So... how about the month of November? (2001)

 This isn't going to be a formatted post, and I'm experiencing some wrist pains so I'll probably try to keep it really brief. I booked most of Thunder with my internet out, so I'm just going to recap what happened to lead up to Fall Brawl, and I'll post that show soon. Thanks to my friend Jake for inspiration on the format for this! Catch November under the break.

War Games -

Team Flair (Ric Flair, Mark Henry, Dwayne Johnson, Steve Austin, & Rob Van Dam)

vs.

Team Bischoff (Sting, Scott Steiner, Sean O'Haire, Mark Jindrak, & Kanyon)

WarGames this year has the highest stakes of all ahead of the first draft - the winning commissioner's brand will not only get the first three picks of the draft (decided ahead of Starrcade), they will have the rights to hold their show on Monday nights! For the wrestlers, it presents an ultimate incentive - there's no telling how much debt a commissioner would be in to a wrestler who earned them the prime time slot on Monday.

• Dwayne Johnson & Steve Austin have had a hard time co-existing with each other and the rest of their team - will they be able to work together in WarGames?
• Sting has been becoming increasingly frustrated during the time he's spent around the rest of his team - is the presence of all of these egos wearing Sting down?
• Scott Steiner has been claiming that he's unstoppable, and that no one can defeat him without being a little bitch and getting outside help.
• Over the past three weeks before the pay-per-view, multiple pre-matches have been held pitting members of each team against the other. The teams are almost even, with Team Bischoff having a slight 4-3 advantage across all singles and tag matches headed into the PPV.
• Ric Flair has had a series of "tune-up" matches which he generously let Bischoff arrange - the only catch is that Bischoff obviously stacked the deck against Flair. Nevertheless, Flair overcame every challenge - except for Sean O'Haire, who was the only man to defeat Flair during the series.

Mind Games -

Double Referee match -

Raven vs. Vampiro

Vampiro has taken an interest in Raven, criticizing him for his laziness and lack of ambition ever since his return after the collapse of the Flock. Raven claims to not need drive or glory and to be content with where he is, but Vampiro has refused that answer. Seeking to bring the evil in Raven back to light, Vampiro has been tormenting him relentlessly, but Raven has been less than receptive.

• After their dog collar match at Halloween Havoc, Vampiro asserted that Raven walked away a changed man. Raven seemed to defy Vamp, and instead demanded a double referee match - the exact opposite of the violence Vampiro is seeking to draw out.
• Notably, Raven's challenge came after a match between Vampiro and Mick Foley for Vampiro's GHC Openweight Hardcore championship. Raven didn't actually interfere in the match, he just came out with a microphone after Vampiro won. 
• Continued attempts at mind games have seemed to have no effect on Raven - he simply refused to be distracted when Vampiro attempted to cost him a match against Nova, and he's continued to demand a double referee match.

A House Divided -

Lance Storm vs. C.W. Anderson

Carl Ouellet vs. John Tenta

For months, the stability and success of Team Canada has gradually been in decline. Lance Storm & Steve Corino's tandem ruled WCW in 2000 and it seemed their reign was going to extend into 2001, but conflict has been bubbling between the two as their sights turned to WCW's world championships. After this tension began to be more and more obvious, it finally boiled over on the final Thunder before Fall Brawl, where Corino officially (and violently) split from Lance Storm to form his own army.

