The Rise and Fal of WCW 2: What a Child Saw (part 2)

[Benjamin Button]

Button Up

The Rise and Fall of WCW

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To understand my love for WCW you have to go back with me. You have to be six. You have to believe wrestling is not a work. You have to see a world in black and white and the people who surround you as good guys and bad guys. At the late age of six, I started kindergarten; I was a silent observer. Don’t take my shyness for weakness, though. I had an overwhelming amount of confidence in myself. Back then, I didn’t have to try to prove anything to anybody. I naturally believed in me. Me, my mother, and close friends were the good guys. Everyone different than me was bad. The class clown, he was bad guy for pulling the girls’ dresses up. I felt no remorse for the girls either. They were jobbers for being shamed by having their underwear shown, and I didn’t much like their underwear, always white with dots, or ducks, or shit of the sort. One girl, Candice Pittman, tall and quite a bit larger than the other girls, was especially contemptible. After having her dress pulled up, she laughed. Then she beat up Nick, the class clown, for pulling up her dress.


At this point I knew what I must do. I had to make Nick and Candice pay. This may seem a bit bizarre, considering neither had done anything directly to me, but you remember that your six again, and I’m a hero who can’t just sit back and watch this injustice. A boy pulling dresses up. A big girl, whose polka dot underwear I loathed, showing no shame. I had decided that I would beat both Candice and Nick up.


The fight with Nick took place in the corner of the gym, between the walls and bleachers. Okay, so we didn’t throw punches or kicks, but I took Nick to the ground. I made him pay. The fight with Candice took place in the center of the gym. (Usually I fought in secret places, but I must not have been able to get a hold of her in private.) In case any of you are becoming fans of this six year old version of Goldberg, I won’t detail my fight with the girl. Let’s just say winning 1 out of 2 isn’t that bad, and this five year old girl was a big bitch to try to tackle.

The Curious Case of What a Child Saw

(Part 2) Heels, bitches you just can't beat

The first time I saw WCW was in June, 1991. I was six, and the image of a man lying on the ramp with blood pouring from his head scared the hell out of me. I didn’t know I was seeing Super Brawl highlights. I didn’t have any knowledge of the NWA World Championship Title or that the match was being contested for it. I glimpsed the man who I would later know to be Tatsumi Fuginami, before I saw the white haired bloody man crawling. At the sight of this, I ran from the room, crying.


Being a curious boy, I asked questions about the white haired man. My mother told me his hair was bleached blonde, not white, and that he was Ric Flair. After having some questions answered, I furthered my investigation by watching wrestling with my two brothers. When I obtained a little knowledge of Flair and the violent sport, the blood Flair shed for wrestling still didn’t impress me. A matter of fact, it offended me. I had my integrity. I was six and mighty, and I hated that motherfucker for making me cry! The more I learned about him, the more I detested him. In the beginning, I got Flair and Windham confused, therefore I hated Windham too. I hated anything associated with Flair. He was a cheater, a coward, and a bad guy, just like the bad guys from my school. But no worries, he would get his from Luger at the Great American Bash, 1991.


Flair didn’t make it to the Bash; he left WCW just prior. Flair had dropped me off at the doorstep of professional wrestling and abandoned me like a bad father, but he left me one thing. He left me a hatred for the heels that he left behind and the ones that would come after him. After Flair left for the WWF in the summer of 1991, I jeered Austin, the Free Birds, Arn Anderson, Lex Luger, Cactus Jack, and in the fall I was introduced to another man I despised, Ravishing Rick Rude. My biggest reason for finding these creatures, known as heels, to be foul was they constantly cheated the heroes, who represented me.


When the Z-Man took on Steve Austin and Austin cheated to win, that was me losing. But when Dustin or someone from the locker room showed up and told the referee how Austin had cheated and when the referee found Austin's brass knuckles and restarted the match, living vicariously through the Z- Man, I had another chance. The rollercoaster ride was mounting its way back up, I would fight Austin with super kicks, spinning wheel kicks, inside cradles, and sunset flips until the last ten seconds of the time limit. The ring announcer, Gary Michael Capetta’s, voice would be heard saying, “Ten seconds remaining to the time limit, ten seconds.” Then he would start the count down, “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five (At this point in the pit of my stomach, I could feel the exciting possibility that the title could change hands dancing with the disappointing possibility that a time limit draw could occur.) four, three, I, living through Tom Zenk, would crucifix Austin, having him beat, two, one. Ding! Ding! Ding! Copetta would announce, “The time limit has expired.”


