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 RATING

SUPREMACY AT THE RISK OF

EXTINCTION AS INNOVATION AND

EVOLUTION PAVED THE WAY FOR A

KING TO BE CROWNED.

BIG NAMES HAVE ALWAYS DEFINED

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT, BUT JUST

BENEATH THE MARQUEE THE STARS OF

THE UNDER CARD WERE STEALING THE

SHOW AND AS WWE AND WCW WAGED

WAR, EACH COMPANY WOULD NEED TO

BUILD AN ARMY AND UTILIZE THEIR

ENTIRE ROSTER IN ORDER TO EMERGE

VICTORIOUS.

THIS IS THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

HULK HOGAN HAS BETRAYED WCW!

WHAT IN THE HELL IS HE DOING

HERE?

MONDAY NIGHT RAW!

MONDAY NITRO!

AUSTIN 316 SAYS I JUST

WHIPPED YOUR ASS.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER, BROTHER.

WE ARE AT WAR!

THE IRRESISTIBLE FORCE

MEETING THE IMMOVABLE OBJECT.

WWE ROSE TO PROMINENCE DURING

THE 1980s AS THE LEADER IN

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

LOOK AT THIS!

[CHEERS & APPLAUSE]

I DON'T BELIEVE IT!

THE COMPANY'S IMMENSE

POPULARITY WAS SPURRED ON BY

THEIR CENTERPIECE, HULK HOGAN.

[CHEERS & APPLAUSE]

BUT WWE WAS MORE THAN A

ONE-MAN SHOW.

THE COMPANY'S SUCCESS HAD MUCH

TO DO WITH A DEEP AND TALENTED

ROSTER TO SUPPORT THE MAIN

EVENT.

WRESTLEMANIA 3 WAS BASICALLY

BUILT ON THE BACK ON HOGAN AND

ANDRE, BUT TO ME THE MATCH THAT

REALLY STANDS OUT TO THIS DAY,

THE ONE THAT I REALLY WAS

INTERESTED IN OBVIOUSLY WAS THE

STEAMBOAT SAVAGE MATCH.

MACHO MAN POISED IN HIS

FAVORITE POSITION!

BOMBS AWAY!

HE GOT IT.

HE NAILED HIM!

ANDRE THE GIANT, HULK HOGAN

WAS THE DRAW.

UNDERSTANDING THIS, WE WANTED TO

GO OUT THERE AND GIVE THEM

REALLY SOMETHING TO FOLLOW.

THE HEADLINES AFTER THE SHOW WAS

HOGAN AND ANDRE DREW THE SHOW,

BUT SAVAGE AND STEAMBOAT STOLE

IT.

A COMPLETE AND TALENTED

ROSTER WOULD HELP CARRY VINCE

MCMAHON'S COMPANY INTO THE NEXT

WELCOME TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW!

BY THE BEGINNING OF 1993,

WWE'S UNDER CARD AND MAIN

EVENTERS OF THE 1980s HAD BEEN

REPLACED BY A FRESH CAVALCADE OF

STARS FEATURED IN PRIMETIME,

THANKS TO THE LAUNCH OF THE

COMPANY'S NEW SHOW, MONDAY NIGHT

RAW.

YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE

FUTURE.

YOU CAN'T ALWAYS JUST RELY ON

THE SAME GUYS OVER AND OVER AND

OVER AGAIN.

YOU HAVE TO BUILD YOUR TALENT

AND GIVE OTHER GUYS A CHANCE TO

DO SOMETHING.

MEANWHILE, TED TURN'S WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING WOULD

UTILIZE THE SAME FORMULA BY

BUILDING TALENTED ROSTER OF

THEIR OWN.

NEWLY APPOINTED EXECUTIVE

PRODUCER, ERIC BISCHOFF, NOT

ONLY REPLICATED VINCE MCMAHON'S

SUCCESSFUL STRATEGY, HE WOULD

ALSO GRAB HIS MOST RECOGNIZABLE

TALENT.

I THOUGHT IF WE WANTED TO BE

COMPARED TO WWE, WE HAD TO

CHANGE AS MANY THINGS POSSIBLE

THAT CHARACTERIZED US AS A SMALL

SOUTHERN PROMOTION SO I FELT WE

NEEDED SOME FRESH BLOOD,

SOMEBODY THAT FELT NEWER, AND

DIDN'T HAVE THAT SOUTHERN

ACCENT.

WELCOME HULK HOGAN!

THE BIGGEST NAME IN SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT HISTORY, HULK

HOGAN, MADE HIS DEBUT FOR WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING IN JUNE

OF 1984.

HULK HOGAN WAS WWE.

THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

IT WAS REALLY WCW SAYING OKAY

GUYS, EVERYBODY'S FAIR GAME AND

WE'RE COMING TO GET YOU.

IT WAS REALLY THE BEGINNING OF

THE WCW REVOLUTION.

HULKAMANIA LIVES IN WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING!

WITH THE INDUSTRY ICON NOW

ATOP THEIR ROSTER, WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

CONTINUED TO MAKE HEADLINES.

HULK HOGAN WOULD SOON BE JOINED

IN WCW BY ANOTHER WWE STAPLE,

MACHO MAN RANDY SAVAGE.

RANDY WAS LOYAL TO THE WWE

AND HE LOVED VINCE MCMAHON AND

HE WOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT, BUT

THEN HE STARTED GETTING BORED ON

THE MICROPHONE.

I'M GOING TO TELL YOU

SOMETHING, MAN.

IN FACT, I DON'T WANT TO TELL

YOU.

JUST READ MY EYES RIGHT NOW.

IT'S HARD TO SIT IN THIS CHAIR.

HE HAD AN IDEA, GET HIM OFF

THE MICROPHONE AND BACK IN THE

RING.

THE WORD WAS THAT'S GREAT RANDY,

BUT WE'RE HAVING A YOUTH

MOVEMENT

AT THIS TIME, OBVIOUSLY

CONSPICUOUS BY HIS ABSENCE, THE

MACHO MAN RANDY SAVAGE AND I'D

LIKE TO ANNOUNCE UNFORTUNATELY

THAT RANDY SAVAGE HAS BEEN

UNABLE TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE

WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION FOR A

NEW CONTRACT.

THANK YOU RANDY SAVAGE FOR ALL

THE WONDERFUL MEMORIES FOR SO

MANY YEARS HERE IN THE WORLD

WRESTLING FEDERATION AND WE WISH

YOU NOTHING BUT THE BEST.

GOD SPEED AND GOOD LUCK.

RANDY ENDED UP GIVING ME A

CALL AND I TALKED TO RANDY A

COUPLE OF TIMES AND WITHIN A

MATTER OF THREE, FOUR WEEKS WE

MADE A DEAL.

WHEN BISCHOFF STARTED TO SIGN

THE BIG NAMES -- AND TO ME, THE

BIG NAMES AT THAT POINT IN TIME

WERE ABSOLUTELY HOGAN AND

SAVAGE.

AND FOR HIM TO SIGN THOSE GUYS

WITH ALL THAT LINEAGE, IT TOOK

OUR PRODUCT TO ANOTHER LEVEL.

THE MACHO MAN IS RIGHT HERE

AND I'M HERE FOR ONLY ONE REASON

AND THAT'S TO TAKE IT TO THE

LIMIT, YEAH!

BY BRINGING IN SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT'S TWO MOST ICONIC

SUPERSTARS, ERIC BISCHOFF HAD

RAISED THE NATIONAL PROFILE OF

WCW.

YOU KNOW SOMETHING, BROTHER.

I GOT ONE THING TO SAY AND

THAT'S OH YEAH, BROTHER!

OH YEAH!

IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THIS

MOMENTUM, BISCHOFF WOULD ADD TO

THE DEPTH OF HIS ROSTER BY WAY

OF GUARANTEED CONTRACTS AND TED

TURNER'S CHECKBOOK.

WHAT TED TURNER DID WAS OFFER

NINE CUT CONTRACTS TO EVERYBODY

SO BOOM, HOGAN LEFT; BOOM, MACHO

MAN LEFT; BEEFCAKE LEFT; NASTY

BOYS LEFT; I LEFT BECAUSE THAT'S

THE WAY WE FEED OUR FAMILIES,

THIS IS OUR BUSINESS.

WCW HAD BEGUN TO BUILD AND

ARMY, LOOKING TO OVERTAKE WWE AS

THE INDUSTRY LEADER.

GUARANTEED CONTRACTS, I THINK

WAS PART OF A BAIT AND SWITCH

TACTIC TO GET THE GUYS TO COME

OVER.

YOU KNOW, TED SAID I WANT TO

HAVE WHAT VINCE MCMAHON HAS AND

NOT ONLY DO I WANT TO HAVE WHAT

VINCE MCMAHON HAS, I WANT TO TRY

TO BEAT VINCE AND HE HAD THE

RESOURCES TO PLAY THE GAME.

IN SEPTEMBER OF 1995, TED

TURNER WOULD CAPITALIZE ON HIS

NEWFOUND SUCCESS BY BRINGING

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

INTO PRIMETIME DIRECTLY OPPOSITE

THE GREATEST COMPETITOR.

WE WERE READY TO GO HEAD TO

HEAD WITH VINCE.

I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA.

YOU CAN'T BEAT ANYBODY UNLESS

YOU GET INTO THE RING WITH THEM.

WELCOME TO WCW MONDAY NITRO

HERE ON TNT!

AIRING LIVE IN COMPETITION

WITH MONDAY NIGHT RAW, WCW'S

MONDAY NITRO FEATURED AN

IMPRESSIVE BLEND OF MAIN EVENT

SUPERSTARS, AS WELL AS TALENTED,

DIVERSE UNDER CARD.

