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It comes without saying that both WCW and WWE took their games to a peak during the time era, one which fans will always compare their current product to.
Like all wars however, there was a casualty. One that was seemingly shocking, considering the vast resources pooled behind it.
As RD Reynolds & Bryan Alvarez stated in the tome “The Death of WCW”, “World Championship Wrestling was not supposed to die.”
No it was not.
Even during the early 1990’s, back when the product was so bad you wish “Ding Dong” was just a Hostess product, Ted Turner insisted that World Championship Wrestling stay on the Turner Networks.
As a matter of fact, as an account from 'Death' states, “...he (Ted) told them (the board) that wrestling built the Superstation, and as long as he was in charge, it would always have a home there.”
Of all the gambles Ted was willing to make on WCW, none was more groundbreaking than the one meeting he had with Eric Bischoff.
Eric Bischoff, as it has been stated before, threw caution to the wind when he said that WCW should be on Mondays competing with WWE’s RAW. Ted, listening to the motto on his desk, that is of “Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way”, gave Eric 2 hours on TNT Monday nights. With that decision, and the fate of the wrestling business at hand, the Monday Night War was on!
Considering the wrestling business as a whole was in shambles in 1995, this whole deal seemed shaky. What resulted, coupled with a big influence from Philadelphia’s Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion, was the singular most revolutionary stand in wrestling history.
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PROLOGUE
World Championship Wrestling seemingly had the perfect product in the beginning of the war.
The summer of 1996, primarily known for the start of WCW’s dominance, had it all for the Atlanta-based promotion. Big names. Big stories. Flying cruiserweights in the undercard, while the aforementioned big names in the main event got the buyrates for pay-per-view.
Business was booming. It seemed as if every live event WCW held was breaking new attendance records. Ditto for Nitro. Eventually, ditto for Thunder. A Ric Flair and Randy Savage feud sparked the upward spiral, while the New World Order and their unpredictable actions peaked interest even further.
In stark contrast, WWE’s product had weak written all over it. Although Shawn Michaels was the primadonna champion written all over the product, the support he got from the bland/passe undercard (not including Undertaker) was non-existent. For a while, Shawn wrestled for the sake of the company, while political backstabbing and run-arounds legitimately ruined what should have been the shining moment in HBK’s career. It also didn’t help that the WWE in this particular year LOST six million dollars, a sum that from the own pockets of Vince McMahon, damn near put the company under.
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COSMETICS
For Vince though, the start wouldn’t be easy.
Getting his ass kicked in the ratings for a sustained period is bad enough. Not hitting the panic button of throwing away money for ratings is another.
Technically, it took an overseas tour for Vince to change the product, and from there it slowly but surely snowballed. As Titus O’Neill said, “If you gotta win, make it a win!”
Like any mild-mannered woman who wants to look like a supermodel, there needs to be a serious makeover. Replacing old blocky “letters” with a brand new Titantron screen/aisle-way, the new set screamed ‘Attitude’. Also the blue ring aprons of yore were replaced with a red/black/white getup of RAW IS WAR on the sides.
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STORYLINES
Although this was in place for a while, another step WWE took was creating darker storylines, outside of the normal good guy/bad guy formula. Men like Steve Austin and Bret Hart had the same characteristics, but over the course of 1997, completely flipped sides. It not only sparked new interest in both men, but created a country vs. country inter-feud as well with Canada and the USA.
It should also be noted that during this time period, all of the episodes of RAW were written by two men, whose work was then edited by Vince McMahon.
Yes, the answer is Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara.
Before you go off the deep end, let’s not forget the other part of the equation: editing (or molding ideas) by Vince McMahon.
Russo and Ferrara would make a script, talk the ideas over with McMahon, and then change things accordingly. This is at a time where WWE wasn’t on the stock exchange, there wasn’t much of a creative team, and ideas seemed to flow like blood out of John Tolos’ head during his feud with Freddie Blassie.
