The Backstory: At one time, Professional Wrestling in America was thriving. Not only did it thrive, but all the many successful promotions actually co-existed in harmony. Territories, they called them. These territories were all under the same banner. The NWA (National Wrestling Alliance), which was a group of promoters, who were all under a handshake agreement. Basically, that agreement was to not fuck with each other. Mainly, don't do shows outside your region. If another promoter is short a guy, maybe help him out and send him one of your's, because, chances are high, you'll need that favor returned. American Wrestling had a system that worked very well for decades. Very few ever got rich, promoting or performing, but pretty much anyone who enjoyed the least bit of success could make good money.

One day a man named Vince McMahon, Jr. came along and changed all of that, gaining a level of notoriety once thought to be a positive, but would eventually prove to be the downfall of everyone and everything associated with mainstream Wrestling. That is, besides himself and his kingdom: The publicly traded corporation now known as the WWE. A self proclaimed Entertainment company, responsible for the destruction of an industry. But things could have gone very differently. And they almost did. Today, I'm going to talk about the very real rivalry between the then WWF and the last remaining major Wrestling promotion that wasn't having any of McMahon's shit. Between 1995 and 2001, WCW fought back!

In 1984, Vince McMahon, Jr. bought his father's New York Territory, and immediately gave the rest of the industry the finger, signing main eventer after main eventer to exclusive contracts, which was completely unheard of before this. McMahon raided every NWA territory he could, doing shows where ever he could, crippling and burying at fast of a pace as possible. Soon, the newly named World Wrestling Federation was overflowing with the top wrestlers, managers, and announcers. To become the massive entity they would later become, first they must become the top Wrestling organization by a mile. And once that happened, Vince McMahon, who had nothing but contempt for what Pro Wrestling was, was free to take his product to an unheard level of mainstream success, starting with the first ever Wrestlemania card, which featured Hulk Hogan teaming up with Mr. T. in the main event.

With former AWA star, Hulk Hogan, as Champion and face of the company, the WWF exploded in the mid-80's, which led to a partnership with MTV. Cartoons, toys, and many forms of merchandise, would only begin to replace what Wrestling once was in the public's eyes. The "sport" aspect would take a backseat to the celebrities, the pyro, and the kid friendly tone of it all. It was all really just a distraction. McMahon distracted an entire generation, while he slowly tried to phase out Wrestling. A process that is still going on in the present. The battle for dominance was won, but some years later, an all out war broke out. And as entertaining as it may have been, the Wrestling world would be far better off had it not happened.

In 1988, the NWA's failing Jim Crockett Promotions was purchased by none other than Ted Turner. Ol' Ted was never hands on with his company like Vince was his, though. While power was handed to many incompetent people over the years, WCW was always safe from McMahon, as it had a secured timeslot on TBS, as well as Turner's Billions keeping it afloat. That doesn't necessarily mean it was all that great. It just wasn't going anywhere. WWF, on the other hand, was going through some hard times, come the 90's. After a steroid scandal, a mass exodus followed. For one reason or another, McMahon lost just about every big name he had, along with most credible mid-carders. Whatever popularity WWF had in the 80's was long gone. All the big names, including Hulk Hogan, were gone, and Vince McMahon had to start from scratch if he wanted to reach the level of success he experienced a short time ago. Although, the steroid freaks being replaced by cartoon characters like Doink The Clown, wasn't really cutting it, and attendance numbers as well as Pay-Per-View buyrates decreased significantly. If not for Bret "The Hitman" Hart being put in the top spot, the WWF probably would have fallen apart.