WHAT KEPT ME WATCHING WAS THE

DEPTH.

DEAN MALENKOS, THE EDDIE

GUERREROS, THOSE GUYS,

UNDERNEATH.

WCW NEEDED THAT DEPTH.

EDDIE GUERRERO, ONE OF THE

NEWEST EDITIONS TO THE LINEUP

HERE IN WCW, WHERE THE NEWEST,

MOST EXCITING YOUNG TALENT COME

TO MAKE THEIR WAY INTO THE WORLD

AND WHERE THE BIGGEST NAMES IN

OUR SPORT RESIDE.

MONDAY NITRO DEBUTED WITH

CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS, TRADING

RATINGS VICTORIES WITH RAW

THROUGH THROUGHOUT SEPTEMBER OF

1995.

IN ORDER TO COMPETE WITH WWE

LONG-TERM, ERIC BISCHOFF WOULD

NOT ONLY EXPAND HIS ROSTER, BUT

WOULD BEGIN TO POSITION WCW'S

UNDER CARD INTO MORE PROMINENT

THE WCW WORLD DELIVERS THE

CHAMPION, DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE!

WHEN I WENT TO WCW I WAS A

MID-CARD GUY.

I WAS GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF

MOMENTUM.

BISCHOFF SAID YOU NIGHT JUST

HAVE A SHOT AT DOING THIS.

I DON'T THINK YOU'LL EVER BE A

TOP GUY, BUT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE

TO MAKE A LIVING DOING THIS.

HE WORKED AS HARD AS ANYBODY

I'VE EVER SEEN.

DDP DID EVERYTHING HE COULD TO

GET BETTER.

WCW REALIZED THEY HAVE TO

START CREATING TALENT THEMSELVES

INSTEAD OF JUST BRINGING IN

OLDER GUYS.

WE ARE GOING TO TURN UP THE

HEAT ON MONDAY NITRO!

THE HEAT WAS SO GOOD THAT

BOOKER T WAS KIND OF THE

DOMINANT PERSONALITY OF THE TWO

BROTHERS.

YOU KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS

GOING TO COME OUT OF THAT SOME

DAY.

THE PIECES WERE BEGINNING TO

FORM AT THAT TIME.

I STARTED AT THE BOTTOM OF WCW.

ONCE THE PIECES CAME TOGETHER,

OH MAN, IT WAS A HELL OF A RIDE.

CAN'T NOBODY STOP US!

ERIC BISCHOFF HAD THE

WHEREWITHAL TO ELEVATE THOSE

MID-CARD GUYS AND THAT IS KIND

OF THE GLUE THAT HELD THE BIG

MATCHES TOGETHER.

HAVING BEGUN TO BUILD FOR THE

FUTURE, WCW NEEDED A FRESH FACE

TO GAIN THE UPPER HAND IN THE

MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

OH MY GOODNESS.

OH, LOOK AT THE SIZE OF HIM!

THE LARGEST MAN I'VE EVER SEEN!

WHEN JOHN FIRST CAME IN DOWN

THERE WE SAID LOOK, WE THINK WE

GOT THE NEXT BIG THING IN

WRESTLING, CHECK THIS GUY OUT.

LOOK AT THE AGILITY!

WAIT 'TIL HOGAN SEES THIS

MAN.

LOOK OUT, THE GIANT HAS HULK

HOGAN!

I WAS 23 YEARS OLD, 7 FOOT

TALL, 400 POUNDS AND AN AMAZING

ATHLETE.

I COULD WATCH SOMEONE DO

SOMETHING AND THEN COPY IT.

THE GIANT, HE'S A REAL QUICK

STUDY.

THE MACHO MAN WITH ONE HAND!

WE GET OUT THERE AND HE CAN

DO ANYTHING.

THEN THEY SAID, YOU KNOW

WHAT, WE'RE FIXING TO PUT A

ROCKET ON THIS GUY AND THAT'S

HOW THE WHOLE THING REALLY TOOK

PLACE.

FANS WITNESSED AN HISTORIC

MOMENT AT HALLOWEEN HAVOC, 1995.

IN HIS INAUGURAL MATCH, THE

GIANT SQUARED OFF AGAINST

INDUSTRY ICON, HULK HOGAN,

DEFEATING HIM FOR WCW'S WORLD

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

YOU ARE SEEING THE END OF

HULK HOGAN!

IT WAS A GOOD CAREER, YOU HAD A

GREAT RUN, BUT IT'S OVER!

IT WAS A VERY BIG MOMENT,

ESPECIALLY BECAUSE SOMEBODY BEAT

HULK HOGAN IN HIS FIRST NIGHT.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ONCE IN

A LIFETIME AND IT WAS THE GIANT

THAT DID IT.

THAT GAVE HIM A GREAT WIN

OVER THE HULKSTER.

IT GAVE THE GIANT CREDIBILITY.

IT REALLY STARTED THE GIANT'S

CAREER.

IT GAVE HIM THAT BIG STEP.

IT WAS SYMBOLIC OF WHERE THEY

WANTED TO GO WITH THEIR COMPANY

AND ALSO REALIZED THIS WOULD BE

A GOOD BUSINESS MOVE TO MAKE AND

CREATE SOMEBODY NEW.

ENDING HULK HOGAN'S 15 MONTH

TITLE REIGN, THE GIANT PROVIDED

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

WITH A NEW SUPERSTAR TO LEAD

MONDAY NITRO IN THEIR WEEKLY

RATINGS BATTLES WITH WWE.

VINCE MCMAHON'S BEEN AT THE

TOP OF HIS GAME AS LONG AS WWE'S

BEEN AROUND SO FOR SOMEBODY ELSE

TO COME IN AND GIVE VINCE

MCMAHON A RUN FOR HIS MONEY IS

HUGE.

EVERYBODY SAID YOU'RE NUTS.

YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO

COMPETE, BUT I HAD A VISION, I

KNEW IT COULD BE DONE, I

BELIEVED IN MYSELF AND I WAS

WILLING TO DO WHATEVER I HAD TO

DO TO MAKE THAT VISION A

REALITY.

AND WE ARE COMING TO YOU WITH

THE HOTTEST WRESTLING SHOW ON

PLANET EARTH, NITRO COMING YOUR

WAY TONIGHT!

WCW PROVED THEY WERE MORE

THAN CAPABLE OF ASSEMBLING AN

ENTERTAINING ROSTER FROM TOP TO

BOTTOM.

BY JANUARY OF 1996 MONDAY NITRO

WAS WINNING SEVERAL RATINGS

BATTLES THANKS TO A STRONG AND

DIVERSE TALENT POOL.

IT WAS LITERALLY WEEK BY

WEEK.

ONE WEEK WWE WOULD HAVE THE

BETTER SHOW, ONE WEEK I THOUGHT

THE WCW HAD A BETTER SHOW.

VINCE MCMAHON'S STRATEGY TO

REGAIN SOLE POSSESSION OF THE

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT THRONE WAS

TO PROMOTE A GROUP OF YOUNG

STARS DUBBED THE NEW GENERATION

TO THE MAIN EVENT LEVEL.

AFTER HULK HOGAN AND THE

MACHOMAN RANDY SAVAGE LEFT THE

WWE AND WENT DOWN TO WCW YOU HAD

TO CREATE NEW STARS.

I THINK THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN

VINCE MCMAHON'S FORTE.

BRET THE HIT MAN HART AGAINST

THE UNDERTAKER.

WE WEREN'T REALLY PROVEN YET

BUT IT MADE US WORK HARD BECAUSE

EVERYBODY WANTED TO BE THE GUY

THAT TOOK US TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

RAZOR RAMON HAD ONE OF THE

GREAT MATCHES OF ALL TIME WITH

SHAWN MICHAELS IN A LADDER

MATCH.

WE ARE MAKING HISTORY HERE.

DIESEL WAS THE LONGEST

RUNNING WWE CHAMPION OF THE

1990s.

THERE HE IS, LADIES AND

GENTLEMEN, DIESEL, STILL THE

WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION'S

CHAMPION.

THEY REALLY WERE THE ONES

THAT STEERED THE SHIP THROUGH

THOSE ROUGH WATERS FOR A FEW

YEARS.

VINCE MCMAHON'S PLAN WORKED.

AS THE OBVIOUS TALENT OF HIS

YOUNG STARS HELPED LIFT THEM

INTO THE COMPANY'S TOP POSITIONS

AND LED RAW INTO SEVERAL RATINGS

VICTORIES OVER NITRO HEADING

INTO THE SPRING OF 1996, BUT

WHILE THE MAIN EVENT EVOLVED,

WWE'S ROSTER STILL INCLUDED MANY

ANTIQUATED OVER THE TOP

CHARACTERS, NO LONGER SUITED FOR

THE COMPANY'S MORE CONTEMPORARY

PRIMETIME AUDIENCE.

OTHER CHARACTERS THAT CAME

ALONG DURING THAT TIME IN WWE,

THE TL HOPPERS AND WHOEVER ELSE

YOU WANT TO THROW INTO THAT MIX,

ONCE THE BELL RANG THAT WAS IT.

IT WAS THE END OF THE ILLUSION.

WILL FAROOQ BE NAMED THE

INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION?

IS THAT RON SIMMONS?

HE USED TO BE THE NWA CHAMPION.

WHY DOES HE LOOK LIKE SPARTACUS

IN NEON?

WHY AM I WATCHING THIS CARTOON

GUY?

KING WAS A DENTIST, YOU KNOW.

GUYS WERE OCCUPATIONS.

JERRY THE KING LAWLER, YOUR

PERSONAL DENTIST ON HIS WAY TO

THE RING.

WE RULED THE ROOST FOR SO

LONG AND WHAT HAPPENS, YOU TEND

TO GET COMPLACENT AND I THINK

OUR PRODUCT WAS SOFT.