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NEARLY DERAILED
When WWE DVD’s have that “Don’t Try This at Home” warning at the beginning before the main menu (which from 2002-on is un-skippable), there’s always the image of Stone Cold Steve Austin getting up from being banged up due to a botch. This moment nearly cost the company any/all momentum it may have had.
Austin, who was in the middle of a meteoric rise to the top of the WWE, sustained a neck injury due to a botched Tombstone Piledriver from Owen Hart at Summerslam in 1997.
Arguably (and probably was even then) the most popular attraction in the company, but couldn’t wrestle, it was either put up or shut up time for both the WWE and Mr. Austin.
Instead of taking a significant amount of time off for healing/potential surgery, Steve contributing everything he had for the TV product.
From attacking announcers to ambushing groups of superstars, Austin somehow made the most of his injury, and the character of ‘Stone Cold’ was now even more valuable. It was an occurrence that couldn’t be scripted, but nonetheless, WWE definitely took the ball and ran with it.
ATTITUDE
Heading into later 1997, one television interview cemented WWE’s new direction.
The aforementioned Shawn Michaels turned to a “dark side”, and now was a bad guy with a faction. One of Shawn’s first antics, one that could have had serious behavioral repercussions, was coming down to the ring for a segment with Jim Ross, in nothing but biker shorts with a tube of gauze stuffed down his crotch.
Yeah, this blogger nearly felt sick writing that.
Although the figurative focal point of the segment was to build up to the Badd Blood match with Undertaker, the literal focal point was Michaels pointing to his crotch and telling pretty much everyone to SUCK IT! This angered Vince McMahon, who would fine Michaels but later renege it.
Essentially, the point of Michaels was that it was funny. The audience found it humorous and the “boys” found it funny too. Therefore, the superstars on the roster acted less like their gimmicks, and more like themselves.
While there could be many arguments on what finally cemented ‘Attitude’, this could arguably be the biggest one. It was the mood that met the looks, and while it would be a while until RAW got any success, the feeling of ‘epic’ was here.
Although the Montreal Screwjob also nearly derailed everything WWE had done to that point, and Mike Tyson’s appearances didn’t do that much, it took one instance of Austin vs. McMahon to change the tide.
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THE BIG BREAK
April 6th, 1998 will always be forever known as the date where RAW, which had its ass kicked 83 weeks in a row (or so), finally beat the WCW juggernaut.
By this point in time, it felt like everything is starting to come full circle for the WWE.
Now they have the big names.
Now they have the big stories.
Now they were shattering attendance records at every show.
Now they had the developed undercard while the big names got the buyrates. WCW tried pushing every button they could to hold this WWE fireball back. Instead, they were putting a bandage on a tumor, and as we all know, it does nothing to cure the cancer.
PUSHING NEW TALENT
WCW should have been on par with WWE in this area.
Yet they weren't. Keep in mind that WCW had the following in their prime: Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, Juvetud Guerrera, etc. Kevin Nash called these men “vanilla midgets”.
Why you ask? Sadly, it's quite simple.
WCW management philosophy revolved around the $, and therefore only 'marketable' superstars got the main events and merchandise. Essentially, the less chances the better.
With the product they had in 1997-1998, why change it?
The answer is this: WWE got really creative, and caught WCW off guard with a product that no one saw coming.
The main event scene was freshened up, the mid-card was stacked, and the audience reacted to everything that moved.
While WCW was sleeping on the job, here is what WWE did to help themselves:
New Age Outlaws: Originally two guys that had HORRIBLE gimmicks in singles runs, but with ‘Attitude’, became one of the hotter acts in the organization. Road Dogg Jesse James and Bad Ass Billy Gunn brought the raunch to the table, but at the same time, could hold their own in the ring. Even as heels, they had the crowd going along with their catchphrases!
