The End of WCW

**Providence Peep** · 03-15-2010, 10:30 PM

Ok so I am sure you're wondering: "What in the heck is he thinking? 1994?"
Did 1994 mark the beginning of the end for WCW?

Several things happened there in 1994 that would have consequences and, in my opinion, would ultimately lead to the demise of the company.

The single biggest thing that happened however, was that WCW gave Hulk Hogan a fat contract and almost total creative control. Oh, sure there was Erich Bischoff, but everyone knows he didn't try in the slightest to keep Hogan under control.

Let's look at what happened not long after Hogan's arrival in the company:

- Hogan got the title IMMEDIATELY. That alone was a booking mistake. Instead of building up any kind of chase program, it was just Hogan wanting the belt ASAP.

- Ric Flair, after two great matches with Hogan was put into "retirement" and subsequently forgotten about for awhile because Hogan didn't want Flair getting in his way.

- Hogan brought a bunch of his old WWF buddies (Earthquake, Bossman, Randy Savage, Ed "Brutus beefcake" Leslie) who were subsequently pushed at the expense of homegrown WCW talent (for example Brian Pillman or a certain Steve Austin, both of whom were great wrestlers).

Sure WCW eventually got hot with the creation of Nitro and the dawn of the nWo, but even during the boom period, Hogan still retained his almost total creative control over the major storylines in the company (all of which inevitably centered around the nWo). This meant that Hogan and his cronies won virtually every encounter and WCW came off looking like a disogranized group of losers instead of serious opposition to the nWo.

My point is WCW made a terrible mistake in 1994. Not by signing Hulk Hogan, that was a brilliant move. No, they made the mistake in giving Hogan so much creative control and power within the company, with no one of consequence to oversee any of it. Bischoff never really filled that role, he had some control, but, as per usual, what Hogan wanted, Hogan got.

Think about how the late 90s wrestling period might have unfolded if Hogan had been kept on a tighter leash behind the scenes...who knows, maybe WCW would still be around today.

03-15-2010, 10:30 PM	#1
Providence Peep Posts: 4,371	The End of WCW Ok so I am sure you're wondering: "What in the heck is he thinking? 1994?" Did 1994 mark the beginning of the end for WCW? Several things happened there in 1994 that would have consequences and, in my opinion, would ultimately lead to the demise of the company. The single biggest thing that happened however, was that WCW gave Hulk Hogan a fat contract and almost total creative control. Oh, sure there was Erich Bischoff, but everyone knows he didn't try in the slightest to keep Hogan under control. Let's look at what happened not long after Hogan's arrival in the company: - Hogan got the title IMMEDIATELY. That alone was a booking mistake. Instead of building up any kind of chase program, it was just Hogan wanting the belt ASAP. - Ric Flair, after two great matches with Hogan was put into "retirement" and subsequently forgotten about for awhile because Hogan didn't want Flair getting in his way. - Hogan brought a bunch of his old WWF buddies (Earthquake, Bossman, Randy Savage, Ed "Brutus beefcake" Leslie) who were subsequently pushed at the expense of homegrown WCW talent (for example Brian Pillman or a certain Steve Austin, both of whom were great wrestlers). Sure WCW eventually got hot with the creation of Nitro and the dawn of the nWo, but even during the boom period, Hogan still retained his almost total creative control over the major storylines in the company (all of which inevitably centered around the nWo). This meant that Hogan and his cronies won virtually every encounter and WCW came off looking like a disogranized group of losers instead of serious opposition to the nWo. My point is WCW made a terrible mistake in 1994. Not by signing Hulk Hogan, that was a brilliant move. No, they made the mistake in giving Hogan so much creative control and power within the company, with no one of consequence to oversee any of it. Bischoff never really filled that role, he had some control, but, as per usual, what Hogan wanted, Hogan got. Think about how the late 90s wrestling period might have unfolded if Hogan had been kept on a tighter leash behind the scenes...who knows, maybe WCW would still be around today.