DESPITE A LACKLUSTER UNDER

CARD, WWE'S MAIN EVENT

SUPERSTARS WERE ENOUGH TO CARRY

RAW TO RATINGS VICTORY.

ERIC BISCHOFF TOOK NOTICE OF

THEIR APPEAL.

NITRO AT THE TIME WAS

BEGINNING TO GET SOME TRACTION,

THE NUMBERS WERE GROWING, THE

COMPANY WAS GROWING AND I

THOUGHT WHAT THE HELL, WE NEED

MORE TALENT.

FUELED BY TED TURNER'S

CHECKBOOK AND THE DESIRE TO BE

NUMBER ONE IN THE RATINGS,

BISCHOFF SIGNED TWO OF THE

BIGGEST ATTRACTIONS IN VINCE

MCMAHON'S NEWEST GENERATION OF

SUPERSTARS, DIESEL AND RAZOR

RAMON AND WOULD POSITION THEM AS

OUTSIDERS INVADING WCW.

WE ARE AT WAR, WHETHER YOU

LIKE IT OR NOT, WHETHER ANYBODY

LIKES IT OR NOT, LOOK AT THIS

RIGHT NOW!

THOSE TWO MEN STANDING THERE

MEAN BUSINESS!

WE ARE AT WAR!

USING REALITY TO DRIVE THE

STORY LINE, SCOTT HALL AND KEVIN

NASH DROPPED THEIR WWE CHARACTER

NAMES, MAKING THEIR REAL LIFE

DEFECTION MORE INTRIGUING FOR A

GROWING NITRO AUDIENCE.

WHEN THEY SHOWED UP AT WCW IT

HURT US TREMENDOUSLY IN THE

RATINGS, IT HURT US IN THE

PERCEPTION ON WHO WAS NUMBER ONE

IN PROMOTION.

NOW WE HAD COMPETITION.

YOU HAVE THIS WHOLE

INITIATIVE AND YOU BUILD IT

AROUND A CERTAIN CROP OF GUYS,

ALL THE SUDDEN THEY'RE GOOD NOW

IT'S LIKE WHERE DO YOU GO?

YOU'RE LIKE, OH, THIS IS

REAL.

I WANT TO WATCH MORE OF THAT

BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T REALLY FEEL

LIKE YOU WERE WATCHING A

CARTOON, YOU FELT LIKE YOU WERE

WATCHING SOMETHING OUT OF REAL

LIFE.

WHAT IS HE DOING?

OH MY GOD!

IS HE THE THIRD MAN?

HE'S THE THIRD MAN!

HULK HOGAN WOULD JOIN SCOTT

HALL AND KEVIN NASH IN FORMING

THE NEW WORLD ORDER.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

OH MY GOD!

THE REBELLIOUS GROUP

INSTANTLY ADDED COMPELLING MAIN

EVENT STORY LINES TO WCW'S

PROGRAMMING.

WHEN HOGAN SWITCHES, GOES TO

THE DARK SIDE IT DEFINITELY

CHANGED THE FACE OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT.

THAT MINUTE HOGAN CAME OUT, I

KNEW THE COMPANY WAS DEAD IN THE

WATER BECAUSE THE PRODUCTS WERE

IN TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS.

I MEAN, ONE WAS HIP, ONE WAS

COOL, ONE WAS CUTTING EDGE, THE

OTHER PRODUCT JUST WASN'T

GETTING IT.

THE OUTSIDERS ARE HERE!

THE OUTSIDERS ARE HERE!

THERE'S HOGAN!

HOGAN IS HERE!

HE IS IN THE BUILDING.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER QUICKLY

BECAME THE FOCAL POINT OF MONDAY

NITRO.

BRAND THAT WAS ACTUALLY HIPPER

THAN EITHER WWE OR WCW.

WITH RATINGS RISING IN

SEPTEMBER OF 1996, WCW PAIRED

THEIR HOTTEST TRIO WITH THE

COMPANY'S BIGGEST RISING STAR.

HERE COMES THE GIANT!

LOOK OUT NWO!

THEY WANTED TO GROW IT AND

THE FIRST PERSON YOU WOULD WANT

WOULD BE THE GIANT.

YOU TAKE THE BIGGEST GUY.

THE GIANT IS IN THE BUILDING!

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA,

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!

THE GIANT!

NO!

EITHER I WAS GOING TO JOIN

THE NWO OR I WAS SINGLE HANDEDLY

GOING TO TAKE OUT THE NWO.

THAT WAS A SMART POLITICAL MOVE

ON THEIR PART, RATHER THAN

FEEDING A GUY, BRING HIM INTO

THE GROUP.

WCW'S MOMENTUM SEEMED

UNSTOPPABLE AS MONDAY NITRO

CONTINUED ITS RATINGS DOMINANCE

OVER MONDAY NIGHT RAW THROUGHOUT

1996.

WE LIVED AND BREATHED AND

DIED BY THE RATINGS BACK THEN.

I REMEMBER WEEKS IN A ROW AT WCW

WHERE WE CHECKED EVERY WEEK IF

WE BEAT WWE.

THEY WERE THE TOP ECHELON TO GO

AFTER AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE

BEATING THEM IN THE RATINGS

FUELED EVERYONE TO WORK HARDER.

IS THERE ANY QUESTION NOW,

WHAT A POWERFUL ORGANIZATION IN

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING?

EVERYBODY WAS WELL AWARE OF

WHAT THE RATINGS WERE AND HOW WE

WERE GETTING OUR ASSES HANDED TO

US.

SHOW TIME FOR THE MASSES!

SHOW TIME!

IT WAS ERIC BISCHOFF'S DREAM

TO BEAT THE WWE AND AT THAT

POINT IN TIME HE WAS GETTING A

BIG TASTE OF IT.

WCW DID A GREAT JOB OF

BUILDING THAT WHOLE STORY LINE.

IT WAS COOL TO ACTUALLY SEE

THAT AND WITNESS HOW POWERFUL

ONE GROUP COULD BE.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, WE ARE

THE CHAMPIONS!

WITH THE SPOTLIGHT GROWING

AROUND THE NWO, AN OPPORTUNITY

PRESENTED ITSELF TO BUILD UP

MORE TALENT BY PLACING THEM

UNDER THE BLACK AND WHITE

BANNER.

MARC BAGWELL, OFFICIALLY I

GUESS, A MEMBER OF THE NEW WORLD

ORDER!

WHEN GUYS LIKE MARC BAGWELL

STARTED GETTING THE CHANCE IN

WWE RIGHT, AWAY IT SOLIDIFIED

THEM AS LIKE, OH, IF THE NWO

PUTS THIS MUCH EQUITY INTO THEM,

THESE GUYS ARE GOOD.

REALLY ANYONE COULD JOIN THE

NWO.

ANY SUPERSTAR AND IT WOULD

INSTANTANEOUSLY BRING THEM UP A

LEVEL.

ODELE!

WHILE SOME SUPERSTARS WERE

ALIGNED WITH THE NWO, OTHERS

WERE POSITIONED AS OPPONENTS IN

ORDER TO BREAK OUT ON THEIR OWN.

I REALIZED THAT IN ORDER TO

HAVE SOME REALLY STRONG GOOD GUY

CHARACTERS, I HAD TO HAVE A LOT

OF REALLY STRONG BAD GUYS FOR

THEM TO BE IN A STORY LINE WITH.

THIS IS IT, THIS IS WHAT IT'S

ALL ABOUT.

NWO, BROTHER!

VIEWERS FLOCKED TO NITRO TO

WITNESS WHICH SUPERSTAR WOULD BE

TO JOIN THE NWO OR STAND AGAINST

THEM.

DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE WOULD NOT

BE A BAD CHOICE TO TRY TO

RECRUIT!

WHENEVER YOU HAVE A STRONG

FACTION OF BAD GUYS, YOU'RE

GOING TO NEED GOOD GUYS TO FIGHT

THEM.

YOU'RE GOING TO NEED PEOPLE THAT

THE PEOPLE CAN GET BEHIND TO

FIGHT THEM.

PEOPLE WERE REALLY INTO

DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE.

IT WAS REALLY A RIGHT PLACE,

RIGHT TIME, RIGHT CHARACTER.

THE WELCOME WAGON, IF YOU

WILL.

GOING OUT TO OFFICIALLY

WELCOME DDP ABOARD.

YES!

THERE WE GO.

GREAT.

WE LOVE YOU, PAGE!

WHEN THEY FINALLY CAME TO THE

RING AND I PUT THAT NWO SHIRT

ON, I MEAN, YOU COULD HEAR

PEOPLE CHEER, BUT YOU COULD ALSO

HEAR PEOPLE GO, OH, NOT HIM TOO.

WHO'S GOING TO FIGHT THESE GUYS?

YES!

OH YES, THAT LOOKS GREAT.

YES!

HEY!

SHOOK HIS HAND, HE WENT TO

LEAVE, BANG!

AND THE BUILDING BLEW.

IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.

HE IS NUMBER ONE ON THE MOST

WANTED LIST.

FOR HIM TO BE THE FIRST GUY

TO DROP THEM WAS THE ROCKET THAT

THEY LIT THAT WAS TAKING MY

CAREER TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

DDP WAS A BIG DEAL BECAUSE HE

NEVER SOLD OUT, NEVER WENT TO

THE NWO AND HE ADDED A VERY

EXPLOSIVE ELEMENT INTO THE SCENE

OF WCW AT ANY TIME BECAUSE

ANYBODY COULD GO ANY DIRECTION.

AND IT MADE IT EASY FOR

PEOPLE TO GET BEHIND HIM.

