I did one for WWE,so,now it's time I do one for the WCW. As you know,WCW was one of my favorite Wrestling promotions and I've been eager to talk about it some more. Now. The following list will be an incomplete Timeline,but will cover most of the more important moments in the Company's history.
Well,let's get to it.
1944 - Georgia Championship Wrestling,the WCW's predecessor is formed.
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19XX - GCW joins the National Wrestling Alliance aka The NWA.
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1971 - In December GCW begins it's first TV Show on the network that would eventually be known as Turner Broadcasting System aka TBS aka The Superstation.
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1973 - GCW's secondary TV Show,World Wide Wrestling,debuts.
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1982 - GCW renames it's Main TV Program,to World Championship Wrestling,in an effort to compete with the WWWF. It helped.
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1983 - GCW is bought by Jerry and Jack Brisco. Starrcade,makes it's debut as a TV Special in November,under Jim Crockett Productions and the NWA.
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1984 - The Brisco Bros sell their shares in GCW to Vince McMahon...and along with it,the Show's Timeslot. Soon,the infamous "Black Saturday" incident happens. Many GCW fans hated McMahon's style of Wrestling. Ole Anderson and 2 other guys refused to sell their shares to Vince McMahon and started their own promotion,Championship Wrestling from Georgia.
TBS would acquire the rights to this Promotion,as well as Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling.
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1985 - After failing to gather strong ratings,Vince McMahon sells his shares of WCW and it's name to Jim Crockett Productions,owned and operated by Jim Crockett Jr. Jim Crockett Jr. later fuses GCW,Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling,and Championship Wrestling from Georgia into the New WCW. The Promotion's 3rd TV show,WCW Pro Wrestling,debuts in January. And The Great American Bash debuts as a TV Special.
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1986 - Jim Crockett Promotions held the first Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup, which showcased talent from various NWA territories. Bob Geigel would later become the NWA President once again,and would purchase Geigel's Heart of America Sports Attractions,promoters of the Central States territory, which owned the rights to promote wrestling shows through the states of Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa.
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1987 - JCP would enter into an agreement to control Championship Wrestling from Florida and Universal Wrestling Federation (which covered Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana. The Florida and Mid-South territories (including titles and wrestlers)were absorbed into WCW.
Jim Crockett Promotions now owned NWA St. Louis, the Universal Wrestling Federation, Mid-Atlantic, Central States Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Georgia and Championship Wrestling from Florida as well.
Later in the year,JCP became the last NWA member with a Nationwide TV Show. And though JCP and the NWA were still two separate legal entities,Jimmy Crockett was NWA President,so Jim Crockett Promotions was allowed to use the NWA brand for promoting.
The War Games Match is created by Dusty Rhodes. And In November,Starrcade debuts as a PPV. WWF would answer that with the Survivor Series.
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1988 - The next TV Show,NWA/WCW Main Event made it's debut in January. The Clash of the Champions
Yearly TV Special would debut in March (and against WrestleMania 4). The Great American Bash debuts as a PPV. Jim Crockett Promotions was purchased outright by Ted Turner in October. Originally incorporated by TBS as the Universal Wrestling Corporation, Turner promised fans that WCW would maintain the athlete-oriented style of the NWA.
The sale was completed in November,and the Flagship Show (nwa wcw) aired the very same evening in WCW's hometown of Atlanta. Starrcade airs for the first time under the NWA/WCW and moves back to December.
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1989 - WCW PPV,WrestleWar debuts. And The PPV,Halloween Havoc debuts in October.
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1990 - Starrcade '90 is the Final WCW PPV under the NWA.
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1991 - Both WCW and the NWA recognized Ric Flair as their World Heavyweight Champion throughout most of the first half of 1991.However,the recently installed WCW president Jim Herd,turned against Flair for various reasons. Flair would be fired before The Great American Bash in July,after failed contract negotiations.
