a nice promo with Vince and Jesse putting over his contest with Terry Taylor…once again… we hear that it is a hair CUT match… not hair v hair… we’ll see if that comes into play. Gorilla and Jesse put it over but now Taylor and Martel are ready to go one on one! Rick Martel vs Terry Taylor Intercontinental Champion Rick Martel looks top tier tonight and Terry Taylor doesn’t look bad either. Both men really throw here and we get a lot of move for move moments with these two. It is too bad that we only get 11-minutes because these two have a lot left in the tank… but we get a moment… Sherri is once again shown… she’s at ringside and she is saying something to Martel… This gets Martel’s attention enough for Taylor to come out of nowhere with a forearm to the back of the head and Martel goes flying out of the ring to the floor. Sherri is screaming at him as he struggles to get up… the referee gets to 10 and Terry Taylor has just won this match via count out. Sherri then backs off as Martel gets up and as he’s looking for her. She has gone into the darkness. Dusty Rhodes and the Von Erichs bring us back… they put over their six-man tag team match tonight. They talk about bringing Texas pride right here tonight to the WWF and no one is going to stop them from taking down the Hart Foundation! Kerry says he’s going to play a tune on the Honkytonk Man. Kevin says he is going to give a claw to Valentine he won’t be able to hammer out of. Dusty says the American Dream is going to take over Dino Bravo tonight! Here we go… six-man tag team match on the line… wait just a damn minute… who in the… what in the… what’s going on here?! Jimmy Hart leads his Hart Foundation out to the ring… but he’s got a big surprise with him! We hear Jimmy Hart say this is the Earthquake and he’s here to destroy Dusty Rhodes! He’s here to destroy the Von Erichs! The fans are in awe of this huge dude… Dusty Rhodes & The Von Erichs vs the Hart Foundation w/ Jimmy Hart A very fun contest with all six-men getting involved. Dusty is at a point in his career where he can entertain with the best of them but not much for in ring ability. He pulls it out when he can. Kevin, again, nearing the end of his career, is doing just enough to be special. Finally, we see Kerry come in, and he is just a house of fire. The thing about the Hart Foundation is that they work so well together and they blend so well. After some really good action over the course of 10-minutes, the finish is pretty messy… Dusty and Honky get working on one another on the apron. Kerry Von Erich grabs Valentine in a claw and they topple over the top to the floor! Kevin Von Erich gets pulled out of the ring by Earthquake… Jimmy has got the referee… Dino bodyslams Kevin… Quake then comes with a SPLASH! Kevin is in a bad way… oh my… They roll him in the ring and Bravo with the cover for the 3-count! Dino, Honky, and Valentine with the win… Earthquake and Jimmy with the assist… Dusty wants more while Kerry is checking on his brother… We’re back with Jesse and Vince who pump up our big final contest. This is one that people have been waiting for. Muta and Warrior… set for battle… WrestleMania is down the road but right now one of these men is going to walk out a winner… who will it be? Pick Your Poison The Ultimate Warrior versus The Great Muta w/ Paul E Free TV… Warrior vs Muta… you’ve got to be kidding me. Well they give us a nibble of what could happen. Muta and Warrior is the battle of the paint we’ve always wanted to see. Warrior shows off the strength while Muta shows off the speed. They only go about 8-minutes and it is even, right down the middle with both men. The crowd has some splitness between them… Paul E brings things back though and we get all the heelness we can imagine. The finish is messy… Warrior gets kicked in the throat and goes out of the ring. The referee is counting and as he inches closer to 10 - we see Warrior try to get in but something is holding his foot! The referee gets to 10… Muta wins via count out… Warrior is grabbing under the ring before Muta comes out with a kick to the head and Warrior goes down… wait a damn minute… that’s Randy Savage! Savage… he was holding Warrior’s leg! Savage makes haste to the back while Muta and Paul E follow… Jesse and Vince are putting this over in a big way… Wait just a second… the Warrior is up and he runs up the aisle and he attacks Savage! He hoists him up and walks him back to the ring with the crowd going absolutely nuts! Warrior tosses him in the ring and starts circling him. Savage gets to his feet - he’s got the face paint on - he is challenging Warrior and they are face to face now! We get a slew of jobbers - Patterson, Brisco - Referees… they come down and get between the two men! What a war this is going to be at WrestleMania!!!

