Original subtitles

THROUGHOUT THE 1990S MONDAY

NIGHT SERVED AS A PRIMETIME

BATTLEFIELD.

A TRANSFORMED PROFESSIONAL

WRESTLING INTO SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT.

TED TURNER'S WCW TOOK ON VINCE

MCMAHON'S WWE FOR RATING

SUPREMACY AT THE RISK OF

EXTINCTION AS INNOVATION AND

EVOLUTION PAVED THE WAY FOR A

KING TO BE PROUD.

IT WAS A WAR 10 YEARS IN THE

MAKING AS SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT'S

REIGNING CHAMPION WAS CHALLENGED

BY A SOUTHERN BILLIONAIRE.

AND NOW WCW IS ABOUT TO

DOMINATE THE GLOBAL PROFESSIONAL

WRESTLING.

LED BY THIS TWO HEAVYWEIGHTS,

THE INDUSTRY EMBARKED ON A

PRIMETIME JOURNEY.

WELCOME EVERYONE TO MONDAY

NIGHT RAW.

AND AS AUDIENCES GREW,

TRADITIONS WERE LAID TO WASTE

AND LOYALTIES COMPROMISED.

HULKAMANIA LIVES IN WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

FOR YEARS, THESE TWO ICONS OF

ENTERTAINMENT WOULD ENGAGE IN

HEAD TO HEAD BATTLES.

AND THIS IS THE STORY OF HOW IT

ALL BEGAN.

THIS IS THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

[MUSIC]

HULK HOGAN HAS BETRAYED WCW.

WHAT IN THE--WHAT'S HE DOING

HERE?

WELCOME TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

MONDAY NITRO.

HE IS BROKEN HALF.

AUSTIN 3:16 SAYS I JUST

WHIPPED YOUR --.

[INDISTINCT]

THE NEW WORLD ORDER, BROTHER.

GAMES CAN LOSE, SUCKER.

WE ARE AT WAR.

[CROWD CHEERING]

SAVAGE LOOKING AROUND.

NOW, HE'S GOING TO THE OUTSIDE.

LISTEN TO THIS CROWD.

FLYING ELBOW, HOOKS THE LEG.

IT'S OVER.

DURING THE 1980S WWE ROSE TO

PROMINENCE AS SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT'S TOP

ORGANIZATION.

GROWING UP WATCHING AS A

WRESTLING FAN, IT WAS THE END

ALL, BE ALL PRO-WRESTLING NEVER

HAVE BEEN BIGGER.

A SURGE IN POPULARITY WAS

SPURRED ON BY A CAST OF

CHARISMATIC SUPERSTARS ALL OF

WHOM PERSONIFIED WHAT SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT WAS ALL ABOUT.

THEY WERE LED BY THE FACE OF THE

FRANCHISE.

HULK HOGAN.

THE ROAR IS PROUD IS

ABSOLUTELY DEAFENING.

IT'S A CELEBRATION OF

HULKAMANIA.

HULK HOGAN REDEFINED THIS

INDUSTRY.

WWE BECAME GLOBAL IN THE MID 80S

AND HE TOOK PROFESSIONAL

WRESTLING AND HELPED MOLD IT

INTO SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WHEN

HULKAMANIAC RUNS WILD ON YOU?

HULKAMANIA TRULY RAN WILD AND

HE WAS RIGHT THERE WITH THE

ADVENT OF CABLE TELEVISION AND

THAT CABLE TELEVISION EXPOSURE

GAVE THE COUNTRY AN OPPORTUNITY

TO SEE SUPERSTARS ALL AT ONCE.

THIS IS VINCE MCMAHON

WELCOMING YOU TO ANOTHER EDITION

OF ALL AMERICAN WRESTLING HERE

ON THE USA CABLE NETWORK.

BY WAY OF TELEVISION, WWE

WOULD GROW FROM A SMALL REGIONAL

TERRITORY INTO A NATIONALLY

RECOGNIZED PROMOTION.

THANKS TO THE SAVVY BUSINESS

STRATEGIES OF ITS CHAIRMAN,

VINCE MCMAHON.

WELL, HE WAS A MAN ON A

MISSION AND HAD A GOAL AND WAS

MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO

GROW AND HAVE THE COMPANY REALLY

BECOME A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION.

IT'S INDICATION AND DOVETAILED

IN WITH CABLE AND THAT REALLY

HELPED LAUNCHED THE REAL

NATIONAL GROWTH OF WWE.

WWE WOULD SYNDICATE THEIR

SHOWS NATIONWIDE AND UTILIZED

THE EARLY CABLE NETWORKS

INCLUDING USA AND THE TURNER

BROADCASTING SYSTEM TO REACH AN

EVEN GREATER AUDIENCE.

WE WERE ON USA NETWORK AS

WELL AS OUR SYNDICATED PRODUCT

AND IF I COULD ATTACK THE CABLE

AUDIENCE IN BOTH ENDS FROM USA

NETWORK STANDPOINT AND ALSO FROM

A TURNER NETWORK STANDPOINT

WELL, I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A

GREAT ONE, TWO, PUNCH

STRAIGHTAWAY INTO THE CABLE

MARKET.

WELL, THANKS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A PLEASURE AND A

PRIVILEGE TO BE ON WTBS THE

SUPERSTATION AT ATLANTA, GEORGIA

AGAIN.

TBS HAD BECOME THE COUNTRY'S

ORIGINAL SUPERSTATION.

AS MEDIA MOBILE TED TURNER'S

CREATION WAS THE FIRST CHANNEL

TO BROADCAST NATIONWIDE TO ALL

CABLE PROVIDERS.

THE BILLIONAIRE'S EMPIRE

EXPANDED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS

BUT TBS WOULD ALWAYS FEATURE ONE

CONSTANT SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

WELCOME TO ANOTHER HOUR OF

GEORGIA CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

FROM THE EARLY 70S WE HAD

WRESTLING ON OUR STATION AND

WRESTLING AND BASEBALL AND

BASKETBALL GAVE US SOME FRESH

BIG LEAD MARQUEE PROGRAMMING.

TED TURNER STARTED UP

SUPERSTATION AND IT WAS GOING

ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ON CABLE.

TED TURNER KNEW WHAT DREW

EYEBALLS TO HIS SUPERSTATION AND

BY FAR THE HIGHEST RATINGS WERE

GARNERED BY GEORGIA CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

TELEVISION HISTORY MADE HERE

TODAY.

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT HELPED

TBS GROW HEADING INTO THE 1980S

BUT THE ONCE PROMISING

PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TED TURNER

AND VINCE MCMAHON, WOULD SOON

SOUR.

FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WE

DID AIR SOME OF HIS PROGRAMMING.

UH-HMM.

AND WE DECIDED NOT TO KEEP

GOING IF HE WAS GOING TO ALSO

AIR ON USA.

HE STAYED ON USA AND WE DIDN'T

CARRY HIS PROGRAMMING ANYMORE.

I HAD A FALLING OUT WITH TED.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT POLITICAL

STRINGS WERE PULLED BUT IN A

VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TED

WANTED OUT OF OUR CONTRACT.

AND I SAID, "OKAY.

LOOK, YOU, YOU KNOW, DON'T WANE

DO BUSINESS WITH ME NOW SO I

DON'T WANNA DO BUSINESS WITH YOU

EITHER."

