Mark Madden

For the last few months, Billy Kidman and I have had a running joke. Kidman was miserable over the direction of WCW and the progress of his career. He had a chance to leave along with Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Eddy Guerrero and Perry Saturn, and he didn't. Billy, as his name would indicate, is in some ways just a kid. He doesn't hide disappointment well.

For a while, his matches weren't worth a damn. He knew it, and he didn't care. So, every time I saw Kidman I would give him mock encouragement: "Billy, rise above everything. Be a better person. Hang in there and good things will definitely happen." It was all BS, the kind of BS you'll find in Old Double-M's Canned BS -- which, by the way, will be available very soon in stores near you. Caveat emptor, and get some for your wife, slapnuts.

Kidman saw the men who would form the Millionaires' Club totally dominate TV time, interview time and the top of the card. He found himself pinned firmly against WCW's glass ceiling, a ceiling which had no use for an undersized young guy that wasn't adept at backstage politicking. But then Eric Bischoff returned. Then Vince Russo returned.

Then, this past Monday Nitro, the glass ceiling broke and the shards rained down like sharp-edged hail on the heads of the Millionaires' Club. I think one sliver cut Hulk Hogan's forehead. No one took bigger advantage than Billy Kidman. His angle with Hogan played out tremendously over the course of Nitro's two hours. Kidman won't make anybody forget Ric Flair vis-á-vis interviews, not yet, but he spoke with conviction and he meant what he said. That's the beauty of the New Blood vs. Millionaires feud. It's based on reality. WCW's less-established guys have always felt held down by the stars. When Kidman spoke, he looked legitimately mad. That's easy to do when you are, indeed, legitimately mad.

Everything said and done by guys like Kidman, Shane Douglas and Scott Steiner reflected their real feelings. That's what made it such great TV. Don't forget, too, this is Kidman's first time as a real heel. He was a prepackaged bad guy as a member of Raven's Flock, but all he did was look groggy and participate in gang beatings. This time around, Kidman is out there to get heat. He's feeling the rush, and it's making him real good real fast.

(On a side note, I was a bit surprised that the fans made the New Blood heels so decisively, so quickly. That's obviously due to the interview work of Russo and Bischoff, and also because the New Blood outnumbers the Millionaires. Eventually, however, I think the New Blood will become cool to a certain extent, and that will lead to a split in fan support, which will lead to a dynamic similar to the nWo-WCW feud. I hope so, anyway. It used to be very exciting and very tense to be sitting in a sold-out arena with half the fans cheering for the nWo and the other half rooting for WCW.) Kidman is currently in the process of changing his look. He's going to dump the undershirt and denim shorts of the Gen-X slacker and go to a more streamlined look, a look befitting an arrogant young heel. Stay tuned to Nitro and Thunder to see what I mean.

The wheels are in motion. Kidman is going to be a star. He's getting his chance. All Kidman ever wanted was a chance. Finally, Billy Kidman is rising above everything. Good things are happening. As long as I keep feeding him cool lines for his promos, good things will continue to happen. On a serious note, I'm real happy for Kidman. He stayed the course, he believed in WCW, and now he's being rewarded. His talent has always been obvious, and now everyone is being forced to notice. He deserves what he's getting.

Kidman had better be careful, though. If he keeps performing at his current level, he will become what he loathes. He will turn into what he despises. He will be reborn as something he hates. Billy Kidman is on the verge of becoming a Millionaire. I don't think you have a choice, Billy. I think that's your future's final answer.

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