• Steve Corino missed the month of October due to injury (an injury which Lance Storm quietly doubted), and he made an explosive return by challenging Sting, the man that defeated Lance Storm for the International championship. Claiming he would do what Storm couldn't, Corino made good on his promise and shockingly defeated Sting. Corino bragged about it to Storm, but Storm pointed to Corino's cheating during the match as a retort.
• Corino introduced the members of Team Canada to his 'best friend' Jack Victory recently - except for Lance Storm. Storm confronted Corino about Victory's presence, and Corino deflected by bringing up Sting.
• Corino has been going through legal proceedings attempting to hold Chris Jericho and WCW accountable for his rib injury, a strategy that Lance Storm disapproved of. Storm called for a Team Canada town hall for next week to address things.
• The town hall saw disaster - Corino and Storm went back and forth on the microphone until a fan ran into the ring and attacked Storm, at which point Corino, Ouellet, and Victory joined in. John Tenta helped Storm escape the ambush, and Team Canada was officially split.
• Corino introduced the "fan" as his enforcer, C.W. Anderson, and revealed that C.W. would face Lance at Fall Brawl. He seemed genuinely upset and hurt about Tenta siding with Lance, and told Carl Ouellet to play everything cool and try and get him on their side during their match Sunday.

Sell Your Soul -

As mentioned above, Steve Corino has accused Chris Jericho of intentionally injuring him during their WCW World Heavyweight championship match in order to pick up the victory. Accusing Jericho and WCW of fostering an unsafe work environment, Corino demanded that WCW either vacate the championship or award it to him. Due to Mark Henry's upcoming title match, WCW refused, but offered Corino a match should Jericho retain. Henry won the title, and now Corino's threat of legal action has become very real.

• After Henry won the championship, Eric Bischoff denied Corino the title shot. Corino responded by threatening that his lawyer would be at Thunder next week. When the next week came and went with no lawyer, Bischoff assumed Corino was bluffing just like he thought.
• However, Corino would appear at Bischoff's office on the third week with his lawyer - James Vandenburg. A surprised (and slightly shaken) Bischoff reluctantly welcomed them into the office to discuss legal matters. The specifics of their conversation are unknown, as Vandenburg requested that the cameras be forced out.
• Jeremy Borash was waiting outside for the two to leave, but was unable to glean much information when they did. Corino offered thanks to Vandenburg for whatever he accomplished, but Vandenburg said thanks were unnecessary - he has more than enough of what he wants. Corino asked what that was - Vandenburg smiled and said that now, Corino owes him.

Family Feud -

Heenan Family (Kanyon, Scott Hall, Brian Adams, & Bryan Clark)

vs. 

First Family (Sid Vicious, Lex Luger, Scott Norton, & The Barbarian)

Recently, both Bobby Heenan and Jimmy Hart have been making moves in WCW - though Heenan's have been more successful. Jimmy Hart's major acquisition to his ranks - Scott Steiner - has proved unruly, and Heenan debuting both Scott Hall and the unstoppable team of Brian Adams & Bryan Clark (Heenan's "private military", now known as Scorched Earth), along with Curt Hennig's television title reign have left his stable the talk of the company. After both men made a play for Adam Castle and he rebuked both of their offers, each blamed the other, beginning a quickly growing hatred.

• The success of the Heenan Family has been great, and they have dealt damage in their wake. When Jeff Hardy challenged for Hennig's TV title, Scorched Earth interfered and beat him down so badly he had to be stretchered out. With the additional help, Hennig's reign has grown to seven defenses, bringing him closer and closer to Option C.
• A series of confrontations between Heenan and Hart have been entertaining, but served to do nothing but deepen their feud. Their back-and-forth has led to unforgettable quips, but it's done nothing to impress Eric Bischoff, who grew tired of the two getting in each others' way.
• Seeking to settle their tension, Bischoff put Heenan and Hart on the same side of a tag match: Scott Hall & Sid Vicious faced Simon Diamond & DDP. Of course, the Diamonds won because of constant miscommunications between both the wrestlers and their managers.
• A fed up Heenan challenged Hart to put his money where his mouth is at Fall Brawl, and Bischoff came out to one-up him. At Fall Brawl, the Heenan Family and the First Family will face off, and the losing team must then have a two-on-two match. The losers of that match must leave their stable and WCW.

The Decline of a Legacy -

Tables Match -

British Bulldog vs. Adam Castle

For months, Adam Castle has been tearing down the Hart Foundation - and shockingly, he's found success. When Mark Henry and Chris Jericho's match over the World Heavyweight championship became a much more heated affair than anyone could have predicted, Henry promised that when he won the championship, he was going to force Jericho to leave the group. After it happened, Bulldog attempted to comfort Jericho. Afterwards, Castle attacked him, setting up a tables match at Fall Brawl. Elsewhere in the family, Christian Cage's commentary stint led to new challenges.

• At Mark Henry's championship celebration, an attempted apology to Chris Jericho was met with a shocking response - Jericho said Henry was right, and he had become too egotistical. Jericho didn't deserve to carry the Hart legacy anymore, so he was leaving the Foundation.
• Christian Cage was on commentary for a few weeks, until a match between Chris Benoit and Nova turned to disaster. Nova pulled Christian into the way of a suicide dive, and he was immediately checked on by medical staff - though, notably, not by Benoit.
• The next week, Nova taunted Christian for being fragile and in the way. Christian attempted to get cleared to get to face Nova, but the doctors wouldn't approve him.
• Later, Christian sought a second opinion, and whoever he went to, they cleared him to compete. He would go on to defeat Nova, though the jury's out on if he's truly 100%.

The Snake's New Monster -

No Disqualifications -

Abyss vs. Mike Awesome

Throughout 2001, Mike Awesome was plagued by a series of mysterious attacks. He would be dominating a match, then the lights would go out, and he would suddenly be bloody and unconscious. Over time, Jake Roberts revealed himself as the mastermind of the attacks - but not as the one who carried them out. The attacks just happened to benefit Keiji Mutoh at every time, so Awesome took his rage out on him. However, during a cage match, the real perpetrator was revealed - a masked monster clawed his way from under the ring and brutalized both men.

• On the first show after Halloween Havoc, Jake Roberts revealed that Mutoh and Awesome had been hospitalized by the attack. Approaching a cage, Roberts introduced the man responsible - the Monster, Abyss.
• Later, we would actually see Mike Awesome recovering in the hospital. Attempting to rehab his injured ribs, Awesome was ambushed when the lights flickered and Roberts and Abyss were suddenly in the room. Roberts taunted Awesome while Abyss demolished him once again, using the medical environment to deal as much damage as possible.
• Roberts led Abyss to the ring for an open challenge - but no one was willing to answer, which Roberts attributed to Abyss's dominance.
• The two attempted another open challenge the next week, but it would never happen. Instead, Mike Awesome attacked Abyss, armed with a sledgehammer. The monster actually showed great pain, proving that Awesome may just have a fighting chance after all.

Eat, Sleep, Breathe Hardcore

Strap Match -

Tommy Dreamer vs. Bam Bam Bigelow

After Bam Bam Bigelow turned his back on hardcore wrestling, he was granted the Brass Knuckles championship by his ally, Kevin Nash. Dreamer, a proponent of hardcore wrestling dating back to his stints in ECW and FMW, vowed to save the style by winning the title. The introduction of the Dudleyz to Bigelow's efforts has presented a huge obstacle, however.

• In a hardcore match, D-Von Dudley beat Tommy Dreamer. Of course, that's how it looks on paper, but the no DQ nature meant that Bubba Ray Dudley was able to turn it into a handicap match with no consequence.
• Dreamer promised that he'd never stop trying to save hardcore wrestling, and dared Bigelow & the Dudleyz to try to make him stop. When they came out to do it, Dreamer rolled out of the ring. Bigelow and the Dudleyz called him a coward and taunted, but Dreamer just dramatically pulled a kendo stick from under the ring and caned all three until they were forced to retreat.
• An outraged Bam Bam promised to make Tommy feel the same pain he gave them - except instead of a cane, Dreamer was going to feel the whips of a strap on his back. It's not clear if Dreamer has successfully goaded Bigelow into a straight hardcore match, but it would be surprising if he didn't have anything up his sleeve.

Shorter Angles / Other Matches -

Tajiri vs. Ricky Steamboat

Kevin Nash vs. Randy Savage

Milano Collection AT vs. Human Suplex Machine

#1 Contenders':

DDP & Simon Diamond vs. Chris Benoit & Jim Neidhart vs.  First in Flight (Billy Kidman & Shane Helms)

• After scouting a fatal four-way that Tajiri won, Ricky Steamboat asked if he would agree to challenge for Steamboat's US title at Fall Brawl. Tajiri agreed, and the two had a successful outing in a tag match on the go-home show.
• Randy Savage made it clear that he wanted a match at Fall Brawl, but Kevin Nash was quick to make it clear that Savage's time was past. Nash said that he's going to put Savage's career where it belongs - six feet under.
• On a great hot streak since his recent debut, Milano Collection AT has succeeded both in defending his cruiserweight championship and in defeating heavyweight opponents. Human Suplex Machine is returning from a stint in Japan to challenge for the title.
• Three of the most successful teams in recent weeks have been pitted against each other to decide who will challenge the Men of War for the WCW Tag Team championships at Starrcade. Benoit & Neidhart have a strong connection as Harts, but the other teams are both recent - yet impressive - additions to the tag division. DDP has been warming up to Simon Diamond as they've found tag team success, and First in Flight have just come out of a rut with a proper name, theme, and matching gear. Which team will ride their momentum to Starrcade?

The GHC Foundation -

Rumors have been swirling that the GHC Foundation - the partnership between WCW, NJPW, and AJPW has been strained. Despite this, a joint show was presented midway through November and was considered a massive success. Is everything fine, or are things beginning to crumble for the foundation?

• Rumors indicate that:
• WCW are unhappy with the performance of Tatsumi Fujinami's New Japan. After then-world champion Chris Jericho lost to a young lion on a tour show, the word backstage was that the long relationship was at an all-time low.
• The decision to give Hiro Saito the GHC championship was made without much input from WCW, who viewed Keiji Mutoh as a stronger champion.
• A closed-door meeting was recently held between the owners of the three companies, but no word has emerged on what was discussed during this meeting. Whatever it was, Fujinami was later seen storming out of the building by photographers.
• At GHC Danger Zone:
• In a surprisingly epic performance, given the age of both performers, Vader took the GHC Heavyweight championship from Hiro Saito. After the match, he promised the fans at the Budokan that Vader Time would never end!
• Vampiro, who has become a huge star in Japan owing to his WCW success and his long FMW run, defended the GHC Openweight Hardcore title in a deathmatch against Atsushi Onita. The match was seen as a true passing of the torch (though years too late) from Onita to Vampiro. The two easily stole the show, putting on the hottest performance of the night.
• GHC Junior Heavyweight champion Jushin Liger met with WCW Cruiserweight champion Milano Collection AT in a similarly praised contest that saw Liger come out on top. The match was said to have been Milano's opportunity to prove himself, and the feeling is that he did it in spades.
• After fifteen years in exile from Japanese wrestling in Britain (due to a sour business deal that left both Inoki and Baba feeling betrayed in 1986), Riki Choshu made his return to the country. Teaming with Steve Corino, the duo lost to representatives of the companies Choshu betrayed - AJPW's Kenta Kobashi and NJPW's Yuji Nagata. It's said that the return was possible due to the power shifts since Choshu's exile. The success of the match has put even more eyes in the company on Steve Corino.
• Both of WCW's world heavyweight champions Sting and Mark Henry came out on top in a tag match against former NWA champions Shinya Hashimoto and Ric Flair. Though the match was slightly disappointing in-ring, it was enough of a spectacle to make up for it.
• In a move that had been rumored since late 2000, UFC and PRIDE sensation Mark Kerr officially made the jump to professional wrestling. Debuting in a victory against Norman Smiley, Kerr would participate in six-man tags for the B-shows that WCW filmed while in Japan and gave an interview promoting his upcoming PRIDE fight on the next Thunder.
• WCW were said to be high on Taiyo Kea - who lost to Rob Van Dam - and Yutaka Yoshie - who defeated Fatu - after the show, in addition to the obvious names.