LowBlowPodcast

8/17 RAGE Monday Night Mayhem @ Dallas, TX - Reunion Arena RAGE opens with a highlight video of the top stars before cutting to special footage from last week’s main event where Ric Flair showed up just as we were going off the air. We then cut to the ring and see Jim Ross and Dusty Rhodes! JR: Welcome everyone to Monday Night Mayhem! I am Jim Ross alongside Dusty Rhodes and Dream, last week we saw none other than the Nature Boy Ric Flair show up and so many questions from his appearance! Dream: If anyone knows Ric Flair, it is me and brother you know that there are questions and answers that we all need. Ric Flair is the only one who knows why he’s here and I want to know just like all these people want to know. JR: We’ve been here all day… we haven’t seen him nor heard from him but we hope to have word soon. Fans this week we will have our first Ultimate Survival qualifying match plus we will see a huge main event of Viscera and the Undertaker! Dream: You talking about the two biggest boys in the yard and they want to see who the baddest dude on the block is and brother that’s going to be a war. Then you got Ultimate Survival… five men enter… first man to get a pin is the champion… last man standing is the number one contender. I love it. JR: Fans tonight, we will show you the exclusive interview I had with Stone Cold Steve Austin at his home… needless to say it was explosive. Right now, we’re going to head to the ring for our opening contest… it is the first of our two Ultimate Survival qualifying matches… let’s head to the ring! BB: Ladies and gentlemen our opening contest is scheduled for one fall with a 15-minute time limit and is an Ultimate Survival Qualifying Match!. Introducing first, hailing from Orlando, Florida… Scotty 2 Hotty! His opponent hails from Minneapolis, Minnesota… accompanied to the ring by TORI...X-Pac! Scotty 2 Hotty vs Xpac w/ Tori -A fun opener with both of these men bringing their all right now. We hear from JR and Dusty how these two men have traveled all around the world during their careers and they hope to make the biggest impact right here at RAGE. This one goes 9-minutes with both men getting offense but it is Xpac who hits a nasty low blow on Scotty which leads to the X-Factor for the 3-count! Xpac is the first one to qualify and it looks like he’ll do whatever it takes to get it done. -As we are about to cut out… there is a commotion in the crowd as they look to the back...that’s Ric Flair. He is walking down to the ring on the side of the aisle and here comes some security… we’ll be right back! COMMERCIAL -We’re back and Ric Flair is in the ring and here comes Eric Bischoff… they are eye to eye with a lot of security around them… EB: Ric… I know you’re here for a reason… please… what is going on? Flair: You know something Eric… when I sat there… in my home… being paid by WCW while you wouldn’t put me on television… I thought about kicking your ass every second of every day. Here I am to let you know that I am here to show you that I am still THEE MAN! You got me? EB: Listen Ric… I know that you still think you have something left in the tank… but I just don’t think this is the right time… Flair: No you listen to me you son of a bitch… you low balled me… you have downplayed me since day one and damnit I am tired of it. I am here to show you that I can go with anyone and damnit I will do whatever it takes! EB: Alright Ric… I understand… but know this… this is different than before… I want to let by gones be by gones… Flair: You can shove the by gones up your ass! EB: Alright… now I have tried… you want a shot at RAGE… huh? You want to be the man here in RAGE? Well how about this… I am going to go in the back and I am going to talk to my lawyers… next week right here… I will have a contract for you to wrestle someone at Sudden Impact… just to see if you’ve still got it! Flair: You better believe it pal… you give me anyone and I will face em! EB: Alright… I am glad we could settle this… now get this son of a bitch out of my ring! -THAT DOES IT! Flair goes after him but the security is holding him back! Flair is fuming right now as they are carrying him away. Bischoff is waving and smiling at him. The Nature Boy is going to wrestle at Sudden Impact… but who will it be against? COMMERCIAL* -We’re back on Mayhem as JR and Dusty put over the appearance of Ric Flair and the announcement for him to be possibly wrestling at Sudden Impact. We then hear them talk about the tag team invitational match at Sudden Impact that Misawa and Kobashi have entered… but we hear there is another Japanese contingent that has accepted the challenge as well… Masa Chono and Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Dusty puts these two over as major stars and competitors. They talk about the Dudley Boys along with Edge and Christian who have accepted the challenge as well. Right now the Dudleys are in action… let’s go to the ring! BB: Ladies and gentlemen our next contest is a tag team match scheduled for one fall with a 20-minute time limit. Introducing first, the team of Chris Chetti and Nova! Their opponents, hailing from Dudleyville… D-Von and Bubba Ray… the Dudley Boyz! Chris Chetti & Nova vs the Dudley Boyz -An easy going tag team match with Nova and Chetti making their debut and doing some decent work against the Dudleys but Bubba and D-Von are on a different level right now and they up their game. We hear from Edge and Christian during the contest and say they wonder why anyone has signed on to face them at Sudden Impact… everyone knows they will be champs and the world will see them triumph. Inside the ring… Chetti gets rocked with the 3-D and the 3-count! The Dudleys look good here...we’ll see how they fare with these others teams