By 1994, WCW was actually doing better than its competition. It had better wrestling, better storylines, and no scandals hanging over its head. Most people are under the impression that the war began in '95. And officially, maybe it did. But the first shot was fired in the Summer of '94. In June of that year, WCW signed the biggest name it would ever sign. Everybody thought WWF hasbeen, Hulk Hogan, was done. But out of nowhere, he signed a multi-year contract with WCW. The first of many game changers for the company. Hogan landed the deal to end all deals. WCW was desperate enough to hand over as many Millions as Hogan asked for, as well as complete creative control, not just over his own character, but basically everything that went on. No wrestler has ever had this level of power. Hogan's first act as a WCW star was to defeat World Heavyweight Champion, Ric Flair in a dream match, at Bash At The Beach in July, which did crazy numbers, and led to more former WWF guys following Hogan's footsteps, including Randy Savage. WCW was finally given the shot in the arm it needed to move forward.

Fans quickly grew tired of middle aged Hogan and his old routine from the 80's. The only thing different about him, now, is that he just looks over-the-hill, and is significantly smaller and slower than he was in his roided out glory days. But no matter how hard WCW tried to get him as over as he once was, and no matter how much of their home grown talent they let him bury, the fans simply never saw him as a WCW guy. Forever the man who represents the competition. No matter how far they shoved him down the fan's throats, Hogan just wasn't working. Once upon a time, The Hulkster was John Cena.

And speaking of not working. While WCW of 1995 was polluted by Hogan's one dimensional nonsense, the WWF was being polluted by just about everything they did. Sillier and more cartoonish than ever, the WWF was also now devoid of main event heels. Meanwhile, they were putting everything into their new top guy, Diesel. Along with Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, the unprepared and unseasoned Champion, led the WWF's New Generation down a road to nowhere. In '95, mainstream Pro Wrestling sucked more than ever, and didn't appear to be getting any better. But in the Summer of that year, a decision was made by Ted Turner that changed everything...



in 1993, the WWF came out with a new Prime Time show called Monday Night Raw. Two years later, Raw was still about all this company had going for it. One day, in Summer of '95, Ted Turner holds a meeting with Senior Vice President of WCW, Eric Bischoff, who was currently running the place. Ted asks him what can WCW do to overthrow the WWF, once and for all. Bischoff's answer? WCW needed its own primetime show, preferably in the same timeslot as Raw. And on September 4, 1995, WCW Monday Nitro aired for the first time. And on this now legendary debut, another shot was fired. Former WCW wrestler, and thought to be current WWF Superstar, Lex Luger, randomly showed up to challenge (STILL) World Champ, Hulk Hogan. The first of many embarrassments for the WWF.

What is now widely known as "The Monday Night War", was so much more than two Wrestling programs with the same timeslot, battling it out for rating supremacy. This was the last two major Wrestling promotions, in a fight to the death. The WWF, which started all of that "us vs. them" bullshit, was now the victim of the same shady business practices which sky rocketed them to national dominance, just a decade earlier.

WCW didn't just want to replace the WWF as the top promotion in the country. WCW was out for blood, as they tried every trick in the book to chip away at the once mighty, now vulnerable, World Wrestling Federation. Not only did they easily sign away almost anyone whose contract expired, but with the Turner Networks in their back pocket, they could have Nitro start early, giving the commentators the opportunity to give away all of Monday Night Raw's match results, as Raw was usually taped days earlier. However, this would be a tactic they would live to regret.

It's probably not even worth mentioning, but what the hell! In early '96, the WWF mentioned WCW, possibly for the first time ever, in the first of many skits called "Billionare Ted's Rasslin' War Room". Poking fun at Southern Wrestling and the fact that WCW's top guys are all "over the hill WWF rejects". All in pompous, unfunny WWF fashion. Sending the message that HERE is where you find what's hip and fresh. This served absolutely no purpose other than to prove that Bischoff's talent raid was getting to them.

