Lethal Lottery/Battle Bowl

[Hanso Amore]

Do you guys remember this from WCW in the early 90s? Where they would randomly draw tag teams and then the would have a tournament, and the winning team faced off, the winner being named Battle Bowl Champ and they were given a ring?

I really like it, Most of the teams were people that had heat or tag teams would end up facing off. It was good shit that got alot of undercard guys involved with Main eventers. There was always one "Stacked Team" that were an actual team, or friends, so they seemed to have an advantage. I think DDP won the last one, in 96. it was the beginning of his TV title Push. I just miss the OLD WCW. They had some great events.

War Game-Nuff Said. I cant believe the WWE has yet to use this. The NWA Wargames were golden, and the WCW were still decent but they were a big deal.

Thundercage - FUNK/MUTA vs Flair/Sting was the main event at the First LIVE show I ever went to. It was amazing. Such a big match atmosphere, and it was such a new idea for a match. I think the HIAC is much the same idea, but the Thundercage was pretty Sweet. Sting Splashing Funk while he was in the Figure Four :love:

World War Three....I think the best thing to come from that was Rey Rey Spring boarding from ring to ring. But it was still a great idea for a main event. I mean, it was the Rumble on Steroids.

For the young-ins that dont know what these matches are, War games is two rings inside one cage, where 2 teams of 4 face off (it is the Horseman's Match) 2 men start out, and then at a time interval a new member of one of the teams comes in, giving them an advantage. Once all 4 are in, the first to get a pin or submission wins.

Thundercage- Giant Dome shaped cage with a small opening at the top, that has "Electric" wires around it. Basically Thunderdome. Was very Special in the late 80s.

World War three was where 3 rings were setup next to each other, all touching, so it was like one huge ring, then 60 men got in for a battle royal. Winner gets a title shot. macho man and NAsh were the last 2 winners I think.

Anyways, What do you guys think of all these matches? Good/Bad? Would they work today? Discuss

[Lock Jaw]

I loved the Lethal Lottery thing. Allows for good tag stuff going on. Furthers storylines, possibly creates lasting teams... etc.

War Games was awesome as well.

I liked World War 3... but not so much. Really a big clusterdoody. What I really liked about WW3 was how the crusers would use all 3 rings in crazy ways in the undercard. But that would be moot in WWE because there is no undercard. Especially not with crusers.

[Pepsi Man]

I always wished they'd do another Lethal Lottery.

[M-A-G]

Sorry, I didn't like that concept for squat. And the reason WWE hasn't done War Games is because there's no history with the product. That'd be like Ring of Honor whipping out an Elimination Chamber.

[Pepsi Man]

Sorry, I didn't like that concept for squat. And the reason WWE hasn't done War Games is because there's no history with the product. That'd be like Ring of Honor whipping out an Elimination Chamber.
Damn, I know I missed SmackDown!, but ROH purchased the WWE?!

[M-A-G]

They should.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I really like the idea of Lethal Lottery. The WWE could make it a big deal event if they wanted to. Have a week of shows in Las Vegas. First show, every Championship is on the line, and the opponents are randomly drawn. The second show can just be the old "RAW Roulette" deal, where the matches were booked, but the stipulations were not. Then finally, do the Lethal Lottery thing.

Let's say there are eight tag teams entered:

Chavo Guerrero
Paul London

Brian Kendrick
Matt Hardy

John Cena
Umaga

The Undertaker
Kane

Shawn Michaels
Johnny Nitro

CM Punk
Rob Van Dam

Joey Mercury
Gregory Helms

Shelton Benjamin
Chris Benoit

Guerrero and London decide that they want to win this tournament, so they make a pact to get along well. Kendrick and Hardy have experience working with (and against) each other, but they are expected to be well-oiled. London and Guerrero actually do whatever it takes to win, however, and London uses the ropes and tights to pin his partner, Kendrick.

The Undertaker and Kane expect to be partners, as if they manipulated fate. It fits their characters. John Cena is the unlucky sap who gets an enemy as a partner, and he finds himself in a three-way monster beat-down. Cena gets a Double Chokeslam from the Brothers of Destruction to eliminate his team.

Shawn Michaels is partnered with "the next Shawn Michaels" Johnny Nitro. The two vow to work well together, but they have to go against the ECW Originals, RVD and CM Punk (for some reason Punk is considered an Original whereas Kevin Thorn is not). Punk refuses to let RVD tag out, setting up a stoner vs. straight-edge feud, as Shawn Michaels and Johnny Nitro advance.

Joey Mercury and Gregory Helms work well together, both coming from OMEGA, and while Benoit and Benjamin have some initial troubles, they eventually gel, and upset the co-operative team of Mercury and Helms.

The semi-final matches are Chavo Guerrero & Paul London vs. The Undertaker & Kane, while Shawn Michaels & Johnny Nitro face Chris Benoit & Shelton Benjamin.

London and Guerrero find themselves dominated, but eventually Guerrero cheats to get control over Kane. He and London work over Kane pretty well, but Kendrick and Ashley come out to watch. London is distracted by this, and Kane powers out of a facelock, tags in The Undertaker, who unleashes Hell on London and Guerrero, and pins London after a Last Ride.

Joey Mercury and Charlie Haas get involved in the other semi-final, to help out their usual partners, but eventually the match ends when Shawn Michaels catches Shelton Benjamin off a springboard with a Sweet Chin Music.

We get The Undertaker & Kane vs. Shawn Michaels & Johnny Nitro as the final tag team match of the tournament. The Undertaker & Kane manage to dominate Johnny Nitro for most of the match, but he tags in Shawn Michaels, who fires up, and Sweet Chin Musics the big men a few time, but they don't go down on the first, but when they do, they sit-up. HBK and Nitro fight tooth and nail, but it's no good against the former Tag Champs. Chavo Guerrero and Paul London run-in, though, and help the RAW team pick up the victory, which surprises the commentators.

So the singles match to crown the ultimate winner is Shawn Michaels vs. Johnny Nitro. What a fun little match this would be. Shawn Michaels gets the clean victory with the Sweet Chin Music, but gives Johnny Nitro a handshake afterwards. If you wanted to, you could have Nitro attack HBK from behind, just to re-affirm his heel status.

What fun that would be, and I didn't even think it through. There is really no way to go wrong with randomly drawn opponents, in my opinion.

[Mr. Nerfect]

What would really be fun is if it was roster wide. Every single guy was in a tag team with a random partner. You lose a tag team match, you are gone. Everyone from Funaki to John Cena is assigned a tag team partner, and even if it doesn't fit a traditional tournament, you'd keep tabs of who was still in, and who wasn't. Eventually you'd get one tag team left, they go at it, winner gets a special cup.

[D Mac]

Khali/Funaki vs Batista/Little Bastard :shifty:

[Theo Dious]

I really don't see WWE doing anything involving multiple rings; it was sort of a WCW trademark, and honestly it always made the entire PPV a little bulky to me.

[King Steve]

I miss the Lethal Lottery. It was Slamboree they used to do it at, right?

[mrslackalack]

I miss the Lethal Lottery. It was Slamboree they used to do it at, right?

:y:

Although they did do the Battlebowl at Starrcade 91 AND I believe in 92 they had a PPV just with the LL?