THE 2001 WORLD CUP DECREE

DATE: November 20, 2000

SUBJECT: FINALIZING THE “DAY 1” INTERCONTINENTAL BRACKET

The “WWF Mafia”—the shadowy board of directors including Vince McMahon, Pat Patterson, and the newly influential Ted DiBiase—has officially responded to the chaos of the international divisions. With the USA already locked into the Quarterfinals (Slot #1), the race for the remaining 7 Slots has reached a fever pitch.

The Mafia’s ruling is simple: “If you haven’t picked a man by December 31, we will pick one for you—and you might not like our choice.”

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[[ THE “DAY 1” QUALIFICATION ROUNDS ]]

To finalize the 8-man tournament for the first Saturday of January 2001, the following “Elimination Matches” have been sanctioned for the month of December:

1. THE JAPANESE “FOUR CORNERS” TOURNAMENT

The Mafia has rejected Akebono’s withdrawal and ordered a two-night playoff.

• Night 1: Yokozuna vs. Changed Man | Ryu vs. Retsu

• Night 2: The winners face off for Slot #2.

• Note: Ryu is the P4P favorite, but Yokozuna’s history with the Intercontinental belt makes him the Mafia’s “preferred” pick for ratings.

2. THE RUSSIAN “OLIGARCH” SHOWDOWN

Since Zangief is busy hunting the Top 3 (Hogan/Rock/Angle), the Mafia has set a high-stakes match for Slot #3.

• Fedor Emelianenko (1-0) vs. Steven Seagal (0-3).

• The Twist: Seagal is threatening to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase just to skip the fight, but the Mafia ruled that the briefcase is for the World Title, not a World Cup spot. If Seagal doesn’t fight Fedor, Fedor wins by forfeit.

3. THE PHILIPPINE “CIVIL WAR”

The most controversial bracket. Erap vs. Agatom.

• The Mafia has ordered a “Street Fight” rules match in Manila to decide Slot #4. If they “agree” on a representative without fighting, the Mafia will disqualify the country and give the spot to South Korea’s Hang Man Choi (lifting his suspension early).

4. THE AUSTRALIAN “BIKER BRAWL”

• Mad Dogg vs. Road Kill. * A simple “Last Man Standing” match. The winner takes Slot #5.

5. THE ITALIAN “LEGACY” VOTE

• Mario vs. Bruno Sammartino. * Bruno is a legend, but Mario has the momentum. The Mafia has given Italy 48 hours to decide. If they don’t, they will be forced into a “Sudden Death” match on the December 25th episode of RAW.

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[[ THE CONFIRMED 2001 WORLD CUP STARTERS ]]

The following nations have already successfully submitted their fighters and are currently being seeded for the Day 1 event:

SLOT	NATION	REPRESENTATIVE	STATUS
#1	USA	Hogan or DiBiase	AUTOMATIC QF
#6	Brazil	Royce Gracie	Confirmed (MMA Specialist)
#7	UK	Birdie	Confirmed (Power Specialist)
#8	Samoa	Rikishi	Confirmed (Super Heavyweight)
#9	Mexico	Rey Mysterio Jr.	Confirmed (High Flyer)
#10	China	Shao Ling	Confirmed (Ninja Arts)
#11	Thailand	Sagat	Confirmed (Muay Thai Master)
#12	Spain	Vega	Confirmed (Matador Style)
#13	North Korea	Kim-Solo	Confirmed
#14	France	Andre the Giant	Confirmed (The Legend)
#15	Canada	Bret Hart	Confirmed (The Excellence)
#16	Belgium	Jean-Claude Van Damme	Confirmed (The Muscles)
#17	Argentina	Giant Gonzalez	Confirmed

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[[ THE MAFIA’S “DAY 1” FORMAT ]]

On January 6, 2001, the 7 Qualifying Winners will join the USA Representative in an 8-Man Single Elimination Bracket.

Vince McMahon’s Internal Memo:

“I want Bret Hart vs. Royce Gracie in the first round. I want the world to see the difference between ‘The Dungeon’ and ‘The Octagon.’ And if Zangief changes his mind about Russia, Fedor is out. I want the Red Cyclone in my tournament.”

[[ ADMIN_NEIL NOTE: Keep an eye on the Philippines. If Agatom and Erap don’t fight, Hang Man Choi is waiting in the wings, and he’s been training in a mountain retreat for 6 months. He’s hungry. ]]