in this special match.. COMMERCIAL We’re back with Stacy Kiebler in the back and she’s joined by Buff Bagwell and Scott Steiner. They pump up their issue with Mark Henry and Buff explains that Godfather may have got the win last week tonight is a new night and Buff is going to show why he’s the STUFF! Steiner says that Mark Henry is nothing but a bitch and needs to sign the contract to face him at Sudden Impact...wow… let’s go to the ring! BB: Our next contest is scheduled for one fall with a 15-minute time limit! Introducing first… Buff Bagwell! His opponent… the Godfather! Buff Bagwell w/ Scott Steiner vs Godfather -This one has got a little juice in the tank and we’ve got Buff and Steiner with some serious heat at ringside. Godfather has got the hoes with him but they are freaked out by Steiner and run up the rampway. Steiner interjects himself whenever he can and causes quite the distraction for the Godfather who can’t help but try to stop him. They are pounding away at the Godfather until Mark Henry runs down and breaks things up! Oh my… this one is far from over! COMMERCIAL We return to Mayhem at the home of Stone Cold Steve Austin. Inside we see Jim Ross standing by with Stone Cold… JR: First things first, thank you for letting me in your home Steve… Austin: Yeah… you’re here… now let’s get this going… JR: I think the first thing that everyone wants to know is how is your health and can we expect to see you in the ring in the year 2000? Austin: Well the way I see it my health is nobody’s damn concern but my own. The fact of the matter is that I am getting better and better each day and you better damn well know that means I am going to be opening up cans of whoop ass all over when the time is right. Now when it comes to getting in the ring… look at this… (pulls out a contract). I got this via FEDEX from Eric Bitchoff and the corporate suits at RAGE. You can tell I haven’t signed it yet… JR: Do you think that you will? Austin: Shut up… listen to me when I say that I am not going to be jerked around by anybody. Eric Bischoff fired my ass via FedEx years ago and now he wants me to sign this thing… nuh uh! I am going to wrestle for Steve Austin and only for Steve Austin. If that means I go to RAGE well then by god I will… but don’t think I don’t have more contracts sitting there waiting for me to sign them. The way I see it… I am a free agent and I am willing to sign for anyone if the timing and price is right. I damn near broke my neck and I have put everything on the line in that ring… I don’t owe anyone a damn thing and that’s the way I feel about it… JR: Would you say your career is over? Austin: Listen to me damnit… I will be the one to decide when I go off in the sunset and when I don’t. I still got piss and vinegar in my veins and don’t think for a second I don’t have some retribution to be paid. There’s a couple of people who need to know that Stone Cold Steve Austin still has a can of whoop ass for them and they just happen to be in RAGE wrestling. JR: Are you referring to Triple H? Austin: You damn right and I am talking about you and Eric Bischoff and anyone else that doubts me. I am going to raise hell whenever I want and wherever I want. So the way I see it… I can open up your can right now if you want… JR: I will pass… Austin: Listen here… this is for you and every single person out there… when the doctor clears me to get in the ring; I will be in the ring. I don’t know when that will be… I don’t know where that will be… hell if I have to go to Australia to wrestle; I will do it. What I do know is that it is going to be my choice and no one else's and that’s the bottom line… CUZ STONE COLD SAID SO! COMMERCIAL Mayhem is back with JR and Dream going over the Stone Cold interview. Dusty says that Austin is his own man and he will do his own thing no matter what. JR said that it was very tense in the room and even after. Austin told him to leave and he had no choice. They put over Sudden Impact in a big way and talk about Taker vs Triple H. They put over two big Ultimate Survival matches next week… Dean Malenko vs Chris Kanyon and Chris Benoit vs Hugh Morris. We will also see the debut of Chono and Tenzan as a tag team. Plus Scott Steiner will be in action… Right now it is time for our main event… The Undertaker taking on Viscera! BB: Ladies and gentlemen it is now time for our main event of the evening! Introducing first, he weighs in tonight at over 500 pounds… he is known as the Menace of Mayhem… Viscera! His opponent hails from Death Valley… this is the UNDERTAKER! MAIN EVENT The Undertaker vs Viscera -A big time main event with Viscera not giving two shits about the Undertaker and really bringing the big bombs. JR and Dream put over how big V is truly a menace of mayhem and how he tore apart the ringside area just a couple of weeks ago. These guys start throwing bombs and then go out of the ring and hammer each other into the guardrail and then the ring posts! The ring may have moved when Taker moved and Viscera hit the post. The crowd is behind the Deadman who grabs Viscera by the throat and threatens a chokeslam but Viscera counters. Here comes a huge belly to belly on the outside and Taker is hurt. Viscera rolls him back in the ring but then we see the Undertaker sit up and the crowd pops huge! Taker gets up and he is throwing big time with Viscera and then hits him with a CHOKESLAM in the middle of the ring! Wait a minute… out of nowhere… Triple H with a sledgehammer and BAM! He cracks the Undertaker right in the skull and he goes down! Triple H jumps on top of him and is throwing some piston like right hands and Taker is busted wide open! We are out of time while Taker is slow to get up and Triple H has struck first blood on the road to Sudden Impact!

