What if WWF doesnt buy WCW?

[wildojinx]

Lets say WWF decides it's not worth it to buy WCW. How does the WWF look around 2001-2, and what eventually happens with the assets of WCW and the tape library? I can see Flair and Hogan coming back eventually, possibly Booker and Goldberg coming in too. There definitely wouldnt be a WWE Network though, since without the success of WCW's tape library, why would they bother buying up any others?

[THE FVNKER]

Kind of a tired topic at this point, to ve honest. But to entertain the idea.. I'd say you'd be surprised at who would jump over at what time. A lot of the guys might still stay for awhile because they got paid the same basically no matter how often the worked. Vince would still expect them to do the house show runs and all that.

The Network likely still happens, maybe not as early, but definitely happens as it's the way content is being provided now. As much as I despise his product, gotta give credit to Vince for being majorly ahead of the times on that one.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Mar 28, 2022 15:43:54 GMT -5 wildojinx said:

Lets say WWF decides it's not worth it to buy WCW. How does the WWF look around 2001-2, and what eventually happens with the assets of WCW and the tape library? I can see Flair and Hogan coming back eventually, possibly Booker and Goldberg coming in too. There definitely wouldnt be a WWE Network though, since without the success of WCW's tape library, why would they bother buying up any others?

WCW wasn’t worth anything. It was the tape library was the only asset.

Hogan and Jericho have both stated if they knew that’s what it would go for, they would have bought it.

I mean, maybe Bischoff buys it, tanks it in short order and Vince just buys it anyway.

[fortknox]

Mar 28, 2022 18:35:42 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Mar 28, 2022 15:43:54 GMT -5 wildojinx said:

Lets say WWF decides it's not worth it to buy WCW. How does the WWF look around 2001-2, and what eventually happens with the assets of WCW and the tape library? I can see Flair and Hogan coming back eventually, possibly Booker and Goldberg coming in too. There definitely wouldnt be a WWE Network though, since without the success of WCW's tape library, why would they bother buying up any others?

WCW wasn’t worth anything. It was the tape library was the only asset.

Hogan and Jericho have both stated if they knew that’s what it would go for, they would have bought it.

I mean, maybe Bischoff buys it, tanks it in short order and Vince just buys it anyway.

I remember rumors about Savage trying to buy it at one time.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Mar 28, 2022 18:39:17 GMT -5 fortknox said:

Mar 28, 2022 18:35:42 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

WCW wasn’t worth anything. It was the tape library was the only asset.

Hogan and Jericho have both stated if they knew that’s what it would go for, they would have bought it.

I mean, maybe Bischoff buys it, tanks it in short order and Vince just buys it anyway.

I remember rumors about Savage trying to buy it at one time.

I think all the guys regret not buying it. Vince bought some copyright names and the tape library.

Prichard has stated Vince was talking of his own network as far back as Mania 3, so any former employees likely would have known that and could have made bank on an asset they knew Vince would want.

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

The problem is that Vince had the right to match any offer per the WCW copyright lawsuit settlement terms, so there's a good chance Jericho/Savage/Hogan/Bischoff/whoever still don't end up with the WCW assets since Vince would have no problem outbidding the wrestlers who are only single digit millionaires. It would just mean Vince has to pay $10 million instead of the $3 million or so it actually went for.

[auph10imitated]

It may need to have been rebranded like TNA did about 100 times, for it to be redeemed enough to get another TV network to be interested, its weird to think that even though wrestling was so hot during this time, it was probably harder to get a TV network interested, much more so than now

[tafkaga]

I don't buy the "WCW wasn't worth anything". It was a nationally recognized brand that fell on hard times, but there were a lot of fans out there, like me, who would check in on it intermittently with hope that it would eventually regain its footing, and who would have been rooting for its recovery had that deal with Fuscient panned out.

I get that the IP without a television deal was not going to benefit anyone, but I can't believe that starting a new company would be the better option to having the WCW IP and being able to continue its legacy under new ownership, with a new TV deal, even if it wasn't as lucrative as what they were getting with Turner.

[sportatorium]

There was another media company that Bischoff had set something up with and that fell through. If Vince hadn't bought it, the video library would have been in limbo for a while and the guys who came in right away probably would have come in on worse deals or some not at all. The main event wrestlers who Vince didn't want to pay their big contracts likely would have worked out exactly the same. Stay home until their deals were up & come into WWE later.

[wildojinx]

As for the WWF, I doubt that the Austin heel turn happens, or if it does, ends a lot earlier. Angle likely doesnt turn babyface either. I wonder if they'd bring guys like Orton and Lesnar in earlier.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Mar 29, 2022 12:28:41 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

I don't buy the "WCW wasn't worth anything". It was a nationally recognized brand that fell on hard times, but there were a lot of fans out there, like me, who would check in on it intermittently with hope that it would eventually regain its footing, and who would have been rooting for its recovery had that deal with Fuscient panned out.