YOU'RE TALKING TWO REALLY BIG

EGOS IN THE ROOM, MY FATHER AND

TED TURNER.

SO THAT'S WHEN THE WAR STARTED.

THAT WAS THE--THAT WAS THE VERY

BEGINNING OF THE WAR.

TBS WOULD CONTINUE TO

BROADCAST WWE'S MAIN COMPETITOR.

JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS OF THE

NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE.

VINCE MCMAHON AND WWE STAYED ON

THE USA NETWORK AND THE COMPANY

DIDN'T MISS A BEAT AS THEY

CONTINUED TO TRANSFORM THE

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

TAKING OFF IN 1985.

WRESTLING WAS APPROACHING A

FEVER PITCH OF THAT TIME, THAT

LED US RIGHT INTO WRESTLEMANIA.

THE WRESTLING EXTRAVAGANZA OF

ALL TIME, WRESTLEMANIA.

THERE'S A PERFECT SPRINGBOARD

FOR WHAT WE NEEDED TO LAUNCH AT

WWE INTO THE STRATOSPHERE, FOR

THE NIGHT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN

BETTER.

COMBINING POP CULTURE

PERSONALITIES WITH MAIN EVENT

MATCHES, WRESTLEMANIA WOULD

BECOME THE ANNUAL SHOWCASE OF

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

WRESTLEMANIA, QUICK WRESTLING

IN THE MAINSTREAM OF SOCIETY.

IT CEMENTED THE FACT THAT VINCE

MCMAHON WAS GOING TO TURN WWE

INTO A GLOBAL EMPIRE.

93,173 HERE IN THE

SILVERDOME, HISTORY HAS INDEED

BEEN MADE.

BOASTED BY WRESTLEMANIA, WWE

REACHED PREVIOUSLY UNIMAGINABLE

LEVELS OF POPULARITY ALLOWING

VINCE MCMAHON TO INCREASE THE

COMPANY'S WEEKLY TELEVISION

PRESENCE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THIS CAPACITY CROWD ON THEIR

FEET AND CHEERING IN

ANTICIPATION OF THE ACTION THIS

WEEK.

WELCOME BACK LADIES AND

GENTLEMAN TO THE NWA MAIN EVENT.

MEANWHILE JIM CROCKETT

PROMOTIONS WAS UNABLE TO STAY

COMPETITIVE IN THE WAKE OF WWE'S

SUCCESS.

IN 1988, TED TURNER WOULD

PURCHASE HIS TELEVISION STAPLE

AND RE-CHRISTEN THE COMPANY

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

I WANNA CONGRATULATE WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING FOR

CONTINUING THE TRADITION OF

BRINGING ACTION-PACKED WRESTLING

EXCITEMENT AT TBS.

THE REASON THAT I GOT

INVOLVED FROM AN OWNERSHIP

STANDPOINT IS THAT MR. CROCKETT

WAS HAVING VERY DIFFICULT TIME

COMPETING WITH MR. MCMAHON AND I

HAD A VISION THAT EVENTUALLY

WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL WITH.

I REALLY WASN'T THAT

CONCERNED WITH TED WHEN HE

BOUGHT CROCKETT PROMOTIONS.

TED CALLED ME UP, HE SAYS, "HEY,

VINCE, I'LL LET YOU KNOW, I'M IN

THE WRESTLING BUSINESS."

AND I SAID, "OKAY.

THAT MEANS WE'RE IN DIFFERENT

BUSINESS."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?"

WELL, HERE IN THE WRESTLING

BUSINESS AS HE CALLED IT AND I'M

IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS.

AND THAT'S TWO COMPLETELY

DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES.

THE ASSOCIATION WITH TED

TURNER AND THE CABLE NETWORK WAS

HUGE.

WHAT WAS BAD WAS HE JUST GAVE

DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COMPANY

TO HIS FRIENDS, WHETHER THEY HAD

EXPERIENCE OR NOT.

OH, WHAT A STRENGTH BY

ROBOCOP.

WHOA.

AND THEN HE WANT A PIECE OF

[INDISTINCT]

WE HAD A NUMBER OF CHANGES

OVER THE YEARS, WE WERE NOT VERY

SUCCESSFUL FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS

AS A STANDALONE ENTITY.

WE STRUGGLED TO SURVIVE

COMPETING WITH MR. MCMAHON.

TED TURNER WAS UNABLE TO TURN

WCW AROUND BUT BY THE EARLY

1990S, WWE WAS ALSO IN THE MIDST

OF A DOWNTURN.

I THINK THAT EGG IS READY TO

BLOW.

WHAT IN THE WORLD...

WWE WAS STILL THE INDUSTRY

LEADER BUT THE INDUSTRY ITSELF

WAS STRUGGLING TO EXPAND BEYOND

ITS ESTABLISHED AUDIENCE.

THE RATINGS WERE DOWN, THE

BUSINESS WERE BEING SLOW.

THERE WAS A SINKING FEELING OF

LIKE OKAY--THAT WE'VE PEAKED.

THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT'S GONNA

GET.

THIS WEEK ON PRIMETIME

WRESTLING, EL MATADOR TEAMS UP

WITH VIRGIL.

EVEN MONDAY NIGHT'S PRIMETIME

PROGRAMMING ON THE USA NETWORK

HAD BECOME FORMULATED WITH A

TIRED SYNDICATED STANDARD OF

PRE-TAKE MATCHES AND IN STUDIO

COMMENTARY.

FANS WANTED SOMETHING ELSE,

THEY STILL LOVE PRO-WRESTLING

BUT THEY DIDN'T WANT WHAT VINCE

MCMAHON WAS REALLY GIVING THEM.

[INDISTINCT]

GRASPING ITS STROKES, WWE'S

ATTEMPT TO ENTERTAIN FELL SHORT.

TRY A QUAKE BURGER.

THANK YOU.

AND TRY ONE OF THOSE, LORD.

AND NEEDED A SHOT IN THE ARM

TO RECONNECT WITH ITS WANING FAN

BASE.

HEY [INDISTINCT]

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE TABLE

SHEETS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

OKAY.

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE AS A

FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT EVOLVE.

AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FROM

GENERATION TO GENERATION.

WE'VE SEEN A HISTORY MADE.

I WANNA DO SOMETHING THAT WAS

DIFFERENT IN THE BUSINESS.

I WANNA DO A LIVE SHOW AND

SOMETHING VERY VISCERAL, YOU

KNOW, SOMETHING INDEED VERY RAW,

HENCE THE NAME MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WELCOME, EVERYONE TO MONDAY

NIGHT RAW.

WE ARE LIVE ON NEW YORK CITY.

WWE LAUNCHED MONDAY NIGHT RAW

ON JANUARY 11TH, 1993.

DESPITE THE GREAT DEMAND FOR

CHANGE, THERE WAS APPREHENSIONS

SURROUNDING THIS LIVE

INNOVATION.

I GUESS, MAYBE I DID HAVE

SOME CONCERN ABOUT BEING LIVE.

WE ARE LIVE.

WHEN VINCE DECIDED TO GO LIVE

WITH MONDAY NIGHT RAW, IT

CHANGED THE FORMULA BECAUSE NO

MATTER WHAT YOU EXPECT ON LIVE

TV, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

VINCE MCMAHON HERE LIVE WITH

THE "MACHO MAN" RANDY SAVAGE.