That summer, whether it was the Z-Man, or Flyin Brian, or Rhodes, or PN News, when they went down to the likes of Steve Austin, the Fabulous Free Birds, and the Enforcers ( Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszco) I went down with them. But I remember, really well, one of the first times I finally saw good guys take the belts. On August 5, 1991, Big Josh, Dustin Rhodes and the Z-Man upset the Fabulous Free Birds and Bad Street for the WCW World Six Man Tag Titles. As the in ring celebration went on, I jumped off the little love- seat and ran around the house. I had only been watching for less than two months, but the Free Bird’s title reign seemed to have lasted forever, and I had watched Dustin, the Z-Man, and Big Josh challenge for plenty of other titles, only to be screwed. Justice was served, finally!

The WCW Halloween Phantom

In the fall of 1991, everything I knew to be good was threatened like never before. It started when I heard the card for Halloween Havoc announced. One match on this list could not go under a child's radar. “The WCW Halloween Phantom vs. The Z-Man.” "Phantom?" Who was the mystery man? Was it even human?

After Havoc, WCW showed the highlights of the Phantom dominating the Z-man. Then, they aired footage from an unforgettable interview where Eric Bischoff called out Paul E Dangerously. Dangerously announced that he had acquired the Phantom as the man he would manage. Recently, I checked this interview out on Youtube.com. Paul E Dangerously said, “These guys think I’m too controversial. These guys say, Paul E., you’re too outspoken. So they say to me, 'Paul E. Dangerously, you are no longer the co-host of World Championship Wrestling'…NOW, this means war! This means war on the championship committee. This means war on World Championship Wrestling because in case you forgot, I happen to have a managers’ license, and the way to bankrupt this whole damn company is to take away your heroes, and I’m starting right at the top with Sting….so I went out and got the first lady of World Championship Wrestling, Medusa. And I said Medusa find me the man that can eliminate Sting….Ladies and gentlemen the man Medusa brought to me is here tonight. His name is the WCW Halloween Phantom! “


I couldn’t remember those words from Paul E. Dangerously, but I remembered how they made me feel, and the feeling I got when the WCW Halloween Phantom revealed himself to be Rick Rude. I was sold. This guy was a serious threat. Nobody who saw Sting and Rick Rude square off at the Clash of the champions in November 1991, could forget it. In an attack orchestrated by Paul E. Dangerously, Sting had suffered a leg injury, by being clipped by Lex Luger earlier in the night, but the Stinger managed to limp down the aisle. With his amazing upper body strength, Sting threw Rude around, but in the end, Rude went after Sting’s bad wheel and stole the US title from Sting. I didn’t know what to do. Rude had beaten Sting. Even worse, the ultimate evil alliance, the Dangerous Alliance, had been formed.


An adult's perspective: The heels.


In my kindergarten class, I could not have felt like a hero had I not been tested by class clowns, big bitches, and scary teachers with thick paddles. What I could not have seen, as a naive child, was Flair had for many years brought out the best in the heroes that challenged him. When he departed from WCW in the summer of 1991, it was detrimental for the remaining heels to step up and keep the show going. In my opinion, they did just that. From the top of the card to the bottom, WCW had the most talented heels in the wrestling business at the time. The Free Birds rocked and rolled with the US Tag Titles and the World Six Man Tag Titles (God I love those belts) Steve Austin with the TV title, Arn and Larry with the WCW World Tag Titles, Luger with the WCW World Title. Also, God sent WCW a great heel in Cactus Jack, God even packaged him in a giant gift box. In the fall, the Dangerous Alliance was formed. This tremendous faction consisted of Rick Rude, Steve Austin, Bobby Eaton, Larry Zybyzsco, and Arn Anderson with managers, Paul E. and Medusa. Rick Rude had the look, the arrogance, and the wrestling ability to be a solid world champion on any roster, in any era. Rude said he would take Sting out, and it was clear that he meant business at the Clash in November, 1991. When Sting limped out, Rude ran down the aisle with an urgency to destroy the Stinger. What an actor Rude was! Check out his stuff. Man, did he elevate high when being thrown around the ring!


Say what you will about the heels in WCW, who replaced Flair. They may not have been responsible for the rise of WCW, but they damn sure held the fort down until the “big names” came in, especially Rude and Austin, who from 1991 through 1994, remained heels, held titles, and had great wars and matches with Steamboat, Sting, and more.

