WWE in 2003

[Guest RenegadeX28]

Well, what a damn friggin year it has been. Already December 2, 2002. The WWE has gone on one hell of a rollercoaster. Here are some of the highlights.........

 

 

-nWo "Invasion"

 

Yes, the WWE brought back one of the most feared(politics-wise), drawing, entertaining stables ever created, the nWo. The original members, Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, and Kevin Nash, returned to the WWF(E). What could have been a great storyline bombed. The nWo didn't feel like the nWo of old. Later, Scott Hall was released. Xpac joined the group. Then, later, the return of HBK happened, and he joined the group. But, Nash later tore a quad, and from there, the nWo fell apart.

 

 

Austin left, WHAT!

 

This is one of the most controversial happenings in WWE. For the fact that Austin didn't like his creative direction, Austin walked out of the WWE. Many ppl began to think this was all a work, but as info surfaced, it was real. Legions of Austin fans want him back. Will he ever return?

 

 

WWE on a downfall

 

The roster split happened, and the WWE took a turn for the worst. They had ratings of 5 or 6 before the split, and now........RAW has ratings near the 3 mark. Millions of fans have stopped watching. The product is getting stale, well, the RAW product. Smackdown is enjoying a great ratings run, and the talent there are amazing.

 

 

Well, with Armageddon coming up, and the rumors of Austin returning, what do you think 2003 will bring for the WWE? I just have a gut feeling that the WWE, for some reason, will be big. Just a feeling.

[JasonX 0]

Austin returns to Raw and has HHH shipped off to Smackdown so that they don't have to deal with their off-camera feuding. Eddy Guerrero and Kurt Angle are shipped off to Raw to be Austin's personal jobbers on Raw while Brock Lesner and Chris Benoit assume the bitch position for HHH and a returning Undertaker as they fight over the WWF Title.

 

HBK loses the title and pisses the management off, resulting in him being written out of the ongoing storylines again.

 

Brock Lesner and Kurt Angle finally meet at WM but in the second match of the card. And the match ends with a screwy finish where Angle uses every foriegn object known to wrestling to beat Brock.

 

The WM main event will be HHH versus Austin with the storyline being that HHH masterminded Austin's departure from the WWE and ends with Austin jobbing to HHH in order to politically make up for HHH being exiled to SD while Austin takes over the reigns of Raw again.

 

Edge FINALLY gets a substantial upper-card push and bombs like the pathetic failure of a singles wrestler that he is, even when Undertaker jobs cleanly to him on PPV.

 

Jazz comes back to the womens division and gets no real push or character development aside from her randomly beating up the divas for no real reason

 

Stacy gets the God-Push despite being only good as a glorified lapdancer and beats Victoria for the Womens title and spends her time ducking Jazz and Trish

 

John Cena bombs miserably as "That 1980s Guy" and gets bounced back to OVW

 

Lita appears in the pages of Playboy and contracts "Super-Bitchitis" and gets fired do to her becoming a bitch overnight

 

Chris Jericho gets stuck in the tag team division feuding with the Dudleys for the rest of the year with an ever changing group of tag team partners

[Guest BoboBrazil]

-Roster split will end and around 20 wrestlers will be released.

 

-HHH will still dominate the whole year, only dropping the title in 3 way matches where he doesn't actually have to job it. Afterwards he will win it back the next month again.

 

-Test will get a main event push. Linda said she is looking to him as being a main eventer soon!

 

-One of the women will do Playboy.

 

-Vince McMahon returns as an onscreen character.

 

-Austin returns to start another owner vs wrestler feud.

 

-At the end of 2003 no new main eventers will have been made and Linda will say it is a slow building process.

 

-Ratings plunge into the 2's.

 

-Attendance records hit new lows.

 

-Scotty 2 Hotty returns to piss off smarks by doing the worm and his unchanged 1999 gimmick.

 

-Benoit starts to get a main event push only to job to HHH and then move back down to midcard.

 

-Nash comes back and gets injured within his first month back.

 

-Rock comes back for a month, but fans start booing him again.

 

-Bischoff is fired.

 

-Booker T jobs more than anybody that appears on Raw just like in 2002.

[Guest jester]

You know Jason X, many of your points sounds very plausible.

 

I will weep openly now.

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

Austin returns to Raw and has HHH shipped off to Smackdown so that they don't have to deal with their off-camera feuding. Eddy Guerrero and Kurt Angle are shipped off to Raw to be Austin's personal jobbers on Raw while Brock Lesner and Chris Benoit assume the bitch position for HHH and a returning Undertaker as they fight over the WWF Title.