Low key show this week - I feel like the Mania build around this era is just this... small things... promos... nothing major building... hence me wanting to try out the Superstars Live format next week. I feel like post produced TV has a purpose but the live TV offers more opportunities. 3/4 Superstars of Wrestling w/ Vince McMahon & Jesse the Body Ventura Brutus Beefcake defeated Kevin James Shane Douglas & Koko Ware defeated the Conquistadors Hacksaw Duggan defeated Boris Zhukov The Steiners defeated Mark Stevens & Riley McNeal Rick Rude defeated ST Jones The Great Muta w/ Paul E defeated Bob Holly Mean Gene is in the Event Center and he runs down the big card for WrestleMania 5 live from Philly in just a few short weeks.. Event Center: Matches already signed for WrestleMania 5 Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior - WWF title Kerry Von Erich & Kevin vs Honky Tonk Man & Greg Valentine w/ Jimmy Hart Demolition vs Rockers - Tag Titles Dusty Rhodes vs Dino Bravo w/ Jimmy Hart Rick Martel vs Great Muta w/ Paul E- IC title Steiners vs Varsity Club w/ Kevin Sullivan Brutus Beefcake vs Terry Taylor - HAIR MATCH Hercules vs Big Bossman w/ Slick Davey Boy Smith vs One Man Gang w/ Slick Hacksaw Duggan vs Haku w/ Heenan Tito Santana vs Rick Rude w/ Heenan Gene then goes on to announce the final contest to be added… Snuka & Andre vs Warlord & Barbarian w/ Fuji Mean Gene announces the pick your poison match participants… Randy Savage has picked… the Big Bossman, Dan Spivey, & The Great Muta… the Ultimate Warrior has selected Hacksaw Duggan, Davey Boy Smith, & Tito Santana! Next week, we’ll see both men draw a name and pick their opponent for Superstars Live! Both Savage and Warrior will be in action next week! Also next week… we’ll see a special tag team encounter when Demolition takes on the Varsity Club… Rick Martel takes on Terry Taylor… and a big one… Dusty Rhodes & The Von Erichs take on The Hart Foundation in a six-man contest! Dusty Rhodes and the Von Erichs are shown cutting a promo on the Hart Foundation… next week they will be live and in living color to take the Harts down… but it will only be the beginning because WrestleMania will be their end! Kevin Sullivan hypes the Varsity Club up and talks about how bad it would be if Demolition couldn’t make it to WrestleMania… the Varsity Club holds all the cards… and soon we will trump the wrestling world with the perfect hand. HAHAH! Randy Savage: (Back turned) Ultimate Warrior… the time is coming… your time is coming to an end… you see Warrior I know what it takes… I know what the Ultimate Sacrifice will be… it won’t be the WWF Championship… it won’t be the Macho Man Randy Savage… you see Ultimate Warrior… I went to the darkside brother and here I am… (Turns around to show his painted face) YOU WARRIOR will be the sacrifice. You Warrior will be the one who falls to the masses of the Macho Maniacs throughout the World! DIG IT! Ultimate Warrior… WrestleMania is a blink of an eye away… I am ready to go to wa and there is no stopping this Madness! Ultimate Warrior: Randy Savage… you have shown the world what you’re willing to do to keep the WWF Championship… but know that I am not without my flaws. I have prayed to the gods of parts unknown and they have shown me the path… the path I must go on to achieve my destiny… that path goes right through you Randy Savage. But when the battle is done… I will stand victorious… but I will lower my hand… I will lower my hand to raise you from the ashes… you can walk with me to immortality… if the gods see you worthy… will you be worth Randy Savage… will you be worthy of the ultimate sacrifice? Mean Gene puts over WrestleMania 5 and Superstars Live next week on the USA network. We'll see you there! Big Bossman w/ Slick & One Man Gang vs Paul Roma A simple enough main event for Bossman to show how much of a badass he is… we see him beat the hell out of Roma… that is with the help of the One Man Gang and Slick. Roma hits a streak to nail some big dropkicks and get the advantage for a moment… but Bossman catches him from a high cross body and turns it into a nasty, spinning, Bossman Slam! Bossman gets the victory but it isn’t over… he and One Man Gang start putting the boots to Roma and they are wearing him down… wait just a second… here comes Hercules! Hercules comes down with the chain and clears the ring! Hercules is ready for the Bossman and by golly… they will find themselves across from the ring at WrestleMania but will they wait until then?

