Original subtitles

[MUSIC]

THROUGHOUT THE 1990S, MONDAY

NIGHT SERVED AS A PRIMETIME

BATTLEFIELD THAT TRANSFORMED

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING INTO

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

TED TURNER'S WCW TOOK ON VINCE

MCMAHON'S WWE FOR RATINGS

SUPREMACY AT THE RISK OF

EXTINCTION AS INNOVATION AND

EVOLUTION PAVED THE WAY FOR A

KING TO BE CROWNED.

[CROWD CHEERING]

IN A ERA OF SHIFTING

LOYALTIES, TWO SUPERSTARS

EMERGED AS THEIR COMPANIES'

CORNERSTONES.

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS.

A SEVEN FOOT PHENOM FROM

BEYOND THE GRAVE AND AN

ENIGMATIC HERO SHROUDED IN

MYSTERY.

STING IS CHAMPION OF THE

WORLD.

THE NEW WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT CHAMPION, THE

UNDERTAKER.

THROUGH VICTORY AND DEFEAT,

SUCCESS AND FAILURE, THEIR

DEVOTION NEVER WAVERED.

THIS IS THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

[MUSIC]

HULK HOGAN HAS BETRAYED WCW.

WHAT IN THE--WHAT'S HE DOING

HERE?

WELCOME TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

MONDAY NITRO.

LOOK AT HIM, HE IS BROKEN IN

HALF.

AUSTIN 3:16 SAYS I JUST

WHIPPED YOUR -- .

BRET SCREWED BRET.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER, BROTHER.

LET'S GET READY TO SUCK IT.

WE ARE AT WAR.

[CROWD CHEERING]

BRET "THE HITMAN" HART HAS

ARRIVED TO NITRO.

THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR BETWEEN

WWE AND WCW WAS DEFINED BY

DEFECTIONS.

HEADING TOWARDS THE NEW

MILLENNIUM, MOMENTUM WOULD SHIFT

BACK AND FORTH ALONG WITH THE

SUPERSTARS FROM ONE COMPANY TO

THE OTHER.

THAT'S PAUL WIGHT.

YES.

OH, HOLY SMOKES.

RICK RUDE.

WE KNEW THEY WERE GOING HEAD

TO HEAD, BUT YOU NEVER KNEW LIKE

WHO'S GONNA SHOW UP WHERE AND

YOU KNEW THAT THERE WAS A

POSSIBILITY THAT PEOPLE WOULD

JUMP FROM ONE BRAND TO THE

OTHER.

SO, THAT'S WHAT MADE IT

EXCITING.

OH, WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY

MAKES.

AS TED TURNER AND VINCE

MCMAHON WENT HEAD TO HEAD, EACH

ORGANIZATION WOULD HAVE TO LOOK

TO THEIR MOST FAITHFUL

SUPERSTARS IN ORDER TO BECOME

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT'S LAST MAN

STANDING.

THERE WAS VERY LITTLE LOYALTY

IN THE DAYS OF THE MONDAY NIGHT

WAR.

YOU STILL NEED THE PEOPLE YOU

CAN LEAN ON, VINCE MCMAHON GOT A

FEW HE COULD DO THAT WITH.

IT'S THE SAME THING ON THE WCW

BRAND.

THE QUEST TO REMAIN ATOP THE

INDUSTRY IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM

WOULD ONLY PROVE SUCCESSFUL BY

BUILDING A STRONG EVER PRESENT

FOUNDATION A DECADE EARLIER.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING AND

WWE HAD BOTH CULTIVATED THEIR

OWN PIONEER, WHOSE PARALLEL

JOURNEYS BEGAN AS EACH COMPANY

HAD FOUND ITSELF MOCKED IN

TRADITION.

[MUSIC]

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT HAD

RISEN TO NATIONAL PROMINENCE IN

THE 1980S.

ON THE BACK OF VINCE MCMAHON'S

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT,

THE WWE ROSTER WAS BUILT ON

COLORFUL OVER THE TOP

CHARACTERS, A FORMULA THAT

SOLIDIFIED THE COMPANY AS THE

UNDISPUTED INDUSTRY LEADER.

WRESTLING AS A WHOLE WAS

BASED AROUND COMIC BOOK

CHARACTERS.

YOU HAD SUPERHEROES.

[CROW CHEERING]

HULKAMANIA IS HERE.

SO SUPERHEROES NEED SUPER

VILLAINS AND THAT'S WHY YOU HAD

A LOT OF THESE KIND OF

OUTLANDISH CHARACTERS.

WHILE THE RICHTER SCALE REACH

10, BOTH YOU AND YOUR WRESTLING

CAREER WILL BE BURIED BENEATH A

PILE OF RUBBLE.

WRESTLERS HAD ALWAYS BEEN

LARGER THAN LIFE CHARACTER.

SO, BACK IN THE 80S, YOU DIDN'T

HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF TALENT

REALLY.

IF YOU COULD TALK AND SCREAM AND

BEAT SOMEBODY UP, THEN THAT WAS

ENOUGH TO GET YOU BY.

OH.

YEAH.

WE'RE ON A ROLL COUSIN,

BUTCH.

IT'S 1990.

HOGAN'S...

YEAH, WE...

BY THE EARLY 1990S, WWE'S

TRADITIONAL RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

HAD GROWN TIRED.

I WON'T BACK DOWN FROM

ANYONE, ANYTIME, ANY PLACE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

PEOPLE GROW UP.

THEY'VE GROWN OUT OF WATCHING

THE SAME CHARACTERS, THEIR

TASTES ARE CHANGING.

IN RETURN, YOU HAVE TO DO THE

SAME THING TO STAY RELEVANT.

DEVELOPING AN ALTERNATIVE

FROM THE LOUD BOISTEROUS

PROTOTYPE THEY HAD RELIED UPON,

WWE INTRODUCED SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT TO A UNIQUE

CHARACTER WHO WAS ANYTHING BUT

TRADITIONAL.

TED DIBIASE, QUITE A CROWD

HERE, BUT CONSPICUOUS BY HIS

ABSENCE, YOUR MYSTERY TAG TEAM

PARTNER.

I REMEMBER IT WAS AT SURVIVOR

SERIES AND THERE WAS A SECRET

OPPONENT.

WEIGHTING IN AT 320 POUNDS

FROM DEATH VALLEY, I GIVE YOU

THE UNDERTAKER.

THE UNDERTAKER, THE MYSTERY

OPPONENT NOW REVEALED.

I NEVER HEARD OF...

OH, TAKE A LOOK.

WOW.

LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT.

DAMN HOT.

THE FIRST TIME THAT THE

UNDERTAKER WALKED INTO THE

ARENA, A GASP WENT THROUGH THE

CROWD, LIKE, "OH MY GOSH, LOOK

AT THIS MONSTER."

[MUSIC]

HERE COMES THIS GUY, THIS

DARK, EERIE, SCARY, LITTLE KID

THAT LOOKS LIKE HE'S DEAD.

HE'S DEATH.

[MUSIC]

OH, HIS POWER IS OVER

EVERYONE.

HE HAD SUCH A STRONG PRESENCE

RIGHT FROM THE VERY FIRST DAY,

YOU KNOW, IN THE MUSIC AND

EVERYTHING, THE UNDERTAKER CAME

OUT AND THIS WHOLE COMMANDED THE

RING THAT DAY.

YOU KNOW, I KNEW RIGHT AWAY,

TALENT.

AT THE TIME, IT SEEMED LIKE

THERE WAS A LOT OF WRESTLERS.

AND WHEN UNDERTAKER CAME OUT, HE

WAS NOT A WRESTLER.

HE WAS NOT AN ENTERTAINER.

AWESOME IS THE ONLY WORD I

COULD THINK TO DESCRIBE THIS

UNDERTAKER.

WHOA.

HE WAS LEGITIMATELY THE

UNDERTAKER.

HE JUST GOT NAILED WITH A

TOMBSTONE AND IT'S OVER.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE UNDERTAKER WAS A MARKED

DEPARTURE FOR WWE.

THERE WAS A LOT OF GUYS THAT

WERE VERY SCARY AND VERY

INTIMIDATING TO THE FANS, BUT

THEY NEVER BEEN AN UNDERTAKER.

THERE WAS NOTHING LIKE IT.

UNDERTAKER'S EXPRESSION HAS

NEVER CHANGED SINCE THE MATCH

STARTED.

UNLIKE MORE ANIMATED VILLAINS

OF YEARS PAST, THIS CHARACTER

WAS SILENT AND MYSTERIOUS.

THE UNIQUENESS OF THE

UNDERTAKER WAS DEFINITELY

SOMETHING NEW.

IT WAS DIFFERENT AT THE TIME.

HE WAS SOMEBODY WHO WAS ABLE TO

GET AWAY WITHOUT SAYING MANY

WORDS.

I MEAN, HE LET HIS ACTIONS DO

THE TALKING FOR HIM.

