What would have happened to WCW if Eric Bischoff would have bought it?

[thejeffjarrettone]

Interesting posts. Any thoughts on who'd be the new Champs after the reboot? Personally, I would have liked to have seen:

 

World Champion: DDP

US Champion: Booker T

Tag Team Champions: Mike Awesome and Lance Storm

Cruiserweight Champion: Vampiro

 

I'd abandon the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles because simply put, there were only 3 serious contenders to the belts.

[Dillkid]

Interesting posts. Any thoughts on who'd be the new Champs after the reboot? Personally, I would have liked to have seen:

 

World Champion: DDP

US Champion: Booker T

Tag Team Champions: Mike Awesome and Lance Storm

Cruiserweight Champion: Vampiro

 

I'd abandon the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles because simply put, there were only 3 serious contenders to the belts.

You forgot the TV and Hardcore Titles.

[air_raid]

I'd abandon the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles because simply put, there were only 3 serious contenders to the belts.

 

By the same logic, WWE should abandon their tag team titles now.

[Dillkid]

I'd abandon the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles because simply put, there were only 3 serious contenders to the belts.

 

By the same logic, WWE should abandon their tag team titles now.

As well as the Womens and Divas titles.

[PowerButchi]

Interesting posts. Any thoughts on who'd be the new Champs after the reboot? Personally, I would have liked to have seen:

 

World Champion: DDP

US Champion: Booker T

Tag Team Champions: Mike Awesome and Lance Storm

Cruiserweight Champion: Vampiro

 

I'd abandon the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles because simply put, there were only 3 serious contenders to the belts.

You forgot the TV and Hardcore Titles.

 

No he didn't. TV title was discontinued in April 2000, and Hardcore after Meng fucked off back to WWE in Jan 2001 and gave the physical belt to the Barbarian.

[thejeffjarrettone]

Interesting posts. Any thoughts on who'd be the new Champs after the reboot? Personally, I would have liked to have seen:

 

World Champion: DDP

US Champion: Booker T

Tag Team Champions: Mike Awesome and Lance Storm

Cruiserweight Champion: Vampiro

 

I'd abandon the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles because simply put, there were only 3 serious contenders to the belts.

You forgot the TV and Hardcore Titles.

 

Oh Sorry. I'd burn the Hardcore Title then piss on it. I'd probably put the TV Title on....I dunno.....Reno? Probably?

[PowerButchi]

Ok, he did forget then.

 

The bastard.

[Boon Town Rat]

My idea would be to put the belt on Goldberg for the entire year and build Heel and Heel off of him e.g Steiner, Nash, Jarret, Sid. That way you had at least 4 months worth of PPV main events, taking you to Fall Brawl. At Fall Brawl you could have the return of War Games, another PPV done. Then maybe build to Sting-Goldberg at Starcade.

 

With building the company around a Face Goldberg. You've now got a US title divison of newly sign RVD, Lance Storm, Mile Awesome, Booker T and what ever other ECW & Upper Mid Card talent that's left.

 

Give Rey and Kidman the Tag Divison.

 

That's what I would do, but like Bischoff has said time and time again, without a TV outlet the company would of died in a matter of months.

[thejeffjarrettone]

Possible, but if they could rebuild SOMETHING in those few months, a TV Network could have picked it up. Another possible idea is to have it tour Europe, much like Hulkamania, only not shit.

 

EDIT: The idea being to build up a fanbase, show the networks what they'd accomplished without a TV show, then try to negotiate a new deal.

[garynysmon]

I remember this was a discussion in the chatroom one night.

 

I kind of agree with Bischoff that it was no use without the guaranteed TV Slot on TNT. Otherwise, it could have worked though. I'm probably right in thinking Fusient didn't have the deep pockets that TimeWarner had, but could have run it effectively.

 

It's a crying shame for Wrestling it didn't come off. That's why reading stuff or posts to the effect that they want to see TNA go bankrup anny me so much, and are downright mental.

[The Total Package]

It's a crying shame for Wrestling it didn't come off. That's why reading stuff or posts to the effect that they want to see TNA go bankrup anny me so much, and are downright mental.

 

Such people are not fans of wrestling, I didnt like ECW much back in the day, however I never wanted them to go out of business, the option for me to watch it was there, now its not, this is a bad thing.

 

Their is no legitimate alternative to WWE anymore, I know real fans would love to see TNA do much better, but they just seem to mess things up.

