THE POWERS THAT BE #2 - MIDNIGHT

To counterbalance the vision of the NEW BLOOD OF THE FINAL DAYS series on TheBigBangMay6.com, I’ve decided to talk about the first era of Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara after coming over from the World Wrestling Federation in October 1999.

Many people don’t realize a lot of the sudden changes that came into WCW after The Powers That Be came in. After the Summer of 1999, Russo and Ferrara arrived with one objective: to turn around WCW’s fortunes and bring their unique CRASH TV format to both Nitro and Thunder.

With that said, it meant a new creative vision for the company. With a new direction meant a renewed direction for the midcard, in which Mr. Russo never gets the credit for. THE POWERS THAT BE really helped give young and underrated talent a chance to thrive, especially when WCW’s talent roster was thin due to age, injuries, and misuse of performers.

In this second edition of this series, I wanted to cover someone that was a brand new performer for the company and, in turn, was made to look like one of the next generation of female performers in the promotion.

This edition will be about the one and only MIDNIGHT.

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Prior to joining WCW, Midnight was a professional bodybuilder, based out of the “Sunshine State” of Florida. In 1992, she finished first in a competition to become Ms. Sunshine State, followed up with a Ms. Florida in 1993. After competing in important contests for the NPC and IFBB throughout the mid-1990s, Midnight caught the eye of WCW talent scouts and signed her to a contract in late 1998.

Sending her to the Power Plant under the tutelage of “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff and Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker, Midnight learned the ins-and-outs of the business. A quick understudy, her poise and presence was something to behold.

When Vince Russo saw Midnight, he saw only one thing: superstar.

Within the first few weeks of 100% control by The Powers That Be, an opportunity would arise, thanks to the impending breakup (again) of Harlem Heat.

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On July 29, 1999 on Thunder, after almost a year separated, Booker T got Stevie Ray to throw away his New World Order black-and-white t-shirt into the crowd and reunite their very successful tag team. Over the next three months, Harlem Heat won three more WCW World Tag Team Championships, totaling up to ten reigns together, the most in WCW history. 

However, their reunion would be short-lived.

And it was all because of the Powers That Be and their quest to make their “Chosen One” Jeff Jarrett the WCW World Heavyweight Champion.

In the first round of the World Heavyweight Title Tournament on November 1, 1999, Buff Bagwell advanced in the tournament by defeating Stevie Ray by disqualification, thanks to interference from Ron and Don Harris, two bruising twins who were last seen being motorcycle riding disciples preparing to bring an apocalypse. When Stevie attempted to gain revenge, he was attacked as well, which led Booker T making the save.

Later on in the night, in another first-round contest, Booker and Jarrett faced off with one another first-round match, and, thanks to the assistance of the Harris Boys, including sliding “the Chosen One” his guitar for an Acoustic Equalizer, Jarrett picked up the win. Afterwards, the trio beat up Booker with boots and kicks.

The next week on Nitro, Booker, fresh off a win against Kaz Hayashi on Thunder, wanted revenge on Jarrett and the Harris Boys, now known as Creative Control, in the worst way. According to Booker, Stevie Ray was suspended by The Powers That Be, so he wanted them all in a Harlem Street Fight RIGHT NOW.

Booker’s heart was in the right place, but despite his best efforts, the trio gained full control. For the second time in two weeks, Double J went and grabbed his guitar. We all knew what was coming next.

Suddenly, from the entranceway, a strong muscular woman ran into the ring, seemingly to protect Booker from further assault. She never got the chance.

With one swing of the Acoustic Equalizer, Jarrett took out this unknown competitor.

The Harlem Street Fight now emphatically over, the mercenaries for the PTB left the ring, leaving a banged-up Booker to check on his fellow friend.

The following Thunder, Mean Gene questioned Booker T prior to his Television Title match against champion Rick Steiner on who the mystery woman was from Nitro. Booker’s response was on how they went far back and how she has his back. 

We got to see that on the November 15 Nitro.

During a handicap match between Booker & Creative Control, the former Television Champion fought his heart out, but following an H-Bomb, Patrick and Gerald (the new ring names for Creative Control) picked up the victory. After the match, the bodyguards for the Powers That Be  continued their assault.

Earlier in the night, Booker, when told he was going to fight earlier in the evening, told the PTB that “Midnight will strike”. Well, as Creative Control went to work on him after the bell, Midnight did strike.