I get that the IP without a television deal was not going to benefit anyone, but I can't believe that starting a new company would be the better option to having the WCW IP and being able to continue its legacy under new ownership, with a new TV deal, even if it wasn't as lucrative as what they were getting with Turner.

Bischoff shopped WCW to every network he could, no one wanted them. Even when Vince bought, Spike or TNN both said no to WCW.

So all they had was some rings, the tape library, copyright names, tons of contracts to payout, several lawsuits hanging over their heads.

[tafkaga]

Mar 29, 2022 15:43:46 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Mar 29, 2022 12:28:41 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

I don't buy the "WCW wasn't worth anything". It was a nationally recognized brand that fell on hard times, but there were a lot of fans out there, like me, who would check in on it intermittently with hope that it would eventually regain its footing, and who would have been rooting for its recovery had that deal with Fuscient panned out.

I get that the IP without a television deal was not going to benefit anyone, but I can't believe that starting a new company would be the better option to having the WCW IP and being able to continue its legacy under new ownership, with a new TV deal, even if it wasn't as lucrative as what they were getting with Turner.

Bischoff shopped WCW to every network he could, no one wanted them. Even when Vince bought, Spike or TNN both said no to WCW.

So all they had was some rings, the tape library, copyright names, tons of contracts to payout, several lawsuits hanging over their heads.

The contracts stayed with Turner though under its Universal Wrestling Corporation subsidiary.  Whoever bought the IP could have even sat on it for a few years if there was no one biting.  TNA got a television deal a few years later so why not WCW?  

[DeeBee]

If WCW somehow survived, wrestling is 100% better off.

[cjh]

Mar 28, 2022 23:10:08 GMT -5 Oh Cry Me a Screwball said:

The problem is that Vince had the right to match any offer per the WCW copyright lawsuit settlement terms, so there's a good chance Jericho/Savage/Hogan/Bischoff/whoever still don't end up with the WCW assets since Vince would have no problem outbidding the wrestlers who are only single digit millionaires. It would just mean Vince has to pay $10 million instead of the $3 million or so it actually went for.

I believe they lost that right after they backed off from buying WCW in fall 2000 when Viacom, WWE's new TV partner, squashed the idea because it would have meant WWE-owned WCW airing on TBS/TNT.  The planned buyout by Fusient Media Ventures was announced in January 2001.  They put Eric Bischoff in charge of the shows during the next two months before Nitro/Thunder were canceled, leading to FMV calling off their deal.

[A Platypus Rave]

Mar 29, 2022 15:43:46 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Mar 29, 2022 12:28:41 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

I don't buy the "WCW wasn't worth anything". It was a nationally recognized brand that fell on hard times, but there were a lot of fans out there, like me, who would check in on it intermittently with hope that it would eventually regain its footing, and who would have been rooting for its recovery had that deal with Fuscient panned out.

I get that the IP without a television deal was not going to benefit anyone, but I can't believe that starting a new company would be the better option to having the WCW IP and being able to continue its legacy under new ownership, with a new TV deal, even if it wasn't as lucrative as what they were getting with Turner.

Bischoff shopped WCW to every network he could, no one wanted them. Even when Vince bought, Spike or TNN both said no to WCW.

So all they had was some rings, the tape library, copyright names, tons of contracts to payout, several lawsuits hanging over their heads.

Yeah, The Fusient deal went south because they lost the TV Deal. The investors only interested with a tv show... once it was cancelled the investors all dropped out.

Hell the original idea for the Brand Split was WWF and WCW... the problem was no one wanted to air WCW.

WCW was basically seen as the losing brand and no one wanted to touch it because of it. I mean it's poetic in that Bischoff is the one that started the war and because of that mentality he ultimately lost.

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

Mar 29, 2022 13:48:50 GMT -5 wildojinx said:

As for the WWF, I doubt that the Austin heel turn happens, or if it does, ends a lot earlier. Angle likely doesnt turn babyface either. I wonder if they'd bring guys like Orton and Lesnar in earlier.

Austin would have definitely turned. The heel turn was rumored for weeks on the Internet, and was certainly something they were laying the groundwork for before the WCW sale happened.

[greyfmdan]

Mar 29, 2022 12:28:41 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

I don't buy the "WCW wasn't worth anything". It was a nationally recognized brand that fell on hard times, but there were a lot of fans out there, like me, who would check in on it intermittently with hope that it would eventually regain its footing, and who would have been rooting for its recovery had that deal with Fuscient panned out.

I get that the IP without a television deal was not going to benefit anyone, but I can't believe that starting a new company would be the better option to having the WCW IP and being able to continue its legacy under new ownership, with a new TV deal, even if it wasn't as lucrative as what they were getting with Turner.