BY THE SUMMER OF 1997 A BLEND

OF RISING WCW STARS AND FORMER

WWE MAIN EVENTERS CONTRIBUTED TO

OVER A YEAR OF RATINGS VICTORIES

FOR MONDAY NITRO.

FUELED IN LARGE PART BY NWO

CENTRIC STORY LINES.

VINCE MCMAHON WOULD DEVELOP HIS

OWN SIMILAR STRATEGY BY

RECOGNIZING STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

IN ORDER TO REBUILD HIS ARMY.

WHEN YOU HAVE CREATED MANY

CHARACTERS AND ALL THE SUDDEN

THEY'RE BEING SIGNED AWAY YOU

HAVE TO SAY WHO DO WE HAVE LEFT

OR WHO CAN WE BRING IN AND

DEVELOP THEM IN A WAY THEY CAN

BE BETTER THAN THE CHARACTERS

YOU HAD BEFORE?

AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THEY

ARE ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL

FORCES ON EARTH, WOULD YOU

PLEASE WELCOME THE NATION OF

DOMINATION!

MONDAY NIGHT RAW'S ANSWER TO

WCW'S MOMENTUM CAME IN DIVIDING

WWE'S UNDER CARD INTO SEVERAL

GROUPS IN HOPES OF CREATING

COMPELLING TELEVISION AND NEW

MAIN EVENT SUPERSTARS.

YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO GET

AS MANY AS TALENTS ON TV AS

POSSIBLE SO YOU START GROUPING

THEM TOGETHER.

YOU GOT PEANUT BUTTER?

WELL, I GOT JELLY.

WELL, I GOT BREAD.

WELL, YOU GUYS WANT TO SIT HERE

ALL DAY OR YOU WANT TO MAKE SOME

SANDWICHES.

IT'S A THREE-ON-ONE ATTACK!

WWE HAD THE HART FOUNDATION

AND THE GENERATION X AND ALL

THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS AND

FACTIONS.

COME ON!

THE NATION OF DOMINATION TRYING

TO FINISH OFF AHMED JOHNSON!

BY BEING IN A GROUP YOU'RE

GOING TO GET NOTICED.

IT WORKED.

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THE

CHAMP IS TALKING.

IT ALLOWS YOU TO NOT PUT ALL

YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET.

WE WERE HOPING THAT WE'D GO TWO

OR THREE GUYS THAT WOULD SPIN

OUT OF THAT ENSEMBLE TO BE

STARS.

WITH THE MONDAY NIGHT WARS

GOING ON YOU WOULD BE

REINVENTING YOUR BUSINESS EVERY

WEEK.

IN TWO HOURS YOU TRIED 20 THINGS

AND MAYBE ONE OF THEM WORKED.

THERE GOES ROCKY!

ROCKY!

STONE COLD STONER!

HE GOT HIM!

WITH AN EYE ON RETAKING THE

RATINGS THRONE, WWE'S EVOLVING

BANDS OF SUPERSTARS BEGAN TO

ADAPT TO THE CHANGING CLIMATE OF

MORE CONTEMPORARY PROGRAMMING

AND WOULD HELP THE COMPANY USHER

IN A NEW ATTITUDE.

WHEN SHAWN AND I FIRST

STARTED DX WE JUST WOULD DO

WHATEVER THE CRAZIEST THING WE

COULD THINK OF AND ON A WEEKLY

BASIS WE WERE JUST GETTING

SCREAMED AT UNMERCIFULLY BY

VINCE.

X MARKS THE SPOT, MCMAHON.

X MARKS THE SPOT.

SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS

COOL, SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS

TERRIBLE, EVERYBODY WAS TALKING

ABOUT IT SO WE DIDN'T CARE.

THE NEW AGE OUTLAWS ARE

SHAVING HAWK'S MOHAWK!

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNHEARD OF!

WE JUST STARTED CAUSING

TROUBLE AND IT CAUGHT ON WITH

THE FANS.

WE LIKED ROAD DOG AND BILLY

GUN AND THE WHOLE IDEA WAS TO

PUT THEM WITH US BUT THEN THEY

STARTED TO GET HOT ENOUGH TO

WHERE THEY DIDN'T NEED US SO

WE'RE LIKE, WE'LL JUST LET THEM

DO THEIR OWN THING RIGHT NOW

BECAUSE IT'S WORKING FOR THEM.

THERE'S PEOPLE IN THERE!

I JUST THINK IT WAS TIME.

THERE WAS CHANGE IN THE AIR.

PSYCHOLOGICAL TACTICS BEING

EMPLOYED BY GOLDUST.

VINCE WAS ALWAYS HANDS ON

WITH ME AND MY CHARACTER.

I'M GOING TO ANSWER THE

QUESTION ANY WAY I WANT TO

ANSWER.

I'M GOING TO SAY ANYTHING, I'M

GOING TO GO IN ANY DIRECTION.

HE WAS VERY CHARACTER DRIVEN.

THE CHARACTERS HE'S HAD OVER THE

YEARS, MAN, IT WAS A COOL TIME

TO BE A PART OF THAT.

ONCE NEARLY LEFT FOR DEAD,

WWE AND ITS ROSTER WERE BOTH

GAINING MOMENTUM AMONGST A

GROWING FAN BASE.

SLOWLY BUT SURELY, WEEK BY

WEEK BY WEEK WE WERE SEEING

RESULTS.

THAT WAS THE KEY, STAYING THE

COURSE.

HAVING DEVELOPED YOUNG TALENT

AND EMBRACING A NEW DIRECTION,

WWE WAS READY TO OVERTAKE WCW IN

THE MONDAY NIGHT RATINGS.

I KNOW THE GUY I WORK FOR.

THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY HE

WAS NOT GOING TO BE THE LAST MAN

STANDING.

YOU WANT TO RAISE THE BAR?

BRET, THE HIT MAN HART HAS

ARRIVED TO NITRO!

HE IS HERE IN CHARLOTTE,

LIVE!

NEARING THE END OF 1997, ERIC

BISCHOFF CONTINUED HIS TRADITION

OF SIGNING BIG NAME TALENTS AWAY

FROM WWE.

IT WAS SOME KIND OF BADGE OF

HONOR IF SOMEONE IN WCW SAID

HEY, WE GOT A GUY FROM VINCE!

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

CONTINUED TO ADD ESTABLISHED

MAIN EVENT SUPERSTARS.

BUT SEVERAL OTHER WCW TALENTS

HAD BEGUN TO MOVE UP THE CARD

WITH THE HELP OF NITRO'S GROWING

POPULARITY.

BOOKER WANTED TO DO IT ON HIS

OWN AND HE BECAME A BREAKOUT

STAR AS A SINGLES GUY AND BONA

FIDE CHAMPION.

BOOKER T COVERS, ONE -- WE'VE

GOT A NEW CHAMP!

ANOTHER TITLE CHANGE!

HOW ABOUT THAT ONE?

I TOLD YOU, WE ALL SAID IT,

WRESTLING'S GOING TO CHANGE

RIGHT HERE AT WCW!

THIS IS FOR YOU BABY.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY'S COMING

HOME!

IT WAS MY CHANCE TO ACTUALLY GO

OUT THERE AND PROVE HOW GOOD I

REALLY WAS WITH THE

CHAMPIONSHIP, SO I MADE A BOLD

STATEMENT WINNING THE

CHAMPIONSHIP, I SAID I WAS GOING

TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND

THE TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP WAS

THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING THAT

WAS TO BECOME BIG.

THE BEST GIMMICKS ARE YOUR

REAL PERSONALITY TURNED UP TO 11

AND THAT'S BOOKER, MAN.

HE IS THAT GUY.

THIS IS ON LIKE NECK BONE

'CAUSE HERE IT IS RIGHT HERE,

COOKING, BABY!

IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE A NEW

TALENT BECAUSE ONCE SOMETHING

GETS OLD YOU NEED TO HAVE

SOMETHING NEW TO REPLACE IT AND

FOR BOOKER TO BREAK OUT IT WAS

OUTSTANDING FOR HIM JUST ABOUT

AT THE RIGHT TIME.

WITH A GROWING NUMBER OF

TALENTED SUPERSTARS, AS WELL AS

GROWING TELEVISION RATINGS, WCW

LAUNCHED ANOTHER WEEKLY

PRIMETIME SHOW ON THURSDAY

NIGHTS.

FOR OVER 25 YEARS,

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING AT TBS

HAVE COMBINED TO BRING YOU THE

ABSOLUTE BEST IN SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT!

TONIGHT WE WELCOME YOU TO

THUNDER!

THE PROGRAM WAS WORKING SO

WELL ON MONDAY NIGHT AND THAT

SHOW WAS ON TNT AND I WANTED TO

GET TBS's RATINGS.

IT WAS STRICTLY A RATINGS DRIVEN

MOVE.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THUNDER

IS ON THE AIR!

IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THAT NEW

SHOW ON TBS, TALENT WAS NOW ALL

THE SUDDEN BEING SPREAD REAL

THIN.

A LOT OF THE GUYS WHO HAD COME

TO WCW BECAUSE THEY WANTED A

LIGHTER SCHEDULE WERE NOW

LOOKING AT A SCHEDULE THAT WAS

JUST AS BUSY AS WHAT THEY HAD

LEFT.

HAVING A FIXED NUMBER OF

APPEARANCES ALREADY WRITTEN INTO

THEIR GUARANTEE D CONTRACTS,

WCW'S MOST POPULAR SUPERSTARS

WERE NOT OBLIGATED TO APPEAR ON

THUNDER.

JOHNNY GRUNGE, ONE HAND OF

PUBLIC ENEMY MAKES HIS WAY OUT

WITH TABLE IN TOW HERE.

WITH A LACK OF MAIN EVENT

TALENT, THUNDER WAS SEEN AS A

SECOND RATE SHOW.

