Scarlet-Left

I don't know exactly what you mean by "shared universe", since the WWE doesn't treat various segments of the shows as strictly seperate continuities (since the commentators will talk about things that happened in previous matches, or will speculate on matches that are yet to take place). However, one thing that does really irritate me is long segments where a face gets beaten up after the match, or jumped by a heel faction, and the only time any other faces come out for the save is if they're going to be a part of the feud/programme going forward (otherwise, no one comes out, and you're left to wonder why no one in the back cares). It's like in the SummerSlam main event when the crowd were chanting for Goldberg to come to the rescue, my mother was asking me why various "good guys" weren't coming to help.

02/09/1995 Raleigh, North Carolina WCW Saturday Night ... The intro music plays, along with a new video package; highlighting Brian Pillman, Sting, the Patriot and Alex Wright, with interspersed clips from the Crockett era and footage of good crowd reactions (especially children and families). There's a very brief shot of the announcers' table. Tony Schiavone: "Hello, everyone! You're watching world championship wrestling live on TBS!" Dusty Rhodes: "Live and in colour, baby!" Tony Schiavone: "Indeed, and - yes - it looks like we're going straight to the action." Alex Wright is already in the ring for the opening match, having made his entrance whilst the intro package played. The referee is Randy Anderson. Wright mugs for the camera, playfully, as we await his opponent. Mascara Magica makes his debut, to some cool music. His gear is pink and white, and comes with the addition of a sparkly silver cape. Tony Schiavone: "For folks at home who may be unfamiliar with this man. He is one of the most popular wrestlers in Mexico, and he's here to showcase his tremendous skills to the world. Prepare to be impressed!" The match begins with a handshake and after some tussling around, a lockup and some headlocks and escapes, it begins to find its purpose as a highlight package for the luchador. Wright is kept reasonably strong but doesn't get too much offence. It ends with a frog splash and Wrights gets his shoulder up just after the three count. Bell-to-bell time is eleven minutes and fifty nine seconds. Tony Schiavone: "Now, folks, we've got to take a commercial break but don't go anywhere because, when we return, we'll hear from Sting. He's one of the team captains in the upcoming War Games match, at Fall Brawl on - Dusty Rhodes: "Oh, at Fall Brawl, we're gonna' get an excellent War Games, I can feel it, Tony!" Tony Schiavone: *short insincere chuckling* "Yes, that's on September the seventeenth, but tonight, we'll hear from Sting - and he'll be telling us who his teammates will be. Don't miss it, folks!" ... COMMERCIAL BREAK ... Tony Schiavone: "Okay, folks, we're back, we are on T-B-S and Gene Okerlund is standing by with Sting!" Gene Okerlund is holding up a microphone for Sting, who's flanked by Davey Boy on his left (behind Gene) and the Patriot on his right. Sting: " Ow! Let's not waste any time! I'm coming for you, Flair, at War Games! September Seventeenth! The people wanna' know who I'm bringing with me, well they need look no further! These are my teammates, and I guarantee they'll be more than enough for whoever the Nature Boy picks!" Gene Okerlund: "Well, that's all well and good, but who's the fourth man?" Okerlund is having some trouble getting Sting to focus on the camera, as the trio engage in a round of high-fives and an incoherent back-and-forth of firing each other up. Sting: "The fourth man is someone you'll be seeing compete tonight, Gene! It's none other than... Bret Hart!" We get a panning shot, from the ramp to the ring, Chris Adams is milling about by one of the turnbuckles. We cut to the announcers' table. Tony Schiavone: "An explosive announcement, wouldn't you agree?" Dusty Rhodes: "Explosive! It - certainly - is! That's a star-studded team, right there, and Ric Flair better have an ace up his sleeve, if wants to survive!" Tony Schiavone: "Well, we'll hear from Ric Flair later on tonight. Right now, however, we've got a television title match on our hands." The Renegade bolts down to the ring, and receives a mixed response from the crowd. The match is short, with Adams occasionally teasing the idea that he might just walk off. Renegade wins with some move or another. Bell-to-bell time is three minutes and eighteen seconds. Adams gets out of the ring and up to the back as quickly as possible, selling a bruised lower back. Whilst the Renegade is celebrating, music plays and the Warrior runs down to the ring. He gets up in the Renegade's face and they have a stare-down and shoving match until Warrior surprises his foe with a scoop slam, which the Renegade sells like death. Warrior is, then, tossed a microphone. The crowd pops for everything he says. The Warrior: "The Warrior has arrived to destroy the Imitator! There is no greater crime in the eyes of the gods than to mimic the life-form of another being! This man was not true to himself and must now face the consequences that come with defiling the natural order of things! Our paths will cross at the Fall Brawl and I will take your title belt as you have taken my image for yourself! You are a failed experiment and I have come to extinguish you from the pages of history!" He drops the microphone on the Renegade and leaves, speeding off back up the entrance ramp after a lap around the ring. Cut to the announcers table. Tony Schiavone: "Stunning. Simply, stunning." Dusty Rhodes: "At Fall Brawl, we get to see these two lock-up, Tony! And, I have a feeling that television title might go home with the Warrior afterwards." Tony Schiavone: "It's certainly another exciting match-up set for what looks to be a stellar event. Another match-up we'll be seeing on September seventeenth will be the finals of the women's title tournament." Dusty Rhodes: "I can't wait to see that one! I've seen some of the girls involved, and I know the viewers are in for a real treat!" Tony Schiavone: "To explain, there are four places in the tournament - single-elimination - two rounds. Madusa will be facing an opponent as yet