 

However it will be interesting in a few years when WWE no longer has the superstars like Taker, Edge, Jericho, Rey, Kane, these guys will be gone in the next 2 years, and at the mintue I dont see good enough replacements, TNA already right now for me has the better roster so if they get their act together, they might actually capitalize on WWE's lack of major star power.

 

As for wCw hell yeah I miss that shit, since things go in cycles I think wCw would be now "the" product to watch, if it was still around.

 

What I noticed when wCw went out of business is that RAW's ratings did not go up, those wCw fans just stopped watching wrestling altogether, I know this because thats what alot of my friends did, so yeah the name carried alot of weight back then.

 

I dont even know where the wrestling (WWE)is heading, they make alot money in their current format, so I cant see it changing for years really.

 

I think Heenan said it best "the magic is over".

[Your Fight Site]

What would happen is Eric Bischoff bought WCW? Hopefully people would stop type-setting the initials, "wCw". That really grinds my gears.

 

[PowerButchi]

Indeed. I can live with nWo, it's only proper, but fuck "wCw".

[tnauk]

I was running WCWUK.com at the time and was privvy to quite a lot of the information. The OP was right Fusient did register WCWExtreme.com and it was widely believed that they were planning on running an ECW invasion angle, an idea they had actually begun throwing round in 97/98 that didn't come to fruition but made complete sense following ECW's demise.

 

Anyway read controversy creates cash by Bischoff, he's open an honest about everything that he was planning.

 

They had planned to close the doors for just over a month in order to have a grand "re-opening" at the May Big Bang PPV (which WCW followers of the time will remember was actually advertised on the back of WCW magazine at the time - that one prob worth a few bob these days.), the hubub surrounding this return would generate interest in the product and provide the only sure fire way to get people to sample the product again.

 

Bischoff also stated that since WCW's live events business was bleeding money, they would shut up shop with regards live event business at least for 18 months and focus solely on TV. In order to further cut costs, Bischoff met with reps at the Hardrock in Vegas and came to an agreement to build an arena above the Hardrock parking lot. His view was the Hardrock was cool and hip to co-brand with and that it would provide a solid, low cost location, and given that they were in Vegas there would be no issue with garnering an audience.

 

Additionally although the Fusient deal did include a ten year agreement with TBS for 4hrs of weekly television plus revenue from the commericals (a sweet deal for WCW) Bischoff had also discussed with Fox execs about flipping one of the shows onto their new FX channel, they wanted Nitro, Bisch wanted to give them Thunder.

 

The reason the top stars were written out storyline wise was two fold, 1) it would make a big impact upon their return and 2) Many were simply NOT GOING TO BE BROUGHT BACK!, Bischoff said financially there was no way the new WCW could viably take on all the big salary contracts, so the focus needed to be placed on building new stars such as Booker T & Scott Steiner. However Bischoff did state that he would have brought back Hulk Hogan without a doubt and possibly Randy Savage, simply for the marquee name value.

 

Along with that we would have seen a renewed Cruiserweight Division featuring additions like Kid Kash as well as that kickass concept of a Cruiserweight Tag-Team Division, which would surely have featured that young Air Raid tag team featuring a young unknown AJ Styles.

 

Would have been great to see all this come to fruition, makes you wonder what would have happened. sad really... but hey WCW lives on in TNA, i feel right at home watching TNA i think the product TNA's putting out now would be similar to what WCW would be doing if they were still around.

[tnauk]

It's a crying shame for Wrestling it didn't come off. That's why reading stuff or posts to the effect that they want to see TNA go bankrup anny me so much, and are downright mental.

 

What I noticed when WCW went out of business is that RAW's ratings did not go up, those wCw fans just stopped watching wrestling altogether, I know this because thats what alot of my friends did, so yeah the name carried alot of weight back then.

 

 

I can vouch for that, i was a WCW lifer and hung around for a couple of years after hoping for a new number two promotion, MECW came and went as did the XWF and eventually TNA came along, i followed TNA on and off but to be honest i was done with wrestling for a good few years until the beginning of the year when Hogan and Bischoff regime came in.

 

Now i know many knock it, i know many think Bisch and Hogan are running them into the ground but to be honest i wouldn't be watching again if it wasn't for them, i came back sampled the product and fell in love with wrestling again. And many of my friends who were WCW marks aswell have started watching again, i don't remember so many people talking about TNA as i have of late, i'm still shocked when i talk to someone who's literally a casual fan and have started every conversation about wrestling i've had with them recalling a memory from the WWF Attitude era, and they now know who AJ is, they know who Samoa Joe is and they know the product. TNA is going places, give it time.