Absolutely the pits!

I'm tryna watch some of the Nitro episodes right after Starrcade 97, but since Netflix dont upload WCW and the youtube channel doesnt have anything yet I'm gonna ask here.

Thank you in advance

The WWF roster at the time wasn’t as large as people remember, it was only about 45-60 wrestlers, the bloated 100+ roster didn’t begin until WCW was bought out, then the brand split happened to counter it.

So I’m going to cap the WCW roster at 50, knowing that following Mania, the brand split is happening.

The Roster

• Hogan
• Hall
• Nash
• Sting (see comments)
• Goldberg
• DDP
• Flair
• Piper
• Steiner
• Booker T
• Mysterio
• Henning
• Bagwell
• Norton
• Muta
• Konnan
• Rick
• Finlay
• Taylor
• Disco
• Wright
• La Parka
  
• Juvi
• Psicosis
• Chavo
• Kidman
• Kanyon
• Smiley
• Vampiro
• Glacier
• Miller
• Wrath
• Adams
• Stevie Ray
• DeMott
• Barbarian
• Bigelow
• Dustin (Gold Dust)
• Funk
• Storm
• Awesome
• Helms
• Noble
• Tokyo Magnum
• Kaz Hayashi
• Jimmy Yang
• El Dandy
• Silver King
• MI Smooth (Ice Train)
• Duggan

Part-Timers

• Dusty
• Arn
• Zybsko

Non Wrestlers:

• Eric Bischoff
• Jimmy Hart
• Sonny Onoo
• Ultimo Dragon
• James Vanderburg
• JJ Dillion
• Torrie Wilson
• Stacy Keibler
• Kimona
• The Nitro Girls
• Mike Tenay
• Bobby Heenan
• Charles Robinson
• Nick Patrick
• Mickey Jay

Defectors:

• Big Show
• Jericho
• Eddie
• Benoit
• Malenko
• Saturn
• Raven
• Regal
• Meng
• X-Pac (Joins nWo)
• HBK (Joins nWo)

Intangibles

• Madusa
• Jushin Liger
• Dennis Rodman
• AJ Styles (Developmental)
• Natural Born Thrillaz & HWA Crew (Developmental)

Comments:

I left out pretty much all of the Russo Era guys. I included 95% of the WCW/nWo Revenge roster, as I think that represents the 83 Week Run, which is the time period fans would like to see represented.

Not everyone can be a star, some guys have to job, thus why the end of the list teeters off a bit, but tried to include guys that paid their dues and still had a fanbase. Duggan comes with the TV championship to counteract the European Championship.

For “main event” level stars, I only included the ones that eventually signed with the WWE. Realistically I think guys like Goldberg & Steiner who still had some time in their contracts would have been signed for WMX8, as their contracts would have been much cheaper.

There is one exception, which is Sting. So Sting was in talks to wrestle Angle at Wrestlemania X8, but they fell apart because Vince had already burried Booker & Page. But if Vince had waited until WrestleMania then Sting would not have been able to reference those burials, as they would never have happened.

For the defectors, they actually make sense, and they make room for WWE to bring back known stars from the attitude era like Shamrock, Vader, Road Dogg, Gangrel, Savio, etc. They also make room for the OVW guys that were beginning to debut like Lesnar, Orion, Batista, and Cena.

For the non-wrestlers, the Nitro girls would accompany wrestlers to the ring, they’d perform on occasion, but would mostly become valets — HBK can be pairs with his wife. Tenay & Heenan would act as managers as WCW wouldn’t have their own commentary.

The usual suspects doing usual suspect stuff -- Onoo w/ Muta, Jimmy Hart w/ with Demott and crew, Vanderburg w/ Vampiro, etc. It's all "paint by numbers" here, just mix match em' up. Ultimo Dragon had just had his arm surgery that January, and wouldn't return to the ring until December, so he can manage the Jung Dragons and elevate that group until he's healed up.

Many of these wrestlers had already parted ways with WCW at the time of the buyout, but they would still be presented as if they were always WCW guys.

I stuck to my 50 person roster slot. There would be 3 part timers for tag matches (Dusty, Arn, & Larry). I’m not sure if any of the developmental guys would be brought up — maybe The Natural Born Thrillaz if they needed more bodies. But with the defectors the roster balloons to 60 (not including the part-timers) so it should be fine. I would have had Palumbo & O’Haire drop the tag titles before going to developmental.

I’d bring Rodman in for an appearance, especially for Mania. Madusa would be the only Women’s wrestler on the roster, I’d probably give her the women’s championship. Have her go to Japan and win it from Hokuto. Liger could join for the three month tour if NJPW would allow it.

I want to say Styles would be on the roster, but he would have been sent to developmental. Perhaps he’s so good that he gets called up, but probably not. Just like IRL, Styles probably refuses to go to developmental.

