Downfall Of WCW

As we all know WCW in the mid-90’s to late 90’s was on the top of the world. It was destroying WWE or WWF (as it was called back then) in the rating wars. As both companies held their main shows on the same night and at the same night.

WCW surely did have a major roster in its prime. They had the likes of Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Macho Man, Curt Henning, Diamond Dallas Page, Sting, NWO, and an incredible mid-card roster. The roster was impressive and if you were to see the names on the cards, you would think that it would’ve been impossible for the company to end.

I think they were the first wrestling company to bring in real-life stories into the product. Instead of what WWE was doing at the time, which was having these larger-than-life superhero type characters go against the evil bad guys. I mean it worked for them in the 80’s but it was hurting them in the long run.

WCW found out quickly that these real stories were becoming relatable with the fanbase and they went full force with it. They brought in the wrestlers real drama and used it as storylines.

When did WCW become a household name? Well, the moment that Eric Bischoff became an executive for the company. He knew exactly what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it. The days of the superhero gimmicks were done. He was about to stir the company a complete 180 degree and bring us something that we would talk about for the ages.

The “reality” in wrestling came to us in 1996 with the introduction of “The Outsiders”. This was Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. They stormed into the WCW arena as supposably they were still WWE contracted wrestlers. No WWE wrestler could set foot in another territory without causing some sort of ruckus.

For weeks, Kevin and Scott kept coming out and addressing to the WCW that if they want a war, they got one. No one knew what was happening. We all actually thought they ran through security and made their way to the ring. No one knew this was all a work. As their WWE contracts were up and Vince McMahon didn’t want to extend their contracts, due to financial reasons.

Everything that Kevin Nash and Scott Hall did culminated at Bash At The Beach 1996. Again were “uninvited” to the event and decided to show up. They assaulted Macho Man in the ring. Out came Hulk Hogan, the savior, and we all thought he was going to beat the hell out of The Outsiders and make them never show up again. That was the LEAST that happened. Hulk Hogan ended up doing a leg drop on Macho Man. All three men joined together in the ring…forming the NWO. The wrestling world stood in awe.

Fast forward after Bash At The Beach. The NWO were running the game now. Everything revolved around them. They were cool. They were the people we wanted to be and hang out with. They oozed coolness and bad. People went to a WCW just to see them and they knew that. Even Eric Bischoff ended up joining them and he took all the credit in the world for forming them.

With the NWO in full swing, the locker room started to split up. Half the locker room was team NWO while the other half was plainly team WCW.

THIS WAS WHERE THE PROBLEMS BEGAN.

WCW began to be TOO dependent on NWO. Everything was about them. They had Pay-Per-Views about them. Every single interview was about at least one NWO member. All the storylines revolved around the NWO. The main events on Monday Night Nitro were just random interviews with Hogan or Nash or Hall.

To make matter worse, Hulk Hogan at the time was on such a power trip that he wouldn’t let anyone get over. It had to be him winning every thing. If he didn’t, then all hell would brake loose backstage and he would always imply the fact that he would quit.

As the years went on, there started to be too many “New World Order” ripoffs. There was the “Latino World Order”, Black and white NWO, Red and Black NWO, The Wolfpac . Every single person in the locker room had to choose one of these team to get some TV time. It was so sad. If they didn’t join either one…then they wouldn’t even get any screen time.

I strongly believe that the whole NWO storyline should’ve ended at Starrcade 1997 when Sting went against Hulk Hogan for the world title. It was the perfect time to end it all. You had the leader of one faction versus the leader of the other. Both men put on a hell of a show. They knew that the stakes were high. If one was to lose, that would mean the end of their faction.

Even though Sting won the match and the world title, it still didn’t break the NWO. WCW could’ve been saved if that were to happen. They could’ve gone another direction and maybe down the road…possibly a few months later the NWO were to come back bigger and stronger than ever…it would’ve been something big. But that wasn’t the case.

The NWO officially broke up by 1999. Hulk Hogan went back to being a babyface. Kevin Nash ended up being one of the bookers for the shows and wrestled singles action. Scott Hall’s personal demons got the best of him and his career started to deteriorate in front of our eyes. He started to drink way too much.

Vince Russo came in in 1999 and tried his best to save the company. There was nothing he could do to save WCW at this point. The product had run its course. He tried his hardest to put new and younger talent above the older and withered talent that WCW were famous for having.

By 1999 the fans of WCW were slowly walking away.

It goes to show how an idea can really make or break you. The NWO made WCW the talk of town. Celebrities were filling in to get a piece of the action. Who can ever forget that moment that Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone wrestled?

The same idea broke WCW to the core. It was once the biggest wrestling company, only to end up broke and washed up. We literally saw the downfall right before our eyes.

I for one to do enjoy the legacy that the NWO left behind. They were the biggest faction. They played by their rules. They took the wrestling world by storm. They were cool and smooth. Their limos were always filled with the hottest girls, they rode the best Harley’s, they had it all. They laid the ground work for “Realism in wrestling”.

NWO will forever live in the hearts of wrestling fans. Because when you’re NWO it’s for LIFE. TOO SWEET!