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Post by Cry Me a Wiggle on May 23, 2018 18:37:19 GMT -5
I was actually excited when they announced it on March 23, 2001. The Raw/Nitro simulcast three days later was one of the most riveting nights ever as a fan. So no, I don't vilify them for buying WCW. It's everything that came afterwards that I would get angry about. And sure, they initially promised that WCW would be relaunched, and there were several factors in why that didn't happen, but to go from that promise and that initial high where WCW was being cheered at WWF events... to an invasion storyline that was horribly bungled, the Tacoma Raw they chose to "launch" WCW at (when they were going to be in Atlanta the following week), ECW and "defecting" WWF stars getting the spotlight, pissing the whole thing away at Survivor Series, Ric Flair debuting the very NEXT night, Booker being treated like a joke at best and a racist caricature at worst, the laughably bad attempt at doing their own take on the nWo, and WCW being the punchline whenever Vince needs to soothe his fragile ego... well, it was demoralizing. It felt like Vince could have had an entirely new audience, the weirdos who remained loyal to WCW, but he didn't want us out of spite.
And yeah, WCW made some terrible decisions, and those are completely on the table to be discussed as a cautionary tale. But as pointed out up thread, it's not like WWE hasn't made nearly all of the same mistakes alongside some profoundly stupid new ones. It'd be nice if they could let bygones be bygones and celebrate the history they inherited, much like they did with ECW for several years.
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Post by Rolent Tex on May 23, 2018 18:40:33 GMT -5
Bischoff's group was willing to pay a lot more for wcw than the WWF paid. Yet, aol/time Warner sold it to the wwf, the lower bidder and the WWF got to close their competition. Sweetheart deal, maybe??? That ones easy. Bischoff’s group backed out because not only did Time Warner cancel all WCW programming but they couldn’t find a TV home elsewhere. No TV meant the WCW brand didn’t mean jack. |
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
Better have my money when I come-a collect!
Posts: 27,986 
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Post by chazraps on May 23, 2018 18:43:29 GMT -5
I wanted Madlibs to buy it.
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Post by Rolent Tex on May 23, 2018 19:11:59 GMT -5
I wanted Madlibs to buy it. By the companies end it was already like a live madlibs anyways. |
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Post by A Platypus Rave on May 23, 2018 19:31:21 GMT -5
Bischoff's group was willing to pay a lot more for wcw than the WWF paid. Yet, aol/time Warner sold it to the wwf, the lower bidder and the WWF got to close their competition. Sweetheart deal, maybe??? Everyone on here brings up good points, but yours is the one I want to talk about. I have heard rumors that Vince may have had a guy who was working on the inside and judging by what paid for it, it wouldn't shock me.
Where's Jesse Ventura when you need him?
Due to the lawsuit WWE had the right to first refusal if they ever sold. Also most of Bischoff's group pulled out when they found out TV was not included and the others stations didn't want WCW on the air. (hell WWE had problems with this themselves when trying to get WCW a show.) |
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segaz
Samurai Cop
Posts: 2,381
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Post by segaz on May 23, 2018 20:28:11 GMT -5
The best outcome was never WWE buying them.
The best outcome would have been them sticking with Turner and becoming focused and driven once more.
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Post by JTG Fan on May 23, 2018 20:32:23 GMT -5
I say vilify because the way people talk, it sounds like they tend to blame the current state of wrestling and the worst thing ever is WWE creating a monopoly and destroying Wcw like they had a choice to not to. The main culprits are Jason Angew and Dan lovranski from the Law, Dave Meltzer and the people who call in to those shows always refer to it with the sort of anger like they blame the act of WWE buying WCW itself as something they shouldn’t have done. Well it is largely to blame for the current state of wrestling, and the monopoly is a bad thing. I don't think anyone thinks WWE was WRONG to buy WCW though. |
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Post by A Platypus Rave on May 23, 2018 20:38:03 GMT -5
The best outcome was never WWE buying them. The best outcome would have been them sticking with Turner and becoming focused and driven once more. That was never an option. |
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Bub (BLM)
Patti Mayonnaise
advocates duck on rodent violence
Fed. Up.
Posts: 37,742
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Post by Bub (BLM) on May 23, 2018 21:54:36 GMT -5
People vilify them more for resting on their laurels since then. Yep. That and basically becoming exactly what they criticized WCW for. A haven for lazy part-timers with no upward mobility for the guys in their prime. |
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Post by The Thread Barbi on May 23, 2018 22:14:58 GMT -5
Cause *I* wanted to buy WCW, thank you very much. Who is this *I* and how do you pronounce the asterisks surrounding the letter I? Is it like the Artist formerly known as Prince? |
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Post by ISO Mid Thigh Pull on May 23, 2018 22:17:35 GMT -5
I wanted Madlibs to buy it. They didn't like my plan to spend all our money on getting Elix Skipper a DMX feature for his theme. |
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Urethra Franklin
King Koopa
When Toronto sports teams lose, Alison Brie is sad
Posts: 11,090
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Post by Urethra Franklin on May 23, 2018 22:26:57 GMT -5
Everyone on here brings up good points, but yours is the one I want to talk about. I have heard rumors that Vince may have had a guy who was working on the inside and judging by what paid for it, it wouldn't shock me.