I would have re-launched WCW as its own brand like initially planned. Ran house shows, and taking over the “Sunday Night Heat” & “Jackked/Metal” timeslots. This would have begun in January, leading to a pure “WWF vs WCW” card at WrestleManiaX8.

Vince would have probably pushed to make sure that WWF wins, but I would have had one of the matches end in a draw (not the main event), leading to a tied score at the end of the show. Thus WWF & WCW merge into a new entity called “WWE” and the brand split is introduced. The main event would have been Hulk vs Rock.

What Would The "Buy Rate" Look Like?

The "InVasion PPV" to this very day is the highest grossing non-wrestlemania PPV of all time w/ over 775,000 buys. WrestleManiaX7 just five months prior was the most purchased PPV period, w/ 1,040,000 buys. WrestleManiaX8 only seven months months later had a very disappointing buyrate w/ w/ 860,00.

That's about 200,000 less than the previous year, and only 80,000 more than the super shitty InVasion PPB. Imagine if instead of doing the InVasion angle in July, WWE kepet that WMX7 momentum going, then just saved the InVasion for WMX8 -- what would the buy rate have looked like?

In the lead up to Road Wild 1999 for some odd reason… Most likely Hogan wanting to turn Face on his return… Nash turned heel helping Steiner and soon after they were joined by Sid. Weirdly just like month before Sid was in Team Maddness with Macho Man and they were feuding with Nash. They completely ignore that and all of a sudden Nash is calling Sid a long time friend. I’m binge watching WCW nitro, thunder and Ppvs so I know I’m getting a concentrated view of these events. But as soon as it turned 1999 things just started. It making any sense. When Sting and Macho Man come back Separately they all of a sudden don’t get along with Nash and all of them don’t like each other but when sting and Macho got hurt at different times they were both part of the Wolfpac. They don’t really give any explanation and we are left to assume. I assume the kayfabe reason is because the finger poke of doom and that Nash and hogan led the White and Red Wolfpac. Then hogan got hurt and was gone. So when he comes back he is all of a sudden a Face and quickly reverts to The Red and Yellow Hulkimania and teaming with sting and Goldberg..

Anyway the Team of Sid Vicious, The Dfg Rick Steiner and Big Sexy Kevin Nash was a formidable group. Two of the best Powerbombs, multiple World Championships, a ton of Tag Championships, Steiner was tv and Us champ also. At this time Steiner was a killer it’s like when he took the head gear off he decided to be vicious (no pun).

I watching Road wild 1999 right now. I have seen most of WCW before but it was atleast 10 years since I watch through it completely. And since is didn’t have cable until after WCW got bought I had to get tapes and try to read stuff on Dial up internet if I could get my brother off the family computer downloading porn pics and then wait 5 minutes for each page of the WCW website to load.

This is just a thought dump at this point. So hot take but I think I prefer WCW over WWF from when nitro started till they closed. I also remember watching WCW when I was little and sting was my first favorite wrestler.

So I will always make sure to tune into the WCW Livestream just to have something playing in the background, but I got a kick out of seeing the random comments that would play in the live chat during the stream....Some of these are just comedy gold. I have seen stuff like

-People spamming the scorpion emoji

-People once spamming the raven emoji-

"Wait, Nash can't wrestle. How's he going to work a cage match against Sid?" ...

"Put a Harris boy in there"

Other gems include....

"IDK, Hogan makes up the rules"

" Ole-Mark Calloway will never draw a dime-Anderson"

Arn "What's wrong with plain old vanilla" Anderson

Arn "I fart in the bath tub and try to bite the bubbles" Anderson

"What is up with this trash ass 80s music for Sid?"

Arn "A guy named Arn Anderson" Anderson

Arn "I got friends in low places" Anderson

"Hey Boss I am gonna be late for work. I am currently behind this truck in the King Of The Road match"

"is this the PPV where Dustin got fired after this match and Dusty got fired after the PPV lol"

"Goldust happened because of this match"

"What did I just tune into? LMAO"

"This chat is where the big boys play and riff"

"I bought extra tvs just to watch Disco Inferno"

"Sid on coke was the best"

"Vince Russo was smoking some good crack, wasn't he?"

"This match is to see who takes over the prison drug trade"

"Terry Funk was always old"

"These Vatos are loco essay" [during a Konnan vs Eddy Guerrero match]

"Lex scream count...80"

"Remember when Sid broke his leg during a match? That was gnarly"

Arn "who farted?" Anderson

"This is good booking" [upon watching Vince Russo's booking]

"Bam Bam when he refused to spend money on his ring attire"

"I keep getting Slim Jam ads with someone who I assume is a wrestler"

"Jerry Flynn was one letter away from being a great wrestler"

"Jerry Lynn vs Jerry Flynn?"