Val Venis: After Wrestlemania XIV, Jim Ross made a big ballyhoo about new superstars around the world attempting to leave their mark in the WWE. The first man in question was a man whose debut vignette saw him watch a copy of his “work” in bed. This would be Sean Morley, whose gimmick was that of 'legendary' porn star Val Venis. All of these videos were not subtle in their approach, and it made no “bones” about it. This was touted as such a big deal, that Jenna Jameson herself was even written in for segment. For the silliness it inspired, Val's in-ring work was surprisingly solid. Only in Attitude WWE can a gimmick like this one be completely over the top, and go over like a second coming. Oh, was that typed a little wrong?
Edge: Shortly after Venis' debut, the WWE started airing video of a lanky, brooding young man. This would be Adam Copeland, the man with the 'Edge'. Although he was initially received positively, the real calling in Edge's career happened at No Mercy 1999. Teaming with Christian, they would square off against The Hardy Boyz in a Ladder Match. The prize wasn't the tag titles, but that of $100,000 and a “titillating” manager (and oh yes, Terri Runnels had a RACK). The definition of 'Ladder Match' became redefined, and elevated all four men. WCW tried to copy this formula, but to no success. As for Edge, his in-ring work coupled with underrated microphone ability led to a career that is definitely worthy of the Hall of Fame. Although the majority of Edge's singles success occurred after the war, it is definitely worth stating that he was a small part of a large army that conquered Atlanta.
Jeff & Matt Hardy: Both Hardy boys were so into wrestling, they were JTTS (Jobbers to the Stars) for years trying to make it. With Michael P.S Hayes as their manager, the Hardy Boyz started making a splash on WWE television in 1999. Jeff was more of a daredevil willing to put his body on the line, while Matt was more of a technical-based style, though he was no slouch with the high-flying acrobatics. Together, the two men became mega-over fan favorites that were a prime example of why mid-card Attitude Era is amongst the best times ever. Even if the last few years have been rough on them, the amount of quality footage (both tagging and singles) will always remind you how talented they are in the ring.
Triple H: Fired from WCW in 1995, Paul Levesque entered into WWE unsure about his career. Saddled with Hunter-Hearst Helmsley, a blueblood gimmick, Triple H would also become associated with 'The Kliq', which featured main-event talent in Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash (Diesel), Scott Hall (Razor Ramon), and 1-2-3 Kid. When it was announced the majority of this group would seek higher ground in WCW, the main core (HBK, HHH, Diesel, and Ramon) sought out a celebration in Madison Square Garden. Entitled 'The Curtain Call', the four friends broke the vow of kayfabe. This angered WWE officials to the point where Hunter, the only non main-eventer in the stable by that point, was buried big time for a year. Once 1997 hit though, business picked up. Chyna became his manager, Shawn Michaels became his on-screen buddy, and together, they all made D-Generation X. Completely rude and raunchy. DX is that compilation that screams 'ATTITUDE'. Through 1999 and 2000, Hunter went straight to the top, switching between good and bad several times. As evil WWE Champion with wife Stephanie by his side, Triple H went into the new millennium with momentum, but better yet, with a view of the industry that assures the company will be in safe hands for years to come.
Mick Foley: Another WCW alumni, Mick Foley entered WWE fresh off of a ECW run that rejuvenated akin to Steve Austin’s. Although Mick's gimmick heading into WWE was Cactus Jack, Foley transformed into a deranged monster entitled Mason the Mutilator Mankind. While showing his controversial hard-bumping style, Mick also showed vulnerability in his promos that made the character believable. Through 1997, Mick would emerge as not only Mankind, not only Cactus Jack, but also as the alter-ego that he developed when he was younger, Dude Love. All three gimmicks took turns entertaining the fans, and through hard work and determination, all three felt like entities onto themselves. Cactus and Dude would enjoy tag team gold, while Mankind also got to enjoy the WWE Championship. His first title win though was what sealed WCW's fate, as a tactical error finally proved to be too much. That of course can be read later on in the article. Although Mick would retire as a full-time performer in the dawn of 2000, his unique persona lent countless hours of entertainment to the WWE faithful.
