The day wrestling changed forever.

[sweetcosmicpope]

I absolutely remember it like it was just yesterday.

At the time, I was an opinion columnist at wrestlezone, so I was constantly on my laptop writing up whatever nonsense I was coming up with at the time. In between I would check out the news, so I was pretty up to date on everything going on.

Bischoff and his group had been dealing with AOL over the purchase of WCW for about a month. It got so far ahead, they actually started an angle where Bischoff went on t.v. and was announced as the new villainous owner of the company. That same week, I believe, it was announced that TNT would drop wrestling and start focusing on original programming and movies. Almost instantly, the backers behind Bischoff's venture dropped out and the angle was dropped as if it never happened. Bischoff maintained he would find new backers and the deal would go forward.

I looked at this as a positive, although, I was worried. I thought maybe that if WCW went to a new channel, maybe they would get out from under the standards and practices regulations at TNT that had cut short or neutered some interesting edgy angles that could compete with WWF. Raw had recently moved to TNN, so I thought USA might pick them up to compete.

Things seemed to pick back up with the Bischoff merger. He claimed to have an offer on the table, and it was likely to go through.

Then I looked at the news on wrestlezone. Vince had purchased WCW right out from under him. Rumors were flying that he would be on the show that evening, that maybe he would keep both companies open and there would be some interesting dream matches. Regardless, I was pretty disappointed, as I had no desire to see Kane hurling fireballs and lightning at Goldberg.

So, I tuned in. Watched my final nitro, not knowing the future, but assuming that it would probably be back on t.v. in a few months, as we were led to believe over the next few weeks. It never did come back.

A month later, I went to Wrestlemania X-7. I was a devoted WCW fan, but I got free tickets and went and enjoyed the show. There, they planted the seeds of the invasion angle by having WCW stars in the stands watching the show, but it was nobody of importance. I forget who, though. Mortis, maybe? lol

WCW never did come back, and that wrestlemania was the last wrestling event I ever watched or attended until many years later. Tried to watch raw a couple of times, but Cena rapping just made him look like a jackass, and I realized the wrestling I loved was no more.

Since then, I've discovered Impact, which my son loves, and we've attended a show, watch together every week, and we're even going to Slammiversary. That's about as close to WCW as I can get, but it's still not quite the same.

 

[FlairFan2003]

As far as McMahon purchasing the video library and not wrestler contracts, that was a brilliant move. Yes, only low paid wrestlers for the most part wanted to take the low ball buyouts Vince offered but they needed to work. As we saw, though it was bad for the Invasion Angle Hogan, Nash, Goldberg, Steiner, Hall, all joined eventually and were welcome in because they were major attractions, plus they made more money getting paid by AOL-Time Warner than if they had taken Vince's buyout sooner. The varying levels of success in that group had to do mostly with the talent themselves. Its no surprise really that Hogan (huge name, great business man) and Ric Flair (huge name, great worker) were the most succesful and likely would have had similair success had WWE brought them im early to run the Invasion angle.

As for purchasing the tape library, Vince ensured that even after the No Compete Clause re: airing any non WWE Wrestling programming on the Turner networks expired no rival company could sign former WCW stars and promote them with any old footage. Second, Vince now had the ability to market video releases of all the old WCW matches, a potential goldmine selling greatest hits compiliations with almost no overhead or production costs, just re packaging previously done programming, a brilliant move. You saw the success WWE had with their Flair compiliation when it sold out nationwide in just two days. Their have been numerous video releases combining WCW/NWA & WWE footage in their SuperStars of 80s & 90s sets, Greatest Steel Cage Matches sets, plus re doing old single wrestler best of sets so they include footage from both companies like they did for Hogan & Austin. Third, buying the library made sure that the matches, etc would still be around. They are not locked in a vault by a TV studio who wont sell the asset but refuse to make the initial investment to market it. For that wrestling fan7 should be grateful.

 

[EastCoastFan]

I knew WWF bought WCW and that was going to be the last Nitro, but I was still excited to watch. I remember ping-ponging back and forth between shows during the 9-10 hour, and the look on Vince's face was precious when Shane came out and revealed he was the new owner of WCW. Seeing Vince go livid afterwards was even better.