 

The WM main event will be HHH versus Austin with the storyline being that HHH masterminded Austin's departure from the WWE and ends with Austin jobbing to HHH in order to politically make up for HHH being exiled to SD while Austin takes over the reigns of Raw again.

 

HHH will still dominate the whole year, only dropping the title in 3 way matches where he doesn't actually have to job it. Afterwards he will win it back the next month again.

 

At the end of 2003 no new main eventers will have been made and Linda will say it is a slow building process.

------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I've never wanted to Stop watching Wrestling more then I do right now.

[Guest deadbeater]

Jazz returns, only to get a gimmick worse than Molly's, if that's possible. Jazz responds by beating up the writers. Vince McMahon thought about firing her, then decided otherwise and green-light a Jazz/Molly vs the writers feud.

 

HHH win title again and dominates 2003 again. He beats Brock at WM, loses to Angle, wins it back.

 

Brock is forced to return home Minnesota.

[Guest Choken One]

Austin is reinstated by the WWE to a huge media coverage (Extra and Acess Hollywood pretty much). WWE overhypes Austin's return at the rumble.

 

Triple H suffers another career setback injury (this time, his Neck) during 8 man tag NWO (4H vs RVD, Dudlyz and Booker) main event . Returns less juiced but more balanced in Early 04.

 

Without Triple H, WWE has to cancel planned HHH-Austin main event and go with the rushed Triple Main event of Austin Vs Hulk Hogan, The Rock Vs Chris Jericho and Brock LesNar Vs Kurt Angle. Undertaker continues streak as he defeats Chris Beniot in ***3/4 Match.

 

The Rock returns to WWE programming to be a entertainer heel until he leaves midprogram to shoot Helldarado 2.

 

WWE stays afloat with 3.3 ratings, mainly thanks to Austin's return.

 

Eric Bischoff is taken off Air and reduced to Creative Consultant as WWE ends the GM angle...with no real authority figure but two seperate brands.

 

Stephanie McMahon is reveled to be pregant in real life and Marries Triple H in Summer of 2003.

 

WWE Finally awakens and Pushes a Main event charge of RVD/Angle for the 2003 summer program...Cultimating with RVD FINALLY winning the WWE title from Angle at SummerSlam.

 

Booker T suffers a Career ending injury during House show in Chicago in Early September.

 

MTV Cancels WWE Heat and WWE drops Velocity.

 

2003-2004 fall season sees UPN moving WWE Smackdown to Wednesday Night in a winning effort that boost ratings from 3.3 to 3.7.

 

Steve Austin and Vince McMahon start having heated backstage conflicts again in early October.

 

WWE drops a bombshell when they announce the departure of The Rock's Wrestling contract (but retain Name).

 

WWE decides against renaming back to WWF when a loophole is discovered.

 

WWE Stock actually increases...as Viacom slips.

 

TNN attempts to revamp The line up and Move WWE Raw to Tuesday nights...WWE has conflict with that...WWE files a complaint...and is released from contract IN Late november.

 

WWE replays the 1997 montreal incident with Steve Austin in a Hugely hyped Intra promotional PPV with Smackdown with Both champions facing...Jericho plays HBK.

 

Jericho is instantly named #1 star of WWE and is pushed on a promotional blitzkreig....

 

WWE announces it has signed a 3 year deal with Foyt Racing and will sponser a Winston Cup Dodge.

 

Late December...Triple H returns to WWE to wreck havoc...and shockingly returned to 2000 form...

[Guest edotherocket]

Dont forget in late 2003, Triple H will star in WWE Film's first feature length motion picture!

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

RVD won't win any form of the world title.

 

that's the one I feel most comfortable with.

[B. Brian Brunzell 0]

One can only hope that SOMEHOW, HHH is off tv for another year.

[Guest HHHater]

Well, with the exception of the Royal Rumble-WrestleMania X8 period, No Mercy, and SummerSlam, 2002 will go down as one of the worst years in WWE history.

[Guest DerangedHermit]

- Austin comes back at Royal Rumble

- Jeff Hardy is sent down to OVW and then to rehab

- Steiner wins the Raw Title at RR but will drop it at WM to Jericho

- HHH has an injury that puts him out to mid February

- Kevin Nash comes back in March and ends up being a pivotal part of the HHH/HBK feud when he turns on HHH

- Rhyno returns to a huge pop and is pushed highly in the upper midcard on SD

- Shane McMahon returns to an on-air role in the summer but by Oct., he'll fade into the backstage once again

- Goldberg is signed in February (or June) and faces Austin at WM (or SummerSlam)