The Rock: Debuting in 1996 as a blue chipper, Rocky Maivia was a bland babyface whose traditional antics were met with “DIE ROCKY DIE”. Turning heel with the Nation of Domination, there was a charisma and electricity that when unleashed, became one of the hottest entities of the company. His true heel run came however when he won the WWE Championship for the first time. Working with the man who tried to conspire against him, Mr. McMahon, it was the perfect swerve that elevated the former Miami Hurricane to big-time main event status. As hated as he was as a bad guy, the reactions he would later get as a fan favorite were deafening. After Steve Austin had to leave for neck surgery, Rock carried the majority of the babyface work load superbly. Facing off pretty much against the whole McMahon family, the Brahma Bull became a one-man wrecking crew that felt like Popeye of years before. In the war on WCW, Dwayne Johnson emerged as one of the bigger weapons in the McMahon stockpile. Mainly because, he was solid as a 'Rock'.
STEVE AUSTIN: Ironically, this man should have become “the man” in WCW. Primed for a US Championship push then eventually going for the big belt, Austin was instead diverged into the mid-card, then fired due to injury. Like the Beatles going to India, Austin sought a rebirth in ECW. Delivering venom-filled promos, Austin would later find that inspiration to become Stone Cold in the WWE. Although the Rattlesnake was originally a Ringmaster, it wouldn't become long until 3:16 became the law of the land. From that King of the Ring 1996 to Wrestlemania XIV in 1998, Austin went on a meteoric rise from mid-card purgatory to the king of the mountain. Sure he had a botched piledriver that nearly ended his career, but with hindsight being 20/20, it accidentally made the character more popular than it was before. After being champion, Austin had to battle bitter bosses, a bitter 'Dude', two Brothers of Destruction, a 'People's Champion', a Game, and then his own body. The neck problems caught up to him, which necessitated a surgery and nearly a year off. By the time Austin came back, the war was pretty much over, and the lead general celebrated with his troops.
While those are the main players on WWE's side, there are three men deserving of mention who did the treasonous act of jumping ship. Jumping ship that is from WCW to WWE.
X-Pac: Sean Waltman was originally a WWE guy. Debuting as 'The Kid' in early 1993, a shocking win over Razor Ramon earned him the moniker '1-2-3 Kid'. Seeing what Nash and Hall did 1996, Waltman went to WCW. The sixth member of the 'nWo', Syxx was met with the same political bullshit that derailed all of the cruiserweights. Seeking a new start, Waltman went back to WWE as X-Pac, newest member of D-Generation X. Partnered with Triple H, Waltman would add shoot comments about WCW, while pointing to his crotch. While not the most successful of these three men, X-Pac's return definitely helped turn the tide in the WWE's war on WCW.
Paul Wight: Originally 'The Giant' in WCW, he was an unstoppable monster whose appetite for destruction couldn't be fulfilled. After coming across personal hardship in the company, Wight left WCW to WWE, where he would be rechristened 'Big Show'. Debuting on PPV in February of 1999, Wight threw Steve Austin through a steel cage to accidentally give Austin the ride to Wrestlemania. A few weeks later on RAW, Austin pinned Show as clean as a sheet, and thus made Show look a lot less monstrous as he seemed. Fortunately for Show, he would win the title by the end of the year (ironically due to Austin's neck injury), and would solidify his legend in WWE. Not bad for a guy who in 2000 was forced to go to OVW to work on his behavioral problems, caused no doubt by WCW management.
Chris Jericho: By the time Jericho entered the ECW promotion in 1995, he was a well-seasoned traveler of the world! Although his intention was to someday wrestle for WWE, Jericho's journey had a large sidestep was he was hired by WCW. Although he seemed to be on par with the other cruiserweights, and even had the chance to show off his personality, the deal was that he hit the proverbial glass ceiling like everyone else. WCW's impending loss was WWE's big coup, as WWE billed their newest acquisition the 'Millennium Man'. During RAW, there would be a countdown clock on the 'Tron counting down to the 'arrival'. During a promo by The Rock, that clock reached zero. When it did, the crowd went nuts, but Rock was unflappable. The two verbally sparred off, and Jericho looked to be on equal with his main-event opposition. It sealed Jericho's reputation, for the next decade, fans would universally love/loathe Jericho for the man he was, and all the talents with it. A sure-fire Hall of Famer, the man's versatility is unmatched in the WWE.