THUNDER CAME ALONG AND

EVERYONE WHO DIDN'T MATTER WAS

MOVED TO THUNDER.

NOW YOU HAD A LEGITIMATE A

SQUAD, NITRO; B SQUAD, THUNDER.

[FANS CHANTING]

BORIS RUNS RIGHT THROUGH EVAN

COURAGEOUS HERE.

WHEN YOU HAD GUARANTEED

MONEY, YOU START TO NOT CARE AS

MUCH.

THAT WAS, LIKE,áTHE KISS OF

DEATH.

IF YOU WERE ON THUNDER IT WAS

JUST LIKE, OH, I HURT MY KNEE

MONDAY.

NONE OF THE TOP GUYS WANTED TO

BE ON THAT SHOW.

THEY KNEW IT WAS MISERABLE.

A LOT OF THESE GUYS THEY HAD

SO BIG OF EGOS, THESE WRESTLERS

TELLING THE PRODUCERS I CAN'T DO

THAT SHOW BECAUSE IT'S NOT BIG

ENOUGH.

I'M LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING

ABOUT?

DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH EXPOSURE I

WAS GETTING FOR THAT?

YOU KNOW, WE CAME TO PARTY

ALL NIGHT LONG ON THUNDER!

WE'RE GOING TO ROCK!

DESPITE THEIR LOCKER ROOM

SHOWING SIGNS OF DISSENSION, WCW

THUNDER BECAME A STAGE TO

SHOWCASE MORE UP AND COMING

TALENT.

MEANWHILE WWE HAD SUCCESSFULLY

RALLIED THE TROOPS.

MONDAY NIGHT RAW'S CHARACTERS

AND STORY LINES REFLECTED VINCE

MCMAHON'S NEW ATTITUDE ERA

INITIATIVE AND IN APRIL OF 1998,

RAW DEFEATED NITRO IN THE

RATINGS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN

NEARLY TWO YEARS.

VINCE LOST A LOT OF TALENT

REAL FAST AND HE HAD TO BUILD

FROM THE BOTTOM AND IT WAS JUST

A MATTER OF TIME.

WWE WAS AND STILL IS TODAY A

HUGE FAMILY AND EVERYBODY HAS

ALWAYS RESPECTED VINCE.

AND WHEN THEY SAW WHAT HE WAS

DOING TO MAKE THIS COMPANY

SURVIVE, EVERYONE TO A T,

RALLIED BEHIND HIM.

YOU SAW HIM SLOWLY BUILDING

HIS OWN STARS, NOT PANICKING,

AND IT WAS ALL COMING TOGETHER

AND WAS THE PERFECT STORM.

FANS, YOU MAKE THE DECISION.

YOU CAN WATCH THEIR SHOW AND

HAVE A BUNCH OF HIGH PAID

SUPERSTARS SHOVED DOWN YOUR

THROAT OR YOU CAN WATCH US YOUNG

BUCKS HAVING A BLAST AND YOU'RE

WELCOME TO COME ABOARD.

EVERYBODY'S THAT'S NOT DOWN

WITH THAT, WE GOT TWO WORDS FOR

YOU, SUCK IT!

NO LONGER NUMBER ONE IN THE

INDUSTRY.

WCW REACTED BY PUTTING

ADDITIONAL FOCUS ON WHAT HAD

PREVIOUSLY BROUGHT THEM TO THE

TOP, THE MAIN EVENT TALENTS IN

THE NEW WORLD ORDER, BUT THE

CONTINUED RELIANCE ON THE SAME

GROUP OF CHARACTERS WAS ABOUT TO

CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS FOR WCW.

WCW'S BRAND IDENTITY WAS LOOK

AT ALL THESE WWE SUPERSTARS THAT

ARE NOW ON OUR ROSTER.

WCW NEVER HAD ITS OWN FORMULA.

AT FIRST IT WAS LIKE, THOSE

THREE GUYS ARE THE NEW WORLD

ORDER AND THEN IT STARTED

BECOMING THOSE 20 GUYS ARE THE

NEW WORLD ORDER AND THEN THERE

WAS NWO WOLFPAC AND NWO B TEAM

OR WHATEVER AND IT JUST BECAME

TOO MUCH.

THEY TRIED TO RECREATE THE

ORIGINAL NWO AND IT WAS JUST NOT

AS COOL.

THE CHAOS AND LACK ON

DIRECTION AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING CAME TO A HEAD IN

OCTOBER OF 1998 AT THE HALLOWEEN

HAVOC ON PAY-PER-VIEW.

IF YOU HAVE NINE GUYS ON YOUR

ROSTER THAT HAVE CREATIVE

CONTROL, HOW DO YOU POSSIBLY

BOOK A TELEVISION SHOW?

FOUR GUYS COME IN AT 7 O'CLOCK,

ESPECIALLY ONE OF THEM GOING,

DOESN'T WORK FOR ME, BROTHER.

YOU HAVE TO DO THIS THING CALLED

TIME A SHOW.

IT KIND OF HAS TO WORK FOR YOU

BECAUSE IF NOT WE'RE GOING TO

HAVE TO REWRITE THIS THING AND

IT'S GOING TO BE A TORPEDO RUN

HERE IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES AND --

DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE HAD

EARNED A SPOT HEADLINING THE

SHOW AGAINST GOLDBERG, WCW'S

UNDEFEATED CHAMPION.

BUT PRIOR TO THE MAIN EVENT,

HULK HOGAN FACED OFF AGAINST THE

RECENTLY SIGNED WARRIOR IN A

REMATCH OF THEIR 1990

WRESTLEMANIA BOUT IN WWE.

IT WAS A MATCH FILLED WITH

MISTAKES AND MISCUES, GOING

LONGER THAN ITS ALLOTTED TIME.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT IS.

WAS THAT, LIKE,áA FIREBALL OR

SOMETHING THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO

THROW AT THE WARRIOR.

SOMEBODY MISTIMED THE SHOW SO

NOW THEY'RE 12 MINUTES OVER.

THE RESULT WAS THE

PAY-PER-VIEW GOING OFF THE AIR

IN MANY TELEVISION MARKETS WHILE

THE MAIN EVENT WAS STILL IN

PROGRESS.

THE MAIN EVENT, ESPECIALLY

FOR THE PAY-PER-VIEW, THAT'S

WHAT PEOPLE SHOW UP FOR, THAT'S

WHAT PEOPLE PAY THEIR MONEY FOR

AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S A BIG MOMENT

FOR TWO BIG STARS, DDP AND

GOLDBERG.

DDP, THE PEOPLES' CHAMPION IS

BECAUSE THAT HE IS A MAN THAT

CAME --

I ASSUMED WE WERE LYE.

I DIDN'T KNOW THEY ACTUALLY CUT

THE PROGRAM OFF.

WHEN PEOPLE WERE WATCHING IT

BOOM, IT GOES TO THEIR NEXT

CHANNEL, THEY'RE PRETTY PISSED

OF, THEY WANT THEIR MONEY BACK,

ESPECIALLY IF THAT'S THE MATCH

THE PAID FOR AND A LOT OF PEOPLE

DID.

THE MISTAKE COST WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING MILLIONS

OF DOLLARS AND FURTHER WEAKENED

THE PERCEPTION OF THE

ORGANIZATION.

I WASTED 40 BUCKS.

WHO AM I GOING TO BLAME?

I'M BLAMING WCW BECAUSE THEY

PROMISED ME A BIG MAIN EVENT AND

THEY DID NOT DELIVER.

THERE WAS NO MANAGEMENT IN

WCW.

IT WAS PURE ANARCHY SO WHY WOULD

ANYBODY BACK THEN OR EVEN TODAY

IN HINDSIGHT BE SURPRISED THAT

THE PAY-PER-VIEW WENT OFF THE

AIR WITHOUT THE MAIN EVENT

ACTUALLY BEING PRESENTED TO THE

PEOPLE THAT PAID TO SEE IT.

LAST NIGHT AN INSTANCE

OCCURRED THAT WAS OUT OF THE

CONTROL OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

SOME OF THE SYSTEMS WENT DOWN

PREMATURELY.

WE HAVE DECIDED TONIGHT ON THIS

PROGRAM AFTER THE FIRST HOUR

AROUND THE 9 O'CLOCK HOUR THAT

WE WILL BRING YOU THE MATCH

BETWEEN GOLDBERG AND DIAMOND

OUR COMPETITION WOULD MAKE

PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THIS HAS

BEEN A RATINGS PLOY, THAT WE

WENT OFF THE AIR ON PURPOSE LAST

NIGHT TO BRING YOU TO THE MATCH

LATER ON DOWN THE LINE AS A

RATINGS PLOY.

THAT IS NOT THE CASE, THAT IS

NOT TRUE.

AND BECAUSE OF THAT WE ARE GOING

TO GIVE YOU THIS, NOT AT THE END

OF THE PROGRAM, WE'RE GOING TO

GIVE YOU THIS AT 9 O'CLOCK

TONIGHT.

I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF

A SLAP IN THE FACE IF YOU PAID X

AMOUNT AND THEN THE FOLLOWING

NIGHT IT'S ON FREE TELEVISION

RIGHT AWAY.

I KNOW THEY WERE TRYING TO MAKE

GOOD ON THE ISSUES THEY HAD THE

NIGHT BEFORE, BUT IT'S KIND OF

JUST WCW FOR YOU.

HERE COMES FOR OUR GREAT FAN

THAT SUPPORTED US LAST NIGHT,

DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE AND GOLDBERG

FOR THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE

AS IT WENT DOWN ON HALLOWEEN

HAVOC.

PAGE --

OH!

OH MY GOODNESS.