to be decided and Akira Hokuto will go up against Malia Hosaka - two amazing wrestlers from the land of the rising sun - this coming Monday." Dusty Rhodes: "Who's Madusa's opponent gonna' be?" Tony Schiavone: "Well, as I said, that's yet to be decided. But, we'll have a qualifying match on next week's edition of Saturday Night to determine exactly who. A relative unknown, again from Japan, called Aja Kong will be going up against the veteran Debbie Combs - a woman who, almost certainly, has to be the bookie's favourite." Dusty Rhodes: "These women wrestlers, they mean serious business, Tony." Tony Schiavone: "They sure do, and - okay, it sounds like Gene Okerlund is ready with Ric Flair we'll get -" Tony is cut off, as we flip to the back. Flair is in grey slacks and a pale yellow polo shirt. He seems slightly tired. Gene Okerlund: "I'm hear with the Nature Boy, Ric Flair. Now, the fans want to know, who are your picks for the War Games match, on September the seventeenth. Who'll your guys be?" Ric Flair: "Well, you know, Gene, I'm really not prepared to give out that information just yet. My guys'll be top calibre athletes, you don't need to worry about that, and I've already notified the president as to who my three teammates will be. But, I just don't think it's a smart decision to hand out that kind of information to my opponents. Gene Okerlund: "Oh, come on, now. The fans wan to know!" Flair keeps his voice calm and quiet. Ric Flair: "I don't, quite frankly, give a damn about what the fans wanna' know. I care about what my opponents wanna' know, and what they wanna' know is what I wanna' keep a secret until the time is right." Gene Okerlund: "Is it Arn Anderson? Is he on your team? Are you getting the Horsemen back together?" Ric Flair: "You'll not get me that easy, Gene. But, no, for your information, Arn Anderson will not be on my team, and there are no Horsemen. Until Arn ditches that worthless lapdog, Brian Pillman, he's pretty much dead to me, Gene." Gene Okerlund: "Those are some very harsh words." Ric Flair: "Well, I'm a very harsh person, and I didn't get to be the man I am today by playing softball." Gene Okerlund: "Troubling and cryptic words from the Nature Boy. Back to you, Tony." Tony Schiavone: "When we return, Bret Hart is in the main event!" ... COMMERCIAL BREAK ... As soon as we return, Brian Pillman makes his entrance. He's fired up, rushing down to the ring - but not before engaging with the crowd a little - and Arn Anderson accompanies him, plodding down at this own pace. He gets a modest pop, but the crowd are bubbling with anticipation for his opponent to come out. Once Pillman is in the ring, and down from the turnbuckle he was posing on, the music hits and Bret Hart saunters down to the ring. He's wearing the black and pale blue gear he was seen with in the promotional video that had been frequently played during the commercial breaks of Turner-owned stations during the previous week. There's still a few nods to the old colour scheme, however, with pink tape on his left wrist and pink laces on his boots. He's wearing blue wraparound shades - begging for a lawsuit, which he places on a girl standing at one of the ring-side barricades. The match starts off slow, with a lockup which Hart gets the better off. He pushes Pillman into a turnbuckle but breaks cleanly. The first few minutes are a crisp, if slightly robotic, display of technical acumen. Hart goes for a Boston Crab in the centre of the ring which worries Arn, who nibbles his thumb at ringside and paces, but Pillman manages to crawl to the ropes. He rolls out and Arn checks on him but, when Hart grabs Pillman's hair, to toss him back in, Arn backs off, showing his palms and frowning. They go back-and-forth but Hart never really loses control from more than a minute and the two go back to circling the ring quite a few times, teasing tests of strength but usually engaging with a lockup. The pace quickens after a dropkick from Pillman, which seems to come out of nowhere as they tease another test of strength. With Hart down, Brian goes through the ropes and waits for him on the apron. Just as he gets to his feet, Pillman hits him with a springboard cross body, but Hart manages to roll it through into a very close two count. The match stays in top gear after that, with Hart whipping Pillman into the ropes once they're up and catching him with a spine-buster. It gets another two count but Hart attempts to follow it up by transitioning into a Sharpshooter. Pillman isn't prone, however, so he kicks Hart's hands away and rushes over to the ropes. The final stretch is another springboard cross-body from Pillman but one that misses, with Hart running over to the side. With Pillman down, Hart hits an elbow drop from the second rope, which gets him another close two count. This time, however, Pillman is sufficiently fatigued for Hart to lock-in a Sharpshooter. The crucial moment comes when Brian manages to crawl towards the ropes. He can't quite reach them, but he could reach Arn's hand if his manager tried to help him. Arn appears to contemplate doing so but, ultimately, steps away and Pillman is forced to submit to the referee, who happens to be Nick Patrick. The bell-to-bell time is nineteen minutes and forty-five seconds. After the match, Arn comes in, as Hart celebrates on a turnbuckle. He picks Pillman up, who sells not being able to stand painlessly. Once Hart is done posing, Arn confronts him. Words are exchanged, which the none of the cameras pick up but which result in Pillman and Hart shaking hands to applause from the audience. Cutting to the announcers table, Tony appears panicky. Tony Schiavone: "Before we sign off, we've got some very important updates to bring you, ahead of the premiere edition of Monday Nitro, on TNT, two days from now! Firstly, Harlem Heat will be challenging Dick Slater and Bunkhouse Buck for the WCW tag team championships! And, in the Main Event, it'll be Sting versus Ric Flair for the, as of right this second - I'm hearing this from the office as we speak - vacant world heavyweight championship! Don't miss it! Monday Nitro on TNT! September fourth! Two days from now!" Dusty Rhodes: "There's no excuse to miss it! You work nights? Call in sick!" And, we're off the air.