I use to wonder how WCW stayed consistent during these early years when so many backstage bosses came and went. In retrospect, I see the company stayed solid because the inmates, WCW’s most notorious heels, ran the asylum and they ran it pretty damn well.


That wraps up the "What a Child Saw" part of the series. Next time; as my perspective of life changed so did the world of WCW.

[Box Car Rocco]

The opening 3 paragraphs where the 3 greatest paragraphs ever posted here in the CF.

I like how you tied the opening story into your column throughout here Benjamin. I liked this better then part 1 mainly because the opening story but the other content was really good aswell, your narrative once again was the strong part.

How many parts are there in this series?

[Baba O'Riley]

Hello there Benjamin, I have to say, I enjoyed this even more than the first one, and I thought the first one was great too. I feel this flowed better than the last one, as you didn't keep chopping and changing between characters and stories. I felt this was one of the best I've read, allbeit I've not read that many, but this was top class all the same.
Looking forward to the rest of the series, and read you next time

[Andy]

This is an excellent series you have going here, although I would be wary not to abuse it and end on the right note rather than dragging it on. You set the scene well, kept me interested and this was about the perfect length. It's one of those ideas where you wonder why anyone hasn't thought of it before. I'm impressed.

[Roger Murtaugh]

This series has made me a huge fan of yours. It's almost as if you have been able to put the exact same memories I have of early WCW into writing. The only difference was that I was a huge fan of the Dangerous Alliance. Halloween Havoc 91 was the first WCW ppv I saw live, and seeing Rude unmask made me take notice right away, and he would go on to become one of my favorite WCW wrestlers.

Keep up the great work.



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Now playing: Gnarkill - Skeletor vs. Beastman
via FoxyTunes

[Super Chrisss]

I may be in the minority here, but I liked Part 1 much better. Maybe because the whole kindergarden scenario didn't interest me as much as I thought it would. Don't get me wrong, it was still a great column and all, but I just enjoyed Part 1 all that more. Good work Benjy looking forward to Part 3!

[Freeman]

I'm liking the little series you're rocking here Benjy.

I mark like a little bitch for anything WCW related, so obviously I'm digging the little series you're rocking here friend. The opening story was pretty funny and tied in well with the rest of the column, and it's always nice to be reminded of how I felt when I first started watching wrestling. I absolutely Hollywood Hogan, and would wish death upon him with each episode of Nitro.

Cool stuff homie, looking forward to the next instalment of the series.

[The Maz]

Wow, some pretty good writers have mentioned you and were very complimentary. Checking this out I think maybe they were underestimating the fact. I absolutely loved your first section, it was gripping and very well written. I actually felt cheated that it was not the base for the whole thing. The main section was far from shabby too. Very interesting insight into a time when I probably first started paying attention to WCW. Good work and it looks like you have a very bright future in the CF.

[XanMan]

So I just got done reading both parts of this series; great stuff, Ben. I wish I'd started watching wrestling as a young child, but unfortunately I was about twice as old as you when I started. These stories are really cool.

[Benjamin Button]

BCR-

I liked this better then part 1 mainly because the opening story but the other content was really good aswell, your narrative once again was the strong part.

Thanks, BCR. Man, this was a hard one for me to write. I kept changing stuff. I wrote the first three paragraphs, took them out, and put them back in. Now I’m glad I included them.

How many parts are there in this series?

I don’t, at this point, want to commit to anything, but I will be moving to Hogan and Flair, Nitro and the NWO (the rise), and the fall of WCW. That would probably be three there. Then a couple of columns like WCW’s glitches and Sting that I want to write about. I’d say 3 to five in my brains’ outline, but I won’t commit and it’s all subject to change.

Turnip-

I feel this flowed better than the last one,

Thanks Turnip, I certainly tried to take all the advice and make this one better.

Andy-

This is an excellent series you have going here, although I would be wary not to abuse it and end on the right note rather than dragging it on.

I won’t go over what I have planned. If I notice everyone getting tired of it, I’ll bring it to an end early.

It's one of those ideas where you wonder why anyone hasn't thought of it before.

Thanks for the feedback, Andy! I like to write about what I have passion for, the DVD came out, and since WCW was such a big part of my childhood and adolescence, it just made sense.

