| *For the first time in a long, long time, I may actually have TOO much to talk about, what with all the developments both on-screen at Sin, and off-screen on the management front. When confronted with this much information, I might as well start at the top. Let's get down to bidness. *After much negotiating and much posturing for the better part of the last 5 months or so, the other shoe finally dropped: WCW has been sold to Fusient Media Corporation Industries Ventures Whatever, and the new man at the helm is a familiar face: Eric Bischoff. At the risk of sounding cliche and copying oh-so-many other web sites out there, "The Bisch Is Back." So what do I think this means for WCW? I'll admit I'm not as naive as I once was about his return, but that's not to say I'm not optimistic. I guess when I think of Bischoff's return, what with this being football season and all, I'm reminded of the NFL's current ad campaign to promote the playoffs. So... Eric Bischoff: You've got to SHOW me something! Despite Eric Bischoff's sometimes painfully obvious short-comings, if you're a WCW Fan like myself, there is reason to believe that maybe, just maybe, he'll do it right this time. The first is that he's done it before. He's been the only man in history to beat Vince McMahon at his own game. There's no reason to think that he can't do it again. Granted, the playing field is a little different today than it was 5 years ago, so he'll need to stress long-term planning over short-term desicions this time around...something I'll get to later. Secondly, the last time he was truly in control, he had Ted Turner's bottomless wallet at his disposal, meaning that if there was something he wanted, all he needed to do was write the check. This lead to inflated salaries and inflated egos. This time, the purse strings are a little tighter, and the man holding the purse is actually keeping tabs on his this time. This is not to say that he can't make big money purchases, but he won't be able to throw money at people who don't deserve it, but still allow him to pay up to the people who do. And finally, for the first time in quite a while, WCW has an OWNER who really cares about what he owns. I'm sure Ted Turner's a nice guy, but when it came to WCW, he was merely a faceless cash machine. Of course, I'm only basing this on his comments at the recent press conference, but Brad Bedol sounds like he really wants his property to succeed, and will do what it takes to make sure it does. But like I said, the playing field in the Pro Wrestling business has changed from what it was 5 years ago, so Eric Bischoff will have to make some adaptations to his style this time around. The most important one, like I hinted at before, was that he would have to stress long-term decisions over short-term decisions like last time. Regardless of what you think of Hulk Hogan, Lex Luger, and Kevin Nash, bringing those guys into WCW were excellent short-term business decisions. Long-term is another story. WCW is in a much bigger competitive hole than it's been in a long time, possibly ever. Beating the WWF is not an overnight venture. Sure, the "old guard" can still attract the fans to the company and might help put it back on top, but it will be the younger stars that will help KEEP it on top, and it's always been said that the only thing harder than getting to #1 is staying there. If Bischoff is bent on keeping some of the established stars around, he has to find a way to properly mesh guys like Page, Nash, and Luger with the future players like Goldberg, Booker T, Lance Storm, and Mike Awesome. If not, WCW will continue to circle in mediocrity. A key point to remember about the "old guard": They were here 5 years ago, and are still here, but they won't be here 5 years from now, so if Eric Bischoff wants to have a company to run in the future, the time to plan is now. And of course, he can't just spend money this time. He needs to spend money smartly. Rick Steiner isn't worth $1,000,000 a year. You could probably sign 20 guys from the Indy circuit for that much, not to mention guys with a lot of prospects that you could pick up from ECW or disgruntled WWF workers. I don't mean to sound like Sally Struthers, but for as little as Rick Steiner's Annual Salary, you could ensure the future of your company for years to come. To sum it all up, we've seen your work in the past, Eric Bischoff. At times it's been inspiring. Other times it's been downright embarrassing. If you realy want to turn around WCW, like you say you do, then you have to go out and prove it to the fans by making smart decisions. In other words... Eric Bischoff, you've shown me something. But now you've got to show me something MORE! *With that out of the way, it's time for our weekly look at WCW TV. Nitro was a very good show, followed up by an