Would count towards the total roster amount and remember he can NOT wrestle until what 2007? Perfectly fine by me. I'll sign him, then.

Would it be possible for me to sign Ricky Steamboat as a non-wrestler? That's what I'd like to do.

I saw, and liked, Iwatani v Kay Lee Ray. It was a really fun match. There was a botched suicide dive but I can't comment on it, because there were too many girls crowded around for me to see how they recovered from it. I haven't seen anything else, because Stardom's video player is usually unresponsive.

I like Gordi's plan as a compromise.

I have to echo Wahoo's sentiment, specifically with regards to deaths, however (even with we kept real life injuries which, again, I'd be against); I really wouldn't want to be the person writing Owen's last appearance.

Obviously, I'd vote for ignoring real life, to protect Brian Pillman, Davey Boy Smith and Bret Hart. I'd, of course, be arguing that we've altered the time-line, so things wouldn't necessarily happen as they did in real life (especially in regards to freak accidents, or entirely preventable ones). That said, I'm also looking out for my top names when I say that, so I'm not being completely objective.

This is excellent! An edgier product is just what I was hoping you'd go for, and I think it'll make for a very interesting US scene. I, for one, can't wait for September!

WCW signs Aja Kong for the following dates; first of September (for photo-shoot and a taped promo/interview),ninth of September through to the twenty fifth (on a four match deal).