PAUL BEARER COMMANDING THE

SPIRIT OF THE UNDERTAKER.

YES, YES.

THE CHEMISTRY WAS JUST

PERFECT.

AND IN THOSE DAYS, UNDERTAKER

DIDN'T SAY NOTHING.

HE JUST STOOD THERE, YOU KNOW,

"OH, YES."

I HAVE A BIGGER URN FOR YOU.

[MUSIC]

AND THEN HE MIGHT SAY REST IN

PEACE OR SOMETHING.

REST IN PEACE.

I WAS BLOWN AWAY THAT I WAS

SEEING THIS, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE

WOULD EITHER BE PUT IN A CASKET

OR A BODY BAG.

AS A KID, I WAS HOOKED AND I

KNOW IF I WAS HOOKED, MILLIONS

OF KIDS WERE HOOKED TOO.

THE UNDERTAKER'S INTRIGUING

PERSONA PROVIDED A SPARK FOR

WWE.

[MUSIC]

AT THE SAME TIME, MEDIA MOGUL

TED TURNER HAD MADE HIS WAY INTO

THE SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

BUSINESS BY PURCHASING A PIECE

OF THE NATIONAL WRESTLING

ALLIANCE, RE-BRANDING IT WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

TURNER LOOKED TO CAPTURE THE

SAME SUCCESS AS VINCE MCMAHON.

AND I WANNA CONGRATULATE

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING FOR

CONTINUING THE TRADITION OF

BRINGING ACTION-PACKED WRESTLING

EXCITEMENT TO TBS.

A STAPLE OF TURNER

BROADCASTING SYNDICATED

PROGRAMMING, WCW'S ROSTER WAS

COMPRISED OF TRADITIONAL IN-RING

VETERANS HEADLINED BY INDUSTRY

LEGEND, RIC FLAIR.

THE ROSTER WAS DEEP AND IT

WAS STRONG AND IT WAS VERY

TALENTED.

AND THE ASSOCIATION WITH TED

TURNER AND THE CABLE NETWORK WAS

HUGE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS

STING.

ATTEMPTING TO SHED THEIR

SOUTHERN BLUE-COLLAR LABEL, WCW

PROMOTED A YOUNG FRESH FACE TO

CAPTURE A NEW AUDIENCE.

[MUSIC]

RIC FLAIR WAS LOOKING FOR A

NEW OPPONENT TO WORK WITH, AND

STING WOULD SITTING THERE.

AND RIC FLAIR SAID, "GIVE ME

THAT KID, LET ME TRY HIM."

THAT'S HOW STING GOT HIS BREAK.

[CROWD CHEERING]

OH, FLAIR TO THE MIDDLE OF

THE RING.

WHAT POWER THE STINGER

[INDISTINCT]

ONCE HE GOT IN THE RING WITH

THE NATURE BOY AND HELD HIS OWN,

A STAR WAS BORN.

STING QUICKLY ESTABLISHED

HIMSELF AS THE TOP UP AND COMING

STAR IN TED TURNER'S NEW WCW.

I'VE WRESTLED ALL THE BEST

HERE AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING AND IT WILL NEVER

CHANGE, BECAUSE THE STINGER WILL

NEVER CHANGE.

A YOUNGER TALENT IN THE MIDST

OF EXPERIENCE VETERANS, STING

WAS GROOMED AS THE FUTURE OF THE

FRANCHISE.

STING BROUGHT SOMETHING TO

WCW THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE.

HE WAS ROCK AND ROLL.

HE WAS CALIFORNIA, HE WAS

HOLLYWOOD, HE WAS LOUD IN COLORS

WHERE EVERYONE ELSE WAS PRETTY

MUCH TRADITIONAL.

AND IT'S GONNA BE A

SUBMISSION VICTORY FOR THE

STINGER.

[BELL RINGING]

HERE'S YOUR WINNER...

STING HAD A TREMENDOUS LOOK,

THE GIRLS LOVED HIM.

THE GUYS LIKED HIM TOO AND HE

HAD THE CLASS AND THE GRAPHIC

APPEAL.

HE'S GOT UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF

CHARISMA.

THE EARLY STING, FACE

PAINTED, BLOND HAIRED, FLATTOP,

I JUST SAW THIS ENERGETIC

SUPERHERO LOOKING CHARACTER

KICKING PEOPLE'S -- .

THE GOLDEN BOY OF WCW.

EVERY TIME I GO OUT IN ANY

ARENA, I SEE MORE AND MORE

PAINTED FACES.

[CROWD CHEERING]

MAN, HAS HE GOT A LEGION OF

FANS.

HE WAS KIND OF THAT FIRST

REAL CHARACTER OF WCW, KIND OF

NEW AGE, REVOLUTIONARY.

THE STINGER, THE YOUNG MAN

THAT PEOPLE SAY WILL DOMINATE

THE 90S AGAINST THE MAN THAT HAS

DOMINATED THE 80S, THE NATURE

BOY.

[CROWD CHEERING]

IN LATE 1991, FOLLOWING AN

ACRIMONIOUS CONTRACT DISPUTE,

RIC FLAIR DEFECTED AND SIGNED

WITH WWE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHAT BUSINESS DOES HE HAVE

DOWN THERE?

RIC FLAIR'S ARRIVAL HELPED

PROPELLED THE UNDERTAKER TO THE

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP.

[CROWD CHEERING]

FLAIR WITH A CHAIR, A STEEL

CHAIR.

OH, HE GOT PILEDRIVED RIGHT INTO

THE STEEL CHAIR.

WAIT A MINUTE, ONE.

COME ON.

TWO.

GET UP.

WE GOT A NEW WORLD CHAMPION.

[BELL RINGING]

HE DID--HE BEAT HULK HOGAN.

I MEAN, BECAUSE THAT DIDN'T

HAPPEN IN THOSE DAYS.

[MUSIC]

HULKAMANIA IS DEAD, IT IS

DEAD.

LONG LIVE THE UNDERTAKER.

AND FOR ME, IT WAS JUST...

IN CREATING THE UNDERTAKER,

VINCE MCMAHON HAD BROKEN THE

MOLD OF TRADITIONAL CHARACTERS.

BY JANUARY OF 1993, MCMAHON

WOULD ONCE AGAIN ALTER THE

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT STATUS QUO

LAUNCHING MONDAY NIGHT RAW IN

PRIMETIME.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO MONDAY

NIGHT RAW.

WE ARE LIVE FROM NEW YORK CITY.

WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES, WE

OWE IT TO OUR AUDIENCE TO BE

INNOVATIVE.

AND WHEN YOU HAVE EXTRAORDINARY

PERSONALITIES, YOU KNOW WHAT,

IT'S PRETTY EASY TO BE THAT WAY.

AS THE COMPANY EMBARKED ON AN

INNOVATIVE JOURNEY, IT WAS THE

UNDERTAKER ENTRUSTED WITH

HEADLINING THE SHOW'S INAUGURAL

MAIN EVENT.

THE UNDERTAKER EARNED HIS

SPOT IN THE MAIN EVENT.

OH, MY.

WAY UP THERE.

AND PAUL BEARER CERTAINLY LIKES

WHAT HE'S SEEING.

IT LET THE WORLD KNOW NOT

ONLY IS THIS SHOW A TOTALLY

DIFFERENT WRESTLING PRODUCT THAT

THEY'RE USED TO, THIS GUY IS THE

GUY.

PLUS THE TOMBSTONE, THAT

COULD BE IT.

WHILE THE UNDERTAKER HAD BEEN

RISING TO THE TOP OF WWE...

[BELL RINGING]

[MUSIC]

WE GOT A NEW CHAMPION.

STING HAD BECOME THE

FRANCHISE IN WCW DURING RIC

FLAIR'S ABSENCE.

STING WAS ALREADY ON THE RISE

BEFORE FLAIR EVEN TOOK THE WALL.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[MUSIC]

THE TORCH HAD BEEN PASSED.

STING WAS THRIVING AS THE

FAN-FRIENDLY MARQUEE SUPERSTAR

IN WCW AS 1993 BEGAN.

BUT JUST AS HE WAS GROWING INTO

HIS ROLE, STING'S SPOT WAS

THREATENED BY THE RETURN OF HIS

FORMER MENTOR.

[MUSIC]

A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME,

WCW'S MAIN EVENT PICTURE WAS

ABOUT TO BECOME VERY CROWDED.

[CROWD CHEERING]

RIC FLAIR WAS THRUST BACK

INTO POSITION AS THE TOP STAR IN

WCW WINNING THE WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE STARRCADE

PAY-PER-VIEW EVENT.

HE WON IT.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[BELL RINGING]

THE RETURN OF RIC FLAIR

ELEVATED WCW STATUS WITH ADDED

STAR POWER.

FOR STING, THIS WOULD MEAN

STEPPING DOWN FROM THE TOP SPOT

FOR THE SAKE OF THE COMPANY'S

PROSPERITY.

