WCW vs. WWE: The Monday Night Wars and Eric Bischoff's Strategies

It’s been decades since WCW took on Wwe! But do you know that WCW was actually in the lead during this iconic battle for a pretty good amount of time?

The Monday Night Wars Explained

The Monday Night Wars pitted two of wrestling's greatest organizations. One, which everyone remembers- WWE (then WWF), and WCW, against each other. WCW rose as a contender, and this rivalry lasted over 83 weeks with WCW coming out ahead in ratings!

So how was WCW able to make it happen and get the upper hand over WWE?

The answer comes in the form of several key strategic moves, and the guy who had the biggest impact in WCW during these battles was Eric Bischoff.

Also Read: John Cena's WWE Retirement: What It Means For Peacemaker in the DCU

How Eric Bischoff Beat WWE and Vince McMahon

The Rock vs Mankind in a RAW 99 (1) Image

To really get a grip of how awesome this epic competition was. We should probably look at the WWF (now known as WWE)! During those days, it was truly the wrestling powerhouse that seemed to have unmatched control! However, with some innovative decisions by Eric Bischoff, WCW gained popularity to the point of being a massive contender.

Even more, during this era, the organization grew its global reach.

Also Read: Vince McMahon: Wrestling's Most Powerful Man, A Legacy of Success

The 10 Key Elements:

Arn Anderson vs Hulk Hogan from WCW Nitro Image

What is most incredible about how this happened. There were a few strategies Bischoff took that gave WCW such incredible leverage!

He managed to find out what audiences liked!
And those changes would really draw audiences in to the world of wrestling

It’s truly amazing when you take a look at just how big of an impact Eric Bischoff made, including those memorable moments that we all keep discussing!

Check out how Eric Bischoff won during this big wrestling event! It's time to discuss the Top 10 Strategies that led WCW to win!

Also Read: Andre the Giant: WWE Legend and Iconic Moments

Giving Away Pre-taped WWE Raw Results Live on the Air:

A real throwback that shows just how innovative, but crazy this moment was! Many of the WWE shows during these days were pre-taped, as they wanted to produce an incredible program that could draw audiences in on a bigger scale! But WCW got ahead by playing this crazy card.

They'd just give away those results! It made some fans pretty mad but ultimately helped give audiences more of a reason to tune into WCW.
That strategy did end up backfiring!

This was a key point, and those that watched WCW during that time might remember the biggest night when they made the move that shocked audiences.

On January 4, 1999 WWE made one of their biggest championship changes! Mick Foley or more specifically, "Mankind", won the championship by taking on the role of The Rock!
WCW decided they would just go on and ruin all the surprises!
Fans, of course, really wanted to know about these twists and turns. As it seemed, that move caused more fans to tune into WWE to watch those events for themselves!

It's not just hindsight! You can really see just how these strategies worked for WCW! They were able to get so much attention during the whole Monday Night Wars! However, they did make the wrong move at the time, leading audiences to have different perspectives! The big moment that is commonly associated with the shift from WCW being on top, came down to how those who loved to watch the WWE product found WCW's spoilers gave an unfair advantage.

Also Read: WWE 'Last Monster Standing' Match Criticized: Is WWE Losing Its Edge?

Going Live Before WWE Raw:

CMLL's Silver King wrestles Rey Mysterio on WCW Monday Nitro Image

WCW did a lot of strategizing, especially around time! And they had a way to dRaw a crowd by making this show even bigger!

WCW would put on its flagship show called "Nitro," but not at the exact time, giving the WWF, then WWE, a pretty tough competitor!
That meant audiences would see this on a three-hour program and it was also on the air an hour earlier than WWE's show.
It all came down to the competition to be better! The goal was for WCW to draw more viewers, even while audiences channel surfed.

It is interesting to note how those in charge of WWE realized they would need to take more control! It became an ongoing effort! While it might be obvious that WWE won in the end. It's amazing to note that it was just because they were able to produce an excellent show WWE realized it couldn't stand still! This came into play when they made some very special and strategic moves!