- Jonah and Matt win TEIII and end up on Smackdown for most of the year

- Ric Flair retires at WM

- Big Show loses at RR to Brock

- Undertaker returns to the Darkside, feuds with Big Show and several others

- Angle and Brock face at WM in a ****1/2-ish match (Angle loses at WM, but wins at Backlash)

-Rock returns in April to SD and feuds with Benoit

- Austin wins the RAW title at KotR from Steiner

- RVD jumps to SD and wins the SD title from Angle in June but loses it to Rock at SummerSlam

- at Sur. Series the brand extension ends in an unification match of Stone Cold v. Rock, which Austin wins

- in December, Austin drops the unified title to Chris Jericho

- the IC title is revived in a tournament leading to Survivor Series, which Matt Hardy wins in match versus Rhyno

- Ernest Miller becomes a full time announcer on Velocity and occasionally on SD

- Wrestlers that will be gone by 2003's end:

Ric Flair

HBK

Ron Simmons

Jeff Hardy

Scott Steiner

half of Velocity and Heat's roster

- Lita returns and feuds with Victoria

[Guest Super Pissed Smark]

Great financial loss.

[Guest buffybeast]

"MTV Cancels WWE Heat and WWE drops Velocity.

 

You know, I can really see MTV dropping Heat.

[Guest Luke Cage]

Behind the scenes staff being promoted as onscreen talent. Marathon in ring gab sessions. Bloated, immobile muscle-heads promoted as main event wrestlers even though the promotion has lots of young talent. Five- ten minute stunt man sessions passed off as wrestling. Two hour long infomercials with bad comedy passed off as wrestling shows.

More of the same, in other words.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

Dec 2003: Vince McMahon finally wakes up, and begins building stars. The brand split is killed, so the writers can focus on building back the company.

 

Jan 2004: After a month of easing in the new guard, the Old Guard begins to leave. (Austin, Taker, Rock, HHH) They are replaced by Angle, and Brock till the next Austin/Hogan can be found.

 

Feb. 2004: All but 25 workers are sent down to OVW or released(very gradually), the main event and upper midcard of OVW begins to debut in WWE to a lukewarm response.

 

March 2004: Fan intrest begins to build in the new characters. RAW is re-named. SD! is re-named. The WWE and Viacom split. The WWE signs a deal with FOX or USA Networks.

 

April 2004: Even though ratings are VERY LOW, the diehard fanbase becomes stable viewers again, and the bleeding of 2003 ends. Business is still down, and the WWE is close to bankruptcy.

 

May 2004: One of the OVW midcarders devolps a new innovative character. The fans begin to respond. The seeds are set for a new rebirth.

[Guest DJ Jeff]

2003 will be the year that the WWE will start the rebuilding process. I'm thinking that RVD will be the World Champion by at least Wrestlemania 19, Angle and Benoit will have both won the WWE Title, and hopefully, HHH isn't hanging around the main event any longer. Austin will return probably just in time for the Royal Rumble, and that will boost ratings some. Steiner will only last until the Survivor Series, where he'll leave due to an injury. During that time, he'll win the World Title for about a month or two. HBK will retire as a wrestler, with his last match being at Wrestlemania 19 against HHH. Finally, Vince will return to TV, and put an end to the split.

[Guest HartFan86]

I have a gut feeling.....

 

 

sometime in 2003.....

 

 

Stephanie McMahon breaks up with HHH.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

2003 will be the year that the WWE will start the rebuilding process. I'm thinking that RVD will be the World Champion by at least Wrestlemania 19, Angle and Benoit will have both won the WWE Title, and hopefully, HHH isn't hanging around the main event any longer. Austin will return probably just in time for the Royal Rumble, and that will boost ratings some. Steiner will only last until the Survivor Series, where he'll leave due to an injury. During that time, he'll win the World Title for about a month or two. HBK will retire as a wrestler, with his last match being at Wrestlemania 19 against HHH. Finally, Vince will return to TV, and put an end to the split.

No, 2003 will be the 1995 for the new generation. Vince will push the same crap, hoping that it sticks, while guys wait in the back for their shots, tha never come. It won't be until a massive clearing of the deadwood and a mass entrance of new charcters with cool gimmicks (ala 1996) that we will see the seeds for rebirth being sown.

[Guest midnight_burn]

2003 will see Vince grow increasingly senile, and Kevin Nash vs HHH will be the dominate main event feud over the entire year.

[Guest HHHater]

midnight burn's is probably the most accurate prediction. God help us all.

[Guest AndrewTS]

Without a change in management, WWE will be lucky to get through 2003 without Vince having to declare bankrupsy.

 

Financial, that is. He's long since declared intellectual, moral, and logical bankrupsy indirectly through the horseshit we see weekly.