OH, YEAH.

OH, YEAH.

THERE ARE CERTAIN RISK THAT

YOU TAKE BY BEING INNOVATIVE.

BUT I MUCH RATHER BE ON THAT

SIDE OF THINGS THEN BE ON THE

REACTIVE SIDE OF THINGS TRYING

TO CATCH UP.

THE SET WAS VERY BARE, IT HAD

AN EDGE TO IT.

AND IT WAS JUST A DIFFERENT KIND

OF PROGRAMMING FOR WWE.

AND SO THIS WAS RAW.

LOOK AT THIS.

BAM BAM.

OH.

ALL THE GUYS MYSELF INCLUDED

AND EVERYBODY AT WWE WERE VERY

EXCITED TO BE GOING LIVE ON

MONDAY NIGHTS BUT WE HAVE NO

IDEA HOW BIG IT WILL BECOME.

ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN THE

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT.

TAKE A LOOK THIS.

OH.

WAIT A MINUTE.

ONE, TWO, THREE.

OH.

[BELL RINGING]

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHAT IS THIS?

HE GOT HIM.

YOU CAN TELL IT WAS SOMETHING

SPECIAL AND IT WAS VERY RAW.

SO THAT NAME WAS VERY FITTING.

HE'S GOT AN -- LIKE AN

AMPHITHEATER.

OH.

THIS IS MONDAY NIGHT RAW,

FOLKS.

IT'S UNCUT.

UNCUT.

AND UNCENSORED.

[MUSIC]

[CROWD CHEERING]

WELCOME TO THE MANHATTAN

CENTER.

OH, YEAH.

THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE

BOISTEROUS NEW YORK CITY CROWD

ONLY AMPLIFIED THE LIVE VISCERAL

NATURE OF WWE'S NEW FLAGSHIP

SHOW AND PROVIDED INSTANT

FEEDBACK FOR THE COMPANY'S NEW

DIRECTION.

THE SPECIAL THING ABOUT THE

MANHATTAN CENTER WAS FROM A

FAN'S PERSPECTIVE IT RINGS YOU

CLOSER TO THE WRESTLER AND A LOT

OF WAYS IT BRINGS THE WRESTLERS

CLOSER TO THE FANS.

WE DID HAVE THAT FEELING THAT

IT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING BIG AND

ONLY BECAUSE OUR AUDIENCE IS NOT

VERY BASHFUL.

AND OUR AUDIENCE WILL TELL YOU

WHAT THEY THINK, THEY WILL BOO,

THEY WILL CHEER, THE LIVE

AUDIENCE TOLD US THAT WE ARE

REALLY ON TO SOMETHING.

WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO

WEREN'T WWE FANS AND THEN ALL OF

A SUDDEN RAW STARTED COMING OUT

AND NOW YOU HAD PEOPLE WANTING

TO JUMP ON THIS BANDWAGON

KNOWING THAT SOMETHING IS LIVE.

THERE'S ALWAYS THIS ELEMENT OF

YOU DON'T KNOW OF WHAT'S GOING

TO HAPPEN.

THAT'S WHAT MADE MONDAY NIGHT

RAW THAT MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE.

THE EVOLUTION OF WWE

TELEVISION PROGRAMMING BROUGHT

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT INTO

PRIMETIME PROMINENCE.

WHAT'S UP?

AND WITH THIS UPDATED

PLATFORM A NEW CROP OF WWE

SUPERSTARS EMERGED TO ESTABLISH

THEMSELVES AS THE COMPANY'S

FUTURE.

MONDAY NIGHT RAW WAS AN

ENTIRELY A NEW CLIMATE FOR NEW

SUPERSTARS TO MAKE THEIR NAMES.

YOU CAN PRESENT YOURSELF AN

ENTIRELY DIFFERENT MANNER THAN

HOW GUYS DID IN THE 80S.

I'M THE WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT INTERCONTINENTAL

CHAMPION.

[CROWD CHEERING]

MONDAY NIGHT RAW WAS A GREAT

PLATFORM FOR ALL THESE GUYS.

BRET HART, RAZOR RAMON, LEX

LUGER.

A LOT OF THEM HAD CHIPS ON THEIR

SHOULDERS AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO

GO OUT THERE ON LIVE TV AND THEN

SHOW THE WORLD WHAT YOU'RE CABLE

OF DOING AND THAT'S WHAT THEY

DID.

MONDAY NIGHT RAW HAD GIVEN

NEW STARS THE OPPORTUNITY TO

SHINE IN AN EVOLVING WWE

SPOTLIGHT.

AS A RESULT, VINCE MCMAHON WOULD

BECOME LESS RELIANT ON THE MAIN

EVENT STARS OF THE 1980S TO

DRIVE THE COMPANY'S PRIMETIME

VESSEL.

VINCE WAS MOVING IN A

DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND VINCE

WAS MOVING TO YOUNGER WRESTLERS

AT THE TIME AND IT WAS LIKE A

YOUTH MOVEMENT AND IT JUST

SEEMED LIKE THE PERFECT TIME FOR

US TO MUTUALLY PART WAYS.

HOGAN HAD STATED HE WOULD

NEVER COMPETE WITH ME.

YOU KNOW, HE WANTED OUT OF HIS

CONTRACT AND, OKAY, YOU'RE OUT

OF YOUR CONTRACT AND I THINK

PART OF THAT CERTAINLY WAS ON ME

AND MY VIEW OF HIS CAREER AS

WELL BECAUSE I FELT LIKE IT

REACHED ZENITH.

IN JUNE OF 1993 HULK HOGAN

WOULD LEAVE WWE.

A REPACKAGED LEX LUGER WAS

CHOSEN AS HOGAN'S PATRIOTIC

SUCCESSOR.

YOU KNOW, EVERYDAY I STRIVE

TO BE WORTHY OF YOUR SUPPORT AND

I TRIED TO EARN YOUR RESPECT THE

BEST THAT I COULD POSSIBLY CAN.

THEY'RE TRYING TO HAVE LUGER

FILL HOGAN'S SHOES, LUGER WAS

GOING TO BE LIKE THE NEXT FACE

OF THE COMPANY.

NO ONE CAN REPLACE HOGAN.

WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE A BIG STAR

OUT OF LEX LUGER FOR THE TIME

BEING.

HE WAS GOOD, HE WAS NOT GREAT.

LEX LUGER VICTORIOUS.

LEX LUGER HAS ELECTRIFIED THIS

CAPACITY CROWD AND FANS ALL OVER

THE WORLD.

I'VE GONE FROM BEING

NARCISSIST DRESSED IN RED,

WHITE, AND BLUE AND THOSE YANKEE

DOODLE DANDY OUT [INDISTINCT]

FOR THE SUMMER.

AND THE CROWDS WERE CRAZY IT WAS

A--IT WAS A REALLY EXCITING

TIME.

BEHIND LUGER AND ENSEMBLE OF

STARS, RAW HAD EXPANDED BEYOND

THE SMALL CONFINES OF THE

MANHATTAN CENTER AND INTO BIGGER

VENUES THROUGHOUT THE NORTHEAST.

WE'RE JAM-PACKED AT THE

RAFTERS READY FOR ACTION TONIGHT

ON MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

HOWEVER, RAW'S INCREASED

POPULARITY WOULD COME AT A

PRICE.