The lights went out, and a gong hit the PA. When the lights came back on, the same woman from the week before was in the ring. This time, she whooped some serious ass. She took out both Patrick and Gerald with haymakers to the face. Then, she and Booker double-teamed one of the twins with a clothesline. After an embrace, Booker raised her arm to a raucous ovation.

MIDNIGHT WAS HERE.

At Mayhem six days later in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Booker answered an open challenge from Scott Hall for both the United States and Television Championships. Earlier in the night, Hall, the current US Champion, was awarded with the Television Championship due to an injury to Steiner and, due to his inability to defend his championship, the PTB awarded “the Bad Guy” with the title.

Late in the match, Booker picked up the advantage, hitting both the Harlem Ax Kick and Harlem Sidekick. Just as he was preparing for the kill, Jeff Jarrett and Creative Control entered the arena and ran down to the ring. This time, Booker fought off the twins and turned his attention to Double J. However, it was all Hall needed, catching Booker with an Outsider’s Edge for a three count.

Following a three-on-one assault on Booker, the lights went out and the clock struck Midnight. Once again, Booker and Midnight cleared the ring of “the Chosen One” and the PTB bodyguards.

The next night on Nitro, Booker T found himself facing Buff Bagwell. The Powers That Be’s top two “problems” were forced to face each other. It wound up being a no-contest. Creative Control, now the new WCW World Tag Team Champions, ran down to start beating up both men. Curt Hennig, who was forced to retire by the PTB following a loss to Buff, came down to seemingly stop the assault. However, a perfect Swerve commenced, and Hennig began stomping on Buff.

When Booker went to stop the assault, Patrick and Gerald cut him off at the pass and began putting the strikes down on him. Then, the lights went out, the clock struck Midnight, and, once again, the monstrous woman started beating up the twins, this time taking one of them out with a DDT. Booker and Midnight stood tall, clearing the ring of bad rubbish.

I’m beginning to sense a theme here.

We finally got to see Midnight in action on the November 29, 1999 Nitro. After saving Booker and Bagwell again after Hennig helped Patrick and Gerald retain the Tag Team Titles, the Powers That Be put her in a match against Hennig. Hennig even said that he would wipe the floor with her.

Instead, the six-foot tall ripped Midnight actually went toe-to-toe with Hennig. She gave it as good as she took punishment. However, the well-experienced Hennig eventually took firm control and began disrespecting Midnight, including chops to the chest while having her in an abdominal stretch.

As the disrespect continued, the lights went out. Once they came back on, there stood Stevie Ray. Finally off suspension, Stevie started beating the Hell out of Hennig. Sadly, that did not last long as Curly Bill, the former right-hand-man of Hennig in the West Texas Rednecks, turned the lights off and back on to double team Booker’s older brother. Finally, the lights went off one more time and in stood “the Enforcer” Arn Anderson, disgruntled veteran and another victim of the Powers That Be. Double A put the boots to both men and cleared the ring, saving Midnight and Stevie.

The following week on Nitro, we got to see a battle of the bodybuilders, as Midnight took on Asya from the Revolution. The Revolution, who turned their backs on America and became revolutionaries, surrounded the ring while Midnight was all alone, thanks to the Powers That Be taking out Harlem Heat back in the locker room, thanks to “the Chairman of WCW” La Parka and a steel chair.

Although both women were not the best catch-as-catch-can performers, they fought each other hard and left Cady by the door. After a DOUBLE ARM CHICKEN WING and a beautiful vertical suplex, Shane Douglas, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn entered the ring and laid out Midnight, causing the match to end via disqualification. Thankfully, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, now WCW’s main janitor, came out to the ring to make the save. Sadly, thanks to Douglas’ cast, Duggan was also laid out and was actually covered with the Revolution’s flag.

After missing the following Thunder due to the Revolution beatdown, Harlem Heat teamed with Midnight to face Asya, Saturn, and Malenko in a six-man tag on the December 13 Nitro.

Towards the end of the match, Midnight, who was gaining experience every time out, took a chance and leapfrogged over Malenko. As she came down, she jammed her knee, crumbling down to the canvas. The running Malenko bounced into Stevie Ray, who was beating down on Saturn. Just as Stevie stumbled back, Dean schoolboyed him for the three count.

Booker went to go check on Midnight and Stevie showed a tad of frustration towards his brother, probably because he was less worried about the loss and more on his comrade.

Cracks once again began to show in the foundation of Harlem Heat.

In a bit of intrigue related to Midnight, later on in the night, Paul Orndorff, her trainer at the Power Plant, was actually fired by the PTB, thanks to “training her too good”. Probably the first time a coach was let go for being a good mentor towards a student.

