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When did WCW start declining? Starrcade 97?
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Date: October 18th, 2017 3:10 PM Author: Curious pink field mad-dog skullcap (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34472253) |
Date: October 18th, 2017 3:10 PM Author: Judgmental Sandwich Space (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34472267) |
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Date: October 18th, 2017 3:13 PM Author: mustard well-lubricated ticket booth patrolman as a fan, it was when the Vince Russo era started and he started being in every fucking main storyline. He sucked, his vision for WCW sucked IMO. I eventually switched to almost all WWF because of it. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34472284) |
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Date: October 19th, 2017 3:18 PM Author: Floppy Purple Stage I think Starrcade '97 is a good marker.
The NWO and Sting saga was can't miss TV. It was also unique. The idea that a group of wrestlers were somehow challenging WCW on their own program for control of it in a coup was revolutionary. Then Eric Bischoff reveals he is in the NWO and the storyline picks up steam really shocking viewers with Hogan's heel turn at Bash at the Beach in the summer of '96. This continues for a year and a half in dramatic fashion playing out weekly on Nitro and in other PPVs.
Meanwhile WCW's beloved franchise wrestler, Sting, hasn't been in an officially sanctioned match instead teasing the audience with his dramatic appearances in the rafters and taking on an almost invincible, supernatural type of persona (very different from his prior schtick).
So after a year and a half of building the tension between Sting and Hogan/NWO, it all culminates with the Main Event at Starrcade '97: Sting vs. Hogan. Now we all know that referee Nick Patrick royally fucked this up. He was supposed to give a fast 3 count in favor of Hogan but instead counted to 3 at a normal pace and it appeared that Hogan had unthinkably beaten Sting fair and square. Bret Hart comes out, insists the 3 count was fast and restarts the match. Sting wins. This was a really unsatisfying conclusion. Sting illegitimately beat Hogan. Even when the rest of the WcW wrestlers swarmed the ring to celebrate their liberation it wasn't the ending we deserved as viewers.
In any event, it wasn't an immediate sharp decline in quality I suppose but more the beginning of the end. The storyline got stale, the NWO fractured into the Wolfpack and regular NWO and it lost its appeal. WCW desperately wanted Goldberg to be a huge megastar but his push was really mishandled. Every week he would spear and jackhammer someone and look invincible but he never really crafted a compelling schtick. So you have him undefeated after like 200 matches and annihilating top guys. It wasn't believable and it creates a situation where he almost can't lose lest his star power be destroyed. Incidentally, the cruiserweight division continued putting on incredible matches every week. WCW never realized the potential these guys had and didn't roll them into the main storylines enough. They tried later with Rey Mysterio's "Giant Killer" shtick but I think it was too late at that point. Then they unmasked him and Juventud, which I think was not only a mistake but down right disrespectful.
As this was playing out on WCW simultaneously the WWF attitude era was really taking off as another historically significant and in many ways superior era of professional wrestling.
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Date: October 19th, 2017 4:54 PM Author: Curious pink field mad-dog skullcap cr analysis. I remember watching the Sting vs. Hogan match live and pissed how they fucked that up so bad, after 18 months of buildup. I blame Hogan for this, probably had too much power with creative, for Sting to go over Hogan clean (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34481340) |
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Date: October 19th, 2017 9:29 PM Author: Floppy Purple Stage You might be right though I truly think the ref just fucked up the count. Either way, of course there would be controversy and Hogan wouldnt just agree to lose clean. He was apparently disliked by most of the other guys and notorious for never letting anyone get over on him. The 3-5 min shoot interviews with former wrestlers are gold if you like hearing about behind the scenes shit.
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Date: October 19th, 2017 9:44 PM Author: Deranged Nibblets "He was apparently disliked by most of the other guys and notorious for never letting anyone get over on him."
LOL you don't say |
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Date: October 19th, 2017 9:53 PM Author: Floppy Purple Stage :) (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34483494) |
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Date: October 19th, 2017 11:54 PM Author: Passionate knife They even brought in mentally ill warrior for the sole purpose of letting Hogan get his win back from their WWF days (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34484438) |
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Date: November 10th, 2017 10:15 PM Author: iridescent motley dopamine (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34659007) |
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Date: October 19th, 2017 11:53 PM Author: Passionate knife Spot-on write-up. I feel like there was some later stuff that doesn't get enough credit though. Particularly any fucking time Scott Steiner was on a live mic. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34484430) |
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Date: October 20th, 2017 9:23 AM Author: Floppy Purple Stage I was a huuuge steiner bros fan. The big poppa pump persona was pretty cr. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34485826) |
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Date: November 10th, 2017 10:15 PM Author: iridescent motley dopamine Steiner was awesome. Mama Bagwell seems more cr (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34659010) |
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Date: November 10th, 2017 10:17 PM Author: Judgmental Sandwich Space (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34659020) |
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Date: October 19th, 2017 4:47 PM Author: Floppy Purple Stage (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34481284) |
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Date: October 20th, 2017 12:05 AM Author: aromatic insanely creepy organic girlfriend candlestick maker not sure i agree with your criticisms of how they built goldberg. he was the best thing they did in a sea of deep decline. they ended up fucking it up pretty bad with how he lost to nash tho. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34484519) |
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Date: November 10th, 2017 10:19 PM Author: Diverse Very Tactful Hospital Fingerpoke of Doom, or that's when the really steep drop-off began
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Date: November 13th, 2017 12:04 PM Author: Floppy Purple Stage Respectfully, that was the nail in the coffin not the start of the decline. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34675515) |
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Date: November 13th, 2017 12:05 PM Author: Curious pink field mad-dog skullcap cr. that was the same night the Nitro team revealed that Mankind was going to win the championship. everyone tuned in to Raw to watch it (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34675529) |
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Date: November 13th, 2017 12:14 PM Author: abusive exhilarant old irish cottage I personally feel it was all downhill after Arachnaman's retirement. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3767805&forum_id=11#34675600) |