WELL, I SAID IT BEFORE ON

LIVE TV, IT WAS A PAY-PER-VIEW,

I SAID HE WAS THE GREATEST WORLD

CHAMPION OF ALL TIME AND IT'S

OBVIOUS.

I MEAN, I'M ABOUT REALLY GETTING

EMOTIONAL JUST LIKE HIM, YOU ARE

AMAZING, RIC, TRULY AMAZING.

THANKS A LOT.

CONGRATULATIONS, YOU DESERVE

IT EVERY BIT OF IT.

[MUSIC]

STING DID EVERYTHING FOR THE

COMPANY.

WHAT WAS BEST FOR THAT NIGHT OR

BEST FOR THE STORY, HE WAS A

COMPANY GUY.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WELCOME, HULK HOGAN.

IN JUNE OF 1994, WCW SIGNED

THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE FACE IN

THE HISTORY OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT, HULK HOGAN.

THE MOVE WOULD BRING WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING NATIONAL

RECOGNITION, BUT IT WAS THE

BEGINNING OF WHAT WOULD BECOME A

SERIOUS OF OBSTACLES FOR WCW'S

HOMEGROWN TALENT.

THIS HULKAMANIA THING HAD

NEVER BEEN IN THAT SOUTHERN BELT

SOUTHERN SWING TERRITORY OF TED

TURNER WRESTLING COMPANY, YOU

KNOW, NO DISRESPECT.

THEY HAD HAD STING AND THEY HAD

HAD RIC FLAIR, AND ALSO THIS BIG

MAIN EVENT TYPE WRESTLER CAME

DOWN AND THEY OPENED THE DOORS

TO ME.

THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE WRESTLING

ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD,

BROTHER, AND ALL OF THE MANIACS

KNOW THAT, DUDE.

[MUSIC]

HULK HOGAN WAS WWE.

HE WAS ONE OF THE GUYS THAT YOU

NEVER THOUGHT WOULD LEAVE.

AND WHEN HE GOES, IT WAS THE

BEGINNING OF THE WCW REVOLUTION.

HULKAMANIA LIVES IN WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

HULK HOGAN IMMEDIATELY BECAME

WCW'S STAR ATTRACTION.

NO LONGER THE NEW FACE OF THE

FRANCHISE, STING WAS FORCED TO

THE BACKGROUND.

WHEN HULK HOGAN MOVED OVER TO

WCW, HE BECAME THE FOCUS.

STING BECAME THE BACK STORY

BECAUSE HULK HOGAN WAS BIGGER

THAN WRESTLING.

WITH TED TURNER'S CHECKBOOK,

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, ERIC

BISCHOFF, QUICKLY LURED "MACHO

MAN" RANDY SAVAGE FROM WWE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THIS ISN'T A GUY THAT'S GONNA

KIND OF TIPTOE HIS WAY THROUGH

WCW QUIETLY, HE'S GONNA MAKE A

LOT OF NOISE.

HE'S GONNA LOCK--KNOCK A LOT OF

PEOPLE DOWN ON THE WAY.

HERE'S A GUY WHO'S BEEN LOYAL

TO WCW AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED,

JUST STAR BRINGING THESE OTHER

GUYS FROM WWE AND STING STARTS

GETTING LOST IN THE SHUFFLE.

THE INFLUX OF MARQUEE FORMER

WWE TALENT PUSHED STING FURTHER

OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT, BUT HE

REMAINED A LOYAL COMPANY MAN

AMIDST WCW'S RISING POPULARITY.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE KEEP

TRYING TO PUT AND DIVIDE US,

STAKE IN BETWEEN US, BUT IT'S

NEVER GONNA HAPPEN, YOU KNOW

WHY?

WHY?

HONOR AMONGST THIEVES,

BROTHER.

YOU GOT IT.

[MUSIC]

STING IS A VERY TALENTED AND

VERY SECURE GUY.

AND I KNOW STING FELT, "WOW,

MAYBE THIS IS A TURNING POINT

FOR WCW TO GET A MACHO MAN RANDY

SAVAGE AND A HULK HOGAN,

HOPEFULLY NOT ALWAYS LIKE A

STEPCHILD OF WWE, MAYBE TO RISE

UP THE RANKS AND CHALLENGE THEM

A LITTLE BIT.

WELCOME TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

[BELL RINGING]

AND HERE COMES THE MAN, HERE

COMES LEX LUGER.

YOU KNOW, WWE HAD BEEN SO

SUCCESSFUL WITH RAW AND WCW WAS

ALWAYS REALLY A DISTANT SECOND,

NEVER NEAR THE LEVEL THAT WWE

WAS AT IN MOST ANYTHING THEY

EVER DID BEFORE.

WE GOT SOME NITRO POWER

KICKED IN RIGHT NOW.

THE MAIN EVENT ACQUISITIONS

PROPELLED WCW INTO THE

LIMELIGHT.

AND THE COMPANY WASTED NO TIME

IN CAPITALIZING ON THEIR

NEWFOUND CREDIBILITY.

NO ONE EVER BELIEVED THAT TED

WOULD PUT WRESTLING ON TNT

ESPECIALLY IN PRIMETIME.

TNT AT THE TIME WAS LIKE THE

FLAGSHIP NETWORK OF TURNER

BROADCASTING.

I MEAN, THAT WAS TED'S WAY OF

SAYING, "WE'RE GOING TO BE

COMPETITIVE WITH THE WWE AND NO

ONE CAN CHANGE MY MIND."

WCW IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS THAT I

SAT, THE TRADITION OF HULK HOGAN

AND RANDY SAVAGE IS REALLY

CLOSING THE GAP WHEN WE GOT A

LOT OF MOMENTUM.

AND WE WANT TO GIVE VIEWERS A

CHOICE.

MONDAY NITRO, YOU GOT TO BE

EXPECTING THE BIGGEST, THE BEST,

THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE, WOO,

WRESTLING YOU'VE EVER SEEN IN

YOUR LIFE AND ALL I GOT TO SAY

IS TO SUM IT UP, SOMEBODY'S IN

FOR A RAW DEAL.

ARMED WITH A ROSTER OF HIGH

PROFILED STARS, WCW LAUNCHED

MONDAY NITRO IN SEPTEMBER OF

1995 IN DIRECT COMPETITION WITH

WWE'S FLAGSHIP SHOW, MONDAY

NIGHT RAW.

THE DEBUT EDITION OF WCW

MONDAY NITRO.

THE INAUGURAL NITRO FEATURED

A MATCH BETWEEN WCW'S TWO MOST

IDENTIFIABLE SUPERSTARS, BUT

ONCE AGAIN, THE ATTENTION WAS

SHIFTED TO A FORMER WWE STAR.

LEX LUGER, WHAT IN THE HELL

IS HE DOING HERE?

IT WAS STING WHO BROUGHT LEX

LUGER TO MONDAY NITRO CONTINUING

TO PUT THE COMPANY'S SUCCESS

AHEAD OF HIS OWN PERSONAL GAME.

HE WAS A PRIMARY FACILITATOR

THAT GOT ME TOGETHER WITH ERIC

BISCHOFF.

AND I DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND

MAKE THE MOVE BACK TO WCW AT

THAT TIME AFTER TALKING TO ERIC

BISCHOFF.

HE WAS ACTUALLY AT STING'S HOUSE

[MUSIC]

WCW NITRO WAS AN IMMEDIATE

THREAT TO WWE DEFEATING MONDAY

NIGHT RAW IN THE RATINGS ON

SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITHIN THE

FIRST MONTHS OF ITS LAUNCH.

[MUSIC]

STING REMAINED A BEACON FOR

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING IN

THE WAKE OF THE COMPANY'S

SUCCESS.

MEANWHILE, AS WWE PROMOTED A NEW

GENERATION OF SUPERSTARS TO

STEADY THE COURSE, THE

UNDERTAKER'S DEPENDABILITY AND

VERSATILITY ANCHORED HIM AS

WWE'S CORNERSTONE.

PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA

UNDERTAKER WOULD GO OUT AND WORK

WITH BROKEN RIBS.

HE HAD A CRUSHED EYE SOCKET.

THE PHENOM, THE UNDERTAKER

BACK IN ACTION.

[CROWD CHEERING]

ANYBODY ELSE WOULD HAVE BEEN

OUT OF COMMISSION.

HE WAS THE GUY WE DEPENDED ON.

[CROWD CHEERING]

I WATCHED HIM TAPE A FLAG

JACKET TO HIMSELF BECAUSE HIS

RIBS WERE BROKEN AND HE'S GOING

TO THE RING, BECAUSE HIS NAME

WAS ON THE MARQUEE, YOU KNOW

WHAT I MEAN?

HE'S ONE OF TOUGHEST GUYS I'VE

EVER MET.

THE UNDERTAKER LIVE IN GREEN

BAY, WISCONSIN.

THEY HAVE JAM PACKED THIS ARENA,

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YES.

