[Sam Coe]

Was worldwide the show where they used batman style censoring?

Yeah, that was super lame. You have to blame the Time Warner executives for that though. Even Ted Turner started to become powerless at that point.

 

[Jersey]

I did

 

[THE FIEND]

Yes.

and while it was no where near as good as what WWF had going on, it was still levels better than 2022-2025 WWE or anything AEW has ever done.

 

[InexorableJourney]

My take away memories from the end were the tiny crowds the lousy set and the horrible logo.

Miss Hancock dancing on the announce table.

Sugar Shane Helms being standout awesome.

And The Natural Born Thillers being soft af, seeing them be that lame was the final nail that made me give up on wCw completely.

 

[Sam Coe]

People don't really remember that WWE didn't really kill off WCW, what killed WCW was when Turner sold TBS. The new owners weren't interested in having a wrestling show, so they sold it off.

Bischoff and Russo killed WCW. Bischoff by handing out ludicrous contracts during the "ATM Eric" days that absolutely decimated WCW when his one idea got stale. Russo for dragging WCW into multiple lawsuits by being a completely repellent and stupid person.

If WCW was turning the profits it did in 1997/98, the Time Warner/AOL people would not have pulled the plug. They said the whole "we don't want wrestling on our channel" because they had lost over 60 million dollars the year before. Why would they keep it?

What you’ve said is true but to be fair Turner executives did start to interfere with what could and couldn’t be aired. It made WCW less edgy (hardcore matches were now confined to foil bins and 1960s Batman Style “Bang” font when impact was made).

This was while the WWF were pushing the boat out as far as possible with their Attitude era, taking the best parts of ECW and WCW’s golden age.

 

[Sam Coe]

My take away memories from the end were the tiny crowds the lousy set and the horrible logo.

Miss Hancock dancing on the announce table.

Sugar Shane Helms being standout awesome.

And The Natural Born Thillers being soft af, seeing them be that lame was the final nail that made me give up on wCw completely.

My take away memories from the end were the tiny crowds the lousy set and the horrible logo.

Miss Hancock dancing on the announce table.

Sugar Shane Helms being standout awesome.

And The Natural Born Thillers being soft af, seeing them be that lame was the final nail that made me give up on wCw completely.

I thought that The Natural Born Thrillers were great. All really talented and a strong new group similar to the Nexus angle.

They were going to be the future of WCW alongside Awesome, Storm, Booker T, Steiner & Goldberg.

 

[TripleG]

I watched off and on. It depressed me more than anything else and Raw was so hot at the time, there was almost no point to checking out the other show.

But looking back on it, there were SOME things I liked. I turned into a big Kronik fan for example. Also Scott Steiner was pure awesome-sauce, lol.

 

[InexorableJourney]

I thought that The Natural Born Thrillers were great. All really talented and a strong new group similar to the Nexus angle.

They were going to be the future of WCW alongside Awesome, Storm, Booker T, Steiner & Goldberg.

I know you thought The NBT were great, you cited them first.

What I saw was huge athletic guys who were as weak as water. I was used to Scott Steiner and Harlem Heat, and this was not them.

 

[SuperstarSlyme]

WCW honestly sucked for most of its existence, it needed a major overhaul big time if bought out by Fusient Media. I think people are in love with the idea of WCW rather than what WCW actually presented.

 

[TDFG]

I watched bits n pieces of it and it was largely the shits.

Endless outside interferences, weak as piss finishes when referees somehow miss blatant chair shots, distracted etc, sloppy matches in general, silly storylines.

The roster had talent, they needed a proper reset and 6 months to get the house in order.

 

[Mutant God]

I did, as a kid I found it just okay

 

[Sam Coe]

WCW honestly sucked for most of its existence, it needed a major overhaul big time if bought out by Fusient Media. I think people are in love with the idea of WCW rather than what WCW actually presented.

Watch the Mr McMahon Documentary on Netflix and you’ll see how influential WCW was to changing the industry.

Wrestlers prior to WCW never even got guaranteed contracts, Vince had a conglomerate ownership and presented a children’s show with cartoon characters.

WCW was live, unpredictable, had a huge emphasis on cruiser weights, the top stars as well as some homegrown talents, and edgy. It sparked the Attitude Era which would NEVER of happened without WCW.

Once it died, wrestling soon went downhill (the very worse rating Nitro pulled off is still about 3 times more than a typical Raw show today). It’s not really a coincidence.

 

[the_flock]

I think Steiner, Mysterio, DDP, Sting, & Booker come back for the actual relaunch. 2001 is build around Steiner, Goldberg comes back last minute and we get Steiner vs Goldberg for Starrcade 01. Goldberg holds the belt and drops it Starrcade 2002 to Bob Sapp (there were heavy rumors that he was to sign and get a huge push, plus with his mainstream appeal at the time I could see him being a believable threat to Goldberg)

03 would be about the rising stars (Bob Sapp, Sean O’Haire, Monty Brown, AJ Styles, & Abyss) along with familiar faces (Sting, DDP, Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner) and a few WWF/ECW defects (Raven, Ken Shamrock, Ron Killings, Steve Corino, Jeff Hardy, NAO). My guess would be having O’Haire pushed as the top baby face (that was the rumor at the time) and Sapp as a Brock Lesnar type heel. 04/05 might see guys like Kevin Nash and Randy Savage return for a cup of coffee and an influx of guys like Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, and Samoa Joe. By 2005 you got a main event scene of:

1. Sting
2. Jeff Jarrett
3. Sean O’Haire
4. Monty Brown
5. Bob Sapp
6. Raven
7. Scott Steiner
8. AJ Styles
9. Abyss
10. Ken Shamrock

With guys like Jeff Hardy, Steve Corino, CM Punk, Samoa Joe, & Ron Killings for the midcard

Then you got guys like Kevin Nash, Randy Savage, & DDP as special attraction/ part time guys.

