How would you have ran WCW around 97?

[Chrome2279]

People sleep on this but there’s a reason. I would’ve stopped the TNT Nitro reruns from happening immediately after nitro. They were ratings that showcase that the reruns of nitro we’re pretty high (which WWE refuses to acknowledge ) which led to the assumption that people were tuning in to watch RAW And watching the nitro reruns later because People couldn’t watch reruns of raw.

Also we’re talking about 97 towards the end I would’ve built Bret Hart way differently, he was getting really good ratings. I would position him as being the next obstacle for Sting after Sting went over on hulk hogan at Starcade. And I would’ve kept Goldberg chasing Hogan.

Goldberg versus hulk hogan would’ve sold. Especially without the title, also Bret vs Sting Would’ve been money for the world title. The scorpion death lock versus the sharpshooter

 

[stro]

Bret I think should have immediately been in the title scene for obvious reasons, and gone 1994 fighting champion mode again which wasn't particularly common in WCW and could have been used to showcase and elevate Jericho/Benoit/Eddie/Malenko/Booker/Finlay/Regal/Kidman/Rey tier because none of the other main eventers would do that besides maybe Sting and Savage and even then it couldn't have been in the same way that Bret could have done it.

He definitely should not have been involved with the NWO and/or Hogan at all. And while I really enjoyed how entertaining Bret was as a smarmy, sarcastic, whiny heel in WCW, it was crazy to bring him in fresh off the Screwjob and do nothing with him for 2 months, then had him do nothing but feud with other WWF guys for 5 months before turning him heel and doing nothing with him for another year.

In reality Bret was nearing the end of his career regardless, his body was breaking down, he only had so much time left even if the concussion never happened at Starrcade 1999, WCW should have been using him to elevate the next generation with quality matches that none of the other WCW main eventers could have.

 

[Dusty Bake Activate]

Bret I think should have immediately been in the title scene for obvious reasons, and gone 1994 fighting champion mode again which wasn't particularly common in WCW and could have been used to showcase and elevate Jericho/Benoit/Eddie/Malenko/Booker/Finlay/Regal/Kidman/Rey tier because none of the other main eventers would do that besides maybe Sting and Savage and even then it couldn't have been in the same way that Bret could have done it.

He definitely should not have been involved with the NWO and/or Hogan at all. And while I really enjoyed how entertaining Bret was as a smarmy, sarcastic, whiny heel in WCW, it was crazy to bring him in fresh off the Screwjob and do nothing with him for 2 months, then had him do nothing but feud with other WWF guys for 5 months before turning him heel and doing nothing with him for another year.

In reality Bret was nearing the end of his career regardless, his body was breaking down, he only had so much time left even if the concussion never happened at Starrcade 1999, WCW should have been using him to elevate the next generation with quality matches that none of the other WCW main eventers could have.

I saw Bret day he was waiting for WCW bookers to tell him what they wanted from him. Said it was unprofessional and disorganized. He didn’t even have a promo to drop cause they didn’t know what direction they wanted for him. He just came out and stood there and said next to nothing like

He was red-hot coming off the screwjob and there’s all kinds of a angles and approaches they could’ve took with him. Hogan bytch ass was hating with his creative control card though. He cockblocked Hitman in the WWF and WCW. He was probably jealous of a guy who made his bones being an elite technical wrestler being on his main event world champion level cause everyone knows he couldn’t wrestle for shyt.

 

[stro]

I saw Bret day he was waiting for WCW bookers to tell him what they wanted from him. Said it was unprofessional and disorganized. He didn’t even have a promo to drop cause they didn’t know what direction they wanted for him. He just came out and stood there and said next to nothing like

He was red-hot coming off the screwjob and there’s all kinds of a angles and approaches they could’ve took with him. Hogan bytch ass was hating with his creative control card though. He cockblocked Hitman in the WWF and WCW. He was probably jealous of a guy who made his bones being an elite technical wrestler being on his main event world champion level cause everyone knows he couldn’t wrestle for shyt.

Yeah Bret would just come out and talk about his fukking cat

 

[AKM-95]

I don't know about completely phasing guys out but I definitely would of cycled guys in and out of that Hogan,Bret,Savage, and Luger tier. Super pushing midcard guys wouldn't of worked either but picking one or two of the midcard guys would of been my approach.

 

[thaKEAF]

Nwo should’ve been squashed after Starcade. If not then, definitely when Goldberg won the title. That should’ve been a new beginnng.

also with the huge roster they had, a brand split would have made sense. If you have to keep the old wwf dudes in the nitro title scene cool, you can built thunder around Jericho, Eddie, Benoit, Booker T etc.