In the process, they officially stripped him of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. The NWA/WCW refused to return the $25,000 deposit,The Nature Boy had put down on the physical belt, so he kept it and brought it with him when he was hired by the WWF at the request of Vince McMahon.
WCW later renegotiated the use of the NWA name as a co-promotional gimmick with New Japan Pro-Wrestling and sued the WWF to stop showing Flair with the old NWA World Title belt on its programs, claiming a trademark on the physical design of the belt.
The belt was returned to WCW by Flair when Jim Herd was let go. Flair eventually received his deposit which with interest was over $38,000. It was brought back as the revived NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
The Superbrawl PPV debuts. And WrestleWar '91 became the first PPV solely under WCW alone.
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1992 - Herd was fired in January 1992 and was succeeded by Kip Allen Frey. Frey's tenure running WCW was brief, and he would be replaced later in the year by "Cowboy" Bill Watts, who had formerly been the promoter for Mid-South Wrestling (later known as the Universal Wrestling Federation) and was the first head executive of WCW to have prior experience in the wrestling business since Jim Crockett left. Watts would controversially make top rope moves llegal during wrestling matches among other changes.
After clashes with management over a number of issues (both major and minor),He was subsequently replaced by Eric Bischoff. WCW's TV show is renamed to WCW Saturday Night in April. Beach Blast,the next WCW PPV,debuts in July.
And NWA/WCW WorldWide Wrestling is renamed to WCW WorldWide.
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1993 - After many failed Presidents,Commentator Eric Bischoff was promoted to the Vice-Presidency of WCW. The Slamberee,Fall Brawl War Games,and BattleBowl PPV's would debut in May,September,and November respectively.
Due to a dispute,the WCW and NWA would part ways in September. WCW still legally owned and used the actual belt which represented the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, however,they could no longer use the NWA name.
The title thus became known as the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship,sanctioned by fictitious subsidiary WCW International. WCW claimed that WCW International still recognized the belt as a legitimate World Championship.
For a short while, there were essentially two world titles up for competition in the organization, with Sting winning the WCW International title, while Flair captured the WCW World Heavyweight Championship from Big Van Vader.
Later in the year,Paul E. Dangerously would leave WCW to form ECW (extreme championship wrestling).
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1994 - The Spring Stampede PPV debuts.
In June,The WCW World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW International World Championship would be Unified,after Ric Flair (the wcw world champion) defeated Sting (the wcw international champion) in a Title Unification Match.
In the Early Summer,WCW would acquire the Biggest Name in Wrestling - Hulk Hogan.
Beach Blast is renamed to Bash at the Beach. WCW/NWA Pro Wrestling becomes WCW Pro later in the year.
In December,WCW would acquire the 2nd Biggest Name in Wrestling - "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
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1995 - WCW Prime debuts in January.
The Next WCW PPV,Uncensored,would debut in February.
To combat the WWF's Monday Night Raw,WCW unleashed WCW Monday Nitro in September on TNT (turner network television). The Opening Salvo has been fired! The Monday Night War would officially begin.
Not too long after the debut of Nitro,WCW would introduce the Cruiserweight Division. This division would properly introduce American Wrestling Fans to Lucha Libre (mexican wrestling) and Puroresu (japanese wrestling).
The Next New PPV,World War 3,would make it's debut November,replacing BattleBowl.
On a Nitro in December,Medusa Macelli aka Alundra Blayze,would make her return to WCW and infamously dump the WWF Women's Championship in a trash pail.
WCW would soon launch it's Women's division.
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1996 - WCW Prime ends in January.
In Late May,things would begin to change forever. Scott Hall,who worked as Razor Ramon in the WWF just a week prior,appeared on Nitro to declare War on WCW and Ted Turner. Weeks later,he would bring in Kevin "Diesel" Nash,and the The 2 would issue a challenge to WCW.
The Outsider invasion begins and it would help the WCW gain momentum against the WWF.