Doc Monk-

Halloween Havoc 91 was the first WCW ppv I saw live, and seeing Rude unmask made me take notice right away, and he would go on to become one of my favorite WCW wrestlers.

Thanks Doc. Going into this, I watched some of Rude’s WCW work on youtube.

I think I saw in one of your columns/blogs that you saw the Rise and Fall of WCW DVD. Very good DVD, but I wished it had included more of Rick Rude and Steamboat’s stuff. As far as you seeing Halloween Havoc live. Man, you’re lucky. The Phantom thing was well done. You couldn’t tell that it was Rude until Tony S referenced the “Rude Awakening..” As a child, I would have been guessing the whole time, but I suppose I wouldn’t have gotten the whole “Rude Awakening” or figured out who he was because I had not seen him in the WWF.

Chri SSS-

I may be in the minority here, but I liked Part 1 much better. Maybe because the whole kindergarden scenario didn't interest me as much as I thought it would

Fair enough, Chrisss. I’m glad you liked the actual main content, particularly in part one. That’s what these columns were about early childhood memories of Dubya cee doubya
Thanks.

Freeman-

t's always nice to be reminded of how I felt when I first started watching wrestling. I absolutely Hollywood Hogan, and would wish death upon him with each episode of Nitro.

Great to hear from you again, freeman. For a company with as many
backstage problems as WCW. It’s amazing how the same good struggling against the evilstorylines went all the way into Nitro. Nitro and the NWO took it to new epic proportions.

Mazza-

I absolutely loved your first section, it was gripping and very well written. I actually felt cheated that it was not the base for the whole thing.

Thanks Mazza. ..really glad you liked it. When I wrote the first three paragraphs( before I removed them and put them back in) I almost went the route you mentioned here. Confusing? Well, I was confused writing the column. I’m not normally like that.

In the end, I just had too many characters from early WCW to try to highlight, and I wanted to give a little more of that to people who liked the first part of this part of the series. Confusing? Yeah, I know. I'm glad it turned out far from shabby. Thanks again, man!

Xan-

wish I'd started watching wrestling as a young child, but unfortunately I was about twice as old as you when I started.

Becoming a fan at a young age certainly has its good and bad. I debate whether or not I want to raise my son (when I decide to have one) on it. A selfish part in me certainly wants to, but I think it has some advantages for the child.


I’d like to read your stories of your early wrestling fan days, since you started watching at a different age than me, and see what it was like at that age to start watching. You’ve probably talked about it in your columns, maybe just not the ones I’ve read.
Thanks again!

[Uncle Joe]

I watched WCW for a long time, but fuck, a lot of this shit was new to me. I like learning new things. therefore, I liked this column.

To understand my love for WCW you have to go back with me. You have to be six. You have to believe wrestling is not a work. You have to see a world in black and white and the people who surround you as good guys and bad guys. At the late age of six, I started kindergarten; I was a silent observer. Don’t take my shyness for weakness, though. I had an overwhelming amount of confidence in myself. Back then, I didn’t have to try to prove anything to anybody. I naturally believed in me. Me, my mother, and close friends were the good guys. Everyone different than me was bad. The class clown, he was bad guy for pulling the girls’ dresses up. I felt no remorse for the girls either. They were jobbers for being shamed by having their underwear shown, and I didn’t much like their underwear, always white with dots, or ducks, or shit of the sort. One girl, Candice Pittman, tall and quite a bit larger than the other girls, was especially contemptible. After having her dress pulled up, she laughed. Then she beat up Nick, the class clown, for pulling up her dress.


At this point I knew what I must do. I had to make Nick and Candice pay. This may seem a bit bizarre, considering neither had done anything directly to me, but you remember that your six again, and I’m a hero who can’t just sit back and watch this injustice. A boy pulling dresses up. A big girl, whose polka dot underwear I loathed, showing no shame. I had decided that I would beat both Candice and Nick up.


The fight with Nick took place in the corner of the gym, between the walls and bleachers. Okay, so we didn’t throw punches or kicks, but I took Nick to the ground. I made him pay. The fight with Candice took place in the center of the gym. (Usually I fought in secret places, but I must not have been able to get a hold of her in private.) In case any of you are becoming fans of this six year old version of Goldberg, I won’t detail my fight with the girl. Let’s just say winning 1 out of 2 isn’t that bad, and this five year old girl was a big bitch to try to tackle.

Man, you . . . you are the best.