On the go-home Thunder three nights later, the Revolution of Asya and Saturn took on Midnight and Hacksaw Duggan in a mixed tag team contest.

A few minutes into the battle, Booker and Stevie made their way down to ringside to even the odds, especially with Malenko and Douglas at ringside.

Honest to goodness, it was the match of the night. All four participants worked their tails off. At one point, Asya tossed Midnight to the arena floor in front of Harlem Heat. Stevie, still a little peeved at what happened on Thunder, threw her AGGRESSIVELY back into the ring. Booker and Stevie began arguing on the floor.

After kicking out of a schoolboy roll-up from Asya, Midnight instantly rolled out to the floor and started yelling at Stevie. With Asya staggering up, Duggan Irish whipped Saturn into Asya. Then, Douglas missed a shot with his cast and accidentally leveled Saturn. Malenko tried to enter and use the 2x4, but was cut off at the pass, leaving Saturn exposed to TWO whacks with the wooden plank.

A three-count later, and DUGGAN & MIDNIGHT WON! She wouldn’t be around to celebrate, as the trio continued arguing away from the ring and up the ramp.

Sadly, on Sunday, December 19, 1999 at Starrcade, the trio were unable to get it together. Before the six-person tag against Creative Control and Curt Hennig and Harlem Heat, Midnight and Stevie were getting into it backstage, leading Booker to try and play mediator. After that failed, Stevie walked off, abandoning Booker and Midnight for the contest. 

Once Stevie calmed down and made his way to ringside as the match was in progress, Booker brushed him off. Then, Midnight and Stevie bickered on the floor. With the referee distracted, Hennig perfectly walloped Booker in the face with an international object and got the three count.

The next night on Nitro, Booker and Stevie tried to get on the same page as they teamed up to face the reunited Varsity Club of Mike Rotunda and Rick Steiner. Throughout the match, the brothers tried to overcome the shenanigans of the Club, including Kevin Sullivan and head cheerleader Leia Meow on the floor.

Finally, the clock struck Midnight, and she arrived to try and stop some of it. Sadly, Stevie stopped her and told her to leave. It was all the Captain Rotunda needed, schoolboying Stevie for the three count.

Harlem Heat was in complete disarray. It wasn’t going to get any better.

On the final Nitro of the Millenium on December 27, 1999 inside the Houston Astrodome in front of 16,640 fans. WCW Executive Bill Busch made the decision, due to Scott Hall’s injury, to strip the Outsiders of the belts. The Powers That Be, as of that result, announced the Lethal Lottery Tournament for the vacant WCW World Tag Team Championships. All the teams would be drawn at random for the first round of the tournament.

Unbelievably, Booker and Stevie were selected together as a unit. Their opponents would be Lash LeRoux…AND MIDNIGHT.

In one of the more surprising moves of the match, Midnight actually SUPLEXED the near 300 pound Stevie. Embarrassed, Booker forced his way into the match with a tag. However, the entire interaction between the two was Booker actually taking it lightly on his protector. Stevie entered the ring and SNAPPED.

First, he leveled Booker with his trusty weapon - THE SLAPJACK. Then, as Midnight went to protest, she also got Slapjacked. Finally, LeRoux tried to stop Stevie from leaving the ring, but he got Slapjacked as well. Surprisingly, LeRoux’s unconscious body landed on top of an equally out-cold Booker. Even though the “Ragin’ Cajun” was not the legal man, the referee counted THREE.

Lash LeRoux and Midnight advanced to the second round of the Lethal Lottery tournament, defeating the ten-time World Tag Team Champions. However, on the first Nitro of the year 2000, the unlikely duo would meet their match at the hands of two wild-and-crazy guys.

With Stevie at ringside, he was able to watch Lash and Midnight, somewhat, work together well as a tandem. After pressing LeRoux onto Crowbar and then following it up with an excellent cartwheel into a dropkick, Mr. Ray pulled Midnight from the ring. Booker ran down to confront his brother and then got walloped with a Slapjack for his problems. This incident, combined with the Mamalukes taking out Lash behind the referee’s back, gave the opening to David and Crowbar to pick up the victory.

Booker was trying everything to keep the tandem together on the following Thunder on January 6. During an interview segment with the legendary Mean Gene Okerlund, Booker pleaded with his older brother to squash the animosity between him and Midnight. He offered a “fair fight” between Stevie and Midnight, where if Stevie won, Midnight would be gone. However, if Midnight picked up the W, Harlem Heat would reunite with Midnight in the team. Surprisingly, the Master of the Slapjack accepted.