2000review

*Ladies and Gentlemen, with Starrcade 2000 having concluded on December 17th, we have drawn to the end of yet another WCW Creative Year, and what an interesting one at that. The landscape that lies before us is very different than that of a year ago. In fact, of the 35 wrestlers who worked Starrcade 1999, only 13 of them will work Starrcade 2000, and 13 more no longer actively involved in WCW. We saw an early defection by Chris Benoit, Eddy Guerrero, Perry Saturn, and Dean Malenko, but also welcomed the arrival of ECW defectors Mike Awesome and Lance Storm, and Power Plant graduates Sean O'Haire and Mike Sanders, to name a few. So enjoy this three-part look at WCW 2000, starting at a look at the past, followed up by some year-end awards, and concluded with a brief look at what lies in store for the future of WCW. And when you're finished, make sure to move on to Page 2, where I've created a little feature where I give a personal Progress Report on each member of WCW's active roster. Enjoy!

THE PAST
*Like I said in the opener, WCW's roster has changed dramatically since Starrcade 1999, as WCW has both lost and gained some highly talented wrestlers. I think it's safe to say that WCW never has, and may never again, experienced a year quite so turbulent, especially in terms of roster changes and backstage intrigue.

*Since the Pro Wrestling Industry adapts and changes almost on a daily basis, that pretty much leaves two factors which remain uniform, and can be used to compare a company from year to year: Champions and Ratings. I'll start with the Champions. Below, I have done a belt-by-belt breakdown, comparing the Champions from post-Starrcade 1999, to those of post-Starrcade 2000, in hopes of determining which year left WCW with the best set of custodians for their highest honors...

WORLD TITLE: Bret Hart (1999) vs. Scott Steiner (2000)
ANALYSIS: Bret may be the better technical wrestler (at least while he was Champ), but Steiner is flat-out the better Champion. I give this edge to Steiner.

US TITLE: Chris Benoit (1999) vs. General Rection (2000)
ANALYSIS: I like Bill DeMott, but no way is he even on the same planet as Benoit. Benoit in a heartbeat.

TAG TEAM TITLE: The Outsiders (1999) vs. The Insiders (2000)
ANALYSIS: I like Scott Hall better than DDP, but at least The Insiders defend their belts every so often. The Insiders get the nod.

CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE: Madusa (1999) vs. Chavo Guerrero, Jr. (2000)
ANALYSIS: Any debate here as to who is the better Cruiserweight Champion? Didn't think so. Chavo's the man to lead this division.

HARDCORE TITLE: Norman Smiley (1999) vs. Terry Funk (2000)
ANALYSIS: Terry Funk gets HUGE respect. Even at his age, he's still a better Hardcore Champion than some wrestlers will ever be.

FINAL BREAKDOWN: For what it's worth, it appears that the right people have the belts in WCW, at least compared to last year. So, what DOES that mean? Well, it can be viewed as a sign that there is a good groundwork laid for the 2001 year, as at least the bookers are making good decisionsin terms of who will lead the respective divisions in WCW. Even General Rection isn't a bad choice for US Champion, but he's no Chris Benoit. Of course, who is? Call me an optimist, but I have to believe this can at least be interpreted as a positive reflection of the WCW Creative Team.

*Now on to the ratings. What I've done is compared the ratings from Nitro two weeks before Starrcade 1999 and Nitro two weeks before Starrcade 2000. The reason I did two weeks instead of one is because the Nitro one week before Starrcade 2000 runs unopposed on a Tuesday night, due to a scheduling conflict. Because of this, it's not possible to get an even comparison. Below are both the straight-up figures, as well as what percentage of the head-to-head audience Nitro earned against Raw (or The PROF, for those familiar with The Patcave).

NITRO, 12/06/1999
*Rating: 3.0 (3.8/2.8/2.5)
*PROF: 31.03%

NITRO, 12/04/2000
*Rating: 2.5 (2.6/2.3)
*PROF: 32.86%

FINAL BREAKDOWN: Suprisingly, what this means in terms of popularity, is that the Pro Wrestling Industry as a whole is less popular than a year ago, but WCW is more popular percentage-wise. Allow me to explain. The straight-up ratings numbers show that Wrestling in general is in a bit of a slump. In 1999, a total rating of about 8.7 was watching some sort of wrestling program from 9 to 11, the hours when Raw and Nitro were on simultaneously. However, in 2000, that number has shrinked to 7.0, or a drop-off of about 20%. That 20% drop has hurt Raw more than Nitro, as about 32.86% of that audience prefers Nitro to Raw, compared to 31.03% in 1999. Granted, it's only a small, rather insignificant increase, but an increase nonetheless.

*So there you have it. A brief look at where WCW came from, where it stands currently, and what that means to where it might be headed. As one last way of looking back on 2000, I've decided to come up with one thought for each of the 12 months that best describes what I'll remember about WCW.