Signing the Biggest Stars from WWE to WCW:

Diamond Dallas Page wrestles Macho Man Randy Savage in WCW Image

Everyone knows WCW wanted to prove itself and become better! The company wanted to take down WWE, and there was a catchy slogan to really draw attention. This tagline: “Where The Big Boys Play." The ultimate challenge, right?

It's no surprise. Some of the best-known names came to the ring with this idea of changing teams! They all moved to WCW in this incredible time period.

Hulk Hogan
Macho Man Randy Savage
Razor Ramon
Diesel
Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase

All these big names really went "all-in." With the idea of taking a step back and seeing if they could get more money and work on more projects.

The amazing part of this is how WCW had this fantastic shift in audiences. Everyone started to realize how cool this promotion truly was. For those on the side of the "big boys." it was about a whole new era in their lives! The amazing thing is how Ted Turner really got to be "all-in" for this organization! You see, this is really the biggest contrast of this moment!

To contrast what WWE was doing. It's all about "what the wrestlers can do to be better." The reality is that these guys wanted something more. That's where WCW found its biggest advantage as "Turner" offered some serious money. With the biggest players on the side of WCW, everyone loved these moments as they changed the way that WWE did things forever. It's an incredible example of how competition really works to elevate an entire industry!

Working With International Promotions:

You will always hear about this clash, and that includes working with others who also loved professional wrestling! In those earlier days of WWE, they worked with organizations from Japan!

What was interesting was Vince McMahon changed that when he wanted to show everyone the incredible things that were coming to the stage.

WWE wanted to be the biggest in the world and have fans look at "their" shows as the only one that really matters.

While "WCW" continued in this different direction!

"WCW" really went global as they started to work with other large organizations, in places such as Mexico, Japan, and many other territories.
AAA, CMLL, and New Japan Pro Wrestling were just some of these powerful teams.

You can see it. The effort to give fans more options as well! This incredible exchange led to more content! This would lead to the incredible crossovers of performers, making both WWE and WCW bigger, reaching a global audience!

Diamond Dallas Page and the nWo:

Sting vs Scott Hall from WCW Uncensored 98 Image

If you're watching these shows, you get a feel for how much they tried to one-up each other, giving those fans truly exciting, crazy matches. There were some major talents like Diamond Dallas Page.

What's so amazing? These two wrestlers did an incredible job with building the popularity for their show! It really does demonstrate the big moments of how it works.

For DDP, this came down to the "nWo." They would create a huge wave in wrestling history and in the "Monday Night Wars." This made them a huge powerhouse!

A big part was their black and white T-shirt.
Those in charge thought that DDP was perfect!

You might guess why he wasn't a fan! It might look a bit out there to a few! He's one of the more talented wrestlers but at that time was going through a transformation into being this epic powerhouse in his career, giving him more popularity! It really seemed like he was on the right track as it took his career to an entirely different stage. For a long time "DDP", who might be better known as Diamond Dallas Page.

Sting, The Crow:

"Sting" might be one of those figures in "WCW." That most of those who were there for that moment will always remember.

He even started to use the "Crow", a character with a more mysterious feel.
Sting wasn't just another wrestler during that moment.
But even though Sting had been with "WCW" for a very long time he even took this to the next level when he didn't make an appearance on the screen.
He wasn't showing up! And only was present in the background.

What's the best part? He was playing games with the "nWo", creating lots of uncertainty and leaving audiences wondering what was next. What is even more exciting, is how Sting finally came back into the limelight as an epic, well-respected wrestler! And he managed to put a halt to the chaos and gave audiences an awesome show, which helped to extend his career.

The Cruiserweight Division

Bill Goldberg screaming in a wrestling ring Image

It is easy to have big wrestlers but in the world of Wrestling you have to think outside of the box!

"WCW" started to find those who brought in high-energy!
"WCW" had many strong, imposing wrestlers. It might be easy for fans to lose track but they found their new angle! They realized they would create a "cruiserweight division." to bring a new type of action into the show!

This allowed the introduction of talents that were just phenomenal.