 

[Cartier Murphy]

The market share wasn’t there for two major feds once the boom ended, so even if WCW didn’t die it would’ve fallen off heavy perception wise and business wise. I say that to say I would’ve tried my best to use WCW’s megastar main event roster to bolster and boost the midcard roster and build Benoit, Booker, Jericho, Eddy, etc into the main event talent they’d become in WWE before the money started to dry up and all the big names like Hoegan, Flair, Nash, etc. leave for WWE. Between having a robust Midcard and main event scene and having the power plant starting, you’d have plenty of talent for years to come and even beat WWE to the punch with a developmental.

 

[TRIPLE M]

Put the tag straps on the Dancing Fools, they were over

 

[CM_Burns]

The biggest problem was that their top stories weren't as good, and they weren't as edgy. You give Hall, Nash, DDP, Sting, and Goldberg free reign to do stuff as edgy as WWF was doing, and WCW might still be 2nd but it'd be a very close 2nd, like they were throughout most of 98.

After Sting beats Hogan, the NWO dissolves, basically like it did, but with more planned out buildup. And Hall and Nash stay together. Wargames 98 is WOlfpac vs Black and White, loser's team leader is gone for a year. Wolfpac wins, Hogan does movies for a year and comes back red and yellow in mid-late 99, part time for big matches here and there. Hes never again the top guy week to week.

Starrcade 98 is Sting vs Goldberg, built up all year, with Goldberg winning.

99 is the WOlfpac as tweeners going after Goldberg.

Steiner is built up for Goldberg, as they kind of did, but could've done better.

People always say push Eddie, Benoit, Jericho to main event status at this time. Those guys werent draws even after WWE built them slowly into main eventers, and you want to put them up against prime Rock/Austin/Undertaker? Those guys got over and should've had significant storylines, but true main event status they werent ready for. Rey was imo more ready for interactions than Eddie with top guys at this point. Having Raven/Benoit/Rey/Jericho/Booker do some stuff with legends that were no longer in a position to be very top guys, like Luger/Bret/Piper/Flair, would be good.

A lot of people on the internet say Bret should've been pushed more in WCW. He already got a pretty big push, to push him more, he's basically gonna be a top 3 or 4 guy in the company. You want to put Bret at that stage against prime Austin/Rock/Undertaker/DX/Mankind? WCW was fighting the perception of being the cornier show at the time, especially with all the millions of kids who just started watching wrestling because it just got hot. Making Bret a very top guy would've only hurt their perception with kids.

 

[CM_Burns]

Bret I think should have immediately been in the title scene for obvious reasons, and gone 1994 fighting champion mode again which wasn't particularly common in WCW and could have been used to showcase and elevate Jericho/Benoit/Eddie/Malenko/Booker/Finlay/Regal/Kidman/Rey tier because none of the other main eventers would do that besides maybe Sting and Savage and even then it couldn't have been in the same way that Bret could have done it.

He definitely should not have been involved with the NWO and/or Hogan at all. And while I really enjoyed how entertaining Bret was as a smarmy, sarcastic, whiny heel in WCW, it was crazy to bring him in fresh off the Screwjob and do nothing with him for 2 months, then had him do nothing but feud with other WWF guys for 5 months before turning him heel and doing nothing with him for another year.

In reality Bret was nearing the end of his career regardless, his body was breaking down, he only had so much time left even if the concussion never happened at Starrcade 1999, WCW should have been using him to elevate the next generation with quality matches that none of the other WCW main eventers could have.

I think they tried. They gave him PPV matches with DDP and Booker, and they weren't good.

 

[stro]

I think they tried. They gave him PPV matches with DDP and Booker, and they weren't good.

Those were 7+ months into his run, after he turned heel after being kept in his own pocket universe for the first 4 months.

Bret Hart's first title match in WCW was for the TV Championship, nearly 9 months after he signed with the company.

 

[FakeNews]

I need to read death of wcw again. Hogan and them boys had too much power and clout. So Im not sure what could have been done to save wcw.

Everything revolved around the NWO. It became wack to me. When did the NWO really start losing steam after Starrcade 97? Early 98? I fukked with the Wolfpac but ultimately I hated that they split the NWO into two different factions.

 

[ThaBronxBully]

I Feel Like I’m The Only Person On The Planet That Was Ok With The nWo Continuously Adding Members

They Were Building An Army To Overthrow A Company, You Cant Do That With 4 Guys lol

 

[Chrome2279]

I Feel Like I’m The Only Person On The Planet That Was Ok With The nWo Continuously Adding Members

They Were Building An Army To Overthrow A Company, You Cant Do That With 4 Guys lol

You got a point I didn’t mind either. As someone that lived through all of that, the group was never the same without Hogan. Actually lost ratings when he tried to run for president.
I didn’t mind them adding A listers... They should have never had a B squad.. that watered it down.