IN RETROSPECT, I'M NOT HAPPY

IT HAPPENED BECAUSE THE COMPANY

TOOK A BIG BOOM, BUT IT'S ONE OF

MY FAVORITE MATCHES.

MOTIONS TO THE CROWD FOR THE

DIAMOND CUTTER.

DID HE GET IT?

NO, HE GOT SPEARED!

HE GOT SPEARED.

FOR ME PERSONALLY, AND BILL,

I THINK IT WAS REALLY GOOD FOR

OUR CAREERS BECAUSE EVERYONE

WENT WOW.

EVEN AMIDST THE PAY-PER-VIEW

BLUNDER, DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE

EXEMPLIFIED THE ABILITY OF WCW'S

MID-CARD TALENT TO GROW AND HELP

DRAW FANS AT A MAIN EVENT LEVEL.

AND ON THAT NIGHT WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING SCORED A

RATINGS VICTORY OVER WWE, BUT IT

WAS THE LAST TIME AN EPISODE OF

NITRO WOULD EVER DEFEAT RAW IN

THE HEAD-TO-HEAD RATINGS.

THE THING THAT'S GOING TO

DRIVE RATINGS, THE THING THAT'S

GOING TO DRIVE FANS BACK TO THE

ARENA, IT'S NOT THE SHOCK VALUE

OF THINGS YOU SEE ON TV ANYMORE,

IT'S GREAT COMPETITION.

YOU SAW IT THERE FIRST AND

FOREMOST THERE LAST NIGHT.

WE'LL BE BACK WITH MORE, LIVE ON

TNT.

WWE'S ATTITUDE ERA HAD INSPIRED

MORE ARTISTIC FREEDOM AND WHILE

WCW WAS SUFFERING FROM A LACK OF

DIRECTION, MONDAY NIGHT RAW WAS

CREATING NEW CHARACTERS AND

STORY LINES, GIVING WAY TO A

UNIFIED ROSTER AND A SUCCESSFUL

VISION FOR THE FUTURE.

AS THE ATTITUDE ERA STARTED

TO EXPAND, SO DID OUR CHARACTERS

AND THE MANY DIFFERENT

DIRECTIONS THEY COULD FORM A

BOND WITH THE AUDIENCE.

HAVING THE CREATIVE FREEDOM

TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE

WERE ABLE TO DO THAT MADE

EVERYBODY BETTER BECAUSE IT GAVE

EVERYBODY AN EMOTIONAL -- IT

GAVE THEM OWNERSHIP OVER THEIR

OWN PRODUCT, OVER THEIR OWN

BRAND.

IT REALLY ENCOURAGES YOU TO GO

OUT AND PUT YOUR EVERYTHING INTO

THE PERFORMANCE.

AS 1999 BEGAN, THE COMPANY'S

TRADITIONAL METHODS OF BUILDING

STARS FROM THE GROUND UP,

COMBINED WITH THE INNOVATIVE

CREATIVITY OF THE ATTITUDE ERA,

HELPED WWE DISTANCE THEMSELVES

FROM THE WCW IN THE RATINGS AND

MORE MID-CARD TALENTS WERE

FEATURED IN THE SPOTLIGHT OF

MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

IF YOUR NAME IS ON THIS

ROSTER YOU DESERVE TO BE THERE.

SO THAT'S WHY I WOULD LOOK AT

STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN MUCH THE

SAME WAY I WOULD LOOK AT D LO

BROWN.

THESE WERE PROS THAT WERE

DEPENDING ON CREATIVE TO COME UP

WITH A CHARACTER AND A STORY

LINE THAT WE COULD PUT ON

TELEVISION EVERYWHERE WEEK AND

DRAW A RATING.

EVERYBODY WAS A PLAYER AND

EVERYBODY HAD TO CARRY THE BALL

IN THEIR SEGMENT.

THAT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GOING

TO DO THOSE KIND OF NUMBERS.

HELLO LADIES!

EVERYBODY HAS A STORY,

EVERYONE HAS A CHARACTER,

THERE'S NO MISCONCEPTIONS.

YOU GET A CHANCE TO MAKE IT OR

BREAK IT.

IN WCW IT WASN'T REALLY LIKE

THAT.

THEY SPENT SO MUCH TIME AND

EFFORT ON THE TOP TIER GUYS THAT

EVERYBODY UNDERNEATH GOT NO

ATTENTION.

NITRO CONTINUED TO SHOWCASE

THE STARS AND STORY LINES FROM

YEARS PAST.

ADDITIONALLY SEVERAL OF WCW'S

MAIN EVENT TALENTS HAD

NEGOTIATED A CREATIVE CONTROL

CLAUSE INTO THEIR CONTRACTS,

CONTRIBUTING TO THE LACK OF

DIRECTION THAT PLAGUED WCW'S

CREATIVE TEAM.

YOU KNOW WHAT, INSTEAD OF

USING ESTABLISHED TALENT TO

ELEVATE NEW GUYS, IT WAS LIKE A

FIGHT EVERY WEEK.

IF YOU ASK ME TO DO SOMETHING

THAT I THINK IS GOING TO BE

DETRIMENTAL TO MY CAREER THEN I

HAVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO DO

IT.

HOW DO YOU RUN A COMPANY LIKE

THAT?

WE'D SIT THERE FOR A WHOLE

WEEK AND PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER.

THAT NIGHT ERIC WOULD GO TO THE

DIFFERENT SUPERSTARS.

HE'D GO TO STING, STING, DA, DA,

DA.

IF STING DIDN'T LIKE IT, HE'D GO

OH, CAN WE CHANGE IT HERE?

THEN HE'D GO TO HULK.

HULK, THIS IS WHAT WE PLAN ON

DOING.

IT MIGHT BE BETTER IF WE DO

THIS.

SO THEN THAT MATCH WAS CHANGED.

GOLDBERG, THE SAME THING.

IT SEEMED LIKE EVERYBODY HAD

CREATIVE CONTROL BUT THE PEOPLE

PUTTING THE SHOW TOGETHER.

THERE WERE SO MANY GUYS BACK

THEN REALLY PULLING THE WAGON,

DOING ALL THE WORK EVERY NIGHT,

WORKING THE HOUSE SHOWS AND IT'S

JUST A SHAME.

WCW, THEY LET A LOT OF WRESTLERS

DOWN AND ERIC BISCHOFF KILLED

THE GOOSE THAT WAS LAYING THE

GOLDEN EGGS FOR EVERYBODY.

WCW'S POLITICS WERE TAKING

THEIR TOLL ON NITRO'S RATINGS

AND THE COMPANY'S YOUNG TALENT,

ONE OF WHOM FINALLY HAD ENOUGH.

I WAS WORKING MAIN EVENTS

PRETTY MUCH ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

FOR WCW AND I WAS MAKING

PROBABLY ONE SIXTH OR ONE

SEVENTH OF ALL THE GUY I WAS

WORKING WITH.

I WENT TO ERIC BISCHOFF AND SAID

HEY, CAN I GET A RAISE?

AND ERIC WAS LIKE, WHY THE HELL

WOULD I NEGOTIATE WITH YOU WHEN

I STILL GOT YOU UNDER CONTRACT

FOR ANOTHER YEAR?

THE GIANT IS NOT A HAPPY MAN

RIGHT NOW AND FOR GOOD REASON.

WHO KNOWS, FUTURE WOULD HAVE

BEEN DIFFERENT HAD ERIC TAKEN

CARE OF ME AND PUT ME IN THE

SAME PAY RATE WITH THE OTHER

GUYS THAT I WAS WORKING WITH, I

PROBABLY NEVER WOULD HAVE MADE

THE JUMP.

HE INSULTED ME SO FRIGGIN' BAD

THAT HE COULD KISS MY ASS.

IT DIDN'T MATTER WHAT HE

OFFERED, I DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING

TO DO WITH HIM.

HE'S DISMANTLING THE SET.

MISUSED AND MISTREATED, THE

GIANT MADE GOOD ON HIS WORD,

CROSSING ENEMY LINES TO SIGN

WITH WWE.

STONE COLD TELLING MCMAHON

HE'S GOING TO WRESTLEMANIA!

WAIT A MINUTE!

MY GOD, KING!

MY GOD!

KING, THAT'S PAUL WHITE!

YES!

THAT'S PAUL WHITE!

WHEN THE BIG SHOW DEFECTED

AND HE MADE HIS FIRST APPEARANCE

COMING UP THROUGH THE RING IT

WAS SHOCKING TO SAY THE LEAST.

WHAT AN ENTRANCE.

YOU HAVE VINCE AND AUSTIN IN A

CAGE, THE GIANT NAMED PAUL WHITE

COMING THROUGH THE GROUND,

THROWING AUSTIN THROUGH THE

CAGE.

IT DOESN'T GET MUCH MORE

EXCITING THAN THAT.

THE CAGE GAVE WAY!

AUSTIN'S DOWN.

AUSTIN'S OUT OF THE CAGE.

BIG SHOW IS INCREDIBLY GIFTED

AND TALENTED, MOUNTAIN OF A MAN

WHO WAS BIG BUSINESS IN THE WCW

SO FOR US TO ACQUIRE THE BIG

SHOW WAS A BIG DEAL FOR OUR

COMPANY AND BIG DEAL FOR THE

BUSINESS.

ADDING TO WHAT WAS BECOMING A

STAR STUDDED ROSTER, WWE HAD

GAINED A VALUABLE ASSET IN WCW'S

FORMER GIANT, THE BIG SHOW.

IT WAS A BIG SHOT IN MONDAY

NIGHT RAW.

I THINK EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD THE

SIGNIFICANCE OF BIG SHOW COMING

TO WWE BECAUSE HE WAS SO CLEARLY

GOING TO BE A PART OF WCW'S

FUTURE.