average Thunder. Here's a look at The Week That Was... *First, let me hit on a few topics from the Sin PPV. Four to be exact. First, the most disturbing. I, like most on the Internet, give Sid Vicious a lot of crap for, well, his in-ring skills and his promo-cutting ability. However, I'm sure I can speak for everyone when I say that it's a shame anytime ANYONE suffers an injury like the one Sid did on Sunday. I sincerely hope that Sid is able to recover and not suffer any long-term effects as a result of this injury. I can remember seeing another famous injury of a similar nature, when New York Giants Linebacker Lawrence Taylor landed on Washington Quarterback Joe Thiesmann's ankle, snapping it like a twig, and I remember wincing just at the thought. I can safely say that watching Sid's leg buckle out like that was 50 items worse. *Secondly, The Mystery Man. On the positive side of things, I hope the literally HUNDREDS of posters on Internet Newsboards ate a big steamy pile of crow when they found out that what they "reported" was for these past few weeks painfully wrong, and that Road Warrior Animal was The Mystery Man. Score one for WCW when it comes to keeping secrets, and mark up YET ANOTHER black mark to the credibility of most Internet News Sites. Say what you want about Animal, but at least he's not The Dog Food Gremlin. However, on the negative side of things, he IS Road Warrior Animal, and it doesn't appear that he's missed many meals during his time away from The Big 2. I'm not sure what the short-term or long-term plans are for Animal, but I hope they don't give him more than he deserves. Brief predictions: When Goldberg finally makes his return to WCW, Animal is his first victim, and that will be the end of his stay. Just a thought. Speaking of Goldberg... *So Goldberg's "retired" now, eh? Little early in his career to be starting those matches, isn't he? Even though I liked the concept of the "Streak: 2" angle, I think this sets the stage for a an interesting storyline and a triumphant return a few months down the road. This may be as close to a "clean slate" in WCW as Goldberg will ever get. *And finally, we've got some new Champions. The Franchise, O'Haire/Palumbo, and Meng all walked out with Titles. I think all of these are good choices. The Franchise getting some gold in WCW was just a matter of time, and Meng is finally getting some of the recognition he deserves. However, the one I'm most impressed with is O'Haire and Palumbo. I know that it was due to interference, but it was nice to see Page and Nash give up their belts without being bitches about it. And not only that, but Nash allowed himself to be pinned, a rarity in today's world. Memo to the New Champ: Be worthy. Moving on to this week's Free TV... *Although they do have a top feud brewing in WCW, I'm a little concerned by the participants. Nash has unfortunately assumed the role of the Top Face, and guys like Rick Steiner and Lex Luger are getting prime TV time. Plus, maybe I'm just being paranoid, but the whole thing seems a little too nWo-style for me. I mean, you have a Heel faction with just about EVERY top Heel in the company, and they run-in during the Main Events and save their guy. Since it' only been a week, I'll cut them slack, but I've got my eyes on them. *I never thought I'd say this, but THE MULLET IS DEAD! Mike Awesome is now mullet-less, and although we are now minus one joke haircut, I think it's for the best. Personally, I think he looks more intimidating now with the short haircut, and just looks better in general. He reminds me of someone, but I just can't place it. Maybe it will come to me by next week. Speaking of the unthinkable... *Could it be?! Could General Rection finally be getting a new gimmick that isn't A) A lame play on words obviously created by Terry Taylor, or B) A sick joke created by Vince Russo?! God, I hope so. I'm a big backer of Bill DeMott, and I would just love it to see him finally get a gimmick that isn't embarrassing to think about. Even if he stayed at US Title-level, at least he'd have a US Title-level gimmick. *Goya Award: Rick Steiner's downright lethargic performance against Kwee Wee on Thunder. Poor Kwee Wee. He basicaly went out there for 4 minutes or so and just let Rick Steiner pummel him. That oughta build his confidence. *Admit it: When Don Harris said he couldn't wrestle anymore, if only for a second, you hopes he was telling the truth. No need to be ashamed. *That does it for this week. Knowing my luck, I'll be back next week with absolutely nothing to talk about after having a total excess this week. Come back next week and find out! And on a Patcave-related note, if you have questions for "The Mike Tenay Chronicles", please send them in! Until next time, keep stylin' and profilin'. THIS RIDE IS OVER Back to The Patcave |