As the early days of the Monday Night War did put some eyes back on Wrestling, and did legitimize WCW like never before, it wasn't enough to make a huge difference on any level. Something huge needed to happen. Hogan's stupid Hulkamania routine was long past the point of getting old, and the more guys he buried, the more the fans resented him for it. Because, by now, fans were becoming wise to the business. Something had to change. And change it did. In 1996, more fortune fell in WCW's lap at the expense of the still crumbling WWF. Even after signing away a big part of the WWF's old generation, the exodus was not over. Now former World Champion, Diesel, and former Intercontinental Champ, Razor Ramon, were hightailing it to WCW for far better contracts, which included less responsibility and a lot more money. This stroke of luck would lead to the biggest storyline in Wrestling history. A storyline which changed everything for WCW, and would eventually light a fire under McMahon's ass, forcing him to try something new. That's the good news. The bad news is that these two guys would turn out to be political sharks, who would take full advantage of Bischoff's willingness to give away Turner's money along with creative control. But never mind that, right now. This is starting to get good!

In Spring 0f '96, "New Generation" stars, Kevin "Diesel" Nash and Scott "Razor Ramon" Hall left the World Wrestling Federation. Not long after that, they show up on Nitro, making it clear that they are not part of WCW. It is implied that they're still working for Vince. Something that was totally believable at the time, since backstage ongoings wasn't common knowledge on the internet like it is, today. Not long after this, a lawsuit killed any possibility of a WWF Vs. WCW vibe from this new storyline. This thing was huge, regardless. Week after week, Hall and Nash snuck in with baseball bats, ruining matches, beating the hell out of anyone they could, including Eric Bischoff. In the storyline, it was decided that there would be a match between Hall, Nash, and a third partner of their choosing, who would face, Sting, Lex Luger and Randy Savage. What exactly this match accomplished was never fully explained. One of many examples of WCW's sketchy booking.

At Bash At The Beach '96, a six man tag team match was to take place in the main event. Most of the match, there was no third partner in site. Some thought it might have been Sting. A scenario that was discussed, from what I've heard. But the unthinkable finally happened. Hulk Hogan came down to the ring and attacked Randy Savage. The three former WWF guys would destroy Team WCW. And as the ring filled up with trash, the newly christened Hollywood Hogan cuts a scathing promo on all his Hulkamaniacs. A wise move for Hogan, whose career immediately gained new life. Hall, Nash, and Hogan are the New World Order. And Wrestling would never be the same again.

This storyline saw a faction, which started out with three men, terrorizing and dominating the entire WCW roster. Starting with getting Hogan his World Title back, which he had lost the year prior. Soon, Hall and Nash became the Tag Team Champions, as well. The three cut throats eventually start recruiting. They convince some WCW guys to defect and join them. They are also joined by some other former WWF talent. The NWO would eventually grow into a massive army, capable of overthrowing WCW. One new member, in particular, who joined in late '96. The boss, himself, Eric Bischoff. So, now, there's two wars going on. The real one and the fake one. Both have made the industry explode!

In real life, Bischoff must have been quite the little prick. If you weren't a former WWF star, then chances are, you weren't very happy working in WCW, as there was only opportunity for those who have already made it. There were a few mid card guys who saw the writing on the wall, early on, and hightailed it to the WWF. A guy named Triple-H, for example. Back in '95, Bischoff fired a mid-carder named Steve Austin. This would of course prove to be Bischoff biggest mistake of all, as Austin would find unbelievable success as WWF's top guy, later on. Even rivaling Hogan's popularity from the 80's. But as of '96, Bret Hart was still seen by many as the WWF's top guy. Well, him and Shawn Michaels, really. In late '96, and throughout '97, WWF programming slowly improved, as they were desperate to not be left in the dust.

in '97, the WWF saw a double turn by Bret Hart and Steve Austin. In what was thought to be the culmination of a long feud at Wrestlemania 13, frustrated babyface, Bret Hart had enough of the sadistic Stone Cold Steve Austin, beating him mercilessly and turning himself heel in the process, which somehow got Austin sympathy from the fans, making him into a star overnight. 1997 was an odd year in the WWF, as we would watch the new top heel, Bret Hart, start an anti-American faction with his brother, Owen, brothers-in-law, Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart, as well as former WCW lunatic, and Hart Dungeon graduate, Brian Pillman. Together, they were The Hart Foundation, and in '97, they ruled the WWF. Heeling it up in America, only to remain beloved heros everywhere else in the world An original and successful concept. All of this, of course, was in retaliation to what was happening in WCW at the time. But finally, the WWF was on the right track, again.