Badd Company are some Badd Dudes and Stud is quite the imposing figure outside the ring. I was never a Boogie Woogie fan but I met him and he's good on my sheet now... glad he got the win Studd Stable looked like Studds tonight on a huge scale The Sheepherders may take the US tag titles and make them the NEW ZEALAND tag titles! NWA Heritage Title. The Super Destroyer with a big win over Snuka... albeit some controversy. "The Unpredictable" Dick Slater defeats"Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez - This for me would have been a match of the night possibility. I thought JYD was walking out with it but "Tennessee Stud" Robert Fuller got the W. Crockett Cup is coming... one has to wonder how great a 1989 edition would have been... but with the NWA at the time - Spring vs Fall would have been quite different. NWA World Tag Team Titles. Road Warriors. Winners. <3 Things that all go together. "Rugged" Ron Garvin's run has been so much better than real life - tough matches like this solidfy him as a top tier champion.

2/26 Prime Time Wrestling w/ Gorilla Monsoon & Bobby Heenan We open up Prime Time with Gorilla and Bobby pumping up a huge night of action in which we will see Andre the Giant taking on The Warlord! Plus we’ll see Dusty Rhodes, Hercules, The One Man Gang, and a special US tag Team Title matchup with the Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine challenging the Rockers! Heenan says that he can’t wait for WrestleMania… Gorilla asks why… Heenan says that his WrestleMania match will be announced tonight and he’s looking forward to it!Gorilla hums and hahs… it is time to head to the ring for our opener! The Varsity Club defeated Bob Holly & ST Jones - we hear from the Steiner Brothers during this one as they let us know how ready they are for the Varsity Club. They know that Kevin Sullivan is going to be there but they will make sure he doesn’t make a difference! Brutus Beefcake defeated Conquistador II - No haircut for the Conquistador tonight… but Beefcake looks good taking care of him. We hear from Terry Taylor who is cutting some randos hair during the promo… says that Beefcake better enjoy what he’s got… because soon it will be gone! US Tag Team Championship Rockers vs Honky & Valentine w/ Jimmy Hart A really fun television match that is given some time and really gets over with the crowd. Our good friend Jimmy Hart is letting his presence be known out there any chance he gets. We see him get involved by grabbing legs and doing anything he can to give his men a shot. Honky and Valentine… Rhythm and Bruise… they are doing it in the ring and really putting it together as a tag team. The tide then turns… the Rockers get going on offense and they are flying around the ring. Dino Bravo comes out and now he’s helping Jimmy get involved… Dusty Rhodes then comes down and we see him bash Dino and Jimmy’s heads together! Now Honky and Valentine go out there and the referee calls for the bell. The Rockers make the save and back off the Hart Foundation…the Rockers retain… and Dusty has helped save the US tag titles for the Americana tour 89! Mean Gene welcomes us to the Event Center and we go through the matches already signed for WrestleMania 5: Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior - WWF title Kerry & Kevin Von Erich vs Honky Tonk Man & Greg Valentine w/ Jimmy Hart Demolition vs Rockers - Tag Titles Dusty Rhodes vs Dino Bravo w/ Jimmy Hart Rick Martel vs Great Muta w/ Paul E- IC title Steiners vs Varsity Club w/ Kevin Sullivan Brutus Beefcake vs Terry Taylor - HAIR MATCH Hercules vs Big Bossman w/ Slick Davey Boy Smith vs One Man Gang w/ Slick Mean Gene then puts over the new matches signed… including the Heenan Family members! Hacksaw Duggan vs Haku w/ Heenan Tito Santana vs Rick Rude w/ Heenan Promos: Duggan: HOOOO! Haku… Weasel… WrestleMania 5 is coming from the city of Brotherly Love but I won’t be sharing any love on that night… in fact I am going to give you the opposite of love… a lot of hate… I hate what you stand for Bobby Heenan and I hate what Haku does to those guys in the ring… I