Weeks later,Lex Luger,Sting,and the "Macho Man" Randy Savage were chosen to battle the 2 Outsiders and their surprise partner at Bash at the Beach.
WWF and Vince McMahon would Sue Turner and WCW for Copyright infringement,due to Scott Hall sometimes using his Razor Ramon gimmick,which was owned by the WWF. The 2 sides came to an out of court settlement and Scott Hall never used his Razor Ramon persona again. As part of the settlement,WWF would be allowed to buy WCW,should the promotion be up for sale.
At Bash at the Beach,Hulk Hogan shocked the World by revealing himself to be the Outsiders Mystery Partner. The nWo was formed that night. Thanks to Bash at the Beach '96 and it's build,for the first time,WCW would Beat the WWF in the Pay-Per-View War. This trend would continue,until January of '98.
Thanks to the nWo Saga,the WCW would dominate in ratings and became the #1 Wrestling Promotion in the World....until 1998,that is.
In August,WCW would create a Pay-Per-View themed around a Motorcycle Rally. This show would be called Hog Wild.
The nWo gains more members,Including WCW VP Eric Bischoff. Sting would begin to undergo a transformation..from a Colorful Superhero to a Dark Avenger.
Plus,later in the year,Time Warner buys out Turner Broadcasting.
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1997 - In January,the nWo would introduce their own Pay-Per-View,nWo Souled Out.
The nWo adds even more new members. By Early 1998,it gets bloated.
Later in the year,Bill Goldberg debuts and would go undefeated until Starrcade '98
Sting would make his presence noted and begins antagonizing the nWo. He would eventually gets his Title shot against WCW World Heavyweight Champion,Hollywood Hulk Hogan,at Starrcade.
The August Pay-Per-View,Hog Wild,is renamed to Road Wild. All thanks to a dispute with the Harley Davidson company,who owned the term "Hog".
Also in August,the WCW would air the Final Clash of the Champions TV Special.
After the Montreal Screwjob,Bret "Hit Man" Hart,Wrestling's #3 Guy would join WCW in December.
Due to RAW being taped a week in advance and Nitro remaining Live,Ravishing Rick Rude was able to appear on Both RAW and Nitro on the same night. Rude departed the WWF,due to a Contract dispute,and signed with WCW a few days later.
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1998 - Thunder debuts in January on TBS and becomes the new B-Show. Also in January,WCW Main Event would end its run.
nWo Souled Out becomes WCW/nWo Souled Out and would be the first in the (stupidly) duel-branded Pay-Per-View's. This theme is extended to the TV Shows too.
So from January of '98 to Early '99,every WCW Show and Event would be titled WCW/nWo (show/event name).
For the first time since '96,the WCW would be crushed in the Pay-Per-View War by WWF's Royal Rumble '98. Souled Out was Played Out and the Royal Rumble was really good..especially the Royal Rumble Match itself.
And,per the norm,the nWo would continue to add members to its ranks. Something people got sick of.
Due to an internal conflict between Kevin Nash and Hollywood Hogan,the nWo would break off into 2 Factions - nWo Hollywood (lead by Hogan) and nWo Wolfpac (lead by Nash). This did Not help WCW against the WWF,as many were sick of the nWo and wanted the company to move on.
The 3-way war between the WCW,nWo Hollywood,and the nWo Wolfpac would begin. But would be all in vain thanks to the Austin v. McMahon Saga that was going on in the WWF.
Sometime in the year,WCW would end it's Womens Division.
WCW Pro ended in September.
Goldberg's winning streak would come to a (questionable) end at the hands of Kevin Nash at Sttarcade '98 in December.
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1999 - In January,the infamous Nitro where things started going south for the company. Tony Schiavone's WWF Raw spoiler backfires and over half the fans watching at home tuned into Raw to see Mick Foley win the WWF Championship from the Rock. And to make matters worse for WCW,when the fans tuned back to Nitro,they were greeted by Nash v. Hogan and the Infamous 'Fingerpoke of Doom' The nWo reunited after the match and were whole again and the Fans Hated it.