I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH IN THE WAY

OF RESOURCES IN THOSE DAYS.

SO IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR US

BECAUSE IT COST A LOT OF MONEY

TO DO A LIVE TELEVISION AND WE

DIDN'T GO LIVE EVERY WEEK.

IT WAS LIKE EVERY OTHER WEEK.

WHILE RAW WAS NO LONGER

BROADCAST LIKE EVERY WEEK, THE

SHOW'S MOMENTUM HELPED WWE

MAINTAIN ITS PLACE AS THE SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT LEADER.

[MUSIC]

AT THE SAME TIME WCW'S

FORTUNES WOULD ALSO BEGIN TO

TURN AROUND.

THANKS TO AN AMBITIOUS YOUNG

ANNOUNCER.

I CAME TO TURNER 1981 AND I

WAS HIRED AS A SEA SQUAD

ANNOUNCER.

I'M ERIC BISCHOFF FOR THIS

WEEK'S WCW MAGAZINE.

WCW HAD BEEN A HORRIBLY

MISMANAGED COMPANY FROM THE

MOMENT TED TURNER BOUGHT THE

COMPANY.

IN '93, THE RUMOR STARTED

FLOATING AROUND IN TURNER

BROADCASTING THAT THEY WERE

GOING TO LOOK FOR AN EXECUTIVE

PRODUCER TO COME IN AND LOOK AT

WCW MORE AS A TELEVISION

PROPERTY AND LESS AS A LIVE

EVENT PROPERTY.

I SAID, "WHAT THE HELL, I'LL

THROW MY NAME IN THE HAT."

EVENTUALLY I ENDED UP GETTING

THE JOB AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER.

[MUSIC]

AS BOTH ANNOUNCER AND

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, ERIC

BISCHOFF WOULD TAKE THE FIRST

STEPS IN RAISING THE STANDARDS

OF WCW PROGRAMMING.

WCW NEVER MATCHED THE

PRODUCTION QUALITIES OF WWE.

IT NEVER MATCHED IT.

EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A TV COMPANY,

THEY NEVER COULD QUITE MATCH THE

PRODUCTION QUALITIES.

ERIC BISCHOFF HAD A VISION TO

CREATE WRESTLING AND MAKE IT A

BUSINESS AS BIG AS IT COULD

POSSIBLY GET.

OH.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HE WANTED IT TO BE, YOU KNOW,

SHOW BUSINESS LIKE HOLLYWOOD.

ERIC WAS SAVVY.

GOOD PROMOTIONAL MIND AND GOOD

AT BRANDING.

AND HE CERTAINLY WROTE THAT

THE WWE PRODUCT AT THAT TIME AND

HE SAID IF WE CAN REPLICATE THAT

WE'RE GONNA BE IN THE BALL GAME.

HI EVERYONE.

WELCOME TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

VINCE MCMAHON ALONG WITH BOBBY

"THE BRAIN" HEENAN.

[MUSIC]

WWE WAS PERCEIVED TO BE THE

BIG NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL

ORGANIZATION.

WCW AT THE TIME WAS PERCEIVED TO

BE AND WAS QUITE FRANKLY A

SOUTHERN, REGIONAL TERRITORY.

THE RUBBER MATCH BETWEEN THE

SOUTHERN BOYS AND THE FABULOUS

FREEBIRDS.

THE ANNOUNCING TEAMS WERE ONE

OF THE THINGS THAT I FELT RIGHT

FROM THE VERY BEGINNING NEEDED

TO BE FIXED.

GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY AND

WELCOME TO THE POWER HOUR.

I DIDN'T WANT IT TO SOUND

LIKE A SOUTHERN PROMOTION.

THEREFORE THE ANNOUNCERS WITH

SOUTHERN ACCENTS HAD TO GO.

HI EVERYONE.

I'M "MEAN" GENE OKERLUND.

WELCOME TO THE CLASH OF

CHAMPIONS, LIVE HERE ON TBS.

I WORKED A REAL NICE DEAL OUT

AS DID THE LOT OF PEOPLE WITH

WCW.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I CAN'T

BELIEVE IT.

BOBBY "THE BRAIN" HEENAN.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE FIRST THING THEY NEEDED

TO DO IS GET AN ANNOUNCING TEAM.

THE KEY COMPONENTS OUT THERE.

IF YOU WANNA GO TO WAR THEM,

BOBBY HEENAN AND GENE OKERLUND.

HEENAN, WON'T YOU LEAVE ME

ALONE, YOU FOLLOW ME EVERYWHERE.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

I WORK HERE.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

WELL, WHO SAYS YOU WORK HERE?

WHO SAYS I WORK HERE?

TRY TED AND JANE, THE TURNERS.

I'M ON BOARD NOW, PAL.

[MUSIC]

BRINGING IN GENE OKERLUND WHO

WAS A NATIONALLY KNOWN

ANNOUNCER, BRINGING IN BOBBY

HEENAN.

ALONG WITH "MEAN" GENE

OKERLUND AND BOBBY "THE BRAIN"

HEENAN, I'M TONY SCHIAVONE.

IT WAS SHOWING THE WORLD, WCW

WAS TRYING TO BE A BIG COMPANY.

ABOUT THAT SAME TIME, ONE OF

THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO DO

FOR WCW WAS TAKE IT OUT OF THE

SMALL GRUNGY, DIMLY LIT ARENAS

THAT WE HAD TYPICALLY BEEN

PRODUCING OUR SHOW ON FRONT OF

AND MOVE INTO THE DISNEY MGM

STUDIO.

I CAN COMPREHEND DISNEY MGM

STUDIOS WITH WCW AND HAVE A

GREAT PLACE TO PRODUCE

TELEVISION.

WE CAN PUT FOUR, 500 PEOPLE ON A

SOUND STAGE, THEY'RE ENCLOSED TO

THE RING, SO IT WORKED VERY

EFFECTIVELY.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING'S SUCCESS WOULD DRIVE

THE COMPANY'S BILLIONAIRE

BENEFACTOR TO ADD THE NECESSARY

RESOURCES TO TAKE WCW TO EVEN

GREATER HEIGHTS.

[MUSIC]

WRESTLING WITHIN THE

ORGANIZATION WAS GROWING.

THE SPECIFIC INTERESTS STARTED

WITH TED TURNER.

I MEAN HE LOVED IT AND THERE IS

ANOTHER PART TO IT.

I THINK THE COMPETITIVE NATURE

THAT VINCE MCMAHON PUT IN FRONT

OF IT STARTED THE CONTEST

BETWEEN THE PARTIES TO SEE WHO

WOULD SUCCEED.

NASHVILLE IS ROCKING WITH

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

HE ALWAYS HAD THIS DREAM OF

BEING THE BIGGEST AND THE BEST,

OBVIOUSLY HE MADE HIS CABLE

SYSTEM THAT AND HE WANTED HIS

COMPANY TO BE LIKE THAT AND HE

WAS A FAN AT HEART.

THERE'S JANE FONDA AND HER

HUSBAND, TED TURNER.

ERIC IS TED'S OWN EGO AND HIS

OWN COMPETITIVENESS BECAUSE TED

DIDN'T LIKE VINCE AND VINCE

DIDN'T LIKE TED AND IF YOU WON

OVER AND TAKE MCMAHON AND KICK

HIS -- WELL THEN I NEED

SUPPLIERS.

