The Cornette Call: A Pro Wrestling Timeline

May 19, 1996

The backstage environment in the WWF was a powder keg following the events at the night's Madison Square Garden show. On that night, the Kliq had smashed kayfabe in front of the crowd. Faces and heels coming together on Scott Hall and Kevin Nash's light night in the company, hugging and standing together in a closing bow to the shock and anger of fans, wrestlers and management alike.

In the middle of the powder keg was the lit fuse of Vince McMahon, who was on the verge of throwing furniture in his office. He had dealt with a lot of problems from wrestlers before, but this time these men had crossed a line and there was no turning back in McMahon's head. These four were traitors of the highest order. He made them and they spat on his company...

Once he was calm, he turned to the others in his office and began hearing out their word on how to handle the current situation. It was one man who had gotten Vince's ear that night: James E. Cornette.

Cornette, never a man to take crap from workers who thought they could put one over on him, already had plans for all of the men who had played their part in the MSG Curtain Call (barring Sean Waltman, who was undergoing rehab at the time.)

First were the departing Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. At first they seemed immune to punishment due to their jump to WCW, but Cornette reminded Vince that he still had Nash's WrestleMania pay-off, which could easily go to the company that needed it more than him, along with other payouts owed to Hall. It was a risky move, but given that they were heading into huge guaranteed contracts for WCW, Vince was more willing to withhold.

Next was Shawn Michaels. He was the champion, but that could be fixed. Cornette did suggest holding off on an immediate burial and to build up an opponent that could take the title from him, then they could spend the remainder of his contract having him lose to everyone else that Vince wanted on the main event.

Helmsley was the easiest to discipline: He was fired right on the spot. He had only been there a year and was acting like he had run the place because he had buddied up to Shawn, Hall and Nash. He was getting the axe immediately without even a second thought.

Vince, nodding and grinning sadistically, agreed and made his move to put this plan into motion.
 
Among the immediate ramifications (well, besides what I assume will be a breach-of-contract suit from Nash): It appears that McMahon will double down on kayfabe, which reverses the faux-shoot direction to which they were nudging (like Nash's "I only high-five gloved hands" tweener speech the night that HBK did a fake-real injury angle tied into a real-real assault in Syracuse weeks before). The reveal of Vince McMahon as the man behind the curtain may never happen, or at least it happens in a far different fashion — for example, he could still eventually be the evil authority figure, but he ascends from the announcing booth instead of acknowledging that he owns the WWF and taking storyline control from there.

Punishment for HBK will be (should be) the point that divides McMahon and Cornette, because Vince adored Michaels and always kept him near or on top of the card, even after all the ridiculous crap he pulled like the "I Lost My Smile" speech to get out of jobbing the IC title to Dean Douglas.

The logical move is sending HHH back to WCW, but I think a move to (or at least a stopover in) ECW would be most intriguing; a proto-DX but instead of playful worked shoots and penis jokes, it's reality-based anger and edginess.
 
So, looks like Austin is in line to win the 1996 KotR since HHH is out of the picture? As long as young Curtain Jerker gets to see Hart-Austin at Mania 13 live I'm a happy camper.

@Cyniclone is right - Vince loved him some mid-1990s HBK.
 
Good start; BTW, I just posted a WI about Shawn Michaels on the pop culture thread...

HBK himself has stated that he was amazed that Vince put up with his actions for as long as he did (this, of course, contributed to what happened in Montreal)...
 
The logical move is sending HHH back to WCW, but I think a move to (or at least a stopover in) ECW would be most intriguing; a proto-DX but instead of playful worked shoots and penis jokes, it's reality-based anger and edginess.

Trips was nothing but a jobber during his time in WCW and I can't see him returning to that. Time in ECW seems likely with TTL's DX pushing the line far more than they did IOTL complete with Heyman allowing him time with a live mic.
 
Among the immediate ramifications (well, besides what I assume will be a breach-of-contract suit from Nash): It appears that McMahon will double down on kayfabe, which reverses the faux-shoot direction to which they were nudging (like Nash's "I only high-five gloved hands" tweener speech the night that HBK did a fake-real injury angle tied into a real-real assault in Syracuse weeks before). The reveal of Vince McMahon as the man behind the curtain may never happen, or at least it happens in a far different fashion — for example, he could still eventually be the evil authority figure, but he ascends from the announcing booth instead of acknowledging that he owns the WWF and taking storyline control from there.