From everything I heard, Vince had planned on reviving WCW but after that God-awful match between Booker T and Buff Bagwell, there was no chance. In fact, they needed to bring in ECW just to salvage it. Years later, the people at WrestleCrap pointed out that if they had waited ONE WEEK, the relaunch would have taken place in Atlanta, GA - WCW's hometown, where they would have gotten a MUCH better crowd response. Kind of makes you wonder just how Vince really felt about the WCW brand.

 

[sikkbones]

I knew WWF bought WCW and that was going to be the last Nitro, but I was still excited to watch. I remember ping-ponging back and forth between shows during the 9-10 hour, and the look on Vince's face was precious when Shane came out and revealed he was the new owner of WCW. Seeing Vince go livid afterwards was even better.

From everything I heard, Vince had planned on reviving WCW but after that God-awful match between Booker T and Buff Bagwell, there was no chance. In fact, they needed to bring in ECW just to salvage it. Years later, the people at WrestleCrap pointed out that if they had waited ONE WEEK, the relaunch would have taken place in Atlanta, GA - WCW's hometown, where they would have gotten a MUCH better crowd response. Kind of makes you wonder just how Vince really felt about the WCW brand.

Vince bought the company to screw with eric bishoff and ted turner. he didn't buy it for any kind of spin off or anything, Now If They had stayed On TBS and TNT vince probaly would have Continue with WCW as a seperate brand, but I think the fact of the matter is once that outlet was gone, Vince just destroyed the brand so he could claim Victory over turner.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

I remember this day like yesterday, but without wanting to sound like a troll it wasn't the day wrestling changed... that happened 22 months earlier when Owen died... From that moment the "wars" were going to end because wrestling became real in a way Kayfabe could never hide... WCW was hemorrhaging money and Vince HAD to turn it around to mitigate the Owen incident...

The last nitro was pretty much an anti-climax from what I remember, Flair and Sting showed up, but it was clearly a wake, not a a send off... If only they'd gone with separate companies, separate balance sheets... Wrestling would have been far better off today...

 

[Jacjac]

I wasn't as big into knowing what was happening behind the scenes as I am now so I knew little or nothing about what was going on. I remember watching Sting and Flair in tears in the middle of the ring. Before that the mood throughout the evening was very sad and solomn.

I truly was the night wrestling, not just changed but, died. WCW had a lot of great wrestlers. The good thing was that it took away the power from Hall and Nash, well Kevin Nash. Now we have all of this talent who could have been stars fall off the page.

 

[Fenris]

When it was put up for Sale Bishoff immediately wanted to buy it, speculation was that is why he ran it into the red to begin with. He could buy it for a lower price than if it was a money maker. However, his investors pulled out once seeing the books of past performance and all he had was Jason hervey<sp>, Hogan and himself as money men. He knew they could not afford the costs so he backed out as well. This was after trying to gain more investors and failing.

Not quite. Eric Bischoffs money men who were to be majority owners were Brian Bedol and business partner Stephen Greenberg. These gentlemen were worth several hundred million dollars and big time players. Men who offered and had a deal to purchase WCW for $60 million dollars.

Fusient backed out for a time after Time Warner locked them out of the negotiations to move WCW to either Fox or CBS and let both deals falling through the cracks before recently promoted Jamie Kellner announced he was ending all WCW programming and flat out refused to let it continue airing until another deal was found.

Where it gets shady and isn't often covered by the internet is Bischoff went back to Fox and CBS and salvaged the deals, Fusient and their offer was on the table once again. Instead of accepting the $60 million dollars for WCW Jamie Kellner unloaded it to McMahon for peanuts. More on that in a minute.

The interesting thing about it all was that it wasn't even down to those two companies, there was actually several. Randy Savage who banked his money attempted to jump on the deal just to acquire the tape library.

Jerry Jarrett also had set up a group of investors and was attempting to negotiate with Time Warner to purchase WCW. Granted he was mostly a dreamer, not able to offer anywhere close to what Fusient was offering(yet more than the WWF bought it for.)