[MUSIC]

AND I HEARD THE UNDERTAKER

HAS A CRACKED RIB.

IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT NOW.

[MUSIC]

HE CAN GO TOO.

AND THAT WAS THE THING, LIKE HE

WAS THE GUY WHO WAS BEATING SOME

VERY RECOGNIZABLE PEOPLE AND WAS

REALLY GOOD.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HE'S A VERY ATHLETIC BIG MAN.

I HATED WORKING WITH MOST BIG

GUYS, BECAUSE YOU USUALLY LOOK

LIKE TWO ABRAMS TANKS.

WITH TAKER, YOU KNOW, WE COULD

ACTUALLY HAVE A MATCH.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HE WAS A GREAT PERFORMER.

AND I THINK PEOPLE REALIZE,

"HEY, THIS IS A GUY WHO CAN

STEAL THE SHOW WITH A VARIETY OF

OPPONENTS."

OH, MY GOODNESS.

THE UNDERTAKER HELPED WWE

MAINTAIN ITS RATINGS LEAD IN THE

FACE OF WCW'S RISING MOMENTUM,

BUT JUST AS WWE SEEM TO ACHIEVE

STABILITY, TED TURNER AND ERIC

BISCHOFF WOULD STRIKE AGAIN.

NITRO AT THE TIME WAS

BEGINNING TO GET SOME TRACTION

AND THE NUMBERS WERE GROWING,

THE REVENUE WAS GROWING, THE

COMPANY WAS GROWING.

WE'RE DOING MORE HOUSE SHOWS,

YOU KNOW, WE NEEDED SOME FRESH

FACES.

AND I THOUGHT, "WHAT THE HELL?"

SO I'D CONTACTED SCOTT HALL AND

KEVIN NASH.

YOU KNOW, IN THIS BUSINESS,

YOU CAN MAKE FRIENDS OR YOU CAN

MAKE MONEY.

AND I REMEMBER LOOKING AT KEV

AND GOING, "I'VE ALREADY GOT

SOME FRIENDS.

I'D LIKE THE MONEY."

AND NOW THE OUTSIDERS IN THE

RING.

HERE WE GO.

THE OUTSIDERS IN THE RING AND

THEY ARE HAMMERING AWAY.

BY JUNE OF 1996, WITH THE

AUDITIONS OF SCOTT HALL AND

KEVIN NASH...

UH-OH.

HERE THEY COME.

...WWE FANS WERE TUNING IN TO

SEE THEIR FAVORITE STARS IN WCW.

AND THE SURGING NITRO REGAINED

CONTROLLED OF THE MONDAY NIGHT

RATINGS WAR.

[BELL RINGING]

LOOK AT THIS RIGHT NOW, THOSE

TWO MEN STANDING THERE MEAN

BUSINESS.

WE ARE AT WAR.

THE PERCEPTION WAS THAT IT

WAS TWO WWE GUYS COMING IN,

TAKING OVER THEIR COMPANY.

THAT WAS THE SUCCESS OF IT.

WWE WAS NUMBER ONE, WCW WAS

NUMBER TWO.

BUT WHEN YOU GET THE WWE GUYS

GOING TO WCW, I WAS, "THERE YOU

GO, WAIT A MINUTE.

I SAW THESE GUYS ON MONDAY NIGHT

RAW AND NOW I'M SEEING THEM ON

MONDAY NITRO.

THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON THIS

SIDE, SO LET ME SEE WHAT'S GOING

ON."

BUT NITRO'S IMPROVED RATINGS

WOULD COME AT A PRICE.

THE IDENTITY OF WCW WAS CHANGING

AND ITS FRANCHISE WAS BEING CAST

ASIDE AS THE COMPANY EMBARKED ON

A NEW INITIATIVE.

HALL AND NASH WANTED TO TAKE

OVER THE WHOLE COMPANY.

AND IF NOT, JUST TRY AND MESS

WITH IT AS MUCH AS THEY COULD.

THEY DIDN'T REALLY RESPECT WCW.

THIS IS WHERE THE BIG BOYS

PLAY?

WHAT A JOKE.

STING WAS THREATENED BY THAT,

BECAUSE THEY WERE COMING IN JUST

TAKING OVER.

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE

YOU ARE?

YOU'RE IN THE JUNGLE, BABY.

THIS IS WCW.

GUYS COMING INTO HIS HOUSE

AND TAKING THE COMPANY IN A

DIFFERENT AVENUE THAN WHAT HE

HAD PRIOR TO THAT DIDN'T SIT

WELL WITH HIM.

NOW, THERE'S CONFLICT WITH

EACH GUYS.

WE HAVE FOUGHT THEM FOREVER AND

HERE THEY ARE ON OUR

TURF--ACTUALLY TOOK OVER OUR

TURF.

[CROWD CHEERING]

IT WAS MORE THAN WHAT MET THE

EYE.

WAIT A MINUTE.

A KEY ELEMENT OF NITRO'S

SUCCESS WAS THE UNPREDICTABLE

NATURE OF ITS PROGRAMMING.

AS THE OUTSIDERS TEASED THE

ADDITION OF A THIRD MAN, ERIC

BISCHOFF WAS LOOKING FOR

SOMETHING NO ONE WOULD EXPECT.

ORIGINALLY, THE THIRD PERSON

WAS SUPPOSED TO BE STING, BUT HE

DIDN'T WANNA BE ON THE DARK

SIDE.

AND I TELL YOU WHAT, YOU'VE

GOT TO WONDER WHAT IS GOING

THROUGH STING'S MIND.

IT'S A DIFFERENT STING.

STING BEING THE THIRD MAN, IT

WAS TALKED ABOUT A LOT.

HE DIDN'T WANNA DO IT AND HE

DIDN'T DO IT.

SO HE STUCK BY HIS GUNS.

WITH STING UNWILLING TO ALTER

HIS CHARACTER, WCW WOULD TURN TO

THE BIGGEST ICON IN SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHAT IS HE DOING?

OH, MY GOD.

IS HE THE THIRD MAN?

HE'S THE THIRD MAN.

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON

HERE?

HULK HOGAN HAS BETRAYED WCW.

HE IS THE THIRD MAN...

LOOK AT THIS.

...IN THIS PICTURE.

OH, MY GOD.

THERE WERE KIDS AND THE

NATION AND THE WORLD BELIEVING

IN THE TRAINING AND THE PRAYERS

AND VITAMINS IN A BAD GUY.

OH, IT MIGHT WORK.

SO I WENT TO THE RING AND BECAME

THE LEADER OF THE NWO.

THIS RIGHT HERE IS THE FUTURE OF

WRESTLING.

YOU CAN CALL THIS THE NEW WORLD

ORDER OF WRESTLING, BROTHER.

UNBELIEVABLE SITUATION RIGHT

HERE AT BASH AT THE BEACH.

[CROWD CHEERING]

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, OUR

NUMBERS TOOK OFF AND WE REIGNED

AND WE RULED THE WRESTLING WORLD

IN THE RATINGS.

MONDAY NITRO CONTINUES TO BE

THE STANDARD LEADER IN

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING AROUND

THE WORLD AS YOU CAN SEE.

AS WCW DISTANCED ITSELF FROM

WWE IN THE RATINGS, EVEN MORE OF

VINCE MCMAHON'S TALENT ABANDONED

MONDAY NIGHT RAW FOR THE BRIGHT

LIGHTS OF NITRO.

THE MAN YOU'RE LOOKING AT

RIGHT NOW, HE WAS--OH MY GOD,

THE 1-2-3 KID, BUT WHAT IN THE

WORLD IS HE DOING HERE?

FANS AND SUPERSTARS ALIKE

WERE LEAVING FOR WCW.

BUT AS WWE'S FUTURE LOOKED

BLEAK...

AND HERE HE COMES, THE MAN

WITH A BIRD'S EYE.

...VINCE MCMAHON COULD STILL

LEAN ON ONE PERSON TO STABILIZE

HIS COMPANY.

UNDERTAKER IS THE MOST LOYAL

PERFORMER I'VE EVER DEALT WITH.

HE HAD ENOUGH FAITH AND HE WOULD

BE TREATED WELL FOR THAT

LOYALTY.

HE IS THE KIND OF MAN THAT YOU

WOULD WANT LITERALLY AND

FIGURATIVELY IN THE FOX HOLE

WITH YOU.

DO YOU IMAGINE HOW MUCH MONEY

ERIC BISCHOFF COULD HAVE GOTTEN

TED TURNER TO WRITE A CHECK FOR

JUST TO GET THE UNDERTAKER AWAY

FROM WWE?

NOTHING WILL STOP THE

UNDERTAKER.

TAKER WAS NOT GONNA TURN HIS

BACK ON VINCE WHEN VINCE NEEDED

HIM MOST.

WCW WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE

HAD THE UNDERTAKER, THAT MIGHT

HAVE BEEN A NAIL ON OUR COFFIN

RIGHT THERE IF HE LEFT.