You are without a doubt the king of the images here in this game. A lot of really good stuff up and down and with rodman at the home anything can happen. I'm definitely going to have to do a little research and some of your guys but I also like how the brackets are moved around a little bit. I am a huge mark for deathmatch stuff in the '90s and owned a couple of FMW best of the deathmatch video tapes. I also like the results at the end of your show just as a refresher of what happened. I appreciate all the work that you're putting into this. I appreciate all the work that you're putting into this.

He talked about there being a lot to this show in terms of text and I will agree with you at some point but also I think it's beneficial to try to build up your promotion and the characters that you have. I know at one point I was just writing who won the match and then spending more time writing the promos and the angles to help develop everybody. Sometimes that kind of stuff is important too. One thing I would encourage you is to maybe do a little formatting to separate what's going on however I get this ECW sense of the scratch scratch angle scratch scratch interview scratch scratch match scratch scratch angle kind of ordeal which is pretty cool. The other little thing I would do is maybe put who is wrestling in the match just to keep it clear about what is exactly going on. other than that I think you've got a lot of good details and a lot of good things moving forward.

There's no doubt that you put a lot of eggs in the same basket when it came to that gauntlet idea. I liked it to an extent but I also have to put myself in the framework of your promotion and how it is all about getting butts in the seats. There's no doubt that the rock is a perfect choice for you to base your promotion on and he is going to be a huge name wherever you go. I like the use of Jim cornette with the Japanese guys and I like the movement of Kurt Angle.

you and I have done a lot of writing together, and I can say that this is definitely one of the better things that you've put together. I like the movement of the characters I like the format. you know that I'm probably going to say that you should try to limit it down a little bit but that's just what it is lol. The fact that you have Hogan and McMahon in the same picture in the year 2000 is going to be something that everybody has to take notice of. Not to mention you've got Jericho and Kane who are too bona fide superstars at this point I like a lot of the things that you have going on here and I'm looking forward to what happens in the future.

I always like the team of homicide and Hernandez but I'm not sure where they're at at this point in their careers. Interested to see how you play things out. Sabu versus Jeff Hardy is definitely one of those matches that everybody would love to see just how they can up and one another. I also like the movement of Ray and Jewish and lager they're definitely two aces to rely on and hopefully they'll see each other again in the future.

I would love to see that main event tag team match with dreamer and Kamala teaming up. I always thought there was a little bit of flare in Kamala working baby face.I have a good appreciation for how you're trying to get some of the promotions together here and I like the quick hit to keep your things going forward. your things going forward.