Punishment for HBK will be (should be) the point that divides McMahon and Cornette, because Vince adored Michaels and always kept him near or on top of the card, even after all the ridiculous crap he pulled like the "I Lost My Smile" speech to get out of jobbing the IC title to Dean Douglas.

The logical move is sending HHH back to WCW, but I think a move to (or at least a stopover in) ECW would be most intriguing; a proto-DX but instead of playful worked shoots and penis jokes, it's reality-based anger and edginess.

Oh, there'll be a lawsuit, no doubt. With Shawn, the idea I have is that the MSG stunt is the straw that broke the camel's back for Vince, but I can see this being a point of contention for McMahon and Cornette in just how to deal with HBK

An ECW stopover for Hunter would be interesting since we're a few months away from the ECW "invasion" angle the WWF ran in the late 90s. It's more likely that Uncle Eric will snag Paul first, but there's merit in the idea.
 
Trips was nothing but a jobber during his time in WCW and I can't see him returning to that.

Perhaps, but his firing will be big news among the smarks and he could very easily slide into the Syxx role with the nWo. I could definitely see Bischoff bringing him in to tweak McMahon. Whether his career trajectory is similar to OTL is anyone's guess; if nothing else, he's a lot less likely to marry Stephanie McMahon.
 
Trips was nothing but a jobber during his time in WCW and I can't see him returning to that. Time in ECW seems likely with TTL's DX pushing the line far more than they did IOTL complete with Heyman allowing him time with a live mic.

That may change with Hall and Nash in WCW. I could see HHH being an early member of the nWo. Since Trips is one of their buddies, I could see that being pushed.
 
May 26, 1996

The week after the Curtain Call was an equally bad time for the WWF as that night's In Your House 8: Beware of Dog was hit by a power outage brought on by a severe thunderstorm over South Carolina, cutting the show off two matches in and knocking out the PPV feed. The card presented is a recreation of the show using the two initial matches and an encore presentation of the remaining card dubbed "Beware of Dog 2"

  1. Ultimate Warrior d. Jake Roberts/Jerry Lawler
  2. Marc Mero d. Justin Bradshaw (w/Uncle Zebakiah)
  3. Ahmed Johnson d. Isaac Yankem, DDS
  4. Yokozuna d. Vader
  5. Savio Vega d. Steve Austin (w/Ted DiBiase) (Carribean Strap Match)
  6. WWF Tag: The Godwinns (w/Sunny) d. The Smoking Gunns
  7. WWF IC: Goldust (w/Marlena) d. The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) (Casket Match)
  8. WWF World: Shawn Michaels (w/Jose Lothario) vs. Davey Boy Smith (w/Clarence Mason, Diana Smith and Owen Hart) (No Contest)

And if that wasn't bad enough, the next week would see another grenade dropped on the WWF.
 
June 2, 1996

Kevin Nash and Scott Hall sue Vince McMahon, the WWF and TitanSports over breach of contract, looking to reclaim their lost payouts. With the two looking to head into the court, Eric Bischoff opts to hold off their debut until the legal tussle is handled.
 
June 2, 1996

Kevin Nash and Scott Hall sue Vince McMahon, the WWF and TitanSports over breach of contract, looking to reclaim their lost payouts. With the two looking to head into the court, Eric Bischoff opts to hold off their debut until the legal tussle is handled.

I'm sure Vince will take that well.
 
I'd say we can rule out Hall and Nash ever coming back to the WWF.
McMahon will forgive even the deepest of transgressions if he thinks it'll be good for business. Bret Hart and the Ultimate Warrior came back. Eric Bischoff had a long run with him post-WCW. The analogue is Jeff Jarrett, but there's two major differences: 1. Jarrett was holding the IC belt hostage (at least from McMahon's perspective) for owed money, and 2. Jarrett has never been a threat to make McMahon serious money. If he had become a world-class act while with WCW, McMahon would have brought him back at some point. But he didn't, so he was capital g double-o double-n double-e. EDIT: And even he came back to accept a Hall of Fame induction, albeit 20 years after his departure.