guess it is time to shut them up for good… TOUGH GUY! Rick Rude: Promises… promises… Tito Santana… perhaps one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the history of the WWF… your past Tito Santana is nothing compared to my future. Everything you have done I will do two or even three times. The one thing you won’t be able to do is beat the Ravishing One at WrestleMania because when you wake up in Philly… it is going to be a RUDE AWAKENING! Savage: Look into my eyes Warrior… understand that I am not afraid… you see I have done some thinking of my own… I have done some studying of my own… I have gone to the gods of the Madness and they have told me exactly what I need to do. Yeah! Ultimate Warrior… WrestleMania 5 is going to be the biggest event in the history of professional wrestling but it will be the sacrifice of the Ultimate Warrior that everyone remembers. When the WWF Champion… the Macho King Randy Savage stands tall… the Warrior will fall…. DIG IT! Warrior: The gods of Madness are nothing but false prophets… for you Randy Savage know this to be true and at WrestleMania 5… the truth will be revealed. The walls of the Philadelphia Spectrum will crumble at the sight of the Ultimate Warrior and the ultimate sacrifice I will make… the become the Ultimate WWF Champion. Randy Savage you will bow down to the gods of parts unknown and get on the last seat on the space ship out of this galaxy… then and only then will you see the light and return… one of the followers of the Warrior… one who sees what he can truly become… but if you perish Randy Savage… you will go down as the man who fell to make the Ultimate Warrior rise to the greatest heights in history! Mean Gene then comes back to let us know… in two weeks… Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura will be hosting a very special WWF Superstars LIVE! We will see a special two hour broadcast as we prepare for WrestleMania… there will be a special double main event on that night… we will see a Pick your Poison match between the Ultimate Warrior and Randy Macho Man Savage. Each man will pick three competitors… then one of those three will be drawn at random to go against their opponent. I am already told that Randy Savage has signed up the Big Bossman… who else could he choose that could face the Warrior… We’ll find out more next week! Dusty Rhodes defeated Wally Carmichael - Dino and Jimmy jump in to let us know how they feel about Americana and the Dream… they tell him that it is going to be a tough wake up because Dino is going to become the American Nightmare! Hercules defeated Jim Erickson - Big Bossman w/o Slick here… puts himself on the top of the world and tells Hercules that even the strongest chain won’t be able to stop him from destroying the world’s strongest man… because no one is strongest that law and order! One Man Gang defeated Vance Simmons & Ryan Vice - The British Bulldog chimes in to let us know that he has the power of the UK behind him and he is destined for greatness… but in order to be great you have to face every challenge in front of you… so One Man Gang is on his path and no one will stop the Bulldog! Andre the Giant vs The Warlord w/ Fuji Well… the precedent of Andre the Giant wrestling on television is something to behold… but it isn’t that good. We see Barbarian come out midway through this 8-minute slugfest. We see Barb and Warlord tag up when possible and double up on Andre with Fuji running interference… Andre is then able to counter and control the two men to destroy one another with a huge double headbutt! Fuji then gets in there and NAILS Andre with the cane. This pulls the DQ and now it is 3 on 1! The crowd is going nuts here for Andre… but then we hear some familiar music… wait a minute… from the back here comes JIMMY SNUKA! The Superfly is back! He leaps off the top rope with a crossbody on Barbarian! He gets up and nails Warlord with a dropkick sending him out of the ring to the floor! Andre then grabs Fuji and nails a headbutt! Fuji goes flying as Andre and Snuka embrace… They work the crowd… we’re out of here… more next week!

Hogan... Hogan... come out to playyyyyy.... the anticipation is at an all time high. I can't wait!

I like your cheat sheet - all of this makes sense for the future of WCW. I like how this is a change from where WCW/NWA was in 1989 originally. Flair v Dibiase, Sting, Lawler, Luger... that's almost two years worth of challengers all the while... Humungous and Jeff Jarrett rise to the top.

Do you think Pride was on the level? I have heard stories about the early shows almost being pre-booked and then it turned more into a sport due to getting popularity going and such.

I went back and played some UFC Undisputed 3 - it has Pride Fighting in it and I thought of your stuff here. Excited to see how Bad News can come over here and prove his worth... dude is an Olympic Medalist.

Could be like a Joel Watts... who I have read did some pretty amazing stuff on that side of the camera.

2/19 Superstars of Wrestling w/ Vince McMahon & Jesse the Body Ventura Superstars opens up this week with Jesse and Vince putting over WrestleMania 5 live from Philadelphia and what a card we’ve got… The Ultimate Warrior challenges Randy Savage, The Great Muta challenges Rick Martel, and the Rockers challenge Demolition! Plus we will see a Hair Cut match with Terry Taylor and Brutus Beefcake… and we’ll see the Von Erich brothers taking on Rhythm and Bruise! Fans right now it is time to head to the ring! Honky Tonk Man w/ Jimmy Hart defeated Gregory Jones - We hear from Jimmy Hart and he puts over how his Hart Foundation is going to set the stage for everyone at WrestleMania… gold is on the horizon! The Varsity Club defeated Bob Holly & Kip Jones- Steiners chime in to let us know that WrestleMania is going to be a showcase… of not only their strength and athleticism but also their ability to put the Varsity Club down once and for all! Sullivan looks to have his club all set and ready for big things… we’ll see how this goes! Brother Love Show with Special Guest - Andre the Giant. Andre is back this week and we see Brother Love once again trying to goat him… he asks just how much money was in the envelope… Andre says it was a lot. Then we see Fuji come out but he’s got Barb and Warlord with him. They are looking on and then Fuji asks Andre what he’s going to do!? Andre reaches his hand out and shakes Fuji’s hand! Warlord and Barbarian work the crowd but Andre turns Fuji around and shoves the money in his mouth! Warlord and Barbarian pounce. It is two on one and Andre is not in a good way here. Officials and agents come out and slow this down… the Powers of Pain exert their dominance… what will Fuji’s next move be? Dusty Rhodes defeated Mike Rocket. We hear from Dino Bravo who likes to show off his strength and his muscles and he says he is going to show Rhodes that his Americana tour is going to stop before it even starts! Demolition defeated The Russians- The Rockers are on the mic to let us know how much they’re looking forward to the big showdown at WrestleMania V. The Rockers talk about defending the US tag titles every night until the show… and then when they win the WWF Tag Titles… they look forward to defending them all over the country as well! Mean Gene is in the event center putting over WrestleMania 5 in a big way. He runs through the card that has already been announced… Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior - WWF title Kerry Von Erich & Kevin vs Honky Tonk Man & Greg Valentine w/ Jimmy Hart Demolition vs Rockers - Tag Titles Dusty Rhodes vs Dino Bravo w/ Jimmy Hart Rick Martel vs Great Muta w/ Paul E- IC title Steiners vs Varsity Club w/ Kevin Sullivan Brutus Beefcake vs Terry Taylor - HAIR MATCH Mean Gene then puts up the following matches… we will see… Hercules vs Big Bossman w/ Slick Davey Boy Smith vs One Man Gang w/ Slick Gene puts over some big promos from some of the competitors… Rhodes: Dusty Rhodes… the common man… Americana Tour 1989 gonna be kicking off at WrestleMania 5 baby and it is going to be live… Dino Bravo… the Canadian Strongman… brother you may lift some weights but can you lift the weight of the love in America. I will be there in the city of brotherly love… with the millions of people out there… we comin baby… we coming to take you down and get on a roll… Americana 89 is coming baby… get ready! Warrior: Randy Macho Man Savage… you look at yourself as a man who has no flaws… a man who has no equals… Randy Macho Man Savage… I am not equal to you… I am superior to you in every single way. I have prayed to the forces of Parts Unknown… they have shown me my destiny and it will be me standing over you with the WWF title… Randy Savage… your sacrifice to the powers of Parts Unknown will be the ultimate sacrifice… by the Ultimate Warrior! Savage: Superior!?! Are you kidding me! You paint your face to hide the weakness in your eyes… I see the weakness of the Warrior. I could beat you seven days a week and twice on sunday. WrestleMania 5… gonna be live… all the lights… all the sights… brother I am going to open you up for the world to see… yeah! The Macho Man is the WWF Champion for a reason and I am going to put that reason right through your small black heart… DIG IT! Davey Boy Smith defeated Lenny Phillips - We get to hear from the Slickster who says that the One Man Gang is 6’9” and 450 pounds of completely bad attitude… Davey Boy… you better be ready my man because WrestleMania isn’t gonna be about fun… it’s going to be about pain… the pain we’re going to inflict on you! We sending you back to the pound little doggy… cuz you ain’t got no bite! Great Muta w/ Paul E Dangerously defeated ST Jones… Two big things… number one… Sherri is shown in the audience… and she is cheering for Muta very loudly! Rick Martel chimes in to let us know that Muta is world class… but so is he… Muta is dangerous… but so is he… but he is one thing that Muta is not… Martel is a CHAMPION! Big Bossman defeated defeated Michael Del Rio - Hercules gives us his two cents… that’s about all it's worth… he doesn’t say much of anything… but lets us know that Bossman is in big trouble come WrestleMania 5. He puts over the strength of the handcuffs but it pales in comparison to the power of the chain!

Hogan is in good hands and you've got the character down... now he's ready to take the AWA by storm... I have a feeling he's going to rock the AWA like a hurricane soon!

The contracts for Demolition are up on April 1st. Open to offers for them to come over after that date if interested.