8/10 RAGE Monday Night Mayhem @ Dallas, TX - Reunion Arena RAGE opens to the live crowd who is hyped up for a big night of action. We see JR and Dusty at ringside. They put over the carnage last week involving Viscera and Godfather. They put over tonight’s big card including a main event of Triple H taking on Dean Malenko… plus we’ll see Buff Bagwell and Scott Steiner taking on the Godfather and Mark Henry…. Right now though… it is time for the American debut of Mitsuhara Misawa and Kenta Kobashi! Bruce Buffer: Ladies and gentlemen, our opening contest is scheduled for one fall with a 20-minute time limit. Introducing first, from Little Rock, Arkansas and Louisville, Kentucky respectively… ladies and gentlemen, Tom Stone and Mike Lawler! Their opponents… from Yubari, Japan and Fukuchiyama, Japan respectively...ladies and gentlemen… Mitsuhara Misawa and Kenta Kobashi! Misawa & Kobashi vs Tom Stone & Mike Lawler -Lots of respect for Kobashi and Misawa here. They really have a cult following with some of the fans who even try to throw the streamers in the ring. They don’t appear to be messing around tonight though. They beat the living shit out of these guys and needless to say… strong style is alive and well in RAGE! Lawler and Stone don’t have a chance… Kobashi and Misawa lay waste and finish things off when Kobashi hits the BURNING HAMMER for the 3-count. Stacy Kiebler tries to get some sort of an interview with the two men but they don’t speak English… all we can hear them make out is… we are at RAGE… we will fight anyone! COMMERCIAL We’re back on Monday Night Mayhem with Eric Bichoff standing in the entryway with Jim Ross. They are putting over the Sudden Impact PPV live on September the 5th from Houston, Texas. They put over the big main event, with the RAGE Heavyweight Championship on the line between Triple H and The Undertaker. Bichoff announces that the match will be no disqualification - no count out - no time limit - THERE MUST BE A WINNER! He then goes on to say that he has gotten acceptance from four different teams for the tag team invitational. He says there still may be openings but he will announce the further details of that next week here on Mayhem. We then get to Ultimate Survival. Bischoff explains that the North American title will be held in this special match. There will first be 5 matches held…The winners of these matches… Those five men will qualify for ULTIMATE SURVIVAL. This is a five-way match in which the first man to make a pinfall or submission will WIN the North American Championship… then… it gets interesting… because the final four men will take part in an elimination match with the final man left standing becoming the number one contender for the North American Champion and they will get their title shot the following Monday night on Mayhem! JR and Bischoff put it over… Eric says he will reveal the 10 names in a special lottery this week on RAGE.com! COMMERCIAL We’re back with JR and Dusty putting over the Ultimate Survival match. They talk about the big qualifying matches. They also put over the tag team invitational that will be announced next week as well. JR and Dusty discuss last week’s issue with Scott Steiner and Mark Henry… tonight they’re in tag team action - let’s go to the ring! Bruce Buffer: Our next contest is scheduled for one fall with a 20-minute time limit. Introducing first… from the Bay City, Michigan, and Hollywood, California… Big Poppa Pump Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell! Their opponents… hailing from the Red Light District and Silsby, Texas… the Godfather and The World’s Strongest Man… Mark Henry! Buff Bagwell & Scott Steiner vs The Godfather & Mark Henry -Buff and Steiner have got some nice heat here… they are not very well liked. On the other end… Godfather has got two sultry women with him and the World’s Strongest Man looks to be in amazing shape. This one goes about 12-minutes… although the in-ring work isn’t good… there is a story. The highlight is seeing Mark Henry and Steiner go toe-to-toe and throw some serious lumber in the ring. This one does break loose a little bit and we see all four men go outside the ring and brawl before Steiner and Henry go over the guardrail and into the crowd. Back at the ring, Buff Bagwell makes eyes at the women but they only serve distraction for the Godfather who turns him around and hits the HOE-SLAM for the 3-count! Godfather and Henry have won… but Henry and Steiner are nowhere to be found! COMMERCIAL We’re back with a special video highlighting the Sudden Impact Main Event for the RAGE World Heavyweight Championship. We then cut to Stacy Kiebler who is standing by… with the Undertaker! Stacy Kiebler: I am here with the one, the only, the Undertaker! First off, it is great to see you here in RAGE and what a way to kick things off… you’ve got the chance of a lifetime to go up against Triple H for the RAGE World Title! How do you prepare for a match like this? Taker: First off… it isn’t going to be a match… it’s going to be a fight. Bischoff just announced no dq, no count out, no time limit… well there will be a winner and you’re looking at him. Stacy Kiebler: How is this different from your previous encounters with Triple H? Taker: Well we all know about those matches before but they’ve never been held here in RAGE and they’ve never had so much on the line. Triple H… I want you to know that you're looking at the Deadman and brother, I've got some serious piss and vinegar in my veins. I am looking to reap some souls here boy… and you’re at the top of the list. I want everyone to know that my backs up against the wall and I am coming out swinging. Stacy Kiebler: Fan there you have it… wait just a moment… Viscera... Viscera: Listen there Deadman… a little bit of me is because of you and well… I want my payback! Deadman: I’ll make ya famous boy… don’t even think I will back down… Viscera: Then I guess I will see you next week… hahahaha! The Undertaker and Stacy Kiebler watch as Viscera walk out of the scene… looks like we’ve got a big match next week! COMMERCIAL We’re back with Monday Night Mayhem. JR and Dusty are putting over the big announcement that The Undertaker and Viscera will do battle next week. We’ll also see our first Ultimate Survival qualifying match. Plus the Dudley Boyz will be in action. We will also have the special sit down interview with Jim Ross and Stone Cold Steve Austin! Fans next week’s Mayhem will be can’t miss! Right now we’ve got a huge main event… it is Triple H and Dean Malenko… let’s go to the ring! Bruce Buffer: It is now time for our main event of the evening. It is a one fall contest with a 30-minute time limit. Introducing first… from Tampa, Florida, he is the man of 1,000 holds… ladies and gentlemen… Dean Malenko! His opponent hails from Greenwich, Connecticut, he is the Game… Triple H! Triple H vs Dean Malenko -A fun little match here… Triple H makes Malenko look pretty small… but Dean fights like a 300 pounder and brings everything to the game. They put on a fun 16-minute main event. We see both men get in offense and Triple H gets some big time heat. Malenko makes a big comeback and gets some momentum but when Malenko goes for a northern lights suplex, Triple H seems to get his knee up and knock him loose before hitting a high knee of his own to set up the PEDIGREE for the 3-count! The crowd gives them some love but then erupts… wait a minute… look who is in the entryway… that can’t be… OH MY! Sorry it is a day late - no power or internet for the last 24 hours...