[Guest BoboBrazil]

WWE has a shitload of money stockpiled. They won't have to declare bankruptcy any time soon. They have alot more money in the bank now than they did during their last boom and they didn't go bankrupt then.

[Guest AndrewTS]

WWE has a shitload of money stockpiled. They won't have to declare bankruptcy any time soon. They have alot more money in the bank now than they did during their last boom and they didn't go bankrupt then.

Ah...well, then it'll just take a bit longer. A slow, pathetic descent..

 

Then likely the "WWE 10 (Benoit, Angle, Chavo, RVD, Jericho, Eddy, Rey Mysterio, Edge, Helms, and Brock Lesnar)" will leave in 2005 for X upstart promotion or Japan after numerous salary cuts and career burials.

 

Vince Russo will be hired back. The entire midcard will consist of OVW talent fresh from the farm leagues and still green as hell. Vince Russo's requests for an on-air firing of "that piece of shit Triple H" are laughed at. He shrugs it off and produces some of his finest crap yet.

 

HHH beats Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania to begin his 18 Time World Title reign. In case you're wondering, all of the title losses came from Nash and HBK.

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

Angle will be champion again before 2003 passes.

 

Raw ratings will drop below 3, and someone will hopefully finally god help them wake up and repair when they realize the taped Thursday night show with the actual wrestling is drawing higher ratings.

 

Jeff Hardy will hopefully take some serious time off and go into rehab.

 

No one brought up from the development leagues will have any sort of character other than "big monster" or "blue-chip rookie," and matches will get progressively less exciting.

 

Yep, that's my prognosis.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Stephanie gets pregnant and marries HHH. HHH after regaining the World title at Armageddon and putting HBK out for good at WrestleMania then holds the title the rest of the year. He has feuds with Nash, Undertaker, and Kane. In the process he squashes RVD, Jericho, and Booker at different intervals for no reason other than he still desperately wants to prove they're not main event material despite the fans love of them.

 

Brock and Big Show's rivalry spreads to WrestleMania where Brock finally beats Big Show. After that he has a short program with Angle and Benoit like the Jericho/Benoit push from 2001 for Backlash and Judgment Day. He then works with Steiner for most of the remaining year.

 

The rest of the Smackdown 6 stay in the midcard. The Guerreros continue as a tag team and Edge reunites with Christian after Jericho and Christian have a falling out and Christian is traded to Smackdown for Rikishi. Rikishi then goes to RAW and teams with 3 Min. Warning to form a Samoan Gang. Rey comes back from his surgery to be placed in the cruiser division to try and revive it since they have reduced the division to Velocity only.

 

Cena, Orton, Batista, and all the young talent are put in rediculous storylines that lead to nowhere but midcard for life.

 

Attendance, buyrates, and ratings sink lower until Vince brings back Austin and signs Goldberg to finally put those two against each other.

[Guest humongous2002]

-WWE goes bankrupt, Vince goes postal on HHH and shoots him in the nose before turning the gun on himself.

-Stephanie goes crazy due to the lost of her father and boyfriend, gets sent to a mental institution.

-Shane takes over WWE and changes the word entertainment for extreme, starts pushing RVD,Book,Angle and many smarks favorites, changes the WWE main event style into a style more extreme, fires Gerwitz and the Heat and Velocity roster, gives Heyman the head booker job, WWE becomes popular again.

[Guest DerangedHermit]

-Shane takes over WWE and changes the word entertainment for extreme, starts pushing RVD,Book,Angle and many smarks favorites, changes the WWE main event style into a style more extreme, fires Gerwitz and the Heat and Velocity roster, gives Heyman the head booker job, WWE becomes popular again.

You forgot that Shane would start pushing Test and bring back the Mean Street Posse. (not like that's a bad thing)

[Guest Choken One]

I could live with Test as long as the rest happens.

[Guest DeputyHawk]

steph breaks up with hhh, and he resultingly loses a lot of his backstage stroke.

 

the roster split will be nixed.

 

kurt angle and brock lesnar are pushed as the top stars (a la bret & shawn mid 90's) while vince waits for a new genuine breakout star to emerge. ron killings is spirited away from the failing tna mid-year to a prominent upper mid-card position, but he does not prove to be that breakout star.

 

ratings and attendance level out at a pretty dire level.

 

vince russo is rehird by summerslam 2003, he, paul heyman & shane mcmahon amazingly have a bizarre creative chemistry together and begin to turn the product around by the end of the year, their more outlandish angles kept in check by vince.

 

things look set to improve in 2004 after a truly atrocious 2003.