1997 WWF saw a lengthy and well deserved World Title reign by The Undertaker, a heel turn by longtime babyface, Shawn Michaels, whose lingering feud with fellow heel, Bret Hart, seemed personal enough to be real. And as we would find out years later, was very real. As Steve Austin was quickly becoming the new top babyface, and Michaels, the new top heel, the company seemed to be going in a very different direction. Bret's presence was becoming less and less relevant by Fall of '97. And due to the WWF's ongoing financial instability, it's decided by Vince to let Bret go. And we already know where he's going. But first, they got to get the belt off him. The original plan is to have him drop the belt to Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series in November, but Bret refuses because he's not going to lose his last match to someone he has no respect for in his home country. Although, he has no problem dropping the belt to anyone on the way out. It's agreed that the Survivor Series match will end in disqualification, and Bret can drop the belt to Shawn a week or two later on TV. However, as legend has it, Vince got nervous, and didn't want to chance Bret changing his mind and showing up on WCW television with the WWF title. This leads to what is now known as the Montreal Screwjob. The night the WWF betrayed Bret Hart. And the night everything changed for the WWF.

Over on WCW Nitro, the NWO arrogantly prepares to welcome a new member into the fold. Around this time, Hollywood Hogan was feuding with Sting, who he was set to face at December's Starrcade. Sting, who had a cool, new look, had been built up as WCW's savior, and only hope to take the title from Hogan and take the NWO down a notch. This being the single biggest one-on-one feud the company ever did. But much like most of the EX-WWF guys, WCW didn't have a clue of what to do with Bret. So, after having him guest referee one of the earlier matches for absolutely no reason, they then stuck him right in the middle of Sting Vs. Hogan, having him cost Hogan the title for absolutely no reason. A move that never even led to a Hart-Hogan feud, which is what most of us were hoping for. Bret would never be used quite like he should, and his legacy would only suffer because of it. A legacy forever overshadowed by what happened in Montreal.

And then there was ECW. Back in 1994, a tiny promotion called Eastern Championpship Wrestling broke away from the now obsolete NWA, renaming itself Extreme Championship Wrestling. A counter culture phenomenon based in Philedelphia, where they did most of their shows in a bingo hall, with any exposure courtesy of late night public access. A company with little ambition for national dominance, ECW was like a trashier and more violent version of what Wrestling once was. A clusterfuck of blood, profanity, with some amazing, and often, stiff, matches thrown in. While it was a far cry from "the big 2", ECW was still the number 3 promotion in the country, but its influence on the industry was far more significant than anyone gave it credit for at the time. Between '94 and '01, many wrestlers and concepts were stolen from ECW. Yet, they always bounced back with something new and fresh. A promotion with a rabid cult following like the industry has never seen before or since. More on them, later.

By 1998, the WWF was a very different place. Long gone was the cartoon characters and kid friendly tone of the last few years. While Bret Hart's exit left a huge void in the roster, the impact from the screwjob somehow breathed new life into the product. For the first time ever, Vince McMahon was a character on TV. And due to the screwjob, it finally became common knowledge that he was the owner of the company. Vince ran with this, and soon surpassed Hollywood Hogan as the most hated heel in the industry, going after new WWF Champion, Steve Austin, due to him "not being champion material". "Oppressive boss vs. asshole redneck" was magic, and soon made it possible for the WWF to compete with WCW in the ratings. The WWF was finally cool again. Next up, the rise of The Rock, who became Vince's golden boy, and best bet to keep the belt off Austin, as "The Corporation" made his life miserable. The Rock's heel run didn't last long, though, as his popularity exploded, giving the WWF even more momentum. Austin, Vince, Rock, Mick Foley, DX, and a very pissed off Undertaker, ushered in what is now known as 'The Attitude Era".

