The Intricate Spectrum: WCW (What Went Wrong?)
I’m going to be taking your down a trip threw memory lane, A crazy time for wrestling fans when two major companies battled for supremacy. What was the death of WCW and what kept the WWE alive.
I can see no real point in talking about the early days of WCW I will skip ahead to the year that was 1996 WCW had established itself as a competitor and WWF was entering its new generation. Wrestling was a strange business to be involved in with people jumping from promotion to promotion and a constant ratings war. World Championship Wrestling had snagged some big names in the earlier years such as Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage as well as having their own proven stars like Sting and Ric Flair. It was the year of 1996 WCW snagged Scott Hall (Razor Ramon) and Kevin Nash (Diesel) two of the WWF’s young stars. The World Wrestling Federation had previously never been challenged on a national or global market. WCW was a whole new monster with Ted Turner’s money and television capabilities as well as Eric Bischoff’s fresh new ideas WCW created one of the most unique storylines of all-time.
nWo: The Storyline
One faithful night on a telecast of Monday Nitro the crowd was shocked to see Razor Ramon now going by his real name (Scott Hall) show up on Nitro and announce that he was taking over. The next week fans found out who Scott Hall’s mystery friend was and as it turned out it was Kevin Nash marks and smarks alike were confused “what was happening”; Was this an invasion? Are they signed to WCW? But that right there was the genius of the storyline. Fans were under the impression Vince had sent them to sabotage WCW and some conspiracy experts still believe they were. The Outsiders as they would come to be known would begin wreaking havoc on WCW and its performers destroying all comers. On an episode of Monday Nitro Hall and Nash announced a third member and that he would he reveal himself at Bash at the Beach. World Championship Wrestling had created a buzz fans began to wonder who was the third member was someone else coming over from WWF? We finally arrive at Bash at the Beach, The Outsiders have no partner they battle against Team WCW Sting, Luger and Randy Savage and eventually get the upper hand due to an injury to Luger. During this match the emotion would become tense as The Outsiders began to dominate and the beat down has begun but out of nowhere Hogan comes out to aid team WCW! Hogan runs The Outsiders out the ring then suddenly drops the leg on Savage and proceeds to make history with one of the biggest heels turns ever. The Daytona Beach crowd are stunned and begin to hurl rubbish in the ring. Hogan would continue to give one of the most important promos in wrestling history as he gives him and The Outsiders the stable name of the New World Order.
From Humble Beginnings
This storyline would prove to be the saviour of WCW as they began to dominate the ratings war on Monday Nights. The New World Order made it cool to be bad the WCW resistance began to die and the nWo got larger and larger adding more and more members. The storyline that was the saviour of WCW began to consume WCW.
WCW Makes a Major Acquisition
Bret Hart had decided to jump ship over to WCW after Vince declared to Bret he could no longer afford to pay him. Bret Hart was getting ready to leave the WWF he was to have one last match in Montreal Canada against Shawn Michaels now we all know this story and I won’t go into depth with it basically Vince screwed Bret. World Championship Wrestling had snagged one of the WWF’s biggest and most loyal stars and not only that had a storyline that wrote itself the screwed over hero fighting for redemption.
Well what seemed logical too most fans didn’t seem to click with WCW management they tried to book it but rather then seeming like a screwed hero Bret came off as a whining bitch.
WCW wins the ratings war 86 weeks straight
WCW’s major claim during the Monday Night Wars was that WCW had done what no other and wrestling organisation dreamed of doing they defeated WWF 86 weeks straight. WCW was dominating both TV ratings and Pay Per View buyrates and even increasing the amount of Pay Per views a year. WCW was on a roll only one problem they had killed any chance of WCW fighting back so what do they do they decide to break the nWo into two separate factions thus the nWo wolfpack is born.
WCW had no major stars left and the nWo was feuding withitself. The organisation seemed to be made up of stables; you had the LWO, Ravens Flock, The Horsemen & both nWo’s. World Championship Wrestling had begun getting stale and the WWF started to fight back.
The Three Blunders of Bischoff
1). Not having WCW fight back in the war against the nWo
2). Not knowing what in the hell to do with Bret Hart
3). Not promoting the logical Bret vs. Sting match
WWF Takes Over
After being defeated for 86 weeks straight in the ratings WWF started to fight back with new stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. World Wrestling Federation didn’t only hit a nerve with the wrestling audience Austin became a giant and crossed over into mainstream America he had become the biggest phenomenon since Hulk Hogan himself.
Two Sides To The War
Over in World Championship Wrestling the nWo had become stale they missed the boat with Bret Hart while meanwhile WWF was starting a whole new era called Attitude. WWF upped the anti adding sex, entertainment and soap opera to there programming with alls eyes on them.
What was WCW’s biggest ever storyline is also a reason for it’s eventual demise while someone they released years ago because he didn’t have the right look was with the enemy trying to bury them.
And Then it was Over
WCW never regained the popularity they had once achieved while WWF had captured a whole new audience.
What caused the eventual demise of WCW? WCW was killed by old thick heads and over-indulged egos. When WCW did close it doors in 2001 after it was purchased by none other then the WWF the wrestling world once again changed and would never be the same again.
A Little Thank You
Wrestlemania X7 was a special night for the WWF not only was it was their biggest PPV of all time but it was also the symbolic end of the WCW. At the end of that very colossal event Steve Austin turned heel and shook hands with Vinny Mac himself. The casual viewer saw this as just a wrestler turning bad but too the trained eye this was Vince thanking Austin for being his hardest working warrior during the war.
Thank You
Matthew James
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