Speaking of vanilla midgets (that’s for RD), remember when I said all the little parts count?
A small group of WCW wrestlers, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Perry Saturn, and Dean Malenko, were tired of the political bullcrap in the corporate-based promotion. As the Radicalz, they weren’t immediately pushed to the side like the competition. While WCW was losing it’s workhorse backbone, the small troupe of workers only fortified the already depth-filled talent pool of the WWE.
CRACKING THE NUMBERS
Numbers have varying meanings in the history of professional wrestling.
Back in the territorial days, numbers mainly meant gates, or aka paid attendance.
When the Monday Night War hit, the number in question switched over to the digits reflected in the Nielsen Ratings.
For WWE and RAW, the real struggle began in June of 1996, where it would win its last week of ratings for approximately 2 years.
As noted earlier, the product of McMahon had grown quite stale, while WCW felt fresh and revolutionary.
March 3rd, 1997 was the bottom-most point in the history of RAW ratings. A taped show from Germany, headlined by a classic Owen Hart and British Bulldog match, it snagged only a 1.9 overall rating. Although Vince would start doing something new the week following, the real ratings spike wouldn’t come until next year.
Even when RAW seemed to be doing better, it always seemed to be approximately one whole or more point(s) behind Nitro. A master manipulator, Eric Bischoff knew exactly when to put on the hot angles to exaggerate the ratings for that next quarter-hour. It was aggressive in a war that was the prime definition of the term.
For Bischoff, the problem was necessarily the show was live, or even that the main eventers were getting older. It was following the motto of, “...what isn’t broke shouldn’t be fixed.”
Hate tooting this horn, but 'TOOT TOOT'! RAW took advantage of WCW's weaknesses, and therefore became the top game in town. WCW had the hairy finger on the panic button, and therefore traded millions of dollars just for a ratings point. One event in particular exemplifed this notion.
On January 4th, 1999, whatever chance WCW had in beating WWE was squashed forever. With a taped RAW in the bag days before, Eric Bischoff in his infinite wisdom spoiled the competition's title match.While hundreds of thousands of people switched channels to see the title swap, Bischoff last-second booked a world title match on Nitro.
That title match, with the resulting Fingerpoke of Doom, led to the single-most revolting case of ratings exploitation in wrestling history.
It didn’t matter what anyone did afterwards. Sure Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair could main event every pay per view. Sure Eric Bischoff was replaced, rehired, and then replaced again. Hell, Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara were chosen to right the wrongs, but only made things worse.
The grave was theoretically set, and WCW jumped in like a bookie owing the Mafia money. A corporate decision killed WCW, and WWE purchased the promotion for a measly sum almost too embarrassing to post.
The Legacy
IN CONCLUSION: During the Monday Night War, WCW & WWE went to places never before seen in wrestling.
Both promotions had their shares of successes and heartaches, but the deal-breaker here was how they dealt with said successes and heartbreaks.
With being patient and not pressing the panic button every week, Vince McMahon slowly but surely put Eric Bischoff and WCW down in the trenches for the count.
While it was an exciting time for wrestling fans, it must have been a time of learning for future wrestling promoters, in what to do and what not to do.
Sadly, WWE is almost resembling late-era WCW while the iMPACT promotion in Florida, is a bad mix of late-era WCW with 1996-1997 WWE.
Again, lessons can be learned, but are only effective if used for the good of the business instead of popping for just money and ratings.
This was a great read. Besides Austin and the Rock, guys like Edge, The Hardy Boys, and Kane kept me interested in the Midcard. Where in WCW there were such a afterthought. Not to take anything from their midcarder's skills, but if you weren't NWO you didn't get airtime.
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