They went out and found some of the most celebrated performers.
"Rey Mysterio," known for those high flying moves.
"Eddie Guerrero," one of the most celebrated wrestling stars who got lots of attention, too!
Chris Jericho! Fans always loved to watch these talents!

Not only did "WCW" get these incredible, world class talents. They gave wrestling fans more excitement, which helped boost ratings as fans couldn't stop watching the wild stunts, a huge contrast to "WWF", then "WWE."!

Goldberg's Undefeated Streak

The NWO WCW Hulk Hogan Kevin Nash Scott Hall Image

One of those super special figures, in wrestling. Those that watched WCW in this period, knew this was a star in the making! Bill Goldberg is known for making a huge impact on audiences.

You've seen a few of the legendary names but this is an intereSting one!

"Bill Goldberg" was known to be a powerhouse. It all began when he had an undefeated streak! He was able to take down opponents from his starting point! This would really give fans this desire to know just what would be his breaking point! It truly helped "WCW." gain fans as well as draw in viewers. In those moments. You really got the feeling he could be a true unstoppable force.
That made Goldberg the hottest commodity in the "WCW" roster at that point.

It would be easy to just discount all those amazing wins but it really did make a difference. When the streak did come to an end it felt like something was lost.

Those in charge of WCW should have protected him better as the streak was a crucial point for this era.

Forming the nWo:

Bret 'Hitman' Hart & WWE's curtain call Image

Who could forget that WCW gave everyone the real deal! They had this big invasion with one of their biggest rivals!

"The Outsiders", these iconic performers. This gave fans of professional wrestling something that nobody saw coming.
Scott Hall
Kevin Nash

What made the group such a hit was that they wanted to takeover. There wasn't just some cool event. This was the moment when fans really started to believe that there was going to be a war in this sport!

The impact really came into play when the group started getting more members, but WCW and "The Outsiders." truly began a turning point that turned them into a real force!
And when it became the nWo, it really did take the reins as everyone was wondering just how long it would last.

This also seemed to be one of the first big moves to blur the lines between real life and what happens in wrestling, so it seemed as if a takeover really was happening, something that fans just loved to watch!.

Hulk Hogan Heel Turn

Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, and Kevin Nash Form nWo at WCW Bash at the Beach 1996 Image

As it seemed everyone's favorite wrestling stars and their iconic events were making major history, one figure who made his way to WCW had an unbelievable change in his personality and wrestling career.

Fans loved Hulk Hogan in that heroic moment as "Hulkamania".

A huge turning point took place in 1996.
Hogan had this massive change and his personality got turned!
A very special moment was a match where he beat Macho Man for the WCW Championship!
You will always remember that "Leg Drop." as it hit Randy Savage and a lot of fans at home could not believe their eyes.
A moment that would change Hogan's entire career, taking a more villainous role and bringing this new and exciting element of "Hollywood Hogan."! It became a new character in wrestling that helped turn WCW even more popular with his memorable appearances as a villain!

This event that took place back at Bash at the Beach 1996, helped set the scene for a crazy period of change as WCW really made its way into an even more impressive, competitive state. Not only was the organization trying to overcome WWE, but fans of both were completely consumed by it. They just couldn't stop talking about what these wrestlers would do next. Hulk Hogan was one of the best! Everyone couldn't stop looking at his every move.

And who knew it would last so long? Hulk Hogan remained an antagonist. The group took off as Hollywood Hogan truly was a new and improved way for audiences to really enjoy this talented wrestler in the WCW ring!

The Monday Night Wars ended in "2001." and WCW really made an effort to challenge WWE for dominance! For many, there is a deep love of these historical battles and WCW came pretty darn close to knocking out WWE!

While "WCW had some of the biggest successes, and created the right strategies it still ended in a different way. It didn't have the ability to compete with WWE and its powerful network!

And what better moment, than this nostalgic trip back in time?

For all those wrestling fans, these days really show you how truly innovative, and impressive those times were! There's a lot that wrestling has continued to show! We even get to see the impact from these iconic wrestlers to the moment we are living in today, and for those fans that didn't get a chance to experience this it seems the best way to learn more about how the business came to be is through those epic moments that defined the era!

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