Looking back at WCW

[DJ]

 

[UVA_Guy81]

There’s two that aren’t listed:
1. Pushing the old guard for far too long and not pushing the younger talent until it was already too late.
2. Lack of creativity. Sometime around late 98, I feel like they were just making stuff up on the fly and hoping something stuck. The nWo was past its prime and they never had a plan after the well was dry.

 

[Duffman]

The biggest isn’t listed, and that’s Bischoff spoiling that Foley was about to win the WWF title. I believe after that the ratings shifted back into WWF’s favor and they never looked back.

 

[futballiscool]

Firing Steve Austin in the mid 90s was pretty bad

 

[tabascojet]

I went to so many television tapings in the late 80s they should've paid me to host....

 

[Judge Fudge]

View attachment 269006

IMO.

3 started the Downfall, YOU DONT DISGRACE YOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP THAT WAY.

5 and 6 changed it to a free fall.

7 was a interesting mistake.

 

[Judge Fudge]

The biggest isn’t listed, and that’s Bischoff spoiling that Foley was about to win the WWF title. I believe after that the ratings shifted back into WWF’s favor and they never looked back.

I combine that with #3

 

[wildturkey]

All of the above?

 

[ArlingtonCowboys100]

Firing Steve Austin in the mid 90s was pretty bad

Very bad. The Hollywood blondes were very entertaining. Fans hated them...they generated serious heat. Then later they let The Giant,Jericho,Malenko,Beniot,Guerrero go. These were the guys that would have been main eventers. The fingertip of doom was the the final nail

 

[RobToxin]

The biggest isn’t listed, and that’s Bischoff spoiling that Foley was about to win the WWF title. I believe after that the ratings shifted back into WWF’s favor and they never looked back.

Combine this with the fact it was exact same night as the Finger Poke of Doom.

Pretty much ended my viewing of WCW.

And I was an 80s guy who had preferred Crockett Promotions to Vince.

 

[wazzu31]

None of those really though. WCW’s biggest mistake was Ted Turner. He bought it when no one board member or division president wanted it. Then Ted paid no attention to it and allowed people who hated wrestling to become presidents of WCW. If Ted has actually oversaw WCW, he would’ve put Vince out of business.

 

[Judge Fudge]

None of those really though. WCW’s biggest mistake was Ted Turner. He bought it when no one board member or division president wanted it. Then Ted paid no attention to it and allowed people who hated wrestling to become presidents of WCW. If Ted has actually oversaw WCW, he would’ve put Vince out of business.

Well...

Until 1993.

 

[wazzu31]

Well...

Until 1993.

What do you mean 1993?

 

[Judge Fudge]

What do you mean 1993?

Bischoff.

 

[wazzu31]

Well...

Until 1993.

If in 93 you are speaking of Bischoff, WCW was still run by two separate guys that hated wrestling. And by the time Bischoff became either President or Vice (can’t remember) he got a new group of superior in TNT, TBS and of course Turner Sports. Had Ted even half assed managed the asset he told his partners to F off because he wanted it then there is no WWE. It was Turners company so WCW profits would have went to WCW, and other company expenses wouldn’t have gone to WCW. It was a shitty company that was hated and came razor thin of putting Vince out of business.

But, the conglomerate recognized their mistake back then so tries to overcompensate that mistake with paying way too much for AEW.

 

[gkekoa]

Riding Goldberg’s streak as long as they did. They made him nearly unbeatable even though he could not formulate a sentence.

 

[UVA_Guy81]

None of those really though. WCW’s biggest mistake was Ted Turner. He bought it when no one board member or division president wanted it. Then Ted paid no attention to it and allowed people who hated wrestling to become presidents of WCW. If Ted has actually oversaw WCW, he would’ve put Vince out of business.

I don't think he would've put Vince out of business but I do doubt that WCW would've went under. As long as Turner had control of WCW, there was no way it was ever going to go anywhere.

 

[Judge Fudge]

If in 93 you are speaking of Bischoff, WCW was still run by two separate guys that hated wrestling. And by the time Bischoff became either President or Vice (can’t remember) he got a new group of superior in TNT, TBS and of course Turner Sports. Had Ted even half assed managed the asset he told his partners to F off because he wanted it then there is no WWE. It was Turners company so WCW profits would have went to WCW, and other company expenses wouldn’t have gone to WCW. It was a shitty company that was hated and came razor thin of putting Vince out of business.

But, the conglomerate recognized their mistake back then so tries to overcompensate that mistake with paying way too much for AEW.

Good counter.

But I agree with you that if you are going to "Run with the Big Dogs" you need 4 things:

- Balls
- A Conglomerate.
- People who are diehard fans in important positions.
- Courage... and not the liquid kind.

 

[wazzu31]

I don't think he would've put Vince out of business but I do doubt that WCW would've went under. As long as Turner had control of WCW, there was no way it was ever going to go anywhere.

Vince was massively on the ropes 95-97 and had Turner been more involved he could’ve strong armed the pay per view companies the way Vince did to Crockett though. Bischoff did great things for WCW but nearly all of his bad ideas or judgements wouldn’t have happened if Ted were involved, hell Ted didn’t even hire Bischoff. IMO Ted Turner was the biggest mistake, if you are the only yes vote on an asset, you have to treat that asset as though it is your baby. (Even during the Bischoff years) Don’t allow people who hate it have final say.

Ted Turner was the only one who wanted WCW while the other executives were too busy worrying about their own standing with the two historic mergers that happened. Who knows if Bischoff was a good or bad leader, but he wasn’t Vince McMahon and have final say.

Though, I do blame Bischoff for how crappy the wrestling product is to watch right now because he put all the cruiser weights on first on his Nitros, PPV’s and Thunders and that was as late as most of the modern wrestlers could stay up on school nights. The cruiser weights had no story and just high spot after high spot.

 

[wazzu31]

Good counter.

But I agree with you that if you are going to "Run with the Big Dogs" you need 4 things:

- Balls
- A Conglomerate.
- People who are diehard fans in important positions.
- Courage... and not the liquid kind.

Disagree with a conglomerate. Unless there is one singular voice that the board is too afraid to fire. Currently WWE’s billion dollar deals with Fox and NBC Universal is ok because Vince. But once he passes, there is going to be a power struggle between those two companies and a power struggle inside WWE. Which IMO, guarantees that either NBC or Fox with their new Disney money buy the WWE. HHH and the left over McMahons will not be able to be in a room with both NBC and Fox trying to map out a direction when both those companies are going to want their best interests first and there just aren’t enough stars to put on a good product week after week. This is where AEW has an advantage because Tony Kahn is in charge, IMO he completely sucks at his job and why I think it is a glorified Indy promotion but he has final say. TNT can say they want X, Y and Z and realistically he doesn’t have to listen because once Vince dies, it appears Fox will be wide open to bring AEW on board. Fox gave the huge money first, but with more money and exclusive rights to the network NBC Universal is only a signature away from being majority share holder.