WCW Monday Nitro: 25 Years Later

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we look back on the history of WCW Monday Nitro.

Did you watch WCW Monday Nitro when it aired live?

David Gibb: Sometimes! The kids at my middle school were more about WWF, but my best friend’s cousin was a diehard WCW fan who got me interested in flipping over occasionally.

Chad Gelfand: I didn’t. By the time I was old enough to remember watching wrestling, it was off the air.

Matthew Smith: I did, but was always more of a Raw Is War guy.

Steven Jackson: Living in the U.K. and being very young, I was unable to watch Nitro live. But I did watch repeats of Nitro, as well as WCW Worldwide and WCW Thunder, at more suitable times in my younger years.

Juan Bautista: I wasn’t born yet when it first aired in 1995 and I was 2 when the final episode aired.

John Corrigan: I started watching wrestling in 2000 and was Team WWF all the way. But that’s only because I didn’t know WCW existed. I was so bummed the night of the simulcast because I hadn’t realized I could have gotten double my wrasslin’ fix for the past year. However, during these past few months of the pandemic, I’ve binged Nitro in its entirety.

Jack Goodwillie: No, I was too young to watch, but young enough to be aware of it in its final years. I can remember seeing commercials for it as a kid on almost every channel with the aggressive narrator enunciating “DOUBLE-U SEE DOUBLE-U,” as someone went flying off the top rope, and remember how prevalent toys and video games were, as well as prizes at the bowling alley arcade. You can point to a number of reasons for its demise, but you can’t point to the marketing department as it more than pulled its weight.

Should Jamie Kellner have pulled the plug on WCW Monday Nitro in the spring of 2001?

Gibb: Yes. AOL-Time Warner didn’t have the desire or the know-how to either run the business or bring in someone who could. WCW had 10 years to make itself indispensable and it never did.

Gelfand: As a wrestling fan, I want to say no, but that company was bleeding money in a rapid downward spiral, so I can see why the plug was pulled.

Smith: Honestly, might have needed to be pulled before then.

Jackson: WCW was losing a ton of money, and the WWF at that point had literally taken the industry by storm. Sadly, there was nothing to help keep WCW afloat, so it was the time to pull the plug. And it really hurts me to say that because I love WCW.

Bautista: No. There were still people interested, according to Eric Bischoff. The fan base was still present. WCW just needed structure and a good leader. By the end, creative was just blowing everything up and using the leftover rubble.

Corrigan: No. Go back and watch WCW in 2001. Things were turning around – the Magnificent Seven was a new spin on the NWO, Booker T was emerging as the top hero, Vince Russo and Kevin Nash’s influences had evaporated. The company could have rebuilt, if only given the chance.

Goodwillie: From a critical standpoint, yes, WCW needed to die. It gets a lot more complicated when you consider what was going on behind the scenes at the time. Eric Bischoff had allegedly rounded up a team of investors who were willing to back his desire to buy the company under the name Fusient Media Ventures. Unfortunate timing and a lack of communication caused Kellner to cancel WCW television, squashing any hopes of a deal. However, even if Fusient would have bought WCW, it would have taken a substantial commitment to rebuild after Vince Russo’s booking left the roster singed to the core. Of course, Bischoff had successfully overseen a WCW rebuild once before, only this time he would have had to also earn back the trust of lost fans at a time where the rival’s business had never been better. The Fusient purchase is a fun “what-if” if you’re like me and enjoy games like EWR and TEW, but given how far the company had fallen critically and commercially, it was probably best to let it expire.

What’s the greatest match in WCW Monday Nitro history?

Gibb: In terms of technique, probably a La Parka match that the commentators ruthlessly talked over. I’m partial to Regal-Goldberg, myself.

Gelfand: Goldberg vs. Raven for the U.S. Title. The energy in the crowd is electric.

Smith: Eddie Guerrero vs. Ric Flair from May 20, 1996.

Jackson: Sting vs. DDP from April 26, 1999, is a sensational wrestling match, and really showcased what WCW was all about. Even today, if you want to learn how to put on a perfect TV wrestling contest, this is the match to watch

Bautista: Goldberg vs. Hulk Hogan at the Georgia Dome. For the same reasons why Cena vs Punk from MITB 2011 is revered – the atmosphere was electric, the streak was equivalent to the pipe bomb and people wanted Hogan to get beat.

Corrigan: Goldberg vs. Raven from April 20, 1998. One of those instances of a crowd making a match. After months of hiding behind his Flock, Raven finally got stuck in the ring, just 24 hours after winning the United States Championship. His first challenger would be his last: the undefeated Goldberg. It’s a simple, but effective brawl with all the bells and whistles.