THE UNDERTAKER IS, YOU

KNOW--THERE IS STABILITY IN HIM,

YOU KNOW, AS AN INDIVIDUAL.

AND THAT'S WHAT [INDISTINCT]

THROUGHOUT THE COMPANY.

YOU JUST HAD A FEW GUYS THAT

WERE LIFELONG WWE GUYS AND

DECIDED, "WE'RE NOT GONNA LEAVE.

WE'RE GONNA STAY HERE AND WE'RE

GONNA WEATHER THE STORM AND

WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BATTLE

WCW."

AND WE THINK IN THE END WILL BE

SUCCESSFUL.

[CROWD CHEERING]

OH, NO.

PICKS HIM UP.

WHOA.

AND DOWN, A CHOKESLAM WITH

AUTHORITY.

[CROWD CHEERING]

UNBELIEVABLE IMPACT FROM THE

UNDERTAKER.

THE UNDERTAKER'S EVERLASTING

PRESENCE HELPED KEEP WWE AFLOAT.

[MUSIC]

HOWEVER, MONDAY NITRO WAS

STILL RATINGS KING AS THE NEW

WORLD ORDER TOOK OVER ALL OF

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

THE RAIN IS COMING DOWN LIVE

HERE ON NITRO, BUT THEY ARE--YOU

SEE THAT FLYERS ARE BEING

DISTRIBUTED RIGHT NOW.

AND THOSE ARE--THOSE ARE--THAT'S

HULK HOGAN AND THE OUTSIDERS IN

THE RING PUTTING FLYERS ON THE

CARS HERE AT THE ARENA.

IN ORDER TO BUILD SOME REALLY

STRONG GOOD GUY CHARACTERS, I

HAD TO HAD A LOT OF REALLY

STRONG BAD GUYS FOR THEM TO BE

IN THE STORYLINE WITH.

AND LET THE HEELS JUST HAVE

THEIR WAY FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS

AND MONTHS.

[MUSIC]

STING, EVERY TIME I TALKED TO

HIM, HE WOULD TELL ME, "THIS IS

WRONG, I DON'T LIKE IT, I'M NOT

COMFORTABLE WITH IT, IT'S NOT

GONNA WORK, IT'S KILLING MY

CHARACTER."

HE'S GIVEN ME 15 REASONS EVERY

TIME I SAW WHY I SHOULDN'T BE

DOING WHAT I WAS DOING.

ATTACKING STING AS HE WAS

TRYING TO LOAD UP THE CAR.

I THINK THE HARDEST THING IN

THIS INDUSTRY WAS ALWAYS TO BE

THAT PURE GOOD GUY.

THE GUY THAT COULD SPIT IN THE

FACE AND, YOU KNOW, WIPES IT

OFF, GETS SMACKED AND HE TURNS

UP WITH YOU.

STING IS ON HIS WAY TO THE

RING.

WITH THE COMPANY CHANGING,

WCW'S FLAG BEARER WOULD FINALLY

BE FORCED TO DO THE SAME.

IF YOU DON'T EVOLVE, YOU DIE.

EVERYBODY IMPROVES ON THAT

LEVEL, IT HAS TO CHANGE, IT HAS

TO EVOLVE.

THEY HAVE TO GET BETTER SO THEY

CAN TAKE IT HOME.

AND I HAVE GIVEN MY BLOOD, MY

SWEAT, AND MY TEARS FOR WCW.

I THINK HE WAS DONE BEING THE

STING THAT GOT WALKED ALL OVER.

AND IT WAS TIME TO TAKE HIS

CHARACTER IN A DIFFERENT

DIRECTION.

THAT'S STING.

HE WAS THE FLAGSHIP ALL THOSE

YEARS AND HE FELT THAT WCW WAS

NEVER GONNA BE THE SAME BECAUSE

OF THE NWO AND THE INVASION, SO

IT WAS ALMOST LIKE HIS CHARACTER

WAS IN MOURNING FOR WCW AND ALL

OF THEIR FANS.

THEY'RE JUST STANDING AROUND

WATCHING STINGER.

ABANDONING THE CHARACTER THAT

ONCE CATAPULTED HIM TO THE TOP

OF THE COMPANY, VIEWERS WERE

LEFT IN THE DARK AS TO THE NEW

DIRECTION OF WCW'S FRANCHISE

SUPERSTAR.

AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS

ACTUALLY A PRETTY BRILLIANT

TWIST OF HIS CHARACTER.

BUT THE ONLY THING IS FOR

SURE ABOUT STING IS NOTHING'S

FOR SURE.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

[MUSIC]

BY THE BEGINNING OF 1997,

STING HAD TRANSFORMED FROM THE

FLAMBOYANT FACE OF WCW...

IN A FEW MOMENTS, HOPEFULLY

STING WILL MAKE HIS APPEARANCE.

...TO A SILENT, STALKING

ENIGMA LURKING IN THE RAFTERS OF

MONDAY NITRO.

THERE HE IS.

LISTEN TO THE ROAR OF THE CROWD.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HE WANTED TO CHANGE AND GROW

AND REINVENT HIMSELF.

HE TOOK SOMETHING OUT OF THAT

MOVIE, THE CROW.

HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IF IT WAS

GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL.

HE KNEW THAT IT WOULD TAKE A

WHILE AND HE KNEW THAT HE WAS

THE FRANCHISE.

HE WAS ALWAYS SUCH A LIKE

OVER THE TOP SPEAKER.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, NOW THIS

GUY IS COMPLETELY QUITE AND

STARK AND IT'S BROODING AND IT'S

MYSTERIOUS.

I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON

HERE.

AND THAT MYSTERY NOT BEING TOLD

EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING, AS A

FAN, WAS JUST VERY INTRIGUING.

[MUSIC]

THAT'S STING.

THAT IS STING

OCCUPYING--WHERE IS HE ANYWAY?

WAY HIGH UP ABOVE THE FANS,

ALMOST LIKE ONE OF THE LUXURY

BOXES UP THERE.

STING WAS KIND OF THE

POLICEMAN, THE ENFORCER FOR THE

GOOD AGAINST THE EVIL WHICH WAS

THE NWO.

STING EVOLVED.

BOY, TALK ABOUT A GAME OF

CHESS.

STING NEEDED TO GO THAT

DIRECTION.

THE STORY WAS SO JUST

MASTERFULLY TOLD.

HE WAS THE PERFECT PIECE ON THE

CHESSBOARD FOR THE NWO TO PLAY

WITH.

HE WAS AS IMPRESSIVE THEN AS

HE WAS BACK IN THE 80S.

SO FROM ONE SPECTRUM TO THE

OTHER...

[CROWD CHEERING]

...HE STILL WAS ABLE TO

MAINTAIN HIS POPULARITY.

THAT WAS EXTREMELY CREATIVE, NOT

TO MENTION, HE NEVER SAID A

WORD.

IT GOES TO SHOW JUST HOW MUCH

OF A PRESENCE HE HAD VERY

SIMILAR TO UNDERTAKER.

[MUSIC]

WELL...

YEAH.

YOU WANNA SEE THAT TOO, WOULDN'T

YOU?

WHAT A TRANSFORMATION, ONE

THE BETTER TRANSFORMATIONS IN

THE HISTORY OF OUR BUSINESS.

STING DIDN'T NEED TO TALK.

HIS ACTIONS SPOKE FOR HIM.

AND THIS WAS DURING AN AGE WERE

EVERYBODY COULD TALK.

WHY TALK?

STAND OUT.

OH.

HE DIDN'T EVEN SAY ANYTHING.

HE COULD SAY MORE WITH A LOOK

THAN PEOPLE COULD SAY IN A 10

MINUTE INTERVIEW.

STING COMING DOWN FROM THE

HEAVENS AGAIN.

THOUGH HE REMAINED SHROUDED

IN MYSTERY, BOTH WCW AND STING

MAINTAINED THEIR BOOMING

POPULARITY.

[CROWD CHEERING]

BATTLE WITH SUPERMAN AND

STING.

VINCE MCMAHON WOULD RESPOND.

WWE'S PROGRAMMING BEGAN TO

CHANGE INCORPORATING EDGIER

STORYLINES AND MORE DYNAMIC

CHARACTERS.

THE HELL, YOU CAN KISS MY --.

WOW.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE PERCEPTION OF THE WAY

CHARACTERS SHOULD BE PRESENTED

HAD CHANGED.

AND NONE WERE ANY MORE SUITED

FOR THE ENVIRONMENT OF WWE THAN

THE UNDERTAKER.

THAT IS ANOTHER SIGN OF THE

UNDERTAKER.

AND WE REALLY, I DON'T THINK,

WANT TO EXPLORE.

THE UNDERTAKER CHARACTER WAS

REALLY HUGE AS THE SILENT, BUT

DEADLY TYPE.

WHEN THE UNDERTAKER STARTED

TALKING, IT WOKE A LOT OF GUYS

UP.

MICHAELS, THERE'S NO WAY OUT.

SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS YOU LOOK

INTO THE EYES OF THE REAPER AND

YOU PAY FOR YOUR PRIZE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WWE WAS REVEALING ADDITIONAL

LAYERS TO THE UNDERTAKER'S MORE

COMPLEX CHARACTER.

THE PHENOM'S SORT OF PAST WOULD

FURTHER ENHANCE HIS INTRIGUE.

THE STORYLINE WAS THAT THERE

WAS A FIRE AT THE FAMILY FUNERAL

HOME WHERE I WORKED FOR THE

UNDERTAKER'S PARENTS.

I WOULD SAY THAT THERE WAS A

BROTHER THAT GOT BURNT UP AND

KILLED IN THE FIRE WHICH WAS

KANE.

I KEPT INSISTING THAT KANE WAS

ALIVE.

THAT'S GOT TO BE KANE.

THAT'S GOT TO BE KANE.

HERE COMES KANE, GRABBED THE

DOOR, RIPPED THE DOOR OFF THE

CAGE AND THERE HE WAS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

OH, MY GOSH.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK.

AND HE GETS IN THERE AND YOU

COULD ACTUALLY SEE THE

UNDERTAKER KIND OF SCARED.

YOU WOULD NEVER SEE THAT BEFORE

EVER.

AND SO THAT WAS A BIG DEAL IN

AND OF ITSELF.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHAT'S THIS?

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE UNDERTAKER'S RIVALRY WITH

KANE HELPED WWE CONTINUE TO GROW

THEIR AUDIENCE.

AND THE DEADMAN REMAINED AT THE

MAIN EVENT LEVEL THROUGHOUT THE

REST OF 1997.

I THINK THE KANE-UNDERTAKER

SAGA WAS THE BEST BIT OF

STORYTELLING WWE HAS EVER DONE.

SOMEWHERE BEHIND THAT MASK OF

EVIL IS MY LITTLE BROTHER.

HE WAS TRYING TO KEEP FAMILY

COHESION.

HE JUST DISCOVERED THAT HIS

LITTLE BROTHER WAS STILL ALIVE

AND HE WANTED TO TAKE HIM UNDER

HIS WING, BUT LITTLE BROTHERS

HAVE AN INNATE DESIRE TO MAKE

THEIR OWN WAY.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY

CAN RELATE TO.

OH, MAN.

YOU MUST FACE YOUR BROTHER.

YES, YOU MUST FACE HIM.

WWE WAS CULTIVATING A

SUCCESSFUL FORMAT, BUT STING'S

COMPELLING STORYLINE HELPED

NITRO EXTEND ITS LEAD OVER RAW

THROUGHOUT 1997.

WHERE IS HE?

WHERE IS HE AT?

COME ON, STING.

GET IN HERE, STING.

THE TIME WAS RIGHT FOR WCW TO

THRUST THE FRANCHISE PLAYER BACK

INTO THE MAIN EVENT PICTURE

AGAINST THE NWO AND THE MAN WHO

HAD STOLEN HIS SPOTLIGHT.

YOUR HERO IS ONLY DEFINED BY

THE SIZE OF YOUR OPPONENT.

HERE COMES STING JUST DROPPING

EVERYBODY.

HE HAD THE GREATEST PUSH OF ALL

TIME AS FAR AS THAT'S CONCERNED

AND I THINK HE EARNED IT.

AND WE SPENT ALMOST A YEAR

BUILDING THE ANTICIPATION FOR

STING AND HOGAN.

AND STING DIDN'T SAY A WORD,

DIDN'T OPEN HIS MOUTH.

AND THE AUDIENCE JUST SHOOK AND

WE JUST KEPT BUILDING AND

NURTURING THEIR ANTICIPATION, SO

WE KNEW WE WOULD HAVE A MONSTER

ON OUR HANDS.

WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT?

WHY DO YOU LOSE THAT--WHY

DOES HE ALWAYS GOT THE BAT?

THAT WAS THE HOTTING THING.

YOU HAD A GUY WHO COMPLETELY

EVOLVED THAT CHANGES CHARACTER

AND HIDE IN THE RAFTERS AND HE

SUDDENLY BECAME THE COOLEST GUY

WITHOUT DOING A THING.

HE DIDN'T SAY A WORD, HOW

POWERFUL IS THAT?

HE WOULDN'T SAY A WORD.

FANS WOULD HAVE SIGNS, YOU KNOW,

STING WANTS HOGAN.

AND THEN THEY FINALLY BOOK THAT

MATCH FOR STARRCADE AND IT WAS

JUST POOF.

IN WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST

PAY-PER-VIEW BY RATE IN WWC'S

HISTORY, STING FACED OFF AGAINST

HOLLYWOOD HOGAN AT STARRCADE IN

DECEMBER OF 1997.

STING HAS RETURNED TO THE

WRESTLING RING TO RECLAIM WWC'S

TITLE FROM THE NWO.

STARRCADE '97 WAS HUGE FOR

WCW, BECAUSE WE KNEW SOMEHOW,

SOMEWHERE AT THE END OF THIS

MOVIE, HE WAS GONNA SAVE US ALL.

[CROWD CHEERING]

A BIGGER SPLASH OUT TO THE

TOP.

CAN HE PUT IT ON HIM?

CAN HE PUT IT ON HIM, GUYS?

IT WAS A HUGE MOMENT FOR WCW.

AFTER EVERYTHING HE WENT THROUGH

AND BEING GONE AND COMING BACK

WITH THE NWO DOING EVERYTHING

THEY WERE DOING, FOR STING TO

COME OUT VICTORIOUS, IT WAS VERY

INSTRUMENTAL IN HIS CAREER.

HART'S RIGHT IN HOGAN...

HE'S GOTTEN HIM.

[BELL RINGING]

[MUSIC]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, STING

HAS BROUGHT IT BACK WHERE IT

BELONGS, THE CROWNING JEWEL FOR

WCW.

LEX LUGER ON THE STAGE.

IT'S CELEBRATION TIME.

HE WAS THE MONUMENT OF WCW.

IT WAS A HUGE NIGHT AS A FAN, IT

WAS A HUGE NIGHT FOR THE

COMPANY.

THAT WAS AWESOME.

[CROWD CHEERING]

LOOK AT THAT FACE, SO MUCH

EMOTION.

TONIGHT IS OUR NIGHT.

STING IS THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT

CHAMPION.

STING'S RETURN TO PROMINENCE

WAS A MAJOR BOOM FOR WCW.

[MUSIC]

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE LONG WAIT WAS WORTH IT,

THE CROWNING JEWEL STING,

WORLD'S HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.

I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, IT'S

BREATHTAKING IN HERE, GUYS.

BUT AS THE CALENDAR TURNED TO

1998, WWE WAS GAINING GROUND IN

THE RATINGS BATTLE.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

WOULD NEED THEIR HERO NOW MORE

THAN EVER.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[MUSIC]

IT'S STING.

IT'S THE WORLD CHAMPION.

BY EARLY 1998, STING'S

DRASTIC CHARACTER TRANSFORMATION

HAD PAID OFF.

WCW EXPERIENCED THEIR LARGEST

RATINGS TO DATE WITH STORYLINES

CENTERED AROUND THE COMPANY'S

NEW CHAMPION.

FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR, STING

NEVER SAID A WORD AND HE WAS A

BIGGER CHARACTER AT THE END OF

THAT THAN HE WAS BEFORE HE

STARTED.

AND THE TOP GUY IN WCW HAD

BECOME A MAN OF TOTAL MYSTERY.

AND THAT'S A HOOK THAT PEOPLE

WILL COME BACK AND COME BACK AND

COME BACK FOR MORE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE CROW CHARACTER RESONATED

WITH MYSELF AND A LOT OF OTHER

KIDS MY AGE.

LIKE THE MYSTIQUE WAS SO BIG AND

SO BROODY AND IT WAS SO AWESOME.

WOULD YOU LOOK FROM THE

HEAVENS?

IF IT'S NOT STING, WE'RE AT

WAR.

AND THERE WERE ALL OF THESE

BAD -- CHARACTERS WHO WERE

CUTTING EDGE AND COOL, BUT STING

WAS A VERY INTERESTING PART OF

THAT WHOLE THING.

IT'S LIKE, WHOA, STINGS UP IN

THE RAFTERS.

HE'S HITTING PEOPLE WITH A BAT,

BECAUSE HE WAS VERY, VERY COOL.

STING WITH THE BAT.

OH.

HE'S GOT EVERYBODY.

YES.

[MUSIC]

[CROWD CHEERING]

I WILL WALK STRAIGHT THROUGH

THE FIRES OF HELL TO FACE YOU,

KANE.

AND YOU GET THE UNDERTAKER

WHO'S GOT THAT PRESENCE ABOUT

HIM AND THAT AURA, AND THE

FEELING THAT HE'S UNBEATABLE,

THAT'S WHEN YOU GET SOMETHING

SPECIAL.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE UNDERTAKER AND STING WERE

BOTH HEROES WITH AN EDGE.