HOGAN HAD DECIDED HE WAS DONE

WITH WRESTLING AND WAS GOING TO

TRANSITION TO BEING A FILM STAR

AND A TELEVISION STAR.

HOGAN HAD STARTED FILMING A

TELEVISION SERIES CALLED THUNDER

IN PARADISE, DONE AT THE DISNEY

MGM STUDIOS IN ORLANDO.

ON THE SOUND STAGE NEXT TO ME

WHERE I WAS FILMING WAS TED

TURNER'S WCW.

NEXT THING I KNOW, THIS GUY

NAMED ERIC BISCHOFF STARTED

COMING OVER AND HE STARTED

BRINGING RIC FLAIR WITH HIM

GOING, "HEY, HULK, I WANT YOU TO

COME BACK AND BE PART OF US."

I SAID, "NO WAY."

THIS WENT ON FOR A GOOD FIVE OR

SIX MONTHS.

ERIC BISCHOFF WAS ON THE SET

WITH US AND I LOOK OVER AND I

SEE ERIC AND HULK OVER THERE

WHISPERING AND TALKING AND HULK

CALLED ME OVER AND GOES, "HOW

WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT US JOINING

WCW?"

I MISS WRESTLING SO MUCH,

FINALLY I CAVED AND BASICALLY

WENT TO WORK FOR TED TURNER.

ALL RIGHT, LADIES AND

GENTLEMEN WE ARE LIVE AT DISNEY

MGM AT ORLANDO, FLORIDA AND

THOUSANDS OF FANS ARE HERE TO

SEE ONE MAN, WELCOME HULK HOGAN.

[MUSIC]

TURNER BROADCASTING WANTED TO

COMPETE ON THE NATIONAL STAGE

AND WHAT BIGGER OR BETTER NAME

THAN HULK HOGAN.

HERE WAS THE FACE OF WRESTLING.

THAT TO ME WAS THE BIGGEST COUP

AND IT STARTED IT ALL.

HOGAN I THOUGHT WAS VERY,

VERY GOOD BUSINESS MOVE FOR WCW.

HERE WE GO.

GET READY FOR THE RIDE OF YOUR

LIFE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HOGAN WOULD BE IN ALL WAYS

HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST STAR IN THE

CENTURY.

WHEN SOMEONE SAYS WRESTLING IF

THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT

WRESTLING THEY'RE ALL

THAT--THAT'S THE THING THAT HULK

HOGAN DOES.

WELL, YOU KNOW SOMETHING MEAN

GENE, I TOLD YOU, HULKAMANIA WAS

GONNA RUN WILD IN THE WCW,

BROTHER.

LOOK AT ALL THE HULKAMANIACS.

CAN YOU HEAR THEM, MEAN GENE?

[CROWD CHEERING]

AS A WWE FAN, HOGAN GOING TO

WCW THAT WAS A SLAP IN THE FACE

TO ME.

THEY TOOK HULK, I MEAN HE WAS

THE BRAND HERE FOR SO MANY

YEARS.

SO WHEN HOGAN TURNED AROUND

AND LEFT, IT WAS THE BEGINNING

OF THE WCW REVOLUTION.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HULK HOGAN.

I WAS DISHEARTENED WHEN HOGAN

SIGNED WITH WCW.

AT ONE TIME I REALLY LOOKED AT

IT AS A REGIONAL PROMOTION.

HOGAN LEGITIMIZED WCW.

THE FACT THAT HULK HOGAN IS

HERE IN THE WCW THIS IS THE

BIGGEST DAY IN MY LIFE.

THE BIGGEST DAY IN MY CAREER AND

NOW THAT TED TURNER HAS PUT HIS

SEAL OF APPROVAL, NOW THAT HIS

WORDS ARE INSTANT STONE, THIS IS

THE NUMBER ONE WRESTLING

ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD

BROTHER, AND ALL THE MANIACS

KNOW THAT DUDE.

AMEN.

IT WAS A FAIRLY LARGE

CONTRACT BUT THE HULKSTER REALLY

HELPED TURNED THINGS AROUND.

AND I UNDERSTAND WHY HE

SIGNED BUT, YOU KNOW, FROM A

PERSONAL STANDPOINT, IT BUGGED

ME FOR A BUSINESS STANDPOINT.

IT WAS LIKE, UH-OH, HERE THEY

GO.

THIS IS GONNA BE REAL

COMPETITION.

AS WE FIRST PUT WRESTLING ON

TURNER NETWORK MANY YEARS AGO

IT'S BEEN EXCITING ENTERTAINMENT

PROGRAMMING FOR ALL OUR VIEWERS.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING HAS

ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF OUR MOST

POPULAR PROGRAMS.

THE BRAVES ARE BECOMING A

WINNING TEAM IN BASEBALL, CNN IS

THE LEADER IN WORLD NEWS AND

INFORMATION, AND NOW WCW IS

ABOUT TO DOMINATE THE GLOBE IN

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING.

[MUSIC]

I STILL BELIEVE IN

HULKAMANIA, WHERE AT THAT TIME A

LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS OUT

OF GAS.

AND I JUST KNEW THAT IT WASN'T

OVER YET.

ON THEIR FEET, THE

HULKAMANIACS AND HULKAMANIA.

THEY OPENED THE DOORS TO ME.

HULKAMANIA RAN WILD, WE DRAW

NUMBERS, WE GET REAL

COMPETITIVE.

HIS FIRST MATCH IN WCW AND HE

SETS AN ALL TIME IN ATTENDANCE

RECORD, AN ALL TIME PAY-PER-VIEW

RECORD FOR WCW.

THE HOGAN ACQUISITION RAISED

WCW'S NATIONAL PROFILE AND WOULD

SERVE AS THE COMPANY'S BLUEPRINT

FOR THE FUTURE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

TURNER WITH HOGAN AND THE

SUCCESS THAT HE HAD WITH HIM

JUST KEPT ADDING TO THE PAYROLL.

WHEN TED CAME IN AND SAID

HERE'S THE CHECKBOOK AND, YOU

KNOW, WHAT I MEAN AND I'VE

SIGNED IT AND YOU PUT WHAT YOU

NEED IN IT.

FUELED BY TED TURNER'S BLANK

CHECKS, WCW WOULD ATTRACT THE

ATTENTION OF ANOTHER WWE STAR.

FROM THE TOP LADIES AND

GENTLEMEN AND YES.

"MACHO MAN" RANDY SAVAGE HAD

REACHED INCREDIBLE HEIGHTS

DURING THE 1980S.

BUT IN THE EARLY '90S HE HAD

TRANSITIONED FROM BEING THE MEGA

POWER TO A COLOR COMMENTATOR.

RANDY WAS LOYAL TO THE WWE.

BUT THEN HE STARTED GETTING

BORED ON THE MICROPHONE.

I WANNA TELL YOU SOMETHING,

MAN.

I DON'T THINK I DON'T WANNA TELL

YOU, JUST READ MY EYES RIGHT

NOW.

IT'S HARD TO SIT IN THIS

CHAIR...

THE WORLD WAS, WE'RE HAVING A

YOUTH MOVEMENT.

THEY HURT HIS FEELINGS.

IF YOU NEEDED SOMEBODY TO

DRAW MONEY WITH, IT WAS THE

MACHO MAN.

