Regal was told by Rip Rogers that Bill Watts was now in charge of WCW and that he should send in a handwritten letter requesting work. Within a few days, he received a phone call from the former head of Mid-South asking him how soon he could start. Unfortunately Regal told him that he was booked until Christmas and wouldnt be able to start until after then. Watts asked if he had a contract and he replied that he only had a handshake deal, which really impressed the cowboy and solidified his decision to offer Regal the job, since most guys would have bailed on their commitments.