THE AUDIENCE WAS DRAWN TO THESE

MORE COMPELLING PROTAGONISTS AND

TUNED INTO BOTH MONDAY NIGHT

PROGRAMS IN RECORD NUMBERS.

UNDERTAKER AND STING KEPT

REINVENTING THEMSELVES.

AND THEY NEVER BETRAYED THE CORE

OF THEIR OWN PERSONA, BUT THEY

ADDED LAYERS TO THAT CORE THAT

MADE THEIR CHARACTERS MORE

RIVETING AND COMPELLING TO

WATCH.

IT WAS JUST LIKE A RACE FOR

ARMS IN WAR.

WCW VERSUS WWE IN THE RATINGS

WARS, THOSE ARE HUGE NUMBERS OF

FANS THAT HAVE TURNED ONTO

WRESTLING, WHETHER YOU LIKE WWE

OR YOU LIKE WCW, WE GOT PEOPLE

TO WATCH.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE PHENOM IS HERE.

WHAT A REACTION.

[CROWD CHEERING]

BY APRIL OF 1998, THE RAPID

MOMENTUM OF WWE'S ATTITUDE ERA

HELPED RAW OVERTAKE NITRO IN THE

WEEKLY RATINGS BATTLES.

[MUSIC]

[CROWD CHEERING]

BUILDING ON THIS MOMENTUM,

THE UNDERTAKER'S CHARACTER

CONTINUED TO EVOLVE INTO A MORE

DYNAMIC PERSONA.

AND VINCE MCMAHON DID JUST

THAT.

HE GAVE ME THE CHANCE TO BE

MYSELF, TO BE THE UNDERTAKER.

I STAYED BY HIS SIDE EVEN AFTER

ALL HIS HAND CHOSEN FAVORITES

LEFT TOWN FOR GREENER PASTURES,

MORE MONEY, I STAYED HERE.

[MUSIC]

HAVING HELPED TO TURN THE

TIDE, THE UNDERTAKER WAS

JUSTIFIED IN DEMANDING THE

SPOTLIGHT.

HOWEVER, THE PHENOM WOULD

INSTEAD PREFER TO SHARE THE

WEALTH WITH THE REST OF THE

WWE'S LOCKER ROOM.

THIS UNSELFISHNESS HELPED MONDAY

NIGHT RAW MAINTAIN ITS RATINGS

LEAD.

UNDERTAKER IS DEFINITELY THE

LOCKER ROOM LEADER, BECAUSE HIS

PHILOSOPHY ISN'T ABOUT WHAT'S IN

IT FOR UNDERTAKER, HIS

PHILOSOPHY IS WHAT'S IN IT FOR

EVERYBODY IN THE LOCKER ROOM OR

WHICH MAKES THE COMPANY STRONGER

THE UNDERTAKER DID THINGS FOR

THE COMPANY BECAUSE IT WAS THE

RIGHT THING TO DO.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THAT TAKES A HELL OF A LOT OF

GUTS.

THAT'S A MAN'S MAN RIGHT THERE.

[MUSIC]

WHEREAS IN WCW, EVERYBODY A

LOT OF TIMES WAS IN THERE FOR

THEMSELVES.

AND THEY WEREN'T LOOKING AT THE

BIG PICTURE LIKE HOW CAN WE MAKE

A BETTER--THAT'S TWO DIFFERENT

PHILOSOPHIES.

UNDERTAKER WAS ONE OF THOSE

GUYS WHO WAS ALWAYS SO STEADY,

TELLING ME, "DON'T WORRY ABOUT

IT, KID.

YOU JUST GO OUT AND KEEP DOING

YOUR THING.

YOU GOT A HELL OF A FUTURE."

SPOKE VOLUMES ABOUT HIS

INTEGRITY AND HIS LOVE FOR THE

BUSINESS.

AND I'LL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR

THAT.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WE HAD THE ROCK AND THE

UNDERTAKER WHO HAVE BEEN WITH US

FROM DAY ONE.

WE HAD STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN.

SO, YOU HAD, YOU KNOW, A

COMBINATION OF THESE EMERGING

STARS PLUS THE LOYALISTS WHO

REMAINED HERE.

AND IT WAS A TREMENDOUS MIX AT

THAT TIME.

THE UNDERTAKER HAD REDEFINED

HIS CHARACTER WITHOUT

SACRIFICING THE ORIGINAL ESSENCE

OF HIS PERSONA.

[MUSIC]

[CROWD CHEERING]

BUT BY JUNE OF 1998, THE SAME

COULD NOT BE SAID FOR WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING'S MAN OF

MYSTERY.

IN HOPES OF REGAINING THEIR

MOMENTUM, WCW LOOKED TO THE NEW

WORLD ORDER.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE NWO SPLIT RIGHT AT THE

TOP.

NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE THE BATTLE

LINES ARE GOING TO BE DRAWN.

LET'S GET OUT OUR PAPERS AND

KEEP TRACK OF THE DIFFERENT

ROSTERS WITHIN THE NEW WORLD

ORDER.

THE NWO HAD SEPARATED INTO

TWO WARRING FACTIONS.

CAN I SAY MORE?

BOTH SEEKING THE ALLEGIANCE

OF WCW'S FLAG BEARER.

THE NWO WOLFPAC, NWO

HOLLYWOOD.

AND LOOK UP ABOVE, WHAT'S THIS

MAN THINKING?

WHERE DOES STING STAND?

HE'S GOT A NWO--HE'S GONE TO THE

BLACK AND THE WHITE.

OH.

OH, MY GOD.

HE'S GONE TO THE BLACK AND THE

WHITE.

AND LOOK AT HOGAN CELEBRATE.

OH, I THOUGHT I'D NEVER SEE

THIS.

STING HUGGING HOGAN--NO, HE

DOESN'T.

[CROWD CHEERING]

STING DECKED HOGAN.

STING IS GONNA SLAM THE GIANT.

WHOA.

HE HAS SLAMMED THE GIANT.

STING'S GOT--HE'S GOT THE RED

AND THE BLACK.

[MUSIC]

THE NWO WOLFPAC WAS A NEW

TWIST FOR STING AS HE SHED HIS

INDIVIDUALISM TO JOIN HIS FORMER

RIVALS.

BUT THIS LATEST CHARACTER

DEVELOPMENT WOULD SOON DO MORE

HARM THAN GOOD.

[MUSIC]

WE ALL THOUGHT STING WAS THE

SAVIOR OF WCW, THE ONE GUY WHO

WAS GONNA BE ABLE TO VANQUISH

THE NWO.

BUT IT WAS KIND OF HARD TO THINK

THAT IN THE YEARS, STING

WOULDN'T BE A PART OF THE NWO

BECAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE

COMPANY PUT THE FLAG OF THE NWO.

HE WAS THE LAST ONE THAT THEY

COULD FLIP TO JOIN THE NWO

BECAUSE IF YOU GET STING TO

FLIP, YOU'VE GOT THE PEOPLE

AGAIN.

IT JUST WAS LESS IMPACTFUL,

BECAUSE NOW EVERYBODY WAS NWO.

STING GOT LOST IN THE

SHUFFLE.

STING USED TO BE A GUY THAT

STOOD OUT ON HIS OWN.

AND NOW, HE'S JUST IN THIS LARGE

GROUP.

WHOLE LOT OF RED AND BLACK

GOING ON TONIGHT.

[MUSIC]

THE SUCCESS OF STING'S

INITIAL TRANSFORMATION HAD BEEN

COMPROMISED BY HIS IMMERSION IN

THE NWO.

BUT AS WWE BEGAN TO DISTANCE

THEMSELVES FROM WCW IN THE

RATINGS, THE UNDERTAKER WAS

EMBARKING ON A RISKY CHARACTER

METAMORPHOSIS OF HIS OWN.

ACCEPT THE LORD OF DARKNESS

AS YOUR SAVIOR.

ALLOW THE PURITY OF EVIL TO

GUIDE YOU.

[MUSIC]

AS THE ATTITUDE ERA PUSHED

THE LIMITS OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT, THE UNDERTAKER

INTENSIFIED HIS CHARACTER'S

CRYPTIC ROOTS AND EVOLVED INTO

THE VILLAINOUS LEADER OF THE

MINISTRY OF DARKNESS.

I HAVE AMASSED AN ARMY.

[MUSIC]

UNDERTAKER HAS REINVENTED

HIMSELF MANY TIMES WHICH SHOWS

YOU HOW GREAT A TALENT HE IS.

AND DURING THAT TIME, HE WANNA

REINVENT HIMSELF TO A REAL DARK

SIDE CHARACTER TO TAKE ALL OF

THE GOOD OUT OF IT.

AND MAKING AN EVIL CHARACTER WHO

WAS PRETTY TOUGH TO DO, BUT HE

DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF IT.