This is pretty much where I’m at. Although ratings were well off their peak, Nitro was still a top 30 cable show even at its end. Also with the advent of digital cable at that time, the number of networks was exploding, with new channels signing on almost monthly.

As you said, it might not have been as good a deal as Bischoff was used to—and whether he’d have even taken such a deal is certainly an open question. But I have to think some network exec somewhere would have been happy to have WCW on their schedule.

Mar 29, 2022 15:43:46 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Bischoff shopped WCW to every network he could, no one wanted them. Even when Vince bought, Spike or TNN both said no to WCW.

Has it ever come out which networks he shopped it to? Not to say he didn’t try, but the impression I’ve always gotten from Eric was that he was so sure Turner would want to keep WCW on its schedule, that there was no plan B.

Mar 29, 2022 22:07:17 GMT -5 A Platypus Rave said:

Yeah, The Fusient deal went south because they lost the TV Deal. The investors only interested with a tv show... once it was cancelled the investors all dropped out.

Hell the original idea for the Brand Split was WWF and WCW... the problem was no one wanted to air WCW.

True, but pre-merger WCW and the proposed post-merger WCW were very different animals. TNN/Spike and UPN had signed on for WWF programming and were doing quite well with it. Neither network was going to accept being baited & switched into converting their top-rated show into a WCW program.

For that reason, I question how serious the rumored WWF/WCW brand split idea really was. I can certainly believe the idea was tossed out there, but Vince had to know that the network execs weren’t likely to go for it.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Mar 30, 2022 0:11:04 GMT -5 greyfmdan said:

Mar 29, 2022 12:28:41 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

I don't buy the "WCW wasn't worth anything". It was a nationally recognized brand that fell on hard times, but there were a lot of fans out there, like me, who would check in on it intermittently with hope that it would eventually regain its footing, and who would have been rooting for its recovery had that deal with Fuscient panned out.

I get that the IP without a television deal was not going to benefit anyone, but I can't believe that starting a new company would be the better option to having the WCW IP and being able to continue its legacy under new ownership, with a new TV deal, even if it wasn't as lucrative as what they were getting with Turner.

This is pretty much where I’m at. Although ratings were well off their peak, Nitro was still a top 30 cable show even at its end. Also with the advent of digital cable at that time, the number of networks was exploding, with new channels signing on almost monthly.

As you said, it might not have been as good a deal as Bischoff was used to—and whether he’d have even taken such a deal is certainly an open question. But I have to think some network exec somewhere would have been happy to have WCW on their schedule.

Mar 29, 2022 15:43:46 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Bischoff shopped WCW to every network he could, no one wanted them. Even when Vince bought, Spike or TNN both said no to WCW.

Has it ever come out which networks he shopped it to? Not to say he didn’t try, but the impression I’ve always gotten from Eric was that he was so sure Turner would want to keep WCW on its schedule, that there was no plan B.

Mar 29, 2022 22:07:17 GMT -5 A Platypus Rave said:

Yeah, The Fusient deal went south because they lost the TV Deal. The investors only interested with a tv show... once it was cancelled the investors all dropped out.

Hell the original idea for the Brand Split was WWF and WCW... the problem was no one wanted to air WCW.

True, but pre-merger WCW and the proposed post-merger WCW were very different animals. TNN/Spike and UPN had signed on for WWF programming and were doing quite well with it. Neither network was going to accept being baited & switched into converting their top-rated show into a WCW program.

For that reason, I question how serious the rumored WWF/WCW brand split idea really was. I can certainly believe the idea was tossed out there, but Vince had to know that the network execs weren’t likely to go for it.

As far as I know?? All of them. He had that "deal" with NBC for a WCW Feb 14 show, so he tried there. He tried Fox, he tried Turner, he tried USA who decided wrestling was for godawful teenager boys and they weren't interested, once you've done that, may as well try CBS and ABC, but hard to see them in wrestling anyway.

[Mozenrath]

Yeah, both Bischoff and Vince definitely tried. I can buy that smaller networks would have maybe been interested, but it wasn't going to be anyone with the kind of money that'd make it work financially, sort of like how the game show network supposedly had some interest in TNA pre-Anthem, but they couldn't work out a price that'd make it work.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Mar 30, 2022 0:18:33 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Yeah, both Bischoff and Vince definitely tried. I can buy that smaller networks would have maybe been interested, but it wasn't going to be anyone with the kind of money that'd make it work financially, sort of like how the game show network supposedly had some interest in TNA pre-Anthem, but they couldn't work out a price that'd make it work.

Actual competition is healthy and very much needed, but at that point, WCW was Gold Select Cola pretending they could give Coca-Cola a run for its money.