Now that that's out of the way, let's move on to the office. It all starts with the bookers, as you need a team of creative guys to make the programming compelling. It is my roundtable, and these men are my knights. This committee all have specific jobs, which will have a minimum of overlap, thus eliminating most conflicts.

We Respect You, Bookermen:

ME!:

I'm the guy who says:

"No, that's a shitty idea. We're not doing that."

"I think we should push <wrestler x>."

"Great. Let's fly with it."

"I'd like to this angle resolved by doing <this>."

"Have you guys ever given some thoughts to trying some new moves and/or spots? Let explain a few ideas I have..."

I'm basically, along with my lieutenant, the final word. Pushes, angles, and storylines must be approved by me. I have a very good "crap radar" and I won't let any slip onto the programs if at all possible. I will stop the "he's my boy/friend/relative/neighbour/car washer" pushes that some people seem to get. I enforce company policies and provide disciplinary action, along with my compadre. I'm also an idea man. If you read my last rant, you'll see that I have some great ideas in terms of in ring stuff to do. I might also contribute to storylines or characterization, if I get a good idea.

Vince McMahon:

My lieutenant. My right hand man. The Robert Plant to my Jimmy Page. The Crash to my Hardcore. The Rey Rey to my Konnan. OK, enough of that. :) The man is somewhat of a visionary, and now that he has full control of the product with all of the major egos and idiots (Hogan, Nash, Michaels, Hart, Russo) out of the way, the WWF is clicking on all cylinders. He is basically in charge of a common vision, character development and quality control, along with myself of course. He, like me, will also have a right to veto angles and pushes and enforce policies.

Shane McMahon:

Same as pops, although he won't have anywhere near the same amount of stroke. He will be more of an idea man. He also could be a personality, or an occasional wrestler.

Jim Ross:

He's good with compelling, old school booking, and any tendencies he has to stray, I can reign in. There will be no "King Ass" like pushes under my regime, bub. He will also handle contracts.

Ric Flair:

After being given a suitable exit a la Roddy piper at Wrestlemania III, (a PPV in Charlotte with him main eventing) he will become one of my top bookers. He and JR are mostly responsible for the last extended run of good NWA booking, and I'd like to see what ideas he could come up with for this fed. The responsibility of giving the product have an "edge" falls elsewhere. They only have to worry about the wrestling.

Mick Foley and Terry Funk:

They could book the hardcore division and help the younger guys out with how to work the crowd and come up with spots. Stuff like that. They are also road agents.

Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco:

They could come up with the storylines for major matches, come up with characters, etc.

Terry Taylor, Jim Cornette and Bruce Pritchard:

They can write interviews and storylines for all levels of talent and book house shows and undercards. Taylor might need to be reigned in a bit (the whole Big Show/Bossman cancer angle) but he pays attention to detail (actual booking for cruiserweights) and likes to throw shocking-yet-logical twists and turns into the storyline (the 1995 reformation of the Horsemen). Corny can help the young guys as well as do some good old school booking. He needs to be shot down if he gets a little too carried away (crybaby matches) but he has had some KILLER ideas in the past (Hell in the Cell).

Vince Russo, Ed Ferrara, and Bill Banks:

They would help by scripting interviews for guys that lack mic skills, write some vignettes/sketches, and be in charge of TV production, but they are NEVER getting the book. They will never write storylines as long as I am living and breathing. Crash TV is DEAD, sez I.

Mark Calloway, Arn Anderson, Ray Traylor, and Paul Orndorff:

They are all pretty well liked and respected. They would be the road agents, with some creative input. Mark and Ray would of course have to retire, but Ray had his last brush with the main event late last year and with Mark's recent injury the jig is up. The Undertaker character should get a big sendoff with Undie passing the torch to the Big Show or Kane. It's one of the longest running and most successful gimmicks ever and deserves to go out with a bang.

Now, on to the bread and butter of a big league wrestling organization: television.