I like the shoot style approach to keep you separated from the other promotions. I am pulling for Kawada to be the man here... I haven't seen a ton of him but I know he would definitely hold his own against anyone. I think for many of us; your build of Lesnar is going to be a focal point. I am interested to see how you adapt him to this style.

I think you told me that you've never done this before... well... you're definitely off on the right foot. You're stuff is easy to read and has a good flow. I echo the sentiments of some of the others... I like Scott Norton a lot... I hope he can do something big here. I am thinking we'll see RVD and Goldberg do well in the tournament. I don't know which I will pick yet... but I'll be tuning in to see.

I like the debut here... I'd be interested to see where you're at in Chicago... lots of areas to run shows around there. Bryan Danielson gets a huge win, Eddie Guerrero with a huge win, Regal with the win, and then Lawler... That's a pretty good foursome to headline things with some really good workers in the background to keep building.

https://anchor.fm/lowblowbookingpodcast/episodes/Low-Blow-Booking-Podcast-Epsiode-30---2002-Brand-Split-Draft-ehodrt Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the Low Blow Booking Podcast! Join Derek Cornett and Dave Hall as they travel back to 2002 and look at the inaugural brand split draft. They discuss the different options with the number one pick and the logic of their picks and perhaps the lack of logic in what actually happened. They deep dive into how and why some of the teams should be split up along with how the titles should be utilized on each brand. They cap off the episode by heading to Backlash 2002 and putting their rosters in a 10-match card highlighting both brands capped off by a HUGE main event for the Undisputed Championship. Sit back and enjoy the latest episode of the Low Blow Booking Podcast! Don't forget to join out Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/668716029909944 for all the latest updates for the Low Blow Booking Podcast! Let us know what you think with feedback on our card and what you liked and thought could have gone better!

Notes from RAGE, There is a very positive environment at the rage television taping this week. They feel as though homing the show in Dallas will be good to build up the market while the company continues to build its identity. A a lot of people noted the happiness in regards to Eric bischoff and how he managed the backstage area along with the show while Triple H was almost his right hand and putting things together. Dusty Rhodes and Jim Ross were very influential in helping formulate how the first show went. Some some wonder if the show was enough with only three matches and two big angles however TNT seems to be happy with the preliminary reports and is waiting on more feedback in regards to changes in the future. It would not be surprising to see four matches take place in an hour but with that those matches will not nearly be as long as they were this week. A a lot of people were praising Viscera and The godfather for their primetime main event contest. They were told to go all out and cause some carnage which they did. Look for both men to do well in the coming weeks. The The ultimate survival gimmick is one that is going to hopefully be a staple for RAGE as they approach their pay-per-view shows and special gimmick matches. The voting for Triple H and the undertaker was supposedly legitimate however in comparison to the other people that were listed, Scott Steiner, Mark Henry, Chris Benoit ( who got third), and Dean malenko, it was clearly a two-horse race. Still no word on Steve Austin and Ric flair joining RAGE. The word on Austin is that he is asking for a lot of money and it may be back ended into his merchandise deal. There's no doubt that he will be the top merchandise seller for rage and Jim Ross is trying to negotiate a way for him to make WWF style money in a non WWF environment. Ric flair still has animosity towards Eric bischoff but again Triple H is trying to be the middleman in that situation. Lots of people have said that Bishop has reached out and tried to help the situation but flare seems to really hold a grudge and doesn't seem to want to let it go although the market for flare may not be very high as no one has reached out for his services.

Lots of good stuff here. I definitely recognize a couple more names after doing some searching. I personally like the strong style format that adds some legitimacy. I think it'll be fun to see who kind of rises the top and how you handle Brock. there's no doubt that he would be a legitimate threat at this point just learning the basics but also with the way that your product is presented. Lots of good stuff here..