THIS WAS MAJOR, MAJOR LOSS FOR

WCW, A MAJOR, MAJOR GAIN FOR

WWE.

AFTER YEARS IN THE SHADOWS OF

WCW'S MAIN EVENT TALENTS, THE

BIG SHOW WAS THRUST INTO WWE'S

TOP STORY LINE.

I CAME IN ONE OF THE FIST

ONES TO COME OVER.

IT WAS KIND OF A BIG DEAL.

I WAS THROWN IN THE MAIN EVENT

SITUATION WITH STONE COLD AND WE

WERE OFF AND RUNNING.

TALENT IS EVERYTHING.

IF WE HAVE GOOD STORY LINES YOU

HAVE TO HAVE GOOD CHARACTERS.

IT'S ALL ABOUT GETTING THE RIGHT

ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE TALENTS TO

GROW AND FOSTERED AND NURTURED

AS MUCH AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN.

WITH A DEEP ROSTER AND FANS

CLAMBERING FOR MORE WWE

PROGRAMMING, THE COMPANY

EXPANDED TO THURSDAY NIGHTS WITH

THE LAUNCH OF SMACKDOWN IN

DIRECT COMPETITION AGAINST WCW'S

THUNDER.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED ON

THUNDER!

THURSDAY NIGHT THUNDER WAS A

JOKE.

NOBODY WANTED TO BE ON IT IN

WCW.

IT WAS A THROWAWAY.

SMACKDOWN WAS SOMETHING FRESH

AND NEW AND HAD THE FIRST TEAM

GUYS ON IT.

IT WAS ON NETWORK TELEVISION,

NOT CABLE.

BUT WE BROUGHT THE WHOLE ROSTER.

WE HAD SO MUCH TALENT AT THE

TIME.

I REMEMBER THAT THEY INTRODUCED

SMACKDOWN, WE WERE EXCITED

BECAUSE YOUNG GUYS LIKE MYSELF

THAT WEREN'T GETTING A TON OF TV

TIME AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE

ON A SHOW AND TO GET THE CHANCE

TO GO OUT THERE AND SHINE.

SMACKDOWN DOMINATED THUNDER

IN THE RATINGS FROM THE GET GO

AND WITH TWO MORE HOURS OF

PROGRAMMING TO FILL, A FORGOTTEN

ASPECT OF SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

WAS READY TO MAKE A RENAISSANCE.

TAG TEAM WRESTLING HADN'T

REALLY HAD THE SPOTLIGHT PUT ON

IT FOR A WHILE UNTIL THEN AND WE

DECIDED WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS

INTERESTING AGAIN.

WE HAD A LOT OF REALLY GOOD

TALENTS.

TAG TEAMS SCENE BACK IN THE

ATTITUDE ERA WERE TRYING TO

SQUEEZE AND ELBOW AND SQUIRM

THEIR WAY TO NOTORIETY ON A STAR

STUDDED ROSTER OF SINGLE

COMPETITORS.

THEY ALL HAD TO BE REALLY

UNIQUE, REALLY, REALLY GOOD AND

THEY WERE.

THERE WAS A LOT OF GREAT TAG

TEAMS.

THERE WERE THE HARDYS, THERE

WERE EDGE AND CHRISTIAN, THERE

WERE THE DUDLEY BOYZ, THERE WERE

THE APA.

ALL THE TAG TEAMS WERE SO

ENTERTAINING AND ALL HAD THEIR

OWN DIFFERENT STYLE.

EVERYBODY WAS GREAT AND

EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO SHOW

THEIR STRENGTHS AND ONCE YOU PUT

THEM ALL IN THE MIX IT WAS JUST

MAGIC.

PEOPLE JUST REALLY WANTED TO

SEE TAG TEAM ACTION FOR THE

FIRST TIME IN A REALLY LONG

TIME.

IT WAS REALLY BIG BUSINESS.

THE TAG TEAM DIVISION WAS REALLY

HOT.

AS THE ATTITUDE ERA WAS

PROGRESSING, STARS WERE BEING

BORN ON A DAILY BASIS AND THESE

YOUNG GUYS WANTED TO GO OUT

THERE AND THEY WANTED TO BE THE

STARS.

THEY WANTED TO FIND A WAY TO

STEAL THE SHOW.

19,776 FANS HAVE SOLD OUT THE

ARROWHEAD POND FOR WRESTLEMANIA!

WWE'S DEEP TALENT POOL AND A

REVIVED TAG TEAM DIVISION WOULD

REESTABLISH THE COMPANY'S

SUCCESSFUL FORMULA OF THE PAST.

AND AT WRESTLEMANIA 2000 THE

ENTERTAINING UNDER CARD WOULD

NOT ONLY SUPPORT A HIGH PROFILE

MAIN EVENT, BUT SET OUT TO MAKE

A NAME FOR THEMSELVES AS THREE

TAG TEAMS WOULD GO ON TO STEAL

THE SHOW.

THESE YOUNG MEN PUTTING THEIR

BODIES, THEY CAREERS ON THE LINE

IN THIS TRIANGLE LADDER MATCH, A

FIRST FOR WRESTLEMANIA.

WE KNEW WE HAD TO DO

TO PUT OUR BODIES ON THE LINE

AND DO IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY AND

WE HAD TO REALLY GO OUT THERE

AND HIT A HOME RUN WITH IT.

WHERE EDGE AND CHRISTIAN AND

THE HARDY BOYS HAD MORE FINESSE,

THEY WERE MORE HIGH FLYERS, THE

DUDLEY BOYZ WERE GROUND AND

POUND SO IT WAS THIS REALLY

PERFECT STORM OF CHARISMA AND

ATHLETICISM AND HIGH FLYING

ABILITY AND THEN YOU HAD THE TWO

TANKS.

LOOK OUT!

WRESTLEMANIA, WE WOULD GO OUT

THERE AND JUST TURN IT OUT.

WE HAD SOME REALLY CREATIVE

SPOTS, REALLY ORIGINAL IN WHAT

WE DID.

LOOK OUT!

I THINK EVERY SINGLE PERSON

WENT THROUGH THE TABLE IN SOME

WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.

SO MANY THINGS IN THAT MATCH

THAT WERE UNIQUE, NEVER BEEN

SEEN BEFORE.

JEFF HARDY DELIVERED THE 20

FOOT LADDER.

HE WON'T DO THIS!

TOP OF THE LADDER!

TO THE FLOOR!

THROUGH THE TABLE!

GOOD NIGHT BUBBA RAY DUDLEY!

I HADN'T SEEN ANYTHING LIKE

THAT AND I HAD BEEN ALL OVER THE

WORLD.

THAT WAS UNBELIEVABLE WHAT THE

DUDLEYS AND EDGE AND CHRISTIAN

AND THE HARDYS DID.

EDGE AND CHRISTIAN HAVE WON

IT!

THAT PUT US ON THE RADAR.

WAIT, THERE'S THIS COOL TAG TEAM

THING GOING ON.

THESE GUYS ARE YOUNG, PRETTY

MUCH INSANE.

WITH THE WHOLE ATTITUDE ERA WE

HAD OUR FINGER ON THE PULSE OF

WHAT WAS GOING ON.

WE HAD THIS CHEMISTRY, WE

KIND OF ALL MADE EACH OTHER.

WE ALL KIND OF WENT FROM BEING

WWE WRESTLERS TO WWE SUPERSTARS.

AT THE MAIN EVENT THERE WERE

SOME PRETTY AMAZING MATCHES AND

THEY'LL STILL BE HARD TO TOP.

THE INNOVATIONS OF WWE'S

BOLSTERED TAG TEAM DIVISION

HELPED RAW'S RATINGS DOUBLE

THOSE OF THEIR COMPETITION BY

THE SPRING OF 2000.

WHILE RAW THRIVED, MONDAY NITRO

FLOUNDERED.

WCW'S OLD GUARD WAS LOSING THEIR

APPEAL AND THE COMPANY'S FAILURE

TO PROPERLY POSITION MID-CARD

TALENT FOR THE MAIN EVENT

SPOTLIGHT RESULTED IN A

CONTINUED DECLINE IN THEIR

PROGRAMMING.

THIS IS NOT AN INDUSTRY BUILT

ON COMFORT LEVEL.

THIS IS AN INDUSTRY THAT IS

BUILT ON SOMETHING NEW,

SOMETHING DIFFERENT, SOMETHING I

HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE.

SO ONCE YOU SEE HOGAN VERSUS

NASH OR NASH VERSUS HALL OR HALL

VERSUS HOGAN, WELL, NOW, I'VE

SEEN THE MIX OF THESE THREE.

WHAT ABOUT ADDING SOMEONE ELSE

TO THE MIX?

AND IF YOU KEEP IT A CLOSED DOOR

SOCIETY THEN YOU'RE NOT LETTING

THE FANS IN EITHER.

WCW NEEDED A MAJOR OVERALL

AND HIRED WWE HEAD WRITER, VINCE

RUSSO IN HOPES OF DUPLICATING

MONDAY NIGHT RAW'S A SUCCESS.

I'M SITTING THERE AT WCW.

I'M LIKE, OKAY, THIS THING IS

DEAD, WE NEED TO REBUILD THIS.

WE NEED TO REBUILD THIS WITH THE

UNDERUTILIZED GUY.

IT WAS A GOOD THING FROM A

BUSINESS ASPECT TO TRY TO START

MOVING THE YOUNG GUYS AROUND AND

TRY TO DO A WHOLE LOT MORE WITH

THEM, AND I THINK A LOT OF THAT

HAPPENED WHEN VINCE RUSSO CAME

IN.

AND LOOK, IN THE MOUTH OF

HULK HOGAN!

HE'S KNOCKED HIM OFF HIS FEET!

