WILL IT TAKE TWO POWERS TO BEAT A MEGA POWER?

Each week when I go to work and on Monday and Wednesday when I go to summer school, I’m asked by the same people the following question: "Did you see Nitro this week?" Every week I answer with the same response; "I don’t watch WCW TV, their PPV’s recap the good stuff and leave out the crap." Every week for the past five months this back and forth has gone on. I don’t get annoyed with the people because every week they try to tell me why WCW is going to turn around or why this angle is worth looking at. I listen, take it in, and disregard. In my view, it would take a miracle to get me to want to sit down and watch WCW TV again. According to Eric Bischoff, that miracle just may occur at The Great American Bash.

Eric Bischoff was quoted as saying "there is a mystery deal that will change the entire landscape of the wrestling industry that was completed, signed, sealed and delivered and that Vince McMahon can't do anything to stop it." The claim is this deal will be announced on 6/11 at the Great American Bash PPV in Baltimore. Now speculation has been running wild that a number of scenarios may play out concerning this announcement. The one that stands out the most to me and makes the most sense considering circumstances that I’ll get into later on. That stand out scenario is as follows: ECW and WCW are going to join forces in an attempt to take back some of the WWF’s stake in the wrestling world.

The temporary merger of the two companies could not come at a better time in my opinion. Both companies are in a state of limbo at the present time. ECW’s ratings are beginning to dwindle and WCW’s ratings just keeping working on that steady slide to the point where they’ll be going neck and neck with ECW rather than with the WWF. Both companies are fully aware that the WWF is outright dominating all facets of wrestling in North America. An angle where the two forces combine to take each other on while drawing attention away from the WWF product and furthering attention to both WCW and ECW’s respective television shows makes perfect sense. At this point in time, the wheels "appear" to already have been set in motion.

MIKE AWESOME

This is a guy that ECW had placed their World Heavyweight Title with. He was getting a mega push and allowed to wrestle the style that he’s become used to over in Japan. All of a sudden, WCW makes a move for this guy. ECW puts up little to no resistance to WCW purchasing Mike Awesome from them. They get some money and that is the end of that. Booking is thrown out the window; the ECW World Title is thrown into limbo, first ending up with Tazz; a man that doesn’t even work for the fed. Then it ends up with Justin Credible who has more than proven that he’s not ready for the singles main event. So everything was thrown out the window for some money?

LANCE STORM

Here is a guy that started his career in Stampede wrestling and then moved onto WAR teaming with Chris Jericho. After feeling life in Japan would not get him where he wanted in the wrestling world, Storm moves to ECW. The company makes his career. He becomes ECW World Tag Team Champions with Justin Credible and then out of nowhere decides that he wants to leave the company. To top that off, Storm has gone on record on his web site stating that his first date wrestling for WCW will be June 12^th. That is one day after The Great American Bash. One day after Eric Bischoff makes his huge announcement.

RAVEN

This man left ECW hanging a few years ago and went to WCW. Then after two years, he realized the mistake that he had made and went back to ECW. Now his no compete clause is about to expire. The clause expires June 10^th. That is one day before The Great American Bash. Raven has been offered his unconditional early released from ECW. Raven has not responded at all to this offer of release. Internet "smart" fans are left speculating about where he is headed.

PAUL HEYMAN

Here is a man that up to two weeks ago had never missed a single television taping for his company. Then, around the same time that Eric Bischoff ventured to California for some business, Heyman just happens to also be in California conducting meetings. As a result, Heyman has missed three television tapings and has left the operations of the shows to Tommy Dreamer. The head of operations for both WCW and ECW respectively both in California conducting business.

I’m sure my theory is quite apparent to all by now. Eric Bischoff will make his announcement of the merger of companies for this angle, the parties mentioned above will get the ball rolling under the premise that they have left the company. Fans will get to see two companies feud with each other and that should prove just interesting enough to take the unconditional loyalty fans have towards the WWF product and place it on the ECW vs WCW angle that will be played out.

If there is one thing that Eric Bischoff is known for, it is the brilliant idea of the New World Order. He used two men from the WWF and placed them in a position so that the fans believed that they were still working for the WWF but in actuality they were under contract with WCW. Now the situation has come around again. Everyone believes that Lance Storm and Raven are in ECW. All of a sudden they show up on WCW TV and start the beginning of the ECW vs WCW feud. If booked right, this could become an excellent angle and force the WWF to put out an even better product so as not to lose too much market share.

The next few weeks will prove very interesting. Further signs of this possible merger should become more apparent. Please remember that this is only a theory based on events in the past few weeks. I’m sure by now you’ve either cast your thought of "he doesn’t know what he’s talking about" or "Hmm… this guy may be on to something." In either case, I’m sure I’ve given you something to think about and that’s the true point of every Tap Out.

Email me at crippler_crossface@hotmail.com