It is hard to book streaks... Powers and Humongous is a case in point... and Humungous is the real deal... we all know it and he walks away with his streak intact... Lawler comes out to a huge pop and really brings a fun element to WCW... Main Event... how to make a man in a minute... Ted Dibiase with the win over Flair... oh what he could have done in WCW if they pulled the trigger back in 87. I am excited to see how this shakes out over the long run.

Lots of huge dream matches that have taken place already in 89. The Rise of Austin is going to be a major piece of our game moving forward and it looks like he is on the express train to superstardom.

2/12 Prime Time Wrestling w/ Gorilla Monsoon & Bobby Heenan Gorilla and Bobby open us up with a nice barrage of the WrestleMania 5 card… we hear that the venue has changed due to ticket sales… the Philadelphia Spectrum is going to be the home of WrestleMania 5. What a night it will be… Ultimate Warrior goes for the WWF championship against Randy Savage… the Rockers go for the tag titles against Demolition… and we’ve got the Great Muta taking on Rick Martel for the Intercontinental Championship… Bobby predicts that there will be a title change… he is going to put everything on it. Gorilla asks which title it will be but Brain won’t budge… another big match for Mania is going to be Dusty Rhodes on his Americana tour 89… he starts it off with the Canadian Strongman - Dino Bravo! Dino Bravo defeated Bobby Trips - Dusty let’s us know that Dino Bravo is going to be the first stop on the Americana Tour 1989. He is going to travel all over the country and beat every single man who disrespects America. He is going to stand for Truth and Justice! In the match… Dino looks huge… he destroys Trips and he looks to be ready for Rhodes! Shane Douglas & Koko Ware defeated Frank Winters & Mark Chumura - Nothing too exciting in terms of story but these two are catching some fire right now as an upstart team. Brother Love Show with Special Guest - Andre the Giant. Brother Love is goating Andre into saying that he doesn’t have what it takes to be a main eventer anymore… only infuriating the Giant. Andre tells Brother Love he can do it all in the ring still and will do it to him. Out of the back… Mr. Fuji? Fuji comes out and tells Andre that he wants a Giant. He wants to manage Andre to the World Championship. Fuji gives Andre a huge envelope and we can see there’s money in there. Andre looks on as Fuji tells him to think about it! They close the segment and Andre gives a nice grin to finish things off. Rockers defeated Los Conquistadors - Demolition chime in to let us know that they are tired of waiting… this is what they’ve wanted and now this is what is going to happen! The Rockers are tag team specialists but they aren’t the world champions… that’s Demolition… and it's going to stay that way! Event Center: Mean Gene let’s us know about the matches already signed for WrestleMania 5… here we go… Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior - WWF title Kerry Von Erich & Kevin vs Honky Tonk Man & Greg Valentine w/ Jimmy Hart Demolition vs Rockers - Tag Titles Dusty Rhodes vs Dino Bravo w/ Jimmy Hart Gene then puts over the newest matches that have been signed… Rick Martel vs Great Muta w/ Paul E- IC title Steiners vs Varsity Club w/ Kevin Sullivan Brutus Beefcake vs Terry Taylor - HAIR MATCH We then hear from the following wrestlers regarding their subsequent matches… Paul E w/ Muta: Rick Martel… you are a Canadian superstar that holds a title that represents all the countries… it is Intercontinental… that means it goes world wide… that means that the best in the world hold the title… right now… you think that is you… but this man right here. The Great Muta. Perhaps the greatest Japanese young lion in the history of the sport is here in America to set the US on fire with his speed, athleticism, and pure talent. That is what makes this match so special Rick Martel… in every facet of the game… the Great Muta has the advantage… so… it is elementary… the title is coming home with us! Rick Martel: Paul E… you have got a big mouth for a man who can barely see above the counter. You want to throw out words and ideas… throw out adjectives… but throw out facts. I have been the Intercontinental Champion for almost a year… I have defeated any and all comers. I have defeated former champions. I have faced all the top athletes in the world of wrestling. Muta… I will give you every accolade… but winning the Intercontinental Championship… it won’t be one of them! Randy Savage: Ultimate Warrior…. Ultimate Warrior…. Look in my eyes Ultimate Warrior… brother I have no fear in these eyes… I told the world that this would be the reign of Madness and I have yet to really unleash that Madness… but I am gonna do it… yeah… you see WrestleMania 5 is gonna be the biggest event of all time… the Macho Man is on the marquee… the lights… the city… the WWF title… Warrior… you’re stepping into my world brother and in my world you will cease to exist! Ultimate Warrior: Randy Macho Man Savage… the WWF Champion… I am going on a retreat between now and WrestleMania where I will study and pray to all the gods to get the power and strength I need to meet… no exceed your madness. The power of the warriors will surpass any madness that you can muster Randy Savage… for it has been written and it will come to be… the Ultimate Warrior will go to WrestleMania 5… and the Ultimate Warrior will win the WWF CHAMPIONSHIP! Steiners defeated Bob Sullivan & Brett White- The Steiners look good tonight… Rick and Scott are really gelling together as a team… but we get to hear from Sullivan who puts over Rotundo and Spivey… they will get their shot at the tag titles again… but at WrestleMania… they will EXPEL the Steiners! Terry Taylor defeated Bob Holly - Brutus jumps right in to let us know that it is going to be a haircut match… that means he doesn’t have to shave Taylor’s head bald… but perhaps put some life in it! Taylor changes things up and hits a nasty back forearm and then he puts Holly to sleep with the sleeper… he says that was for Brutus! Von Erichs defeated the Russians - Kerry and Kevin look great in the ring. They have got the fans solidly behind them. Honky and Valentine jump in and let us know that it is going to be a one way trip to heartbreak Hotel at WrestleMania 5 in Philadelphia… it may be the city of Brotherly Love but it will be the heartbreak when Rhythm and Bruise take them down!