1998 may have been the best all around year for Wrestling. As good as the WWF was getting, WCW, at the time, was overflowing with talent. They had the NWO, which consisted of Hogan, Hall Nash, Savage, Curt Hennig, Scott Steiner, Dennis Rodman, and several credible mid-carders. WCW also had had Ric Flair and The Four Horsemen, they had Sting, Lex Luger, Roddy Piper, Bret Hart, The Ultimate Warrior for a while, as well as their first homegrown main eventer in years, Bill Goldberg, whose sudden popularity took pretty much everyone by surprise. And of course, ECW aquisitions, the Lucha Libre stars from Mexico, as well as some hardass Japanese stars, just for good measure. Not to mention several more WWF defections, which kept ratings high. WCW of '98 is, hands down, the best roster in history. Far too good for what had become a politics-ridden cespool of favortism and carelessness. WCW clearly didn't know what to do with most of these guys, but they were THERE, and not in the WWF, which was the point. But it is now common belief that 1998 is when the now very arrogant WCW finally jumped the shark.

While the beginning of the Austin-McMahon feud ended an 84 week winning streak by WCW, '98 was mostly neck and neck, ratings wise. But at some point, WCW fans slowly started jumping off the bandwagon. But when exactly did this decline start? Most fans seem to be in agreement that WWF had unofficially won the war on January 4, 1999. On this night, two things happened that screwed WCW. Both, very avoidable. The first was early in the evening, when WCW announcer, Tony Chiavone, who was only following orders, mentions that the competition's main event will end with Mick "Mankind" Foley beating the Rock for their World Title. Poking fun at what a failure it will probably be. And just like that, it was over. Immediately, the majority of fans changed the channel. And never again did WCW beat WWF in the ratings.

Oh, and what about Nitro's main event, you ask? Well, earlier in the year, the NWO, which was already getting stale, had split into two different factions, who were at war with one another. One led by Hogan, one by Kevin Nash. 1998 was seemingly heading towards a Nash Vs. Hogan match at some point, which would have been the payoff. On this night, Nash was to defend the title against Goldberg, who he had just defeated at the last PPV, days earlier. A match which ended Goldberg's 173-0 winning streak. Earlier in the night, they did some angle where Goldberg gets arrested, then Hogan steps in and takes his place, which was more than ok, considering. But once the match started, Hogan touched Nash with one finger, and Nash drops to the ground, allowing Hogan to pin him. Giving Hogan his 5th WCW World Title. The NWO has reunited, and WCW got one over on the fans! Congratu-fucking-lations, WCW! You really got us. However, this swerve made zero sense from a business, as well as a storyline standpoint. Many believe that, at this moment, Wrestling fans realized that WCW was never really going anywhere.

Over in WWF Land, things are better than ever. The Rock and Mankind trade the title several times, until Austin finally regains it from The Rock at Wrestlemania 15. In 1999, WWF became less worried about competing with WCW, and more concerned with making their product better than ever. which is exactly what happened. I don't know if there was ever a more entertaining time for that company than in 1999. Unlike the competition, the WWF was ran like a well-oiled machine by people who actually knew what they were doing. '99 also saw the rise of a new main event heel by the name of Triple-H, who ditched DX and finally came into his own as a ruthless bastard who will do anything to win. Triple-H's reign and iron grip on the world title would last many years after The Monday Night Wars were over. As of 2017, he is married to Stephanie McMahon, and in line to take over the company after Vince dies.

1999 was not kind to WCW. After losing a ton of money, the higher ups made the decision to finally send Eric Bischoff on his way. So, any leadership he may have provided was no more. Also, '99 marks the year that Time Warner, who now owned WCW, really started interferring, which only made things worse. Old man Turner always had a soft spot for the rasslin'. Not so much, Time Warner. Things just weren't the same. In other '99 occurrences, another Hogan-Flair rehash, a KISS-themed Wrestler debuted, although, nobody cared, Diamond Dallas Page rose to the World Title scene, and Randy Savage had one last run. Far too short, if you ask me. Oh, and the NWO ended in anti-climactic fashion, which led to the return of the original, babyfaced Hulk Hogan. As the WWF moves forward, WCW does the opposite.

After a mediocre, money-losing '99 for WCW, they finally stumbled upon some good fortune, as head writer for WWF, Vince Russo, and his partner, Ed Ferrara, were leaving. Once again, WWF's loss were their gain. Vince Russo worked for the WWF since the early 90's, and is responsible for some very good ideas which ultimately brought them a lot of success. But here's the thing. McMahon never gave Russo free reign to do whatever he wanted. WCW apparently did.

Russo would go on to make a mochary of not only WCW, but Wrestling, in general. Taking his "shock TV" theories to ridiculous levels. Clearly, the man's idea of good Wrestling is closer to that of Jerry Springer than anything resembling Wrestling. In Spring 2000, after Russo had already been let go, a huge storyline began in WCW. The recently returned Eric Bischoff joined forces with the also returning Russo, who was now an on-air character. At this point, the higher ups within WCW just didn't know what else to do. Sick of the current crop of main eventers, for a reason never fully explained, Russo and Bischoff formed a faction with the younger mid-carders called "The New Blood", who all turned heel and waged war on the older, more recognizable stars. An intriguing storyline , in theory, capable of making new main eventers. But things didn't work out so great, as WCW programming became more stupid, trashy and confusing than ever. Never has a Wrestling company spiraled out of control quite like this.

During these months, mismatched feuds were all over the place, the World Title seemingly changed hands on a weekly basis, massive swerves happened just as much, usually making the fingerpoke of doom look sensible. Gimmicks were run into the ground, there were scripted promos meant to sound unscripted, basically rubbing in everyone's faces that Wrestling is fake. All for the sake of being edgy. When it was all said and done, the young guys never got over any more than they were, a lot of veterans, including Hogan, finally wandered off, more fans tuned out, and what little dignity WCW had left, had been shat upon. Don't believe me? Look to your right! In 2000, the WCW World Heavyweight Title changed hands 26 times. Never again would this once prestigious title mean something.

Earlier in the year, four disgruntled mid-carders abruptly left WCW for greener pastures. New WCW Champion, Chris Benoit practically wiped his ass with his newly won title, and jumped off the now sinking ship, taking Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn with him. Everything that happened that year would have no doubt been more bearable had they stuck around. Instead, they headed to the WWF, and made a big splash as "The Radicalz", who immediately ended up in a feud with DX. The underused, unappreciated heart of WCW was finally free to extend their wings. As we always expected, Benoit and Guerrero would eventually earn their places as top stars in the industry. Although, less than a decade later, they would both be dead.

2000 was a crazy year for the WWF. And probably it's most popular. A year which saw the return of Steve Austin from a severe neck injury, the main event rise of who is now considered one of the greatest of all-time. Olympic Gold Medalist, Kurt Angle, who, in an era of good guys who act bad, was a bad guy who acted "good". A goody goody, ass kissing square, while effortlessly becoming a ring General in his rookie year. There's nobody quite like Kurt Angle. And also worth mentioning. The Undertaker actually dropped his "Dead Man" gimmick, for that of an ass kickin' Biker, which seemed to be the right time for such a drastic change. WWF 2000 was pretty good, despite so many attempts at so many things. The Soap Opera shit, short matches, too many matches, too much violence, too many gimmicks, too much shock humor. It wasn't as out of control as WCW, but the WWF was also leaning towards the Jerry Springer shit a little too much. An approach that would only keep the fans expecting more and more, which is never a good thing for a Wrestling promotion.

Russo left WCW in Fall of 2000, but his presence and the damage his influence had caused, was still being felt. Hogan, Piper, Savage, Scott Hall, Bret Hart, Eric Bischoff, and countless others, were gone. Fed up with everything, they took their money and finally went home, and just let the ship sink. By late 2000, Scott Steiner got his long overdue run with the now worthless WCW World Title. Better than nothing, I suppose. This reign was certainly more deserving than any of the four reigns Jeff Jarrett got under Russo's watch.

By early '01, WCW was unrecognizable. I'm actually a little fuzzy on this time period, as even I, a longtime WCW fan, had given up by now. But soon, there were rumors going around about WCW possibly being sold. Rumors turned to fact, as news broke that Time Warner, who recently merged with AOL, was looking to get rid of the former powerhouse promotion. Eric Bischoff, of all people, attempted to make the purchase, but the company backing him, pulled out the second TNT and TBS cancelled all WCW programming. In a matter of seconds, WCW became almost worthless. But somebody DID end up buying it. A promoter who had been waiting for such an opportunity for years. A promoter who recently became a Billionare, who probably jizzed in his pants when he spent a mere $2 Million to buy the last thorn in his side, so he could stick it on the shelf forever. Vince McMahon owns WCW!

Days later, WCW puts on it's last show. The final Nitro was a sad one. Not just because it was most likely the end, but it just wasn't very memorable. Short matches by mostly mid-carders. Booker T. defeated Scott Steiner to become the last ever WCW Champion, and Sting defeated Ric Flair in the last match, which had been the company's signature go to match since the beginning. In the final minutes, Shane McMahon showed up, announcing that HE had bought WCW before his father could get the chance. Shane announces that he will be waging war on the WWF in the near future. And like that, WCW was sucked up into the WWF world, and made into a new storyline, revolving around the McMahon family drama. The Monday Night War has come to an end. But what does this mean for Wrestling?



The Aftermath: Originally, the plan was for WCW to go away for a short time, only to be relaunched and rebranded under the WWF umbrella. But plans changed, and an "Invasion" storyline was planned for the remainder of the year. Unfortunately, McMahon was too cheap to buy out the contracts for any of the big names. If you assumed this invasion included Sting, Ric Flair, Goldberg, Bret Hart, the NWO or Eric Bischoff, you assumed wrong. Even that cunt, Russo, never showed up. However, Booker T. was there. So was Diamond Dallas Page... and some other guys. I think I recognized a few of them.

Shane McMahon shows up with this army of mostly jobbers and mid-carders, who are later joined by newly heel turned, Steve Austin, to give the group a little star power. Ironically, this would be one more "WWF defection" that didn't work. To make matters worse, WCW joins forces with another group brought in, consisting of EX-ECW wrestlers. ECW had also recently gone under, and has been purchased by Vince McMahon. Stephanie McMahon, in the storyline. ECW and WCW merges, calling themselves "The Alliance". This storyline was doomed to be a massive failure from the beginning. It wouldn't have been so bad had we not expected the greatest storyline in history. Instead, we get the biggest disappointment in history. Not to mention the biggest missed opportunity for one promoter to make a ton of money. I don't think Vince McMahon ever really knew how huge WCW was at one point. Or maybe his ego wouldn't allow him to realize that there was ever another major Wrestling promotion in existence besides the WWF.