JANUARY: Mark-Out Moment of the Millennium: Scott Steiner "retires" on Nitro at the Astrodome. The man cried ON CUE! I have a friend who has been to Acting School, and he attested to how hard that really is. Proof once again why Steiner is the Greatest Man Alive. OK, this was December 27th, but I'll count it.
FEBRUARY: I wonder what happened to Chris Benoit? I guess he just vanished.
MARCH: Terry Funk's Chicken in a Diaper: The greatest inanimate object since "The Denatured Boy" David Flair.
APRIL: Bischoff's coming back? And Russo? We're SAVED!!!
MAY: Bye-bye La Parka. Come back soon, OK? Please!
JUNE: Big Surprise my ass, Bischoff. S-S-S-Sitck it!
JULY: Vince Russo said WHAT to Hogan?! But he didn't mean it, though...did he?
AUGUST: Did I sleep through August?
SEPTEMBER: Russo: No wrestle-ey. Book-ey. (That joke is probably WAY to inside for most of you)
OCTOBER: McMahon, stay away from my WCW, or I will end you. The best part is...you think I'm kidding.
NOVEMBER: First Benoit, then La Parka, and now Bret Hart. Straight-up, I'm saying too many goodbyes, and not enough hellos.
DECEMBER: Sid?! Sid Vicious?! At Starrcade?! With Steiner?! You been hittin' the rotisserie chicken?!

*It's time to bring on everybody's favorite year-end tradition: Awards. The Patcave is about to hand out some hardware.

AWARDS
*It's time for the 1st Annual Patcave Awards, hosted by Big Poppa Pat, Corey Feldman, and of course, Corey Haim.

PATCAVE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
Nominees...
*Booker T
*Jeff Jarrett
*Lance Storm
*Scott Steiner

*The biggest award of the year is always the toughest to choose a winner, as all four men were outstanding in WCW this year, racking up numerous victories, several titles, and establishing themselves as true on-screen leaders of WCW as they prepare for 2001.

And the winner is...

BOOKER T
*Booker truly made the year 2000 his break-out campaign in WCW after years of Tag Team and mid-card Singles work. His World Title victory at Bash at the Beach was the beginning of a great late-season charge for Booker, as he would go on to hold the WCW World Title for 113 days after that. He has firmly cemented himself as a Main Eventer for years to come in WCW, and we should se more of the same in 2001.

PATCAVE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Nominees...
*Crowbar
*Mark Jindrak/Sean O'Haire (Single Entry)
*Lance Storm
*Mike Sanders

*Forget picking a winner. Just picking finalists for this award was a challenge. I try to keep my list of Finalists for each award to four, but this one could have easily had 10. The qualify for this award, a wrestler must have debuted, or re-debuted, in WCW AFTER Starrcade 1999. The previous background of the wrestler is irrelevant (in other words, it's not a Rookie-Specific Award).

And the winner is...

LANCE STORM
*It looks as if this award will be going to Calgary...Alberta, Canada. While there could have been many Finalists, Storm was a run-away winner. His mid-summer run with the US Title, especially after debuting in WCW only a short-time before, was as dominant of a performance as WCW has seen with a Title since Goldberg in 1998. Lance was a legitimate finalist for Wrestler of the Year, and with a 2001 performance similar to that of 2000, he could take it home next December.

PATCAVE TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR
Nominees...
*Kronik (Bryan Adams and Bryan Clarke)
*The Mamalukes (Big Vito and Johnny the Bull)
*The Natural Born Thrillers (Mark Jindrak and Sean O'Haire)
*The Perfect Event (Chuck Palumbo and Shawn Stasiak)

*Four teams that all made an impact over the course of 2000. Kronik was the first team to dominate in the "Russo/Bischoff Era", while both The Perfect Event and Jindrak/O'Haire followed up later in the year. People forget about The Mamalukes, but their Tag Team Title Reign of 60 days was the longest of 2000. That's good enough for a spot on the list.

And the winner is...

THE NATURAL BORN THRILLERS (JINDRAK AND O'HAIRE)
*This was a very close race, as The Thrillers barely edged out Kronik for the top spot. These two rookies made an immediate impact on WCW TV right from the start, and they seem to get better daily. I imagine this will be the first of many Awards for both of these men as the years progress.

PATCAVE CRUISERWEIGHT OF THE YEAR
Nominees...
*The Artist
*Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
*Elix Skipper
*Mike Sanders

*To qualify for this Award, a wrestler must have been Cruiserweight Champion sometime during 2000, thus establishing them as a true "Cruiserweight" competitor. This is an interesting group, with two rookies, another one who's under 30, and a wrestler who is currently not on the WCW roster. Despite their differences, all displayed excellent in-ring skill.

And the winner is...

CHAVO GUERRERO, JR.
*What a year for Chavo. He went from selling Amway products as part of a gimmick, to being one of the top Cruiserweights WCW has seen in some time. Like the winner of most of these awards, Chavo has limitless potential and hasn't even begun to reach the peak of what he can do. He needs to keep working hard, though, because there are two other Finalists who could take him down.