Nitro probably airs Weds 8-10 on FX, maybe a 1 hour Saturday Night Impact from 10-11 on FX. Tony Schiavione, and Mike Tenay and PBP, Don Callis and Arn Anderson as color. Don West and Borash as interviewers.

Why have you missed out RVD who already had a verbal agreement to join in the fall alongside Sabu.

Joey Styles already held talks to come in as colour commentator as well. Likelihood is Jerry Lawler ends up being the heel commentator.

A lot of the guys you mention are also out of contract come 2002.

Fusient media aren't going to splash the cash like Turner did.

 

[SuperstarSlyme]

Why have you missed out RVD who already had a verbal agreement to join in the fall alongside Sabu.

Joey Styles already held talks to come in as colour commentator as well. Likelihood is Jerry Lawler ends up being the heel commentator.

A lot of the guys you mention are also out of contract come 2002.

Fusient media aren't going to splash the cash like Turner did.

Right but I believe guys like Steiner, Jarrett, Sting, Flair take a pay cut to rejoin for a short term contract. Guys like Hogan, Nash, Hall, Sid, Savage, Luger wait out their contracts before their next move.

I don’t think Lawler actually joins, might use them as leverage until WWF comes calling again, don’t think his heart would be in it. Didn’t know about RVD and Sabu. Could see it also could see WWF interfer and offer them way more money than what WCW offered especially with Heyman in the WWF.

 

[the_flock]

Right but I believe guys like Steiner, Jarrett, Sting, Flair take a pay cut to rejoin for a short term contract. Guys like Hogan, Nash, Hall, Sid, Savage, Luger wait out their contracts before their next move.

I don’t think Lawler actually joins, might use them as leverage until WWF comes calling again, don’t think his heart would be in it. Didn’t know about RVD and Sabu. Could see it also could see WWF interfer and offer them way more money than what WCW offered especially with Heyman in the WWF.

RVD was backstage at a lot of Nitro shows in the later years. Don't think WWE were that bothered by them.

If you know the story of Lawler at the time, I don't think he's using WCW for leverage. Brian Christopher likely joins as well, as he did with TNA.

Flair had wanted out of WCW since 99, I think he's always going to WWE. JJ definitely stays as WWE don't want him, Sting I could see staying. Luger probably stays with his friend. Steiner 50/50. Nash goes back to Vince no doubt, as does Hall as Bischoff couldn't stand him. Sid isn't returning with his leg injury. Savage is basically retired at this point. Hogan..Bischoff claims he would have kept him, but I can't see them offering the deal he was on. Booker T had been in talks with Vince for at least a year at this point, so he likely leaves in 02. DDP said he always wanted to work for WWE. But I can't see him leaving Bisch. Maybe he does and comes back again a year later.

Essentially WCW has 6 months to build up a new main event scene. A lot of the older stars are also nursing injuries which they would probably be grateful sitting out their contracts to get healed up. This is where Mike Awesome is built up as champ as he's the only legit guy to do it.

 

[SuperstarSlyme]

RVD was backstage at a lot of Nitro shows in the later years. Don't think WWE were that bothered by them.

If you know the story of Lawler at the time, I don't think he's using WCW for leverage. Brian Christopher likely joins as well, as he did with TNA.

Flair had wanted out of WCW since 99, I think he's always going to WWE. JJ definitely stays as WWE don't want him, Sting I could see staying. Luger probably stays with his friend. Steiner 50/50. Nash goes back to Vince no doubt, as does Hall as Bischoff couldn't stand him. Sid isn't returning with his leg injury. Savage is basically retired at this point. Hogan..Bischoff claims he would have kept him, but I can't see them offering the deal he was on. Booker T had been in talks with Vince for at least a year at this point, so he likely leaves in 02. DDP said he always wanted to work for WWE. But I can't see him leaving Bisch. Maybe he does and comes back again a year later.

Essentially WCW has 6 months to build up a new main event scene. A lot of the older stars are also nursing injuries which they would probably be grateful sitting out their contracts to get healed up. This is where Mike Awesome is built up as champ as he's the only legit guy to do it.

I def think DDP and Booker try their luck after their contracts run up. Booker stays and DDP comes back around 03. I think they wouldn’t care about Sabu but Heyman would probably be in Vince’s ear about grabbing RVD before WCW. I think Steiner also comes before trying his luck in WWE and failing on his ass like IRL. Flair probably just goes back to WWE for good. I think Bob Sapp, RVD, Sean O’Haire, Mike Awesome, & Lance Storm are the new guys that WCW builds around. Guys like Jeff Hardy, Raven, Ron Killings, New Age Outlaws, D’Lo Brown & Ken Shamrock join the company. AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Jerry Lynn, & Steve Corino are break out midcarders

 

[The XL]

WCW was decent from early 1999-mid 1999. It just couldn't stand up to peak WWF. 2000 was an entertaining car crash but obviously highly destructive to the brand. I thought they were turning it around in 2001, they had a solid product. But the damage had been done already. I would still occasionally flip to Nitro during a commercial for Raw. Wasn't watching Thunder or buying PPVs at that point though.

 

[jking1979nc]

I miss WCW and ECW.

 

[DUD]

I did. I was nine years old so hearing about how much had changed every week if I missed an episode was pretty cool. So maybe they just got there target audience completely wrong.

 

[Saab93]

I was watching WWF only. Whether if that means WCW was dying is not up to me since there are people in this thread who watched it.