Those calling in to the WCW hotline will be aware of the following developments: Bobby Heenan has been announced as the new president of the company. The status of the World Heavyweight Championship will be addressed on the September second edition of WCW Saturday Night. An exciting announcement about WCW's working relationship with New Japan Pro-Wrestling is planned for the premiere edition of WCW Monday Nitro. Alexandra York has been in talks with numerous members of the WCW locker room. Arn Anderson has expressed a desire to enter the tag team division.

The following advertisement is set to air regularly on Turner owned networks and, with less frequency, on a select number of other large networks, during the last week of August: Ed Weigle's voice booms out the instructions, as they appear (big, all caps, white letters stamped on a black background): "This Saturday! World Championship Wrestling! Live and in colour, only on TBS!" The text is, then, replaced by rapid-fire shots of various big names (Sting, Flair, the Giant, Arn & Pillman, Davey Boy) snapping their heads to attention. The next shot is of Bret Hart, standing in the middle of a ring, the arena he's in is pitch black, the only spotlight is over his head. The Saturday Night intro theme plays, as the camera pans around him. He's wearing his familiar ring gear, but pale blue has replaced the trademark hot pink. As the seconds tick by, he becomes more animated, shaking one leg out, patting an elbow pad, flicking his hair back. The image fades to black, and Weigle's voice returns. Once again, white text is stamped on a black background but, this time, the sound effect features an audible crackle as each word comes. "Bret Hart makes his WCW debut in the main event! Don't miss out! Saturday Night, only on TBS!" The last shot is from a recent taping, Dusty Rhodes is chatting with someone (not in frame, presumably a play-by-play guy). "Two hours of live wrestling every week, baby!? You gotta' be kidding me!"

Yes, counting managers and wrestlers, these signings would bring me up to 41. I was only worried that you were including staff.

In that case, I can take all of them; Mascara Magica, Bobby Duncum, Jr., Gorgeous George III, John Nord and King Kong Bundy.

Actually, I might as well get a few people down to fill out my roster. You have Mascara Magica down on here as a potential worker for the USA and Japan, but he was only available for Japan during the draft. If he's available, WCW signs Mascara Magica, Bobby Duncum, Jr., Gorgeous George III, John Nord and King Kong Bundy. If not, I'll still sign the others. Edit: If non-wrestlers are counted in the roster cap, then I won't take Gorgeous George or John Nord. If Magica's available, likewise, I'll also avoid signing Bundy.

Coming on the seventeenth of September, live from Asheville in North Carolina, it's... Fall Brawl '95! Featuring all your favourite WCW wrestlers, and more! Witness the ultimate debut, as the Warrior challenges for the world television title; witness the unparalleled barbarity of the legendary War Games match, witness a potent mix of beauty and brawn as we crown the first ever WCW women's champion and witness it all from the comfort of your own home, only on pay-per-view! Witness! Fall Brawl! 1995! War Games!

You can sign Hosaka as well. Thank you. That will be all from me until November.

Could Malia Hosaka be added? I'd like to sign her. Also, WCW signs Terri Runnels, Jim Duggan and the Ultimate Warrior.

The Universal title looks really bad. The absolute worst it could look; just a gross palette-swap version of the world title. Since they did the same thing with the women's title (though that one doesn't look as bad), I'm legitimately worried that all three other titles are heading that way when they're redesigned. The six-woman tag match, oddly enough, was probably my favourite match, after Balor v Rollins. Everything else was, either, marred by problems or was straight-up shit. I was completely repulsed by the main event; sacrificing a returning star (and one of the few guys with mainstream appeal) to a part-time guy whose own foolish behaviour has dealt irreparable damage to his gimmick. I hate MMA; the finish was gross, even without the context of the poor booking.

WCW takes Chris Adams.

It was the 'Unified' title, wasn't it? Based on Lawler (as AWA champ) beating Kerry Von Erich (WCCW champ), to 'unify' the belts. So, even though he's stripped of the belt by he AWA, Memphis still recognises him as the 'Unified' world champion.

WCW takes Jeff Farmer.

WCW takes the Fantastics (Tommy Rogers and Bobby Fulton).

WCW takes the American Males (Marcus Bagwell & Scotty Riggs).

I'm still watching put I skip through a lot.