THERE WAS ONE SHOW IN

PARTICULAR THAT HULK HOGAN

WORKED A PROGRAM WITH KIDMAN.

THIS IS KIDMAN'S DAY!

IT WAS SO REFRESHING BECAUSE

UP UNTIL THAT POINT IT WAS

ALWAYS THE SAME 10, 12 GUYS

WORKING WITH EACH OTHER IN THE

SEMI AND THE MAIN EVENT EVERY

SINGLE NIGHT.

SEVERAL OF WCW'S HOMEGROWN

TALENTS WERE MOVING UP THE CARD,

GETTING THEIR CHANCE TO SHINE IN

THE MAIN EVENT SPOTLIGHT.

BUT IT WAS ONE IN PARTICULAR WHO

BENEFITTED MOST FROM VINCE

RUSSO'S VISION.

THERE WERE FINALLY GIVING

BOOK THE CHANCE TO STEP AND

COULD HE DELIVER.

THE GUY CUTS AN AWESOME PROMO,

HE'S A BELIEVABLE BAD ASS AND HE

CAN WORK.

SCISSOR KICK HERE BY BOOKER

T!

HERE WE GO, GUYS!

BOOKER T GOING TO DO IT!

WCW WAS SHIFTING FOCUS TO

ELEVATE NEW STARS, BUT THE MAIN

EVENT HOLDOVERS WERE NOT WILLING

TO LET GO OF THEIR SPOT SO

EASILY.

SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT

ANYBODY ELSE GOING ANYWHERE

EXCEPT ABOUT FIVE OR SIX PEOPLE.

YOU'RE PART OF THE SHOW, BUT

DON'T EVER GET BIGGER THAN ME.

WCW AT THAT TIME STILL HAD

THAT GOOD OLD BOY MENTALITY,

ONLY A FEW CHOSEN PIECES GOT A

CHANCE TO MOVE AROUND ON THE

BOARD, EVERYBODY ELSE HAD TO

STAY IN PLACE AND PLAY THEIR

ROLE.

WHEN YOU'VE GOT THESE

MULTIMILLION BILLIONAIRES MAKING

ALL THIS MONEY AND ALL THE

SUDDEN THE SHOW DOESN'T REVOLVE

AROUND THEM ANYMORE, NOW THE

DAGGERS COME OUT.

DAYTONA BEACH AND THE OCEAN

CENTER WELCOME WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING, BASH AT

THE BEACH.

THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE OLD

AND THE NEW CAME TO A HEAD IN

JULY'S BASH AT THE BEACH EVENT.

A CLASH OF PHILOSOPHIES AS TO

THE DIRECTION OF WCW RESULTED IN

HULK HOGAN LEAVING THE COMPANY,

BUT A NEW CHAMPION WOULD EMERGE.

OPPORTUNITY HAS KNOCKED AND I

WILL BE DAMNED IF I DON'T ANSWER

THAT DOOR.

I AM GOING TO DO WHAT I HAVE TO

DO TONIGHT TO TAKE THAT GOAL

HOME, TAKE IT AROUND MY WAIST

AND TAKE IT INTO THE NEXT

MILLENNIUM.

NOW, CAN YOU DIG THAT, GENE?

I CAN.

INTO THE GUT!

IT COULD BE IT, HE CALLS FOR IT

AND HE GOT IT!

SINCE THE BELL RANG, JUST

READY TO GO OUT AND GIVE THE

FANS A GREAT SHOW.

BOOKER DOESN'T SEE --

GOT HIM!

BOOKEND!

BOOKEND!

THERE'S A REFEREE AT TWO, THREE!

YES, YES, YES!

WE'VE GOT A NEW CHAMPION!

OH MY GOD, BOOKER T'S THE WORLD

CHAMPION!

IT WAS A DREAM THAT CAME

TRUE.

EMOTIONS WERE VERY, VERY HIGH

THAT NIGHT.

LOOK AT THE FANS STANDING AND

THEY'RE RAISING THE ROOF WITH

BOOKER T, THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT

CHAMPION!

WHAT A MOMENT IN WCW HISTORY

THIS IS!

WE WERE WATCHING,

LIKE,áFINALLY.

IT FINALLY HAPPENED.

ONE OF THE GUYS WE SAW EVERY

WEEK ON TV HAVING GREAT MATCHES,

WORKING REALLY HARD.

IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE FEEL

GOOD MOMENTS.

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD WAS

COMPLETE, BUT AS THE YEAR 2000

CAME TO A CLOSE, THE NEW CROP OF

WCW MAIN EVENTERS WERE NOT

ENOUGH TO SHIFT THE POWER IN THE

MONDAY NIGHT RATINGS. MANY OF

WCW'S NEW HEADLINERS COULD NOT

OVERCOME THE YEARS OF BEING

REGARDED AS SECOND TIER

SUPERSTARS.

IF YOU'VE DONE IT FROM THE

BEGINNING LIKE EVERYBODY TOLD

YOU TO DO, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE RAN

INTO THOSE BIG PROBLEMS IN 2000

BECAUSE GUYS WOULD HAVE BEEN

THERE ALREADY.

YOU CAN'T KEEP ME HERE, HERE AND

THEN ALL THE SUDDEN ONE DAY,

OKAY, WE'RE HERE NOW.

WE'RE TO BE TAKEN EQUAL.

DOESN'T WORK.

BY THE TIME THEY HAD REALIZED

WE NEED TO CREATE SOME STARS IT

WAS JUST TOO LATE.

THEY TRIED TO BRING SOME GUYS

UP, BUT WCW WAS ALREADY OVER.

IF THEY TRIED FIVE YEARS EARLIER

THERE MAY STILL BE A WCW RIGHT

NOW.

FAILURE TO DEVELOP AND

PROPERLY UTILIZE THEIR

SUPPORTING CAST HELP SEAL WCW'S

FATE AS VINCE MCMAHON PURCHASED

THE COMPANY IN MARCH OF 2001.

WHEN YOU BRING SOME OTHER

GUYS UP TO THAT LEVEL, IT'S JUST

THE MORE THE MERRIER, I'D SAY.

YOU TURN A CROWD INTO A PARTY.

YOU CAN ONLY HAVE SO MUCH FUN

WITH THREE PEOPLE, BUT THEN ALL

THE SUDDEN YOU HAVE, LIKE,áEIGHT

PEOPLE AND IT'S A GOOD TIME.

WE HAD BETTER ENTERTAINERS

AND BETTER ATHLETES THAN THEY

HAD THERE.

YOU COULD HAVE RAN THREE SHOWS

WITH THREE DIFFERENT MAIN EVENTS

WE HAD SO MUCH TALENT BACK THEN.

WHOEVER WAS ON TOP AT THE

TIME, THE BOTTOM GUY, THE

MID-CARD GUY, WE'D ALL WORK

TOGETHER.

SO WE WERE ALWAYS, LIKE,áA REAL

TEAM BACK THERE AND A FAMILY.

THE COMPETITION BETWEEN WWE

AND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

HAD PROVIDED THE ULTIMATE STAGE

FOR SUPERSTARS IN BOTH COMPANIES

TO SHOWCASE THEIR TALENTS, AND

ALTHOUGH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING ULTIMATELY FALTERED IN

EMBRACING THE ABILITIES OF THEIR

UNDER CARD.

THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR PAVED THE

WAY FOR SUPERSTARS FROM TOP TO

BOTTOM TO EMERGE AS HOUSEHOLD

NAMES DURING SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT'S GREATEST ERA.

IF YOU WERE ON MONDAY NIGHT

WARS YOU WERE A STAR.

IT WAS JUST AN ALL STAR CAST

OF CHARACTERS AND EVERYONE WAS

STEPPING UP.

SAYING I CAN DO THAT.

IT WAS JUST EVERY MONDAY DUNK

AFTER DUNK, HOME RUN AFTER HOME

RUN.

IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.

DEPTH OF BOTH COMPANY'S

ROSTERS, WWE AND WCW WERE

INTEGRAL PARTS TO THE SUCCESS OF

MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

AFTER YOUR MAIN EVENT OR YOUR

STAR PLAYS, YOU WANT DEPTH.

YOU NEED THAT SIXTH GUY TO COME

OFF THE BENCH IN BASKETBALL.

THE DEPTH OF THE ROSTER, REALLY

ONE OF THE UNSUNG HEROS IN THE

MONDAY NIGHT WARS.

THE BATTLE FOR SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT SUPREMACY PROVED

THAT IT TAKES A ARMY TO WIN A

WAR.

AS IN ANY WAR, SOLDIERS WIN A

WAR SO YOU WANT THE BEST

SOLDIERS BECAUSE ON THE GROUND

SOMEONE CAN OPERATE A TANK,

SOMEONE CAN FLY A PLANE

YOU NEED ALL THE DIFFERENT

ASPECTS TO WIN A WAR.

BUT THE DEEP ROSTER AND

INNOVATIVE STORY LINES WOULD

NEED A STRONG LEADER IN ORDER TO

CREATE AN UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OF

SUCCESS AND EMERGE VICTORIOUS IN

THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

VINCE IS LIKE OUR COMMANDER

AND CHIEF, HE'S LIKE OUR

GENERAL.

HE HAS A PLAN.

EXECUTE AND WHEN IT COMES

TOGETHER IT'S A GREAT BATTLE

PLAN.

IT WAS SO IMPORTANT WE HAD

ONE VOICE, AND THAT'S AGAIN, ONE

OF THE REASONS WE WON THE MONDAY

WE HAD ONE VISION, WE HAD THE

VISION OF ONE MAN AND THAT'S

VINCE MCMAHON.

WHEN A MAN HAS THOSE BELIEFS

AND THEY'RE THAT STRONG, YOU

CAN'T HELP BUT FOLLOW.