Presuming that Nash and Hall remain big names post-WWF ITTL, I think they'd be welcomed back after a spell. They may not return, or Vince may decide not to go after them, but I don't think they make his do-not-call list, at least over this lawsuit.
 
King of the Ring First Round and Quarterfinal Results

WWF continues its march toward the King of the Ring on television, with a few changes to the results than from OTL.

First Round

Vader d. Ahmed Johnson

Goldust vs. The Ultimate Warrior (Double Count-Out)

Jake Roberts d. Jerry Lawler

Justin Bradshaw d. Henry O. Godwinn

Stone Cold Steve Austin d. Bob Holly

Savio Vega d. Marty Jannetty

Marc Mero d. Bodydonna Skip

Owen Hart d. Yokozuna

Quarterfinal

Vader receives a bye to the semi-finals

Jake Roberts d. Justin Bradshaw

Stone Cold Steve Austin d. Savio Vega

Owen Hart d. Marc Mero

As you can see, there's only two real notable changes. First is that in place of Helmsley, Roberts beats Lawler in his qualifier. The second is that Owen beats Mero rather than OTL where Mero won, so heading into King of the Ring, we'll have Vader vs. Jake Roberts and Owen Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin in the Semifinals.

But what's happening down south, you ask? In time...

Oh shit! Almost forgot!

June 10, 1996

Brian Pillman signs with the WWF, a landmark moment as the first guaranteed contract in the WWF, which becomes a point of contention in the Hall/Nash lawsuit (Hall and Nash pointing out how they left because Vince didn't offer guarantees but after they left, Vince suddenly gave Pillman a guarantee.)
 
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Great American Bash 1996

9000 fans fill the Baltimore Arena for WCW's big June PPV. Eight matches on the card.

WCW Main Event Pre-Show

  1. Rocco Rock d. Jerry Sags
  2. VK Wallstreet d. Jim Powers
  3. Jim Duggan d. Big Bubba Rogers

PPV Main Card
  1. The Steiner Brothers d. Fire and Ice (Scott Norton/Ice Train) The Steiners toss around Norton and the Ice Train to kick off the show.
  2. Kevin Sullivan d. Disco Inferno. The Taskmaster makes quick work of the dancing man.
  3. John Tenta d. Steve McMichael/Kevin Greene. The two football guys try to beat Tenta, but he is too powerful to be put down by either man.
  4. Diamond Dallas Page d. Marcus Bagwell. Match is the same as OTL.
  5. WCW Cruiserweight: Dean Malenko d. Rey Misterio Jr. Keep this match from OTL because there's no doubt it was a good match.
  6. WCW Tag: Chris Benoit/Steven Regal (w/Arn Anderson) d. Lex Luger/Sting. And we get a new Horseman with Regal taking Pillman's place. Benoit and Regal steal the tag titles with help from the enforcer taking out Lex on the outside, leaving Sting in a two-on-one and eventually getting put away in the crossface.
  7. WCW US: Arn Anderson (w/Ric Flair) d. Konnan. The Horsemen add the US title to their collection with more nefarious tactics. Spinebuster finish. All they need is the world title, but... good luck getting it off the Giant.
  8. WCW World: The Giant d. Randy Savage. The Giant dominates the Macho Man tonight. Chokeslam victory to end off the show.
 
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Hardcore Heaven 1996

1500 fill the ECW Arena to capacity for a nine card match with a big main event.