Goodwillie: These two matches epitomize what WCW failed to commit to that could have added years of longevity: Eddie Guerrero vs. Ric Flair (1996) and Bret Hart vs Chris Benoit (1999). Both matches signify old guard vs. new breed, feature an abundance of talent and two styles that fit seamlessly together. However, both are largely forgotten. Guerrero and Flair went on to work together once or twice in WWE, and Benoit’s recent memories are largely lost or forgotten, let alone anything he accomplished in WCW. It’s one of those things where if you’ve got guys like Ric Flair AND Bret Hart under the same roof at once, don’t overcomplicate the booking. Give the fans the matches they want to see and let the natural course play out. WCW opted for the opposite.

What’s the greatest moment/angle in WCW Monday Nitro history?

Gibb: The nWo, obviously. If you want to get more granular, Nash’s debut and the Bret Hart welcome party were my specific favorites.

Gelfand: Goldberg beating Hogan in the Georgia Dome to win the WCW title.

Smith: Maybe not the greatest, but definitely my favorite was Jericho and Goldberg. Jericho trolled Goldberg boasting an unbeaten record against the wrecking machine. Jericho was so good at getting under people’s skin that he actually got a spear for Goldberg and a squash match, but it was early showings that Jericho could get anything over.

Jackson: So many great angles and moments in the history of Nitro. Above all others through, when Scott Hall walked out through the crowd and took the mic, that was the moment when the course of wrestling changed forever. A moment which turned into an angle, which turned into the most important stable in wrestling history!

Bautista: The NWO walking out to Jimmy Hendrix’ “Voodoo Child” in Chicago with Dennis Rodman. It captured that moment in time perfectly.

Corrigan: Goldberg dethroning Hogan from July 6, 1998. Similar to Mick Foley winning the WWE Championship being the greatest moment in Raw history, Goldberg winning the World Heavyweight Championship from Hollywood was magical.

Goodwillie: There have been some big ones, and while I’d really have liked to recognize DDP’s spurning of the nWo, I have to go with the nWo’s siege on WCW in 1996. This was the brawl where Rey Mysterio got thrown like a lawn dart and nearly every member of the roster got some sort of airtime. As Jim Cornette says on the subject of invasion angles, “they have to believe it.” I can recall watching this for the first time maybe 10 years ago and had no problem believing it then, knowing full well what would become of the nWo and WCW. Just imagine what I would have thought if I’d caught it live.

What’s the legacy of WCW Monday Nitro?

Gibb: Nitro was the original proof-of-concept for having a great big-time wrestling show that is, in fact, kind of a lousy wrestling show. Big sizzle, big enthusiasm, minimal delivery.

Gelfand: A show that revolutionized wrestling and helped push the presentation of it going forward. With its pyro, sets and lively crowds, Nitro made wrestling seem cool and it forced WWE to follow in its footsteps.

Smith: It was a show that pushed WWE to be better. It also showcased a lot of wrestlers that could tell a story in the ring and entertain you with actual wrestling, only to meet its end at the hands of letting big stars have too much control.

Jackson: Nitro’s legacy has been tainted a lot by WWE and negative retrospective press from a lot of internet reviewers and fans. But Nitro was a truly exciting and innovative alternative to the WWF and a lot of wrestling up to that point. Nitro may have had a very uneven history in terms of quality, yet it always brings fans back with its nostalgia. Nitro will always hold a special place in my heart because it is where my fandom truly began.

Bautista: It changed the game for professional wrestling. It showed if a company puts its heart into the work, it can go live during in prime time and be successful. Forget about the bullshit at the end. Nitro’s legacy is Bischoff’s legacy.

Corrigan: Too much of a good thing. When Nitro premiered, it was a gamechanger. Live, from a mall, Lex Luger jumping ship, plenty of star power, showcasing international styles, referencing the competition. In less than three years, it expanded to three hours, showcased the same young guys in the same position they were in three years prior and ended in the same fashion every week: NWO runs in, beats everybody up, good guy never wins. At least it created the most exciting time in the history of the industry.

Goodwillie: Nitro had some hits and a whole mess of misses, but it will forever be known as the show that pushed WWE into becoming the industry leader and powerhouse it is today. Without Nitro, WWE probably never gets to where we see it now. Its legacy also rests in the stars it created: Sting, Goldberg, The Giant, Booker T, NWO, Diamond Dallas Page, among others.