WELL, I GUESS WE'LL BE RIGHT

BACK WITH MADE IN THE USA, LEX

LUGER...

VINCE MCMAHON DECIDED HE

DIDN'T WANT HIM TO WRESTLE

ANYMORE, HE WANTED HIM TO BE A

COLOR COMMENTATOR.

THE MACHO MAN CALLED ME AND HE

WANTED TO GO TO WORK FOR THE

WCW.

EVIDENTLY, HOGAN HAD BEEN

TALKING TO SAVAGE.

RANDY ENDED UP GIVING ME A CALL.

I TALKED TO RANDY A COUPLE OF

TIMES AND WITHIN A MATTER OF

PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR WEEKS WE

MADE A DEAL.

ALL RIGHT.

WE'RE BACK LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

WE'LL HAVE MORE ACTION FOR YOU

MOMENTARILY.

AT THIS TIME, OBVIOUSLY

CONSPICUOUS BY HIS ABSENCE IS

THE "MACHO MAN" RANDY SAVAGE.

AND I'D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE

UNFORTUNATELY THAT RANDY SAVAGE

HAS BEEN UNABLE TO SIGN A

CONTRACT WITH THE WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT NOT

UNABLE TO RATHER COME TO TERMS

WITH THE WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT FOR A NEW

CONTRACT.

BUT RANDY I KNOW YOU'RE OUT

THERE LISTENING AND ON BEHALF OF

ALL OF US HERE IN THE WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT, ALL OF

YOUR FANS AND CERTAINLY ME, THE

NUMBER ONE FAN, I'D LIKE TO SAY

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR

POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT.

THANK YOU RANDY SAVAGE FOR ALL

OF THE WONDERFUL MEMORIES FOR SO

MANY YEARS HERE IN THE WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT.

WE WISH YOU NOTHING BUT THE

BEST.

GODSPEED AND GOOD LUCK.

[MUSIC]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE

WELCOME "THE MACHO MAN" RANDY

SAVAGE.

WHEN RANDY JUMPED WE DIDN'T

SEE THAT ONE COMING.

I THINK THAT WAS KIND OF A

SHOCKER TO ALL OF US.

RANDY "MACHO MAN" SAVAGE

GOING TOO?

LIKE WHAT IS GOING ON?

I WANT EVERYBODY RIGHT NOW TO

FREAK OUT--FREAK OUT.

THE MACHO MAN IS RIGHT HERE AND

I'M HERE FOR ONLY ONE REASON AND

THAT'S TO TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT,

YEAH.

[MUSIC]

BISCHOFF TOOK OVER AND THE

CHECKBOOK WAS JUST LEFT OPEN TO

WRITE.

AND THEN THAT'S WHEN IT REALLY

ACTUALLY BECAME A WAR.

THE BIG NAMES OF THAT TIME

WERE ABSOLUTELY HOGAN AND

SAVAGE.

AND FOR HIM TO SIGN THOSE GUYS

WITH ALL THAT LINEAGE, IT TOOK

OUR PRODUCT TO ANOTHER LEVEL.

YOU'RE WATCHING LIVE, WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING CLAIMS

THAT WE ARE THE TOPS IN THE

WORLD BECAUSE HULK HOGAN IS

HERE, BECAUSE "THE MACHO MAN"

RANDY SAVAGE IS HERE.

THIS IS NOT A MONOPOLY DEAL.

YOU GOT COMPETITION OUT THERE

FOR THE PLAYERS, FOR THE ARENAS

AND EVERYTHING ELSE, THAT'S WHAT

IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.

MR. MCMAHON WASN'T ENTITLED TO A

MONOPOLY POSITION IN THIS

WRESTLING GAME.

[MUSIC]

WHAT TED TURNER DID WAS

OFFERED NONE-CUT CONTRACTS TO

EVERYBODY.

SO BOOM, HOGAN LEFT, BOOM, MACHO

MAN LEFT, BEEFCAKE LEFT, NASTY

BOYS LEFT, I LEFT.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING'S HIGH PROFILE

ADDITIONS BROUGHT THE COMPANY TO

NEW LEVELS OF POPULARITY.

AND ERIC BISCHOFF WOULD CONTINUE

TO BUILD ON HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

WCW HAD NEVER TURNED A PROFIT

DURING THE TIME WHEN TED OWNED

IT.

WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT,

THIS IS THE WHERE THE BIG BOYS

PLAY.

WITHIN 18 MONTHS I TURNED IT

INTO A PROFITABLE COMPANY THAT

WAS A BIG ACHIEVEMENT BECAUSE

NOBODY EVER THOUGHT THAT IT

COULD BE DONE.

WHILE WCW WAS ENJOYING ITS

GREATEST LEVEL OF SUCCESS, WWE

STAYED THE COURSE AND VINCE

MCMAHON CONTINUED TO PUSH

FORWARD WITH HIS NEW GENERATION

OF SUPERSTARS.

[MUSIC]

CHAMPIONS OF THE FUTURE.

EXPERIENCED THE NEW WWE

GENERATION.

WCW AT THE TIME THEY HAD A

LOT OF BIG, BIG NAMES BUT I

THOUGHT MATCH FOR MATCH, POUND

FOR POUND, WE HAD WAY BETTER

TALENT.

MY GOD, HIGH RISK MANEUVER.

LOOKS LIKE THAT WE HAD

YOUNGER, BETTER ATHLETES AND WE

WERE GONNA BE THE GUYS THAT WENT

OUT THERE AND GAVE MORE QUALITY

PERFORMANCES.

WHAT UNBELIEVABLE FINESSE.

WHAT ATHLETICISM, WHAT HIGH

IMPACT MANEUVERS THAT YOU CAN

ONLY FIND HERE IN THE WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT.

WWE FOCUSED ON CULTIVATING

ITS OWN TALENT.

WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THE RISING

MOMENTUM OF ITS COMPETITOR.

BUT IT WOULD VERY QUICKLY BECOME

APPARENT THAT WCW WOULD NOT

SETTLE FOR BEING IGNORED.

WE'VE BEEN ON THE MAP FOR SO

LONG.

WE HAD BEEN HAMMERED A LOT,

SUCKER PUNCHED, BEAT UP, JUMPED

ON, STOMPED AT, CHAIRS BROKEN

OVER OUR HEADS, ALL THE

WRESTLERS STOPPED BY VINCE FOR

SO LONG.

[MUSIC]

BUT WHEN I DECIDED TO DO

SOMETHING I STICK WITH IT.

TED SAID, "ERIC, WHAT DO WE

GOT TO DO TO COMPETE WITH WWE?"

I WASN'T PREPARED FOR THAT.

AND I STARTED ANSWERING, "GIVE

ME PRIMETIME."

AND I'M THINKING, HE'LL NEVER DO

THAT.

HE'LL NEVER PUT WCW ON

PRIMETIME.

IT WAS A SAFE THING TO SAY.

I MEAN AFTER ALL WWE WAS ON

PRIMETIME, A USA NETWORK AT THE

TIME.

LO AND BEHOLD, TED LOOKED RIGHT

AT ME AND SAID, "TWO HOURS EVERY

MONDAY NIGHT ON TNT."

[MUSIC]

TNT AT THE TIME WAS LIKE

FLAGSHIP NETWORK IN TURNER

BROADCASTING.