I agree with Edgar when it comes to liger and mysterio. I think that they are definitely two of your top draws. I also like the Vader and Spike Dudley situation. Going to be fun to see if Spike continues on this path. My money is on to Jerry making a strong run for the title..

8/3 RAGE Monday Night Mayhem! @ Dallas, TX - Reunion Arena {The scene opens to a jam packed Reunion Arena. We see a fun entryway set up and then an L shaped entryway - like the Meadowlands. The mats around the ring are black. The ring has a black mat with lime green ring posts. The top and bottom ropes are black with the middle rope green. There’s a huge RAGE in the middle of the ring as we see a ton of pyro to open up the show! We cut to the ring and here is Jim Ross and Dusty Rhodes!} JR: Ladies and gentlemen welcome to RAGE MONDAY NIGHT MAYHEM! I am Jim Ross alongside the American Dream Dusty Rhodes! Dream… you and I have been in these chairs before but I can say without question… I have never been this excited for a show like we’ve got tonight! Dream: Jim Ross… the Revolution of Professional wrestling is upon us and at the tippy top is RAGE Wrestling. Never before and never again will you see something like this. We’ve got the best wrestlers in the world daddy and we’re going to see some amazing singles action… tag team action… triple threats… baby we got it all! JR: Fans… over the next 5 weeks we will be showing you so much here on RAGE Monday Mayhem as we approach our first pay per view on September the 5th called RAGE Sudden Impact! Dream: It is going to be a happening of epic proportions. We’re going to have the titles decided and brother the war for wrestling supremacy will be full on you know what I mean. JR: Fans we have got so much to cover here tonight but it is all about the action and we’re starting it off in a big way… let’s head to the ring for our opening contest.. Here’s Bruce Buffer! Bruce Buffer: Ladies and gentlemen… WELCOME TO RAGE! Our opening contest is scheduled for one fall with a 15-minute time limit! Introducing first… from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada… he is the Canadian Crippler… CHRIS BENOIT! His opponent, from El Paso, Texas, Chavo Guerrero Jr! Chris Benoit vs Chavo Guerrero Jr. -Big time opener for these two to show the world what RAGE is all about and they go right to work. We see some fun catch wrestling and see how Guerrero can fly and Benoit can work him into a pretzel. We get an inset interview from Dean Malenko who says that he’s keeping a close eye on both of these men and he knows that in order to be the best he has to beat the best and he’s willing to step in there with anyone! Inside the ring, we get a fun 12-minute contest with a hot finish. Guerrero goes up top but Benoit hits the ropes and Guerrero nuts himself. Benoit then goes up and turns him around for a top rope toss belly to back suplex! Benoit holds on to the ropes and then goes up and lines up for a huge diving headbutt and the 3-count! The Crippler sets the stage for RAGE with so much to follow. We cut to a live feed of the back where Eric Bischoff is walking to the ring… he’s got two briefcases… COMMERCIAL We return to RAGE with a special video highlighting the Japanese talents… Mitsuhara Misawa and Kenta Kobashi… they will be here next week! In the ring Eric Bichoff is standing by… there’s three pedestals in the ring… EB: Ladies and gentlemen… WELCOME TO RAGE! Dallas, Texas is going to be our home and week in and week out we’re going to bring you the absolute best in professional wrestling. In order to do that… we’re going to start by unveiling our titles. First… I have always been a fan of tag team wrestling and we’ve already got some of the best tag teams in the world signed… so let me show you the RAGE WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP! EB: Next up… this is going to be a very special title… this is the one that can be defended under any set of rules. It will show the true spirit of RAGE. Since we make our home in Dallas… we travel to Houston… Atlanta… New Orleans… and the rest of North America…This is our RAGE North American Championship! EB: Finally… the coup de gras… the RAGE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP. EB: This is going to be the title that will be held and defended by the best talent in the world against any and all comers… -We then hear some maniacal music… here he comes… The Game Triple H! He comes out to a chorus of boos… the fans don’t seem to like him in his custom suit and sun glasses… he’s inside damnit! EB: Ahh yes… the one… the only… Triple H. It is a pleasure to have you here in RAGE! Triple H: Don’t kid yourself Eric… we know exactly why I am here. Just give me the title right now...we can stop the pomp… the circumstance… I am the GAME damnit… I came here for a reason and that belt belongs to me! EB: You know… in another world… I might just give this title to you… but this is RAGE! And since it is RAGE… well… you’re going to have to EARN this title Triple H. Triple H: Oh yeah? What… is there going to be a tournament? Huh? Eight men all battling it out? The last one standing wins? Why make me go through three jack offs when that title just belongs to me damnit… EB: Nah… you see… at our PPV Sudden Impact… every title is going to be crowned in a different way. For example… the tag team titles… I’ve got a special invitational match for those titles. For the North American Championship… I’ve cooked up something special called Ultimate Survival! But when it comes to the world title...there’s no tournament for this title… no… the fans decided the fate of this championship. You probably haven’t checked out RAGE.com yet have you? Well… there is a poll that ended right before the show. We have 450,000 different votes come in to decide just who would be in line for this title. Well Triple H… you got a lot of votes...so many so that you earned that spot in the