Thanks to that episode of Nitro,most Wrestling fans have lost faith in WCW's product and migrated to the WWF full time. Soon,the Monday Night War would become completely one-sided in WWF's favor.
Souled Out '99 would be the Final PPV with the WCW/nWo branding.
The nWo would dissolve in the spring.
Sometime in the Year,WCW would create a Hardcore Division,in an attempt to lure ECW fans to WCW.
In September, Turner Sports fired Eric Bischoff and replaced him with,WCW Vice President of Strategic Planning,Bill Busch. Busch was named Senior Vice President (handling the creative and day-to-day operations with Brad Siegel).
Later in September, WCW would hire former WWF Creative Head,Vince Russo,in an attempt to save themselves. Unfortunately for them,the Opposite effect happened and Russo ended up making things worse.
Fall Brawl '99 would be the penultimate edition of the Event. And it was without the traditional War Games Match,which had been a staple for the event since 1993.
Novembers Event,World War 3,is replaced by Mayhem.
In late December,nWo 2000 would form under Kevin Nash. Thankfully,it was short lived.
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2000 - WCW would experience it's Absolute Worst Year Ever! Mostly thanks to Vince Russo's garbage booking and creative decisions.
In Feburary,AOL announced that it would be purchasing Time Warner and the sale would be complete the following year. Later,Time Warner decided that WCW was a liability and wanted to get rid of it.
In April, Eric Bischoff was rehired and reluctantly worked with Vince Russo to save WCW. They never even came close to.
After getting rehired and finding out about Time Warner's intentions to get rid of WCW, Eric Bischoff stepped in and offered to buy the company,if he could find a group of good investors. After some back and forth,Time Warner decided to let Bischoff buy WCW,provided he got some good investors. It took months,but Easy E found his investors - Fusient Media Ventures.
To gather more support and win back the fans,WCW began a new Saga - The New Blood Saga. In this Saga,the hungry Young Talent,known as the New Blood,would face off against the Evil Millionaires Club,made up of a group of Wrestling Veterans.
It backfired. The New Blood acted like the Heels and were booed,while the Millionaires Club,who were supposed to be the Heels,were cheered. The Saga ended as quickly as it began.
In July 2000,Eric Bischoff would make his Last On-Air appearance at Bash at the Beach.
August's Road Wild Event was replaced by New Blood Rising. Also in August,WCW Saturday Night ended its run.
Like with the previous year, Fall Brawl went without a War Games match.
Later in the year,Vince Russo would depart from WCW,but the damage had already been done.
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2001 - In January,Souled Out is replaced by Sin.
Also in January,Eric Bischoff and his new partners,Fusient Media Ventures, placed a conference call announcing their purchase of WCW. A few days later,AOL and Time Warner merged. The Higher-Ups were still unimpressed by WCW.
In February,Superbrawl is replaced by Revenge. And in March,Unsensored is replaced by Greed.
In Early March,WCW magazine announced a New WCW event that would relaunch the Company under Eric Bischoff and Fusient Media Ventures. It was called WCW Big Bang and it would've been the birth of a New WCW. The event would've been held in May.
After some convincing from outside sources,AOL/Time Warner decided to can all WCW Shows. With no Network to air WCW,Fusient decided to pull out of the deal and Vince McMahon swooped in and bought the company.
In Late March,WCW was bought by Vince McMahon and held it's final Nitro in Panama City Beach,FL. The Monday Night War was over, The World Wrestling Federation had won.
In Early April,WCW WorldWide would air for the final time and would be the last of the WCW programs.
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And soon after,WWF would showcase WCW Wrestling on RAW and Smackdown. But,thanks to a few factors,WCWWF was a flop.
I'll talk more about That another day and time.
Until Next Time,Stay Gold,Space Cowboys!
Always Resist Modern Attitudes!!
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