NO ONE EVER BELIEVED TED WILL

PUT WRESTLING ON TNT, ESPECIALLY

IN PRIMETIME, MYSELF INCLUDED.

I WANTED TO GO ON MONDAY

NIGHT BECAUSE I WANTED TO GO

HEAD TO HEAD WITH VINCE.

I WANTED TO COMPETE AND SEE HOW

WE DID.

YOU CAN'T BEAT ANYBODY UNLESS

YOU GET INTO THE RING WITH.

ERIC BISCHOFF HAD HIS

PRIMETIME SHOW.

AND WEEKS LATER WOULD OFFICIALLY

DECLARE WAR ON WWE AS HE

ANNOUNCED THE IMPENDING LAUNCH

OF WCW MONDAY NITRO.

WCW IN THE PAST FOUR MONTHS

THAT I STAND SINCE THE VISION OF

HULK HOGAN AND RANDY SAVAGE IS

REALLY CLOSING A GAP, WE'RE

COMING OUT STRONG, WE'VE GOT A

LOT OF MOMENTUM.

AND WE WANNA GIVE VIEWERS A

CHOICE.

WELL, I THINK THE MOMENT THAT

WCW ANNOUNCED THEIR INTENTION TO

RUN ON MONDAY NIGHTS, I WAS

EXTREMELY WORRIED THAT IT WOULD

BE THE DOWNFALL OF WRESTLING.

NOBODY THOUGHT THAT IT WAS

GONNA WORK.

ANYBODY CAN SAY WHAT THEY WANT

ABOUT ERIC BISCHOFF AND IT WAS A

VERY, VERY COURAGEOUS MOVE TO

MAKE.

I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY

STUPID WHEN HE FIRST CAME HEAD

TO HEAD WITH US.

WE HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR A

LONG TIME AND TURNER COULD MOVE

PROGRAMMING ANYWHERE HE WANTED

TO.

HE OWNED THE NETWORK.

GOING HEAD TO HEAD LIKE THAT,

YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO QUESTION

HE'S ATTEMPT TO DO THAT WAS TO

SIMPLY HURT US AND OUTLAST US.

VINCE WAS IN TRENCHED IN THE

TIME-SLOT.

BUT I FELT LIKE WE WERE READY.

AND IT WOULD BE EASY FOR VINCE

TO MOVE TO ANOTHER NIGHT TOO.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE CREATION OF NITRO WAS A

RISK FOR BOTH COMPANIES.

AS MANY WITHIN THE INDUSTRY FELT

TWO SIMULTANEOUS SHOWS WOULD

FLOOD THE MARKET AND DEGRADE

BOTH PRODUCTS.

WE WERE A BIT WORRIED.

IT WOULD BE LIKE PUTTING TWO

FOOTBALL GAMES AGAINST EACH

OTHER ON TV ON A MONDAY NIGHT.

WE FIGURED OUT IF YOU SPLIT THE

AUDIENCE AND IT WILL--IT WILL

HURT BOTH SHOWS.

I WAS LIKE, WHY DON'T WE TAKE

ANOTHER NIGHT.

THERE IS ONLY 2.9 OR 3.0 PEOPLE

WATCHING WRESTLING.

WHAT ARE WE HOPING TO GET?

I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT WAS WCW

FANS AND WWE FANS.

WE'RE THROWING A WRESTLING

SHOW ON PRIMETIME ON MONDAY

NIGHT.

HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST A COMPANY

THAT'S BEEN IN THE BUSINESS FOR

20 YEARS.

ONLY A LUNATIC WOULD THINK THAT

WE COULD COMPETE, THAT TOOK A

LOT OF GUTS, TOOK A LOT OF BALLS

ON THE PART OF TED TURNER.

AND YOU SEE, TONY IS

ABSOLUTELY RIGHT MAN.

THERE ARE GONNA BE A LOT OF

SURPRISES ON MONDAY NITRO.

WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT,

THERE'S NOBODY SURPRISED RIGHT

HERE...

SO IT WAS A MATTER OF--OKAY.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

BECAUSE NOW YOU GOT IT AND YOU

GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT

WORK.

SO I LITERALLY HAD SIX WEEKS TO

FIGURE OUT A WAY TO LAUNCH A NEW

SHOW THAT WAS GONNA COMPETITIVE

WITH THE WWE ON PRIMETIME.

FACING AN UPHILL BATTLE

AGAINST WWE, ERIC BISCHOFF WOULD

DISCOVER HIS SECRET WEAPON FOR

MONDAY NITRO'S DEBUT EPISODE.

HERE COMES LEX LUGER.

[CROWD CHEERING]

MY CONTRACT BASICALLY HAD

EXPIRED.

BUT I'M FULLY ANTICIPATING I HAD

WORKED OUT AN AGREEMENT TO STAY

ON BOARD WITH THE WWE FAMILY.

LEX LUGER'S CONTRACT WAS

COMING UP AT WWE.

NOW, I HAVE NEVER BEEN A FAN OF

LEX LUGER ON A PERSONAL LEVEL OR

ON A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL.

AND STING WAS A CLOSE FRIEND OF

LUGER AND STING CAME TO ME AND

SAID "LOOK, GIVE THE GUY ANOTHER

CHANCE."

WE ALWAYS TRAVEL TOGETHER.

WE'RE VERY CLOSE PERSONAL

FRIENDS AND STILL ARE.

HE WAS A PRIMARY FACILITATOR AND

THAT GOT ME TOGETHER WITH ERIC

BISCHOFF.

I CALLED LEX AND I SAID,

"LOOK, YOU MIGHT WANT TO KEEP

THIS MEETING QUIET BECAUSE IF IT

WORD GETS BACK TO WWE THAT

YOU'RE TALKING TO ME, YOU MIGHT

PUT YOUR OPPORTUNITY THERE AT

RISK."

SO WE AGREED THAT NEITHER ONE OF

US WOULD TALK ABOUT IT.

SO I OFFERED HIM A HUNDRED GRAND

THINKING, "WHAT THE HELL HE'S

GONNA TURN ME DOWN ANYWAY AND I

CAN LEAST TELL STING I TRIED."

AND SURPRISINGLY ENOUGH HE TOOK

THE DEAL.

IT WAS A NEW SHOW WITH GUYS I

NEVER WORKED WITH BEFORE LIKE

HOGAN AND "MACHO MAN" RANDY

SAVAGE, THAT DEFINITELY SWAYED

ME AT THE TIME.

I DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE

THE MOVE TO WCW AT THAT TIME

AFTER TALKING WITH ERIC

BISCHOFF.

AS WE'RE GETTING CLOSER AND

CLOSER TO THE DEBUT OF NITRO,

LEX CAME TO ME AND HE SAID,

"LOOK, MY CONTRACT IS UP

SUNDAY."

AND A LIGHT BULB WENT OFF FROM

MY HEAD AND I SAID, "WOW.

IF WE CAN KEEP THIS QUIET, AND

LITERALLY HAVE YOU WALK OUT ON

TO NITRO WITHOUT ANYBODY KNOWING

IT, THAT MOVE RIGHT THERE WILL

SET THE TONE FOR NITRO."

A LIVE SHOW THAT WAS CHALKED

FULL OF SURPRISES.

WHERE YOU FELT YOU HAD TO TUNE

IN TO SEE WHAT THE HELL WE WERE

GONNA DO NEXT.