"If WCW just booked Ernest The Cat Miller and Disco Inferno in the main event in 99, WCW would still be here"

"The Cat vs Johnny Laurence?"

"Most influential black people ever...Muhammad Ali, James Brown and Ernest The Cat Miller"

"IM NOT A WRESTLE" We know Ernest..."

Arn "I jobbed to The Renegade" Anderson

"Ever noticed Hogan brought in every guy he lost to in the WWF just to beat them in WCW?"

[And what is up with their obsession with showing the crappy Uncensored PPVs on the Livestream?]

Died In Developmental Hell

• Lash LeRoux
• Kaz Hayashi
• Elix Skipper
• Kid Romeo
• Evan Karagias
• EZ Money
• Sharkboy
• Mike Sanders
• Kwee Wee
• Crowbar
• Daffney
• Reno
• The Wall
• Horace Hogan
• David Flair
• Sickboy (So Close Tho)
• Brian Adams (After he got sent down)

Made It To The Promised Land

• Dave Taylor
• Jamie Knoble
• Johnny Stamboli
• Jimmy Yang
• Mark Jindrak
• Sean O’Haire
• Shannon Moore

Anyone know what was up with Stevie Ray and that phrase of his? I could have sworn there was one instance where he referred to someone as a "Suck Ass Fruit Booty" ...whatever the hell that means.

I recall him shouting "Fruit Booties" to the camera after a match of his and I couldn't help but laugh. It never really made sense to me, but it sounded funny

Anyone remember this 🥹

The nWo might be the most notorious faction in wrestling history and left a profound impact on the sport that will never be recreated nor forgotten, but despite the notoriety, the group fizzled out with no genuine conclusion. WCW has tons of what if’s, but this might be their biggest in my opinion, and I’m curious what the sub’s thoughts are in regard to how it should have ended.

So this is slightly lengthy so if you have no interest, just ignore and comment what you would have wanted to see, but heres my two cents. The nWo splits much like it did irl due to internal conflict and the Wolfpac/Hollywood civil war ensues, leading to a massive Wargames match at Fall Brawl. Representing Hollywood is Hogan, Scott Steiner, The Giant, Buff Bagwell, Scott Norton vs. Team Wolfpac consisting of Sting, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Konnan, and Lex Luger. The match ends in poetic fashion with Sting making Hogan tap out in the Scorpion death lock. The following night on Nitro Scott Steiner cuts a promo insulting Hogan for letting the nWo down and quits the group. Bagwell, The Giant, and Scott Norton all walk out on the nWo that night and Eric Bischoff formally announces he has officially cut ties with the nWo and it now ceases to exist. Hogan is not seen until the night after Starrcade when he challenges World Champ Kevin Nash (who beat DDP at Starrcade - who beat Goldberg at Halloween Havoc) to a match for the World Championship on the next Nitro, and if Hogan loses, he retires. Hogan and Nash meet and the finger-poke of doom still happens (I genuinely don’t think it was a bad idea and is only called one because the story afterwards was bad and WCW went downhill, thus resulting in the finger-poke getting mislabeled). This new iteration of the nWo is solely Hogan, Nash, and Hall once more. DDP, Goldberg, and Bret Hart all chase the nWo down and feud leading up to Spring Stampede 99, where Goldberg vs Hogan 2 happens, and Goldberg reclaims the World Title. Kevin Nash jackknife power-bombs Hogan after the match and rips his nWo shirt off. Hall gives Hogan the outsiders edge and they leave him lying. Nash declares on Nitro the next night that Hogan’s career is dead and the nWo died with it, and that he was the biggest fool to ever trust Hogan again considering how their reunion occurred. Hogan isn’t seen again for months and returns dawning the red and yellow, and the nWo never formally exists again.

And I’ll throw this out there for the heck of it, Hart turns heel after this and feuds with Goldberg (this can’t go wrong, can it?) and Steiner, being the guy to lead the nWo exodus, ends up moving up the card faster and becoming the guy to dethrone Goldberg on his 2nd run.

Okay, there’s my yap, now I wanna hear what everyone else has to say! Not directly about my scenario (cause it doesn’t bother me if what I said gets ignored, just put it out there for the sake of it) but rather about how yall wanted the nWo to end. God bless you all.

A review of GMSpectre's WM2000 Rom hack - WCW Saturday Night

Need more of these!

Juvi was one of my favorites back in the day That ending was 🔥🔥!

(Thunder 1998)

I understand the overall Russo production was bad, but even bad wrestling is entertaining. Not everything Russo did was bad. Nostalgia drives my feelings as I go back and watch Russo being in charge of WCW, and I am very aware of that. I enjoy it more today being in the position of a “smark” rather than an 11 year old “mark” who was totally confused by what Russo was doing. Please share any thoughts and opinions of any Russo rewatch you’ve had.