NWA continues to cook... SuperBrawl is on the horizon... Garvin has a tough challenge in Orton but I think that Ronnie has a real ace up his sleeve. I am glad to see Dynamite doing well here... also looks like the Horsemen are primed for big things. These ol dogs can hunt and they won't be put down by anyone.

Hulk Hogan is COMING! I think there is an opportunity to consolidate and expand the horizons of the AWA with his arrival. Can the titles be put together to make a clear number one title with a secondary to boot? Who is the prized fighter of the AWA and how do they match up with the Hulkster? Verne has every opportunity to jump right back in the fight here... can't wait to see how it goes!

Just met Tugboat irl, probably getting a title run in 89 now

The Main Event II February 9th 1989 Randy Savage: Ohhhh yeeeeaaaahhhhh the Main Event… an event made for the Macho Man! They said it couldn’t be done but I am still the world champion… don’t think for a minute that the Macho Man is going to take it lightly… Rick Martel you are next in line… a long line of people that will bow down to the Macho Man when it is all said and done… DIG IT! Rick Martel: I have worked long and hard for this opportunity! Randy Savage, I’ve held this title for a long time… but your title is the next in line for me and there is nothing I won’t do to go and get it. I know you have a trick or two up your sleeve… but I have no secrets… I am coming with everything I’ve got! Kevin Sullivan has got his Varsity Club ready to go tonight and he says they aren’t afraid to step in the ring with anyone… Spivey and Rotundo look primed for this one… The Rockers look to be primed for this one and talk about the US tag titles being the last step towards the tag titles… they aren’t looking past the Varsity Club but they want to show the world they are ready for Demolition! Rick Rude: It is no lie Ultimate Warrior that you pulled the biggest upset of your career at the Royal Rumble but here tonight there is no sneak… there is no one else… it is one on one… and you’re in for a Rude Awakening! Ultimate Warrior: I have called upon the gods for the power and strength to eliminate 29 other men from the Royal Rumble… they came to me with all the power and now I stand here… one more battle away from the ultimate prize and I will show I am the Ultimate Warrior… may the gods give me the strength… one more time to defeat the one who calls himself Ravishing… Rick Rude… you live in a world of dreams… I live in a world of reality… it is you who is in for a Rude Awakening and I am going to be the one to wake you up to the power of the WARRIOR! Vince and Jesse bring us in to the Boston Garden and the crowd is wild and ready for a huge event… They put over the three matches on the card… the US tag titles may be the only titles on the line but there is so much more in store. They put over that the US tag team champions will face Demolition. It is time to decide the champions and who will be going on to WrestleMania 5! The Rockers © vs The Varsity Club w/ Kevin Sullivan A very hard fought contest and these guys go about 18-minutes. Demolition make their way down to the ring and they have a bird’s eyeview of what is going on. Sullivan is such a force outside the ring. He is getting involved here and there and the referee can’t seem to catch it. It then comes down when he throws Marty Jannetty into the ring post and the Varsity Club has things well in hand… that is until the Steiner Brothers run down and they pull Sullivan away from the ring. The crowd is going nuts here… the Steiners and Demolition then have a little look that gives you shivers… then inside the ring Rotundo falls prey to a huge superkick from Michaels. Spivey is out there trying to get Sullivan but Rotundo is rocked and put dow for the 3-count! The Rockers are the winners! The Varsity Club are arguing with the referee as they head to the back and this one might break loose with the Steiner Brothers… but inside the ring… well... Demolition are there with the world titles… Rockers hold the US tag titles… this is what it is all about… at WrestleMania… it is going to go down! Vince and Jesse continue to put over WrestleMania and we hear that two other