Eventually, there were many returns, and many dream matches. But any WCW Vs WWF vibe they could have had was not present, as The Alliance was already dead and buried. In the years to come, fans would lose interest more and more in Pro Wrestling. Without any competition, the WWF (now WWE) got lazy, making their product suffer, and then some. The death of WCW left a huge void, too. WCW fans never really took to the WWE, due to it being a completely different thing, at times. WWE was never about the wrestling. It was never really about the storylines either. WWE is about making as much money as possible, while giving back as little as possible. I think people are starting to get that. But it's too late for the industry to be put back together. WCW and WWE cheapened it all too much, and ultimately killed Kayfabe just to get at each other. ECW's hardcore influence also proved to be destructive in the long run, as fans were spoiled beyond belief, only to eventually get burned out, because no Wrestling promotion could ever up themselves so consistently and not do some serious, long term damage to fan perception. All that, plus the internet, which turned fans into know-it-alls, put Wrestling through the ringer. What started out as the boom to end all booms, would only prove to be its destruction.

Vince McMahon would like you to believe that it was the WWF that put WCW out of business. A claim that's been made countless times on WWE programming over the years. Some say they put themselves out of business, which is certainly not hard to believe, considering how disorganized they were, even when they were good. One huge mistake, one the WWF was also guilty of, was the fact that Eric Bischoff became obsessed with Monday night ratings, and neglected other important aspects, such as Pay-Per-View buyrates. WCW, as it was, very well might have lived on, had AOL not pressured Time Warner into ditching them, due to whatever issues they had with Wrestling. Then again, maybe not. We'll never know. One thing is for sure. WCW's demise can't be blamed on just one thing.

To this day, WWE still has the industry monopolized. They dismiss actual Wrestling fans as "whiny Internet marks", while pandering to the youngest demographic possible, simply because they don't know any better, and will eat up their shit and ask for seconds. in 2008, in an attempt to gain certain sponsors, WWE went full-blown PG, and never looked back. Forever trying to distance themselves from what Wrestling used to be, and what they themselves were, not that long ago. A desperate attempt to gain the level of mainstream appeal they once enjoyed, while always trolling their core fanbase that got them through the hard times. But no matter how much the ratings slip, no matter how dead the crowds get, nothing ever changes, because it doesn't have to, now. Because what are we going to do about it, change the channel to TNT?

While the Wrestling industry, as a whole, is currently at it's least popular point in history, WWE has become the only promotion in the country capable of making someone rich and a legit star, as WCW was never truly replaced. A ship that has long sailed. Even WWE doesn't make new stars, anymore. They only pretend to. It's like they refuse to use actual Pro Wrestling tactics to get the audience invested. As if the fact that they're the "almighty WWE" should be enough, now. Despite royally sucking, even more than WCW in it's dying days, WWE now rules with an iron fist, and currently has it's sights set on global dominance, which was most likely the intent all along.

Showmanship and creative input are dead in the WWE. Matches, as well as promos, are so heavily scripted, that nobody ever gets over anymore, because nothing is ever believable or passionate enough to matter. And nobody's going to take a chance and try to stand out, due to the strict, corporate environment. But as long as WWE keeps making money from their non-wrestling ventures, the product will probably never improve. And if anyone manages to get over, they'll most likely get buried, as Vince and the fans never seem to be in agreement over who the top guys should be. But save your boos, because Wrestling fans no longer have a voice. This micro-managed approach the McMahons now take has sucked all the life, all the fun, and all the sport out of the product. But if there is one consolation, that is the fact that Vince McMahon has screwed himself by decimating this once thriving industry. Because there is no longer a good place for guys to learn how to get themselves over before they reach the big time. And with WWE now being made up mostly of non-wrestling people behind the scenes, nobody seems to know what they're doing, and everything fails. John Cena could probably tell you something about that.

Nowadays, Vince McMahon is an out of touch old man, set in his ways more than ever, and still trying to redefine what Wrestling is, while continuing to bury what it once was. But people aren't stupid. Kayfabe has been shattered forever, everyone's favorites are retired or dead, and every cool thing has been done to death. So, present your kiddie variety show however you want, WWE. Discard Wrestling fans all you want. Make as much money off merchandise as you can. But lightning won't be striking thrice for WWE, because, regardless of how watered down it may be, it's still Wrestling at the end of the day. And Wrestling is dead!