main event. Triple H: Exactly! I got the most votes… gimme the damn belt! EB: No… I didn’t say that… I said you got a lot of votes… second most to be exact… Triple H: And who got the most votes then? EB: Your opponent at Sudden Impact… Triple H: Just who the hell is that? EB: Well… -HELLS BELLS hits the PA System and the lights go out… wait a minute… OH MY… IT IS THE UNDERTAKER! The American Bad Ass… short hair and all… is here! The Undertaker rides his custom made Harley down to the ring and the fans are going nuts! The big man gets in the ring and Triple H takes a powder and hits the bricks. He can’t believe what is going on! Taker points at him… slits his throat… we’ve already got our main event for Sudden Impact… it is Triple H vs The Undertaker for the RAGE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP… and it was picked by the fans! COMMERCIAL Jim Ross and Dusty Rhodes are back and they put over the huge announcement for Sudden Impact! We’ll see Triple H and the Undertaker one on one for the title and what a match that will be! They put over the Ultimate Survival match that will be announced next week! Plus next week we’ll see Misawa and Kobashi for the first time in America as a tag team. Speaking of tag teams… it is time for our next contest… let’s head to the ring! Bruce Buffer: Ladies and gentlemen our next contest is scheduled for one fall and is a tag team match. The first team hails from Minneapolis, Minnesota and Orlando, Florida respectively… ladies and gentlemen… Jerry Lynn and Scotty 2 Hotty! Their opponents… from Toronto, Ontario, Canada… ladies and gentlemen… Edge and Christian! Jerry Lynn & Scotty 2 Hotty vs Edge & Christian -Another fun contest with these guys all breaking their necks for one another. Edge and Christian have really hit their stride as a team and appear to have a little love from the fans while Scotty and Lynn are just going spot for spot to make things interesting. We get another inset interview from the Dudley Boyz this time and they let everyone know that the tag team titles belong to them and that the teams in RAGE will rue the day that they mess with the Dudley Boyz! The finish sees Jerry Lynn hit a huge spinning heel kick on Christian but turns around and Edge comes with a big SPEAR for the 3-count! Edge and Christian are making their presence known. Before we go to commercial… we see Mark Henry in the back… he is lifting a lot of weight and looking swol! Commercial We’re back here on RAGE with JR and Dusty… they talk about the biggest signing of all… Stone Cold Steve Austin! Jim Ross explains that he is currently healing from a neck injury sustained almost a year ago. He points out that Triple H was one of the key suspects in those injuries. Jim Ross says that he is going to be traveling to San Antonio, Texas to speak with Steve Austin in two weeks and we’ll have that special interview right here on Mayhem. We then cut to the back where Sunny is standing by with Mark Henry… Sunny: I am joined right now… by one of the strongest men in the world… Texas’ own… Mark Henry! Mark… I have to say… you look great… we’re all excited for what you can do here at RAGE! Mark Henry: It is a pleasure to be here… I am feeling good… I am feeling strong… and I am feeling ready for a fight! -Just then… we see non-other than Scott Steiner walk into the scene… Sunny: Woah… wait a minute… Scott Steiner… Steiner: No… not just Scott Steiner… I am the genetic freak… the big booty daddy… and the worst nightmare of any of these punks who walk around here thinking they have got the skillz to pay the billz! Mark Henry: Brother… what the hell are you talking about? Steiner: Listen pal… you in the big leagues now because the biggest and the baddest is here. You better check yourself before you wreck yourself because Big Poppa Pump is tired of playing games. Mark Henry: Boy you done lost your mind. I can lift twice your body weight over my head and boy you know I can bring it crashing down! Steiner: Yeah… well weights don’t hit back boy… Mark Henry: Well boy… I guess we may just have to see how hard they hit… -We then have some officials come into the scene and get between these two… oh man… this could explode at any moment! COMMERCIAL JR and Dusty are back putting over all the issues from the night and then put over next week’s show in which we will hear about the rules of Ultimate Survival and the debut of Misawa and Kobashi! Right now it is time for our main event… Bruce Buffer: Ladies and gentlemen it is now time for our main event! This match is scheduled for one fall with a 30-minute time limit. Introducing first, he hails from the Red Light District… ladies and gentlemen… the Godfather! His opponent… from Harlem New York… he weighs in tonight at 480 pounds… this is Viscera! The Godfather vs Viscera -The Godfather comes out with a couple of ladies but big Viscera isn’t playing games. He jumps right on the Godfather and starts pounding away. There are some huge right hands and then a big belly to belly slam! Godfather tries to retreat and get some love from the ladies and Viscera isn’t done… he jumps out of the ring and nails Godfather from behind! He throws him up against the safety rails and then runs with a head full of steam but Godfather moves and Viscera goes crashing through the guardrail! The crowd pops! Viscera is trying to get back up as The Godfather tries to lay down some blows. The referee isn’t sure what to do as the action continues outside the ring. Godfather has him up but Viscera with a nasty headbutt. He then grabs Godfather again and hits a belly to belly but this time it is through the table that explodes all over. Ross and Dream go down calling the action! Viscera grabs Godfather by the dreads and tosses him in the ring… he hits the ropes and a BIG SPLASH for the 3-count! Big Viscera is the winner and he looks awesome here in RAGE! Join us next week for more Monday Night Mayhem!