The Shows:

Monday Night Raw:

Live on Monday Nights on USA from 9-11 PM

Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, and Mike Tenay

The show starts out with the main eventers and their opening interview segment. It should last no longer than 15 minutes. An IC or TV title match could start out the show to mix things up once in awhile. After that throw in a hot light heavyweight or tag team match to get the crowd into it. Showcase some of the midcarders and possibly the women's division. The first hour should be all about creating compelling TV while showcasing some of the non-main event talent. Throw in a main eventer against a midcarder or a brief promo from a top guy so that a total absence of big names in the first hour doesn't make viewers turn the channel. Of course guys like Too Cool, Rob Van Dam, and TAKA, should be able to hold the viewers on their own merits anyway. Funny or compelling vignettes should be liberally sprinkled throughout the show. These vignettes will NOT exploit the talent or embarrass the sport. They will further angles and characters and/or provide comic relief. The second hour should feature a more extreme style of programming. More violent hardcore matches, more vulgar language than the first hour, and more titillating T&A will be broadcast in the latter half of the show. The main eventers will also come out and play as well as the upper midcarders. The main event must be hot and lead into the next major show: Smackdown!

Smackdown!:

Taped on Wednesday, aired Thursday nights from 9-11 on UPN.

Commentators: Joey Styles, Bobby Heenan, and Roddy Piper

Come on! Piper was gold on commentary in his last job back in 1991. It keeps him out of the ring, at any rate. Anyway, this show is a tuned down version of Raw. Angles from Raw are forwarded, and minor angles can be resolved or started. This show shouldn't be as top heavy as Raw, as this is when the midcard talent comes out to shine. The main event could be a unique booking involving main eventers or a hot high-midcard match. Smackdown! will serve to resolve minor issues in major angles, but not major issues in major angles.

WWF Superstars:

Taped Wednesday, aired in weekend syndication. One hour long.

Commentary: Scott Hudson and Kevin Kelly

The show will showcase all the hot undercard action with a token appearance by a main eventer or a high midcarder. This show can kind of exist in it's own little universe, as the lower carders can have angles and feuds that are housed strictly on this show. A hot 10+ minute match a week could spark an interest from the casual viewer and really emphasize that this is a wrestling show above all else. Recaps of the major angles off of Raw and Smackdown! will be shown, but it should be kept to no more than 15 minutes out of the show.

WWF Shotgun Saturday Night:

Taped Thursday, aired Saturday nights in syndication.

Commentary: Cyrus, Mick Foley and Terry Funk

This show will be vaguely ECW-ish in it's presentation. This show will the home of hardcore division action and some light heavyweight and TV title stuff. Kind of an ECW on TNN type show. The show will be shot in small arena, be more extreme than Raw, but with the lower level talent. This will be a cult show for die-hard fans.

Sunday Night Heat:

Taped on Wednesday, aired Sunday Night 8-9 PM on USA.

Commentators: Cyrus and Michael Cole

Basically this is a recap show with a couple of exclusive matches thrown in as well as Deja Video. If Heat is a PPV lead-in, then it will be live and set up the PPV with interviews, recaps and a couple of dark matches.

The Main Event:

Live almost every non-PPV month on some lucky network. 2 hours long.

Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler and Mick Foley

Since PPVs will not take place every month, there will be specials which will have a "big event" feel like Saturday Night's Main Event or Clash of the Champions. Every match will either establish a guy or be a title shot, or be something of consequence (grudge match, winner gets a title shot, gimmick match, etc). The show will be like old SNME in that most of the interviews take place backstage. This, again, will be an old-school style wrestling show rather than the more Sports Entertainment oriented Raw and Smackdown!

PPVs:

Late-January: Royal Rumble

Featuring the Royal Rumble and an undercard made up of guys not in the Rumble.

Late-March/Early-April: WrestleMania:

All roads lead here. Everything is blown off in epic fashion.

Mid-July: SummerSlam:

Blowing off almost everything coming out of WrestleMania.

Mid-September: Fall Brawl:

Featuring War Games.

Late-November: Survivor Series:

A main event, an undercard bout and four team matches (including the return of the tag team Survivor match).

There you have it. Now everything is set for the wrestlers. The next few installments will look at the available talent and where they fit in. Questions answered will include: