In case you didn't figure it out before, we were supposed to be "shocked" and "saddened" about the defection of the "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes to the nWo. Tony Schivanone summed up what Bischoff had hoped would be the feelings of the viewers with the now-immortal words, "But...but our kids play together!" As I said, Bischoff hoped this would be the response of the fans, but it wasn't.

As always, Bischy threw a party and no one came.

Bischoff obviously pulled this stunt in order to throw off the "smart" internet fans who were looking for a Scott Steiner and/or Lex Luger turn at Souled Out (I personally had my money on a Larry Zbysko turn).

In fact, a Steiner turn was teased on various WCW programming for several weeks leading up to SO, which of course led to...NOTHING. Scott still did the "I Hate Refs" routine which he continued on Nitro two nights later. Of course, Rick Steiner and Ted "Mental Note: Call Vince Back" DiBiase are still playing the "we don't know why he is acting this way so we'll just stand in the ring for ten minutes looking stupid" routine.

Yet another tag-team breaks up under Bischoff's watch. Anyone else smell a pattern here?

As for Luger, well....he's got cool entrance music. That is really the only good thing I can say about him right now. A heel turn would do him a world of good.

But back to Dusty. Why? Did Bischoff really think people would care? Did he assume that fans would react the same way they did when Hogan turned? Or Savage? Hell, even Buffy Bagwell got a better response when he turned on Scotty "Arr, Matey!" Riggs. But Dusty Rhodes? Who cares? No one, that's who.

In fact, when Scott Hall made the announcement two nights after SO, he was greeted with dead silence from the arena crowd on Nitro (the same crowd who popped HUGE for Mongo AND Jim Neidhart during the same evening.)

Maybe if Rhodes was a more integral part of WCW and the nWo storyline, maybe more people would have cared. But to take someone who has spent most of the decade wallowing in the WCW Weekend Television Wasteland, and suddenly and inexplicably dump him in the middle of your biggest storyline...that's just plain dumb.

Of course, no one ever accused Bischoff of being a brain surgeon...

And what's the payoff? Will it turn out that Rhodes was the infamous "double agent" whom many WCW announcers suspected was behind the resurgence of the nWo after Bischoff's suspension (Dusty is a WCW executive, and goes by his real name {Virgil Runnels} on the credits for WCW pay-per-views). Will we see Rhodes/Zbysko matches down the line?

Or maybe this was a one-time thing, something to get the "American Egomaniac" involved in a angle and to placate his male ego for a while. Then again, maybe Bischoff decided that they needed a new personality now that Ric "Around The Wrestling World In Six Months" Rude is gone, although a Bischoff/Rhodes announce team is too painful to think about.

But Bischoff undoubtedly will think up some lame reason to explain the defection, which found its roots on the Nitro prior to SO. Scott Hall was berating Zbysko, stating that he was not the greatest wrestler/announcer in WCW, since he "sure ain't no Dusty Rhodes," (to which Larry mouthed a grateful "Thank God"). Hall also claimed that Dusty started him in the sport and that Dusty "must be proud of me." So it began.

So now we can look forward to Runnels doing his best heel impersonation for a while and the WCW announcers acting "distraught" and "disgusted" by his actions. Wonder if Ol' Dust will give Tony Schivanone the "Bionic Elbow" if he gets out of line? Oh well...

I will talk about Tyson (ugh), Nash, the Giant, Savage, and the Banning of The PowerBomb next week in January's Monthly Wrap-Up. Until then....

That's all there is, there ain't no more.

TV's Tim

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