I'm excited about the use of Mike awesome and the triple threat. I think you definitely have a lot of ECW going on here with a mix of some other things that are going to keep it intriguing.

I'm going to have to do a little bit of research on the group of guys that you have but this definitely looks like a fun kick start to what is going to be a wild ride.

This looks fantastic!

Coming out of RAGE... - Lots of turmoil surrounding the hiring of Ric Flair. He and Eric Bischoff have had a very troubled past. On one had, Flair said he was ready to retire but it was Triple H who came in at the last moment to get him to sign. There is still no word on if he has signed the contract though. There is talk that he's looking to move somewhere else after preliminary talks with Bischoff. Why would he even look into the offer you ask... well it was the money. The financial backers of RAGE have put a lot of money into the talent. Ric Flair was said to be a very high priority due to his name and history in Dallas, New Orleans, Houston, and Atlanta. There is hope to get one more run with Flair... if he agrees to the contract. - Stone Cold Steve Austin was another one who had serious issues with Bischoff but it is said that Eric has bent over backwards to try and get back in his good graces. Bischoff worked directly with Jim Ross... who he also had issues with... to get Austin on the books. The paycheck didn't hurt... he is scheduled to be the highest paid worker in RAGE and for good measure he is also getting "Hogan esq" numbers in terms of merchandise. Austin is however still on the mend from neck surgery. There is hope that he will return to the ring in 2000 but it doesn't look likely. -The final two men who had serious issue with Eric Bischoff were Benoit and Malenko. This situation was helped by Triple H who really vouched for these two after their brief run in the WWF. Additionally, Bischoff held a private meeting with them and I am told that the names Hall, Nash, and Hogan were brought up as being the big issues in the past... that is no longer an issue in this promotion. - It looks as though RAGE is going to tape their television from Dallas each week. Bischoff said that this will be a financially smart move to help build the product and fan base. Being in TNT also helps the product with national viewing. Bischoff is still connected with Turner Execs and is trying to negotiate with Time Warner for PPV distribution. We're told they may be looking to hold a PPV as soon as September 5th. - There is a booking committee in RAGE that consists of Jim Ross, Dusty Rhodes, and Triple H with Bischoff as a consultant. Flair was also offered to be the head booker if he were to accept but many around Flair says he just wants to be done or go somewhere where he can be on tv and nothing else.

One of the fun additions to these games to help spice up your promotions is the dirt sheets. You can post rumors or stories about your promotion to help build the hype for a show, angle, or worker.

I like the group of talent that you have here, and it's not crazy to think that Eddie Guerrero would show up and do some work here. this also seems like a spot where Sid would come in for a shot here in a shot there. I really like the inclusion of regal because he seems like a stalwart that is going to be someone who carries your promotion. Then you've got a big group of very young and unproven talent. You went all in on drafting them and I think it's going to be fun to watch you develop them into what we think they are and how you can portray what you want them to be. Don't be afraid to ask for help when it comes to putting some of the stuff together, it can be very overwhelming without the right kind of planning. I've been doing this now for close to 11 years and I still get overwhelmed sometime lol.

The fact that I know so few of the guys on your roster makes this a fun project for me. I am going to look these guys up as you promote them to get a better idea of what you have going on.

Coast to coast McMahon is under disguise to try and rebuild his empire. You definitely have some people that are going to put some asses in the seats. With the figure head like McMahon you know that something is going to happen each week it'll just be interesting to see which role you pick for him.

You've got a very fun and eclectic group of talent here. I love the lethal lottery concept. Bullet Bob is a pretty fun figurehead as well. All the right pieces for some entertaining stuff to come in the future.