PATCAVE MOST IMPROVED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
Nominees...
*Big Vito
*Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
*General Rection
*Vampiro

*All four of these Finalists showed that just when you think someone's career has peaked, or that there isn't much of a career to begin with, some people just flat out surprise you. These four Finalists have made the biggest gains in the year 2000, and could maken even bigger ones in 2001.

And the winner is...

BIG VITO
*I really wish I could give this award to all four of the men above, but I had to narrow it down to just one, and it was Vito. I guess what set him apart from the rest was this: We all knew Chavo Guerrero, Jr. was incredibly talented, and it was just a matter of time before he got his chance. The same can be said for Rection and Vampiro. But admit it: We weren't quite sure about Vito. He showed up in WCW as a Mafia-style hitman, and nobody really thought much of him. While he still has a long way to go, I think it's safe to say that Vito is now respected in most circles as a legitimate mid-card contender.

PATCAVE MOST MISUSED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
Nominees...
*Billy Kidman
*Buff Bagwell
*Chris Kanyon
*Mike Awesome

*While many WCW wrestlers had solid 2000 campaigns, these were the men who seemed to be left behind, unjustly so. All of these nominees could be held in higher standing, yet are wallowing in the back of the pack. I suppose it could be setting up a Most Improved Award victory in 2001.

And the winner is...

MIKE AWESOME
*Hey, "smart" fans. Remember back in April when Awesome dropped the ECW Title to Tazz, a WWF wrestler, and everyone on the Internet thought that this was going to ruin Awesome's credibility, because "a WWF wrestler beat a WCW wrestler?" And remember when I, of course, disagreed, and stated that a year from now nobody would remember what happened? Well, first off, I think this proves once again that I am the true Voice of Reason on the Internet. Secondly, it didn't take Tazz to ruin Awesome's credibility because "That 70s Guy" did it for him. All four of the nominees are capable of being AT LEAST US Title contenders, but Awesome seemed like the sure bet of the four. Don't get wrong: There's still hope for Awesome to turn his career around, but he's gotta work fast. Execute with extreme prejudice, Mike. Bring back "The Career Killer."

***The following two awards have no nominees, just winners.

PATCAVE CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
*The winner of this award is not one chosen by me, per se, but rather by a mathematical formula employed by me. This award recognizes who had the most success when it came to Pro Wrestling's greatest prizes: The Titles. I guess you could almost call this the "Recipient of the Best Booking Award."

And the winner is...

JEFF JARRETT
*A dominating run as US Champion early in the year, followed up by a handful of short World Title reigns in the Spring were enough to give Jarrett the points he needed to hold off 2nd Place finisher Booker T. Rounding out the Top 5 were Lance Storm, Scott Steiner, and Sid Vicious. By virtue of winning this award, Jeff Jarrett will earn a permanent spot in the Patcave Hall of Champions, which is currently in the planning stages and should hopefully be ready sometime early next year.

PATCAVE GOYA OF THE YEAR
*It's exactly what it says it is. This is the award that pays homage to the WORST moment in WCW of the past year. I felt it was only fitting to save this one for last.

And the winner is...

DAVID ARQUETTE, WCW WORLD CHAMPION
*Like there were any other nominees that were even close. Yes, David Arquette was the WCW World Champion this year for 11 of the longest days of my life. But, like all things Goya, it's over now, and the sooner we put it behind us, the better off we'll be in the long run.

THE FUTURE
*So what lies in store for WCW in 2001? If 2001 is anything like this year, it's truly anybody's guess. I have some thoughts, though. This year, we saw the foundation laid for a youth movement in WCW, what with the addition of The Natural Born Thrillers, Lance Storm, and Mike Awesome to the roster. I think next year, we will begin to see the youth of the company really take over, and the old guard (for the most part) shuffled out, much like many thought would happen this year. I have a feeling that even 12 months from now, we may not be hearing much from Sid Vicious, Lex Luger, or even Kevin Nash. I have to imagine that their stay in the company is running to an end, whether it's their choice or not. The remnants of the old guard will still remain in some senses. There will always be a spot in WCW for Ric Flair. I would bet on Sting and DDP being around next year as well. But it will be guys like Booker T, Jeff Jarrett, and Lance Storm who dominate conversation time where names like Vicious, Luger, and Nash did before them. I think the core roster for a successful WCW is in place, and if they can manage to keep it together for the next few years, sprinkled with a few minor additions, WCW can once again be the dominate company it once was. Here's hoping for a successful 2001 campaign.

*As one last means of looking into the future, I've come up with five guys who I think will make a sizeable impact in WCW next year. Sort of the "Blue Chip" prospects for 2001. Here they are...

*Reno
*Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
*Sean O'Haire
*Crowbar
*Kwee Wee

*Now here's your chance to chime in. I want to hear from you, the reader, about what you liked, disliked, etc. about this Year in Review feature. I have 12 months until I write another one, so I have plenty of time for suggestions. Should I delete anything? Should I add anything? Let me know!

Year 2000 Progress Reports

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