What IF Eric Bischoff purchased WCW in 2001?

[Downnice]

Here is my take. Goldberg was still contracted with Time Warner but if WCW was still around eventually would've returned to WCW. They had young talent like Styles and Storm which could of been world class talent for them. After Gurerrero's release I think he might of signed back with WCW and Mysterio would of signed with WCW as well. WCW was going to raid ECW and take talent from them, add that with WCW more than likley signing WWE washups I think WCW would survive but have some thin years but eventually being revelant

We will never know though =(

 

[SinCityBlitz]

This is the first I've ever heard of anyone offering half a billion dollars for WCW. This is the first time I've heard WCW valued at half a billion dollars, even at their heyday when people hadn't yet realized that they were getting their fame off of a massive operating loss.

They were nothing but rumors. The word going around was that Vince made the offer. That just goes to show you how bad the rumors were.

After Vince bought WCW he couldn't get a WCW show on air. That is how far WCW had fallen. If Bischoff had bought it it would have died within a year. Very few of the guys under contract to TW would have given Bischoff a discount. Not being able to get on air would have been killer.

 

[MrHashasheen]

SFX Entertainment & Mandalay Sports were the known companies in question. SFX handled live events and Mandalay did the motorcross stuff I was talking about. There were supposedly also several European bidders, but no names ever got mentioned online. And then of course there was Fusinet Media Ventures with Bischoff.

 

[Bobbywoodhogan]

Had Eric Bischoff and Fusient Media Ventures purchased WCW (with the TV rights or some version of on another network) I believe he would have made it successful again and I believe it would still be around today. Rumour has it that the deal included contracts for the big established stars Goldberg, Sting, Hogan, DDP, Flair,Booker T, Steiner, Rey Mysterio etc aswell as those rising through the ranks (AJ Styles for one) and they apparently had already signed RVD, Jerry Lynn, etc.

With that kind of talent I think he already had who he needed to make it successful again (If players like Hogan, Nash were a problem it wouldn't matter as there contracts were done by the end of the year anyway). I also don't think the show was in the dire state people proclaimed, WCW had alot of huge names out injured (Sting, Goldberg, DDP, etc) or just semi retired (Hogan, Nash, etc) by the time that final Nitro aired. They were all still to come back and the rating the show was getting was still in the 2s (which would probably be enough in this day and age to keep it going).

I think Bischoff also would have learned mistakes from past experiences (i.e. not pushing younger players/creating new stars), the guy was seriously burnt out in 1998-1999 (it showed) and when he came back in 2000, he had to contend with Vince Russo. I really don't think his time in TNA tells any sort of story as he was in a company that didn't have the financial backing of a Ted Turner or a Fusient Media Ventures. Add to that creatively he'd beeen out of the game along time.

But most importantly he did it before, when he took over in 1993 it took him a few years but he turned it around, moving WCW tapings to Disney was a genius idea (cut alot of costs) and by the end of 1995 WCW for the first time ever made a profit. I always felt had Bischoff owned WCW (with good financial backing) that he'd have kept it in business anyway. One thing reading his book 'Controversy Creates Cash' thats clear is the man was a survivor and a very very clever man. He can adapt to certain situations but most of all he understood the business.

We will never know the answer for sure but I do feel had Bischoff gotten WCW that we would still be seeing it today.

 

[TDFG]

I think a big downfall for EB was that he didn't have enough trust in 'newer, younger' stars minus Goldberg, everyone at the main-event had to be the 'finished article'.

If he could have purchased WCW, he would have had to have let go of Nash, Hogan and one or two others on massive contracts when they ran out, because WCW wasn't going to jump up the ratings anytime soon.

If you look at the 'newer' talent they had, the likes of Stasiak was a terrible worker, so there would have been a need for a massive talent overhaul.

 

[Bobbywoodhogan]

I think a big downfall for EB was that he didn't have enough trust in 'newer, younger' stars minus Goldberg, everyone at the main-event had to be the 'finished article'.

If he could have purchased WCW, he would have had to have let go of Nash, Hogan and one or two others on massive contracts when they ran out, because WCW wasn't going to jump up the ratings anytime soon.

If you look at the 'newer' talent they had, the likes of Stasiak was a terrible worker, so there would have been a need for a massive talent overhaul.

Well WCW had already signed Rob Van Dam and rumoured to have signed a few others from ECW aswell. So they'd have also been fresh talent along with others they had like AJ Styles for example on the roster aswell. Nit that AJ would gave been a main eventer but he'd gave been fresh talent. I personally think with guys like Goldberg to cone back and the fact that Booker T was hitting his stride WCW would have been fine.