  1. The Dudleys (Bubba/Devon) (w/the Dudley Family) d. The Harris Twins. The Dudleys give Ron and Don a 3D each, getting the ball rolling.
  2. Little Guido (w/Sal Bellomo) d. Mikey Whipwreck.
  3. Taz (w/Bill Alfonso) d. Paul Valerans. Keep this bizarre match from OTL because I'm a sucker for the really bizarre matches that happen. Tazz puts away Valerans with a Tazzmission in quick fashion.
  4. Tommy Dreamer d. Brian Lee in a Weapons Match.
  5. Sabu d. Rob Van Dam. This OTL match stays the same. Give these two 20 to get the crowd real hot.
  6. ECW Tag: The Eliminators d. The Gangstas. Total Elimination to Mustafa in what was the Gangsta's last chance at getting the titles. New Jack starts beating on Mustafa as a result.
  7. ECW TV: Chris Jericho d. Pitbull #2 (w/Francine) Another OTL match, Jericho wins the TV title in a good showing.
  8. ECW World: Raven (w/the bWo) d. Terry Gordy. Yep, more from OTL. Nothing really wrong with keeping what ECW was doing at the time, but now for the big change.
  9. Paul Levesque d. Shane Douglas. Paul makes a stopover at ECW, taking the spot that guys like Austin and Pillman did as wrestlers going from one big company to ECW with a chip on their shoulder. Paul spends his time in ECW shooting on Vince, Bret, Jim Cornette, the Undertaker or talking about how ECW finally has a real star, getting under the Franchise's skin. Paul brings up the Dean Douglas stuff in the lead up to the this match. The match's quality isn't that important. It's all about the fact that a former WWF star has arrived and is running roughshod over ECW, getting the Pedigree on Shane Douglas to end off the show, the rest of the ECW locker room surrounding the ring, ready for a piece of Paul Levesque.
 
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King of the Ring 1996

8700 fill the MECCA Arena for the conclusion of this year's King of the Ring tournament. Who will be crowned King? The answer will not surprise you, but something will.

  1. Dark: The Bodydonnas d. The New Rockers. Major difference is we don't do have Cloudy in the Bodydonna's corner.
  2. Dark: Marc Mero d. Aldo Montoya. Mero is pretty much taking Hunter's spot on the cards now.
  3. KOTR Semi-Final: Steve Austin d. Owen Hart. So, this match takes over for Austin/Mero IOTL, Owen transitions into a face role for this, turning on Camp Cornette but he falls to Austin here after over fifteen minutes of hard-fought wrestling action.
  4. KOTR Semi-Final: Jake Roberts d. Vader (w/Jim Cornette) by DQ. Same as OTL, Vader gets DQed early for unnecessary roughness, Roberts advancing.
  5. Ahmed Johnson d. Jerry Lawler. A quick match between Johnson and Lawler. Pearl River Plunge for the finish.
  6. Mankind d. The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) Same as OTL.
  7. KOTR Final: Steve Austin d. Jake Roberts. Yep, can't stop this from happening ITTL. Stunner to Roberts, "Austin 3:16" all the works. The era of Stone Cold is upon us. But now for the title matches.
  8. WWF Tag: The Smoking Gunns (w/Sunny) d. The Godwinns (w/Hillbilly Jim) The Gunns re-take the tag belts a bit later than OTL. Match is the same as OTL, but the result is new tag champs instead of retaining.
  9. WWF IC: Goldust (w/Marlena) d. The Ultimate Warrior (countout) And here's where Nash's WrestleMania payout went. Vince offered Warrior the payout as a bonus and a release from his contract if he put Goldust over on the show. Warrior agreed, but as you can guess, this match is terrible. Their styles don't mix, Warrior isn't in a good mood, he's very much not into the Goldust gimmick and he's working stiffer as a result. The match is a guaranteed nomination for the Observer's "Worst Worked Match" for 1996. Goldust wins with the Final Cut (which Warrior gets up from a second after the three) to continue Goldust's reign as Intercontinental Champion.
  10. WWF World: British Bulldog (w/Diana Smith) d. Shawn Michaels (w/Jose Lothario) (Special Ref: Mr. Perfect) And in a big change from OTL, Vince flips the switch and puts the title on Davey Boy. Finish comes when Michaels goes for a Flying Forearm to set up a comeback, only to get caught into a Running Powerslam. It's a big moment to close out King of the Ring, but one that causes bad blood to boil in the locker room.
 
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Having a Clique member go over Shane Douglas clean might send him packing. He hated the Clique passionately, and while perhaps it wasn't as intense with the former HHH, it probably wasn't good either. Bet the backstage at the end of the night was an interesting place to be, though in fairness that's probably the case anyway.
 
Having a Clique member go over Shane Douglas clean might send him packing. He hated the Clique passionately, and while perhaps it wasn't as intense with the former HHH, it probably wasn't good either. Bet the backstage at the end of the night was an interesting place to be, though in fairness that's probably the case anyway.

I'm pretty sure Vince would have no problem signing Shane Douglas in this scenario.
 
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