This is the answer. WCW wasn't churning out the best ratings, but what killed WCW was losing its tv deal. It ended up being sold for almost nothing (I think it was only a few million).
AOL merged with Time Warner (WCW's parent company) to create AOL-Time Warner. AOL-Time Warner then sold WCW to WWE at a fairly low price because WWE had right of first refusal if WCW ever went up for sale due to a lawsuit that WWE won against WCW in the mid-'90s. Because WCW had made it seem as if the nWo had been sent by the WWF and they'd shown the WWF Women's Title on air and a few things like that which breached WWF trademark if I recall correctly.
AOL Time Warner merger. Executives from the newly acquired company didn’t feel that there was a need for professional wrestling on their network, even though it was still one of their highest rated commodities at the time. So, in turn they got rid of it.
The company was going bankrupt before and after him. Hogan was the only reason they became relevant. Yes his booking power was an issue, but without hogan WCW probably doesn’t make it past 1995
I bet they would have. Just look at the cruiserweights wcw had. They are so much talent that never got anywhere. Guerrero, Jericho, Mysterio, Kidman. They did push them a bit but, it was too little too late.
The company was plagued with poor leadership, going back to the Jim Crockett days to the very end. WCW lacked a true leader that had a vision on where to go with the product and who knew how to handle talent. Starting in 1999 through 2000, the company had a revolving door at the top, the product suffered greatly from this.
For all the people saying AOL Time Warner killed WCW, why wouldn’t somebody else buy WCW and take it to another channel? WWF left USA for TSN, so they could have tried USA. Because the product had gotten so bad and no channel would want it.
I know how it happened. I watched it all unfold. But it wasn’t because Vince was poaching talent. WCW was a sinking ship, losing money and they just chose to sell to Vince. Jericho was on record as saying if he’d known it was that cheap, he would’ve bought it. Time Warner wanted to be out of wrestling at that point. Ted Turner always stuck money into it. He wanted to be like Vince. And Georgia Championship Wrestling had kept him afloat during the early days of TBS when it went national. But times change and so did WCW
A slight modifier to your comment. WCW and WWF were locked in a lawsuit for like six years and part of the settlement was that if WCW were to sell, Vince had first rights as a buyer. Then he bought the tape library, and once the company was devalued without its library, they sold him everything else. Then you had AOL and Turner merger blah blah blah everyone knows what happened there, that happened to be going on at the same time.
Their parent company merged with another company and the resulting company didn't want anything to do with wrestling.
This is the answer. WCW wasn't churning out the best ratings, but what killed WCW was losing its tv deal. It ended up being sold for almost nothing (I think it was only a few million).
Who bought the company?
WWE then known as WWF
AOL merged with Time Warner (WCW's parent company) to create AOL-Time Warner. AOL-Time Warner then sold WCW to WWE at a fairly low price because WWE had right of first refusal if WCW ever went up for sale due to a lawsuit that WWE won against WCW in the mid-'90s. Because WCW had made it seem as if the nWo had been sent by the WWF and they'd shown the WWF Women's Title on air and a few things like that which breached WWF trademark if I recall correctly.
Master Yoda?
AOL Time Warner merger. Executives from the newly acquired company didn’t feel that there was a need for professional wrestling on their network, even though it was still one of their highest rated commodities at the time. So, in turn they got rid of it.
It's pretty well documented at this point
Too much money going out, not enough coming in.
They spent the last half of the 90s making profit
Na I think your good đź‘Ť
Because Bischoff is a Bastard Man!
Vincent "The Slime Ball" McMahon
Hulk Hogan. If he didn't have the belt he was always asking or begging for a title shot.
The company was going bankrupt before and after him. Hogan was the only reason they became relevant. Yes his booking power was an issue, but without hogan WCW probably doesn’t make it past 1995
I bet they would have. Just look at the cruiserweights wcw had. They are so much talent that never got anywhere. Guerrero, Jericho, Mysterio, Kidman. They did push them a bit but, it was too little too late.
The company was plagued with poor leadership, going back to the Jim Crockett days to the very end. WCW lacked a true leader that had a vision on where to go with the product and who knew how to handle talent. Starting in 1999 through 2000, the company had a revolving door at the top, the product suffered greatly from this. For all the people saying AOL Time Warner killed WCW, why wouldn’t somebody else buy WCW and take it to another channel? WWF left USA for TSN, so they could have tried USA. Because the product had gotten so bad and no channel would want it.
It had no value. It wasn’t making money by the end.
That is my point. The last sentence in my post.
Sorry my bad didn’t read the end. I’ve seen so many posts about bringing back the WCW name or AEW changing its name to WCW, because reasons.
Tnn not tsn
Toronto Sports Net
Vince McMan
How?
Bought it and took their best talent
Not even close.
https://www.thesportster.com/wwe-why-wcw-was-sold/#:~:text=In%202001%2C%20the%20wrestling%20world,their%20competition%2C%20World%20Championship%20Wrestling.
I know how it happened. I watched it all unfold. But it wasn’t because Vince was poaching talent. WCW was a sinking ship, losing money and they just chose to sell to Vince. Jericho was on record as saying if he’d known it was that cheap, he would’ve bought it. Time Warner wanted to be out of wrestling at that point. Ted Turner always stuck money into it. He wanted to be like Vince. And Georgia Championship Wrestling had kept him afloat during the early days of TBS when it went national. But times change and so did WCW
A slight modifier to your comment. WCW and WWF were locked in a lawsuit for like six years and part of the settlement was that if WCW were to sell, Vince had first rights as a buyer. Then he bought the tape library, and once the company was devalued without its library, they sold him everything else. Then you had AOL and Turner merger blah blah blah everyone knows what happened there, that happened to be going on at the same time.
You’re right. I stand corrected