News Archive: August 2001

WCW is returning to Poplar Bluff and the Black River Coliseum live August 8 for another exciting edition of Nitro!

Last week, WCW Owner Shane McMahon dropped several huge bombshells for WCW Crowd Control, and the wrestling world is still on edge. On August 8, WCW World Heavyweight Champion Lance Storm will be in attendance, along with his Crowd Control opponents: Curt Hennig, BG James, and Kanyon! The three challengers and the champion will meet inside the squared circle to sign the contract and make the Fatal 4-Way at Crowd Control official.

The rest of the Foundation will be in Poplar Bluff as well and are already booked for tag team action. Diamond Dallas Page and his newest recruit, Mike Awesome, square off against the team of Billy Kidman and Tommy Dreamer! Will the Foundation have their eyes on the prize? Or will the new tandem struggle with the pressures of their upcoming matches at Crowd Control against Shane McMahon and Booker T?

Rob Van Dam came to the aid of WCW Hall of Famer Terry Funk on the last Nitro as Buff Bagwell looked to take out the legend. This week, RVD's fighting champion ways continue as he defends his WCW United States Championship in open competition!

Finally, the Misfits In Action went recruiting and now have the Blonde Bombshell in their corner. With the duo owed a World Tag Team title rematch, how will the Full Blooded Italians respond to the strengthened MIA?

All of this and more, LIVE, August 8 on FX at 10pm EST!

WCW heads to the Northeast as the Augusta Civic Center hosts a special edition of Nitro! With the road to WCW Crowd Control reaching a fever pitch, Commissioner Arn Anderson has decreed that tonight will be "Tag Team Turmoil," with every match on the card featuring tag team action!

In a massive main event preview of the Crowd Control World Heavyweight title match, the four challengers will split down the middle! Curt Hennig and BG James must find a way to coexist as they team up to take on the "Invasion" duo of Kanyon and the WCW World Heavyweight Champion, Lance Storm! Will the challengers be able to work together, or will the Champion and his Foundation ally prove to be too much to handle?

The landscape of World Championship Wrestling shifted unexpectedly last week in Poplar Bluff when Stacy Keibler took matters into her own hands, reclaiming the historic WCW Women’s Championship from the archives in Commissioner Arn Anderson's office. With Keibler declaring herself the fighting face of the division, the spotlight has intensified on the influential women currently shaping WCW. From the strategic brilliance of Dawn Marie to the recent recruitment of the Blonde Bombshell into the Misfits In Action, the women of WCW are no longer just standing in the corner, they are taking center stage.

To ensure the competition remains at a fever pitch, WCW is proud to announce the official signing of the powerhouse known as Jazz. A dominant force with a reputation for a hard-hitting, no-nonsense style forged in the rings of ECW and across the independent circuit, Jazz brings a level of intensity that will put the entire roster on notice. Her arrival marks just the beginning of this new era, as WCW management continues to scout the globe for the elite female athletes ready to challenge for the gold. Will the current crop of stars be ready for the impact of Jazz, and who will be the next to step through the curtain to join this burgeoning division?

WCW hits the Pacific Northwest at the Earle A. & Virginia H. Chiles Center for the final stop before Crowd Control! In a massive six man tag team main event, the Full Blooded Italians and Buff Bagwell unite to face the Misfits In Action and United States Champion Rob Van Dam. With championship gold and Extreme Rules on the horizon this Sunday, who will claim the final momentum in Portland?

The action doesn't stop there as Chavo Guerrero Jr. has issued an open challenge to any Cruiserweight not already booked for Sunday's Ladder Match! Plus, history is made as Stacy Keibler makes her first official defense of the WCW Women’s Championship. We will also see the WCW in ring debut of Jerry "The King" Lawler as he prepares for his personal grudge match against Steve Corino!

All this plus appearances by WCW World Heavyweight Champion Lance Storm, the Foundation (Diamond Dallas Page, Kanyon, and Mike Awesome), Booker T, WCW Owner Shane McMahon, BG James, Curt Hennig, Sean O'Haire, and more!

Don't miss the explosive final Nitro before the big event, LIVE, August 22 on FX at 10pm EST!

The 9th Wonder of the World has arrived! After making a seismic impact this past Wednesday on Nitro in Portland, WCW is proud to officially announce the signing of Joanie Laurer. Her debut alongside the intense Sean O'Haire sent shockwaves through the Earle A. & Virginia H. Chiles Center, specifically targeting Stacy Keibler and the WCW Women’s Championship. With Laurer now officially on the roster, the message is clear: the WCW Women’s Division has become a serious battleground where power and dominance are the new standard.