big matches have been signed for WrestleMania… get this… Dusty Rhodes will go one on one with the Canadian strongman… Dino Bravo… plus… We’ll see Kerry and Kevin Von Erich taking on the Honkytonk Man and Greg Valentine in tag team action! That along with the tag title contest… plus we will find out tonight who will be facing WWF Champion Randy Savage.. He’s in action right now… let’s go to the ring! NON-TITLE CHAMPION VS CHAMPION Rick Martel vs Randy Savage A really good match with two men that have some good style comparisons. Martel is really getting a good face pop… and Savage is stirring up some big time heat. What in the world… Sherri… is that Sherri!?! Sherri is shown in the crowd and she is cheering for Ricky! Ricky! Savage goes into an extended heat segment and Martel does everything he can to fight back. We’ve got another visitor… there is Paul E Dangerously… and he’s with the Great Muta… they are on the interview podium… watching on… could Muta be next in line for the IC title? Well Martel does get it going… and here we go… Martel and Savage with a huge bump on the referee and he goes down. Martel is able to get the hometown Boston Crab on and the crowd is going wild but the referee is down… wait a second… Sherri… she jumps the rail and puts her purse in the ring? She goes to the other side and gets up on the apron and starts yelling and cheering for Martel! He’s got it locked in and some reason… he goes over to Sherri and tells her to get down… Savage… Savage grabs the purse and comes over with a huge shot right between the eyes to Martel! Savage throws the purse to Sherri. Savage covers… the referee is gaining his steam…. 1……2……3! Savage gets out of the ring and grabs the title… he shakes his head and Sherri is being escorted back by Patterson and Brisco… Savage is the champ… Sherri is a mystery… who will he face at Mania?! We’re in the back where Gene Okerlund is standing by and Paul E comes in about as annoying as hell…. He says he’s been on the phone with the WWF Championship Committee and he has put the challenge out… Rick Martel… WrestleMania 5… The Great Muta challenges the Intercontinental Champion Rick Martel! Gene tells him to take a number… we then get Dusty Rhodes in the spot and he puts over WrestleMania and his announced match with Dino Bravo. Gene asks the question on plenty of people’s minds… why not try for a match with the Big Bossman… Rhodes says that the battle between himself and the Big Bossman is going to go down when the time is right… the WWF knows that is a match that will tear down the arena and build it back up again… but Rhodes is on the Americana Tour, 1989 baby! He’s going to show that Canadian good for nothing Dino Bravo that the heart of America is too strong! WINNER GOES TO WRESTLEMANIA The Ultimate Warrior vs Ravishing Rick Rude w/ Bobby Heenan What a main event… right here on NBC… everything is on the line for these two. Rude looks like he is cut from stone… Warrior comes out like a maniac and here we go. These guys go about 15-minutes… and that’s a stretch for Warrior who really seems to be gassed at the end. We get big move after big move… Rude pulls out a nasty German Suplex, a nice shoulder breaker, and even a sick piledriver that looks to have broken Warrior’s neck. Rude goes up top and leaps for a diving fist but Warrior moves and Rude may have broken his hand! Rude is writhing in pain! Heenan is trying to get in there but Warrior nails him for good measure! Rude with a knee to his back and then he turns him around for the Rude Awakening but Warrior pulls Rude’s hands up and breaks the lock… then he knees Rude in the gut and PRESS SLAM! HE EVEN PUMPS RUDE! DROPS him down! Warrior hits the ropes and the BIG SPLASH for the 1…..2…..3!!! The Ultimate Warrior has won it… he has won the Rumble… now he goes on to WrestleMania to take on The Macho Man Randy Savage! Look at the card we’ve got so far! WWF WrestleMania 5 Live from Atlantic City, New Jersey WWF Championship Randy Savage defends against the Ultimate Warrior WWF Tag Team Championship Demolition defend against the Rockers Dusty Rhodes takes on Dino Bravo Kerry & Kevin Von Erich do battle with the Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine