WCW spoiling WWF's results.

[agent817]

For many years, people have talked about Tony Schiavone spoiling Raw's results of when Mankind won the WWF title because that episode of Raw was taped, which ended up backfiring on them.

The question on my mind was this: Was that a common thing in 1998 up to that point? I know that the Nitro after Great American Bash in 1998 had that cage match, and that Raw had the Hell in a Cell over the ring. I believe that Raw was taped for that night, which had some of the bookers in WCW get an idea of their own as Nitro was live.

Then you had years before when I remember coming across a video of when Eric Bischoff, who was a commentator at the time, spoiling Raw's results of Shawn Michaels taking on Sid and how "it took place two weeks before."

How common was this back in the day? Did WCW do this on occasion?

[Mozenrath]

They did definitely do it repeatedly.

[cjh]

The night after the 1998 GAB show, both Nitro and Raw aired live.

It was common in late-1995 and early-1996 for Bischoff to spoil Raw.  After that, it became more rare.

[Jindrak Mark]

For the longest time I thought the Jan 4 1999 butts in seats comment was the last time they did it but I recently learned that they kept doing it for a while after. For instance, Bischoff spoiled the Vince as the higher power angle months later. Raw again got a massive number that night though so them spoiling Raw clearly wasn't hurting it or helping themselves.

[tafkaga]

It was mainly done when Bischoff was doing commentary on Nitro, and even then I don't think he did it more than 10 times. After that, it was not done as a normal practice.

[David-Arquette was in WCW 2000]

Feb 24, 2023 11:42:53 GMT -5 Jindrak Mark said:

For the longest time I thought the Jan 4 1999 butts in seats comment was the last time they did it but I recently learned that they kept doing it for a while after. For instance, Bischoff spoiled the Vince as the higher power angle months later. Raw again got a massive number that night though so them spoiling Raw clearly wasn't hurting it or helping themselves.

To be fair, the fed spoiled that angle themselves anyway.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Bischoff doesn't recall, but if he did recall, it was the AOL/Time Warner merger that caused it.

[salz4life]

Bischoff did it all the time in such a condescending manner. LOL

[Cyno]

It was a really shitty thing to do. I'm sure there were a lot of WCW fans that were also WWF fans that even if Nitro was their priority, would record Raw and watch it later. Spoiling Raw results when it probably didn't even hurt their ratings a whole lot (if not backfire on them like with Mick Foley winning the WWF Championship) was just dickish.

[Confused Mark Wahlberg]

Someone should have told them to "put a quarter in your ass, 'cause you played yourself" after that Mankind stunt.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Feb 24, 2023 18:59:41 GMT -5 Cyno said:

It was a really shitty thing to do. I'm sure there were a lot of WCW fans that were also WWF fans that even if Nitro was their priority, would record Raw and watch it later. Spoiling Raw results when it probably didn't even hurt their ratings a whole lot (if not backfire on them like with Mick Foley winning the WWF Championship) was just dickish.

I think they got back all the people who switched, plus more after Foley won, but all those people were witness to the Fingerpoke of Doom and that was the real damage.

[fg]

Feb 24, 2023 18:59:41 GMT -5 Cyno said:

It was a really shitty thing to do. I'm sure there were a lot of WCW fans that were also WWF fans that even if Nitro was their priority, would record Raw and watch it later. Spoiling Raw results when it probably didn't even hurt their ratings a whole lot (if not backfire on them like with Mick Foley winning the WWF Championship) was just dickish.

I remember on the MNR DVD, this is what they said about spoiling results of the other show.

Mean Gene Okerlund: “I don’t think that’s ethical but to hell with ethics.”

Eric: “Did I have a problem with it? Of course not. It’s business. I didn’t care. I had no intention of going to WWE.”

[Hypnosis]

Feb 24, 2023 19:43:03 GMT -5 fg said:

Feb 24, 2023 18:59:41 GMT -5 Cyno said:

It was a really shitty thing to do. I'm sure there were a lot of WCW fans that were also WWF fans that even if Nitro was their priority, would record Raw and watch it later. Spoiling Raw results when it probably didn't even hurt their ratings a whole lot (if not backfire on them like with Mick Foley winning the WWF Championship) was just dickish.

I remember on the MNR DVD, this is what they said about spoiling results of the other show.

Mean Gene Okerlund: “I don’t think that’s ethical but to hell with ethics.”

Eric: “Did I have a problem with it? Of course not. It’s business. I didn’t care. I had no intention of going to WWE.”

[fg]

Feb 24, 2023 19:56:56 GMT -5 Hypnosis said:

Feb 24, 2023 19:43:03 GMT -5 fg said:

I remember on the MNR DVD, this is what they said about spoiling results of the other show.

Mean Gene Okerlund: “I don’t think that’s ethical but to hell with ethics.”

Eric: “Did I have a problem with it? Of course not. It’s business. I didn’t care. I had no intention of going to WWE.”

With that picture and subsequent hug, WWE might as well have flushed MILLIONS of dollars down the drain. They could have rebooted the invasion angle with Eric at the enemy helm.

At least that’s what I think RD Reynolds said in his first book.

[Stu]

Didn't bother me at all because Raw and Nitro weren't on at the same time on the West Coast. Regardless, I enjoy chaotic BS and think the Bischoff spoilers are a big part of the Monday Night War in hindsight.

[Mozenrath]

Feb 24, 2023 21:23:17 GMT -5 fg said:

Feb 24, 2023 19:56:56 GMT -5 Hypnosis said:

With that picture and subsequent hug, WWE might as well have flushed MILLIONS of dollars down the drain. They could have rebooted the invasion angle with Eric at the enemy helm.

At least that’s what I think RD Reynolds said in his first book.

I feel like they could have ran a feud, and maybe even should have, but a second InVasion is definitely not what practically anyone would have wanted.