Where's Jesse Ventura when you need him?
Due to the lawsuit WWE had the right to first refusal if they ever sold. Also most of Bischoff's group pulled out when they found out TV was not included and the others stations didn't want WCW on the air. (hell WWE had problems with this themselves when trying to get WCW a show.) Yup, this is accurate. In retrospect, getting first right of refusal in the Hall/Nash lawsuit was a masterstroke because they got the company and the library for pennies on the dollar. |
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Post by cabbageboy on May 23, 2018 22:32:19 GMT -5
The expanded Death of WCW has a deeper look into this whole thing and basically accuses a lawyer working for the WWF (who previously worked for TW) of doing some sort of collusion with Time Warner to ensure Vince got WCW in the end, then he went back to work for Time Warner soon after. It also said there were other potential buyers, such as Jerry Jarrett's group that apparently offered 70 million, and even Randy Savage offered the same amount as Vince did and planned to just use the tape library overseas. I do not know where the right of first refusal played into this but I'm fairly sure the WWF had that chance in late 2000, looked into it, and passed. Hence Bischoff and the Fusient deal, but that whole thing fell through.
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cjh
Hank Scorpio
Posts: 6,603
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Post by cjh on May 23, 2018 22:44:07 GMT -5
Due to the lawsuit WWE had the right to first refusal if they ever sold. Also most of Bischoff's group pulled out when they found out TV was not included and the others stations didn't want WCW on the air. (hell WWE had problems with this themselves when trying to get WCW a show.) Yup, this is accurate. In retrospect, getting first right of refusal in the Hall/Nash lawsuit was a masterstroke because they got the company and the library for pennies on the dollar. That had nothing to do with it since WWE passed on buying when WCW was first put up for sale (well, blocked from buying by their TV partner Viacom). Bischoff's group would have bought it as they had already publicly announced the deal and only backed out once Jamie Kellner, in his first week in charge, canceled Nitro and Thunder. |
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Urethra Franklin
King Koopa
When Toronto sports teams lose, Alison Brie is sad
Posts: 11,090
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Post by Urethra Franklin on May 23, 2018 22:55:44 GMT -5
Yup, this is accurate. In retrospect, getting first right of refusal in the Hall/Nash lawsuit was a masterstroke because they got the company and the library for pennies on the dollar. That had nothing to do with it since WWE passed on buying when WCW was first put up for sale (well, blocked from buying by their TV partner Viacom). Bischoff's group would have bought it as they had already publicly announced the deal and only backed out once Jamie Kellner, in his first week in charge, canceled Nitro and Thunder. I am mistaken. You are correct. The first right of refusal would have died when the WWE didn’t match the Fusent offer. |
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schma
Hank Scorpio
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Post by schma on May 24, 2018 0:13:43 GMT -5
WCW was turning around and if they could have gone a couple more years before AOL dumped them it might have worked out. That said, I don't blame WWE for buying them. It's all the crap they did to shit on WCW afterwards.
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Post by Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!! on May 24, 2018 5:00:15 GMT -5
Bischoff's group was willing to pay a lot more for wcw than the WWF paid. Yet, aol/time Warner sold it to the wwf, the lower bidder and the WWF got to close their competition. Sweetheart deal, maybe??? Everyone on here brings up good points, but yours is the one I want to talk about. I have heard rumors that Vince may have had a guy who was working on the inside and judging by what paid for it, it wouldn't shock me.
Where's Jesse Ventura when you need him?
Vince only bought the company AFTER Eric and his investors pulled out due too the cancellation of Nitro. nothing to see here. |
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hassanchop
Grimlock
Who are you to doubt Belldandy?
Posts: 14,794
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Post by hassanchop on May 24, 2018 5:30:12 GMT -5
I just wonder how things would have went if WCW went to USA since they didn’t want ECW
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Post by cabbageboy on May 24, 2018 7:30:41 GMT -5
I don't think there was any turning around WCW, even with a decent quality upswing in early 2001. The show was still tanking in the ratings something fierce. If anything Kellner did Bischoff and Co. a favor by cancelling the show before they had completed the sale. Imagine if the sale had gone through and then 3 months later he cancelled Nitro and then Fusient was left with a useless property, scrambling to figure out how to monetize it.
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thecrusherwi
El Dandy
the Financially Responsible Man
Brawl For All
Posts: 7,656
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Post by thecrusherwi on May 24, 2018 8:45:59 GMT -5
Cause *I* wanted to buy WCW, thank you very much. Who is this *I* and how do you pronounce the asterisks surrounding the letter I? Is it like the Artist formerly known as Prince? I read it like the way Darth Vader says, "No. *I* am your father." |
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