The chaos from Nitro has already led to a massive blockbuster addition to the Crowd Control card this Sunday! Live from a sold out Madison Square Garden, Joanie Laurer will make her pay per view in ring debut in a high stakes Intergender Tag Team Match. Laurer will team with Sean O'Haire to take on the duo of WCW Women's Champion Stacy Keibler and Shawn Stasiak. Will the 9th Wonder of the World and O'Haire dismantle their opposition on the grandest stage of them all, or can Stacy and Stasiak find a way to survive the onslaught?

See Joanie Laurer’s first WCW PPV appearance this Sunday, August 26, at WCW Crowd Control!

The "World’s Most Famous Arena" is about to get a wake-up call. WCW Owner Shane McMahon is bringing the battle to New York City as WCW Crowd Control invades Madison Square Garden this Sunday, August 26! For the first time in history, the WCW banner flies high above the Garden for a premier pay-per-view event.

Don't miss history in the making! Catch WCW Crowd Control, LIVE this Sunday on Pay-Per-View!

The momentum from Madison Square Garden is heading straight into the heart of Missouri! WCW is proud to announce that Fall Brawl will be LIVE on Pay-Per-View, September 30, from the legendary Kiel Center in St. Louis. While the matches have yet to be finalized, the stakes have never been higher for the heavy hitters of the "New WCW." World Heavyweight Champion Lance Storm continues his reign of technical dominance, but with a locker room featuring a defiant Booker T, the high-flying Rob Van Dam, and the "Foundation" led by Diamond Dallas Page, the champion's path to St. Louis is anything but certain.

Expect total chaos as the "9th Wonder" Joanie Laurer, the "Real Deal" D’Lo Brown, and Buff "The Stuff" Bagwell look to cement their legacies on one of WCW's most historic stages. Whether it’s the intense Cruiserweight action or the powerhouse brawls that define the brand, Fall Brawl promises to be a night of pure, unadulterated wrestling. Don’t miss your chance to witness history—mark your calendars for Fall Brawl, LIVE, September 30!

The ink is dry and the contract is official: D’Lo Brown has signed with World Championship Wrestling. After shocking the world at Madison Square Garden by laying out Rob Van Dam and aligning with Buff "The Stuff" Bagwell, "The Real Deal" is now a full-time member of the WCW roster. D’Lo didn't come here to make friends; he came to make an impact, and with a new contract in hand, the United States Championship scene has never been more dangerous. You better recognize.

WCW hits the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans this Wednesday, August 29, for the explosive fallout of Crowd Control! After leaving Shane McMahon in a heap inside the Steel Cage, a triumphant Diamond Dallas Page arrives in the Big Easy as the undisputed "Foundation" of the company. Meanwhile, World Heavyweight Champion Lance Storm looks to prove he’s truly unstoppable by putting his title on the line in a massive challenge against BG James!

The gold is also up for grabs as the Full Blooded Italians finally step into the ring to defend their Tag Team Titles against the hard-hitting CW Anderson and Pete Gas. Plus, we’ll see the fallout from the "Real Deal" D’Lo Brown’s shocking debut and his new, dangerous alliance with Buff "The Stuff" Bagwell. Don’t miss Nitro, LIVE, August 29 on FX at 10pm EST!

CHARLOTTE, NC – World Championship Wrestling is proud to announce the formation of Atomic Championship Wrestling (ACW), the official developmental organization and minor league system for WCW. Operating out of the newly constructed WCW Annex Arena within the Calvert Street Production Annex, ACW will serve as the premier proving ground for the next generation of global superstars.

The Masked Assassin, Jody Hamilton, has been appointed as the President of both Atomic Championship Wrestling and the WCW Power Plant. Under Hamilton’s leadership, ACW will create a direct pipeline for Power Plant graduates to transition from training to live weekly competition. Joining Hamilton in the front office is Steve Keirn, who will serve as a lead operator for ACW while also joining the elite coaching staff at the Power Plant.

The ACW roster will be comprised of top-tier prospects from the Power Plant and elite talent scouted from across the globe. To ensure these athletes meet the high standards of WCW, they will be mentored by a world-class training staff including Fit Finlay and Ricky Santana.

"Atomic Championship Wrestling is where the future begins," said Jody Hamilton. "By providing a dedicated arena and a weekly platform, we are ensuring that when a wrestler finally steps onto the Nitro stage, they are seasoned, polished, and ready for the big time."

Fans can expect hard-hitting, high-stakes action every week at the WCW Annex Arena as the stars of tomorrow battle for their chance to climb the ranks.