IT WAS COOL TO SEE A

DIFFERENT SIDE TO THE UNDERTAKER

WHICH WASN'T TOTALLY DIFFERENT

FROM WHAT HE WAS.

IT WAS JUST THIS NEW PHASE OF

THE UNDERTAKER.

WHEN HE DECIDED TO MORPH INTO

THE MINISTRY OF DARKNESS AND DO

A [INDISTINCT]

IN LATIN.

[MUSIC]

IT JUST SHOWED EVERYBODY THAT

IF YOU WANNA BE ON YOUR GAME,

WELL, YOU'VE ALWAYS GOT TO BE

ABLE TO UPGRADE AND ADJUST AND

MAKE IT BETTER.

AND IF THE UNDERTAKER CAN DO

THAT, THEN I DAMN SURE SHOULD BE

THINKING ABOUT DOING SOMETHING

LIKE THAT.

[MUSIC]

IT GOES BACK TO THE RESPECT

THAT THE AUDIENCE HAS FOR HIM

AND KNOWING THAT WHEN HE STEPS

INTO THAT RING, HE'S GONNA GIVE

A HUNDRED PERCENT OF WHAT THEY

CAME TO SEE.

NO MATTER IF HE'S BETRAYING A

GOOD GUY, BAD GUY, THEY KNOW

HE'S GONNA GIVE THEM WHAT THEY

CAME TO SEE.

BY THE SPRING OF 1999, THE

UNDERTAKER WAS PART OF A

STAR-STUDDED ROSTER THAT WAS

DOMINATING THE MONDAY NIGHT

RATINGS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

A SCORPION DEATH DROP.

THAT COULD BE IT.

ONE, TWO, THREE.

NEW CHAMPION, NEW CHAMPION.

HE DID IT.

[BELL RINGING]

[MUSIC]

MEANWHILE, IN WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING, STING

HAD LEFT THE NWO WOLFPAC AND WAS

BACK ON HIS OWN.

BUT EVEN THE RETURN TO HIS MOST

SUCCESSFUL PERSONA WAS NOT

ENOUGH TO OVERCOME WCW'S LACK OF

DIRECTION.

DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE IN ONE

NIGHT LOST AND HAS WON BACK THE

WORLD TITLE.

[BELL RINGING]

THE WCW'S FAMOUS ARE

MISMANAGED.

THE RIGHT HAND DIDN'T EVEN KNOW

THE LEFT HAND EXISTED.

AND THAT'S KIND OF LIKE THE

WHOLE WCW ATTITUDE TOWARDS AND

VERY JUST LACKADAISICAL AND

NONCHALANT, AND DIDN'T REALLY

CARE.

IT WAS ALMOST LIKE THE THREE

STOOGES OF WRESTLING, JUST THESE

SIMPLETONS RUNNING THIS

MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR COMPANY.

AND LOOKING BACK ON IT, IT'S

ABSOLUTELY INSANE THAT THAT WAS

THE WAY IT WAS, BUT THAT REALLY

LITERALLY WAS THE WAY IT WAS.

BIG POPPA PUMP TURNED THE DOG

LOOSE ON STING.

IT WAS BAD AND THEY HAD THE

MONEY, THEY HAD THE TELEVISION,

THEY HAD THE NETWORKS, THEY HAD

EVERYTHING THEY NEEDED, BUT

JUST, YOU KNOW, NOBODY WITH A

CLEAR VISION OR CONTROL.

SEVERAL OF WCW'S SUPERSTARS

GREW TIRED OF THE COMPANY'S

MISMANAGEMENT AND LEFT FOR WWE.

THE FLOODGATES JUST OPENED.

AND IT BROUGHT A LOT OF PEOPLE

FROM WCW TO THE WWE WHO ACTUALLY

BECAME HUGE STARS IN THE WWE.

WCW WAS SINKING, BUT STING

REFUSED TO ABANDON THE COMPANY

HE HAD HELPED BUILD.

I'VE BEEN HERE THROUGH THICK

AND THIN, THE ONLY GUY NEVER TO

LEAVE, THE ONLY GUY TO CARRY THE

WCW BANNER ALWAYS.

[MUSIC]

I ASKED STING WHY HE NEVER

LEFT.

AND HE SAID HE WAS ALWAYS AFRAID

THEY WOULD NEVER MAKE HIM STING.

AND I GOT THAT AND I SAW THAT.

AND I DON'T THINK STING WOULD

HAVE BEEN STING IN THE WWE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

MY GREATEST REGRET FOR STING

IS THAT HE NEVER CAME TO THE

WWE.

I TOLD HIM FOR YEARS, "GET OUT

OF THIS PLACE, MAN, YOU ARE SO

GOOD."

BUT HE WAS MAKING SO MUCH MONEY

AND HAD A LEVEL OF COMFORT.

I WANTED TO GIVE EVERYONE TO

GIVE IT A TRY.

WHEN IT WAS IN VOGUE TO JUMP

FROM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING TO THE WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT, THIS MAN WAS

LOYAL.

HE BLED WCW.

THIS MAN PROVED NIGHT AFTER

NIGHT WHAT LOYALTY MEANT.

LOYALTY IN THIS BUSINESS IS A

WORD THAT YOU DON'T HEAR OFTEN,

BECAUSE BUSINESS IS BUSINESS AND

PEOPLE WILL JUMP.

BUT STING STAYING THERE THE

ENTIRE TIME THROUGH THICK AND

THIN MEANS A LOT TO OTHER

PERFORMERS, I THINK, JUST TO SEE

THAT IT CAN BE DONE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

STING REMAINED WITH WCW UNTIL

THE COMPANY CLOSED ITS DOORS IN

2001, FITTINGLY PERFORMING IN

THE FINAL MATCH IN NITRO

HISTORY.

STING WAS THE COMPANY, NO

QUESTION ABOUT IT.

HE WAS THE--HE WAS THE FLAGSHIP.

[CROWD CHEERING]

STING, A SEVEN-TIME WORLD

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.

HE WAS A STAR.

HE REALLY WAS A STAR BUT WHAT

WAS RIGHT FOR BUSINESS IS WHAT

STING DID.

I ALWAYS THINK HE'D BE THEIR

FLAGSHIP, THEIR [INDISTINCT]

HE WAS THE ONLY GUY THAT WAS

WITH THEM BEFORE, DURING, AND

AFTER NITRO.

AND HE REALLY REPRESENTED THE

WCW FRANCHISE AND HE ALWAYS

WILL.

STING'S LOYALTY TO WCW COULD

ONLY BE MATCHED BY THE

UNDERTAKER'S TO WWE.

TOGETHER, THEIR PARALLEL

LEGACIES ARE OF TWO SUPERSTARS

WHO CARRIED THEIR COMPANY'S

BANNER WITH HONOR AND COMMITMENT

DURING SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT'S

MOST COMPETITIVE AND CHAOTIC

ERA.

[MUSIC]

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR EACH

COMPANY TO HAVE AN EXCLUSIVE

STAR LIKE THE UNDERTAKER IN WWE

AND STING IN WCW, BECAUSE THOSE

GUYS ARE THE LEADERS.

EVERYBODY REVOLVED AROUND THEM.

TWO THINGS IN THE MONDAY

NIGHT WARS WERE PRETTY MUCH NOT

GONNA CHANGE.

AND THAT WAS UNDERTAKER WASN'T

LEAVING WWE AND STING WASN'T

COMING TO WWE.

THE UNDERTAKER, HE'S A RARITY

IN OUR BUSINESS.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT LONGEVITY, NO

ONE--NO ONE HAS PERFORMED AT A

GREATER LEVEL FOR THAT AMOUNT OF

TIME.

THE UNDERTAKER'S SOMBER

PERSONA HAS BEEN A TERRIFYING

TRADEMARK IN THE WWE FOR TWO

DECADES.

EVERYBODY ELSE MAY LEAVE THE

FOX HOLE FOR A REASON, NOT THE

UNDERTAKER, HE'S GONNA BE THERE.

AND HIS LOYALTY HAS BEEN

REWARDED AND SHOULD BE.

IF YOU'RE EVER FORTUNATE ENOUGH

TO BE AROUND ANYONE WHO IS TRULY

LOYAL, THEY NEED TO BE REWARDED.

[MUSIC]

THROUGHOUT THE MONDAY NIGHT

WAR, ALLEGIANCE WAS FORSAKEN FOR

MONEY AND POWER, BUT THE

UNDERTAKER AND STING NEVER

WAVERED FROM THEIR COMPANIES'

SIDE AND WERE REWARDED WITH

CHAMPIONSHIPS, THE ADMIRATION OF

THEIR PEERS, AND UNMATCHED

LEGACIES OF LOYALTY AND RESPECT.

[CROWD CHEERING]

IT IS STING.

AND WHAT LIVED IN HIS HEART HAS

ALWAYS BEEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

THE UNDERTAKER WAS HERE FOR

THE VERY FIRST MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

AND HERE HE IS ON THE 1000TH

EPISODE.