Back to Jamie Kellner(Brad Siegel, too) killing off the TV, attempting to kill TV deals with Fox and CBS to move the product, essentially doing everything in his power to kill WCW for good while unloading it for $56 million dollars LESS than the best offer and $21 million LESS than the offer Jerry Jarrett could make.

Well see his College roommate/fellow frat brother/best friend Stuart Snyder was recently made the COO of the WWF at that time. Funny enough 6 months after the deal of the century for Vince's competition was made Snyder was fired from the WWF. It's not hard to figure out what went on with that whole deal(especially considering McMahons past during the territory days) and which Time Warner exec got a sweetheart under the table check from Vince McMahon.

Vince saved the History of WCW/NWA and thats a fact.

It's a nice fantasy, but unfortunately has no basis in reality. Without Vince being Vince the WCW and its tape library would still exist as a company. Vince didn't save shit, he played the same back room politics he played with the various territories and killed WCW and their NWA history.

 

[Fenris]

From everything I heard, Vince had planned on reviving WCW but after that God-awful match between Booker T and Buff Bagwell, there was no chance. In fact, they needed to bring in ECW just to salvage it. Years later, the people at WrestleCrap pointed out that if they had waited ONE WEEK, the relaunch would have taken place in Atlanta, GA - WCW's hometown, where they would have gotten a MUCH better crowd response. Kind of makes you wonder just how Vince really felt about the WCW brand.

It was all talk from the start. McMahon had no intentions of keeping WCW as a product and couldn't even if he wanted to. His TV deal with Viacom prevented him from having a wrestling product on any networks not associated with them and at the time their networks were UPN, TNN, CMT and MTV. TNN, UPN and MTV already had WWF programming leaving CMT.

It was talk in an attempt to get WCW fans to tune into his show in anticipation of the brand that never was to be. He spent a weeks salary to buy it, humiliate it and kill it off, that was the intention all along.

 

[midgensa]

This was THE BIGGEST day in modern wrestling history.

It changed everything and really has pushed us to where we are today.

Being an avid Internet wrestling guy at the time I knew of the purchase already ... so I knew what the night would be all about. But I was still COMPLETELY shocked when Shane McMahon came out on Nitro and it was absolutely fantasticly done.

I always think back on that day knowing that Sting and McMahon were in the same arena for a lengthy period of time and both performing on air. I would love to have been in that locker room.

 

[Beastmode 24]

I was 12 years old when this happend. I absolutely couldn't believe that Shane McMahon was on WCW! I was running around my house screaming "Holy Shit"!!! I wish that Wrestling had more Holy Shit moments like this. The emotion that i felt as a fan that night was real and genuine. I miss stuff like that.

 

[HBsam31]

I read it on wrestlezone earlier that day, but I didn't truly believe it until I saw it. I couldn't help but rub it in my two friend's faces that were diehard WCW fans. It wasn't until later that I realized I missed having WCW to flip over to, but that day I thought it was the coolest thing ever to see it go down.

 

[Peoples_Champ]

I was reflective on that day. I wasn't happy about it because I knew what it meant, that the legacy and history of a company would one day be forgotten. I also didn't celebrate because I knew that only competition made WWF try some of their outrageous stuff that excited everyone. There was no more incentive to innovate and improve.

As well, I was worried about what I was going to watch when WWF programming pissed me off. At least if I was upset with what WWF had, I could just change the channel to their competitors. Not any more.

In the end, I took more of a life lesson from that day. If you fail to compete, you're going to fail. It inspired me to do better in life and I would never have gotten into university if I hadn't taken these words to heart.

It was a sad day, but an interesting one as well.

 

[vampireblade]

I remember this day all to well growing up it was WCW and nothing else for me because well it was special they had actual shows here in Chattanooga not just house shows but WCW Saturday Night, WCW Nitro and even a few ppvs. The fact that they came here so often made me a big fan and on that night it was like a stab to the heart i was watching the last episode of arguably the greatest wrestling promotion of all time