[MUSIC]

FROM THE LAND OF 10,000

LAKES, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

THE MALL OF AMERICA, THE ONLY

BUILDING BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE

DEBUT EDITION OF WCW MONDAY

NITRO.

WE ARE COMING TO YOU LIVE.

ERIC BISCHOFF HAD HIS BATTLE

PLAN IN PLACE.

AND WCW MONDAY NITRO WOULD

PREMIERE ON SEPTEMBER 4TH, 1995.

WHEN I SAW THEIR FIRST SHOW,

I WAS LIKE, "OOF.

BOY, THIS IS REAL COMPETITION."

THEY TRIED TO EMULATE US IN

EVERY CONCEIVABLE WAY IN TERMS

OF PRODUCTION VALUE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND AWAY WE GO.

WE ARE KICKING THINGS OF

RIGHT--SO MUCH GOING ON HERE IN

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

WCW WHERE THE BIG BOYS PLAY.

WELL, YOU COULDN'T IGNORE TED

TURNER.

YOU COULDN'T IGNORE THE WCW.

THEY HAD JUST AS BIGGEST STAGE

AS YOU DID.

IT WAS REALLY THE WCW SAYING,

"OKAY.

GUYS, WE'RE COMING TO GET YOU."

WE WATCHED THE SHOW BEING IN

A MALL WAS A LITTLE CHEESY IF

YOU ASK ME.

THE TALENT WAS NOT CHEESY.

WHEN YOU'RE GOING LIVE, THE

ADRENALINE RUSH WAS UP.

EVERYBODY WAS VERY EXCITED.

IT WAS ELECTRIC.

THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN

SOME MORE MOMENTUM.

WE WERE HOPING AND PRAYING THAT

EVERYBODY WAS LOOKING IN OUR

DIRECTION WHEN WE WENT UP AT

9:00.

WHO IS THE GREATEST WRESTLER IN

THE WORLD?

[CROWD CHEERING]

WCW TRULY SHREWDLY AIRED

NITRO UNOPPOSED.

AS ON THE SAME EVENING, MONDAY

NIGHT RAW WAS PREEMPTED.

AFTER PREEMPTION, WE WILL

JOIN YOU, MONDAY NIGHT,

SEPTEMBER 11.

WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEBUT

A WRESTLING SHOW --

ON MONDAY NIGHT AT THE SAME TIME

THAT RAW WAS ESTABLISHED.

EXCEPT THAT WHEN PEOPLE TUNED IN

TO SEE RAW...

THEY MAY GO CHANNEL SURFING AND

FIND NITRO.

THAT WAS THE KEY TO THAT DEAL.

AND I REMEMBER JUST FLIPPING

THROUGH THE CHANNELS THAT WAS

ON.

THAT'S WHEN I BECAME FAMILIAR

WITH WCW.

BEING A FAN OF WWE, IT

INTRODUCED ME TO THIS WHOLE

OTHER PRODUCT THAT WAS OUT THERE

AT THE TIME THAT I DIDN'T KNOW

ABOUT IN WCW.

WITH THE EYES OF THE SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT WORLD ON NITRO,

LEX LUGER WOULD DELIVER THE

FIRST SHOCK IN THE MONDAY NIGHT

WAR.

I TOLD LEX, "DON'T GO TO THE

HOTEL WHERE EVERYBODY ELSE ARE

STAYING.

AND DON'T SHOW UP UNTIL HALF AN

A HOUR BEFORE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO

GO ON THE AIR."

AND THIS CROWD IS LIVE.

THEY ARE WIRED.

THEY WAITED TO LIKE 30

MINUTES FOR THE SHOW TO START

AND BROUGHT ME IN WITH LIKE

TOWELS AROUND MY HEAD TO A BACK

DOOR.

THEY EVEN PUT ME IN A POSITION

TO GO OUT I'M TELLING YOU UNTIL

THE MOMENT I WALKED OUT.

LATER ON IS THIS LIVE DEBUT

BROADCAST.

OH, WHAT IN THE HELL IS HE DOING

HERE?

GET THE KID OFF OF HERE.

[BELL RINGING]

WELL, LOOK--GET HIM OUT

OF--GET THE KID OUT OF HERE.

WHAT IS THIS?

WELL, WAIT A MINUTE.

HE'S GOT A RIGHT TO BE HERE, IT

IS A PUBLIC MALL.

GET HIM OUT OF HERE.

SOMEBODY CALL THE SECURITY

GUARDS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHAT?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

LUGER IS THERE NOW, TOO?

AND EVERYBODY WAS LOOKING AT

ME LIKE, "IS THAT LEX LUGER?"

LIKE IT'S--I WAS STILL ON TV AND

THEN, OUT SHOW--THE NIGHT BEFORE

AT WWE, SO EVERYBODY WAS

DEFINITELY--IT WAS A BIG SHOCK

TO EVERYBODY.

HE'S CLEANING HOUSE.

WAIT, LUGER'S IN THERE.

LEX LUGER IN THE RING.

LEX LUGER.

HE'S HELPING HOGAN.

HE'S HELPING HOGAN.

LUGER--WHOA, WAIT A MINUTE.

WHAT IS THIS?

WORLD WAR III.

LEX LUGER LITERALLY WALKED

OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A LIVE

BROADCAST AT NITRO AND HALF THE

PEOPLE THAT WORKED IN WWE

THOUGHT THAT HE WAS STILL

WORKING FOR THEM.

NO ONE KNEW.

I WAS SHOCKED AND I WENT, "MY

GOD, I DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING."

IT WAS LIKE THE WRESTLING

VERSION OF THE SHOT HEARD AROUND

THE WORLD.

I WAS JUST ON THE ROAD

TRAVELING WITH LEX LIKE, TWO

DAYS PRIOR TO THAT.

AND HE DIDN'T MENTION ANYTHING

ABOUT IT.

ALL IS FAIR IN WAR I GUESS.

WCW WANTED A SURPRISE FACTOR AND

I WAS RAISED AND BROUGHT UP IN

WRESTLING THAT NO MATTER WHAT,

YOU ALWAYS LEFT THE RIGHT WAY

AND WOULD GIVE A TWO-WEEK

NOTICE.

ONE OF THE STIPULATIONS FOR ERIC

AS WELL, YEAH, BUT IF YOU DO

THAT, THERE IS NO SURPRISE WITH

YOU COMING IN.

SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO FOREGO

THAT TWO-WEEK NOTICE AND AT THE

TIME, I WAS VERY UPSET ABOUT

THAT BECAUSE WWE BEEN VERY GOOD

TO ME.

I HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP

WITH VINCE BUT I FELT AT THE

TIME, I WASN'T GIVEN A CHOICE.

I'VE BEEN DOWN THE SAME ROAD AS

YOU.

I'VE BEEN WHERE YOU'VE BEEN.

I'VE BEATEN THE SAME PEOPLE

YOU'VE BEATEN.

I AM SICK AND TIRED OF PLAYING

AROUND WITH KIDS.

I'M HERE TO GET IT ON WITH THE

BIG BOYS AND THAT MEANS YOU.

LEX LUGER SUDDEN AND

UNEXPECTED DEFECTION, PUT WWE ON

THEIR HEELS IN THE WAKE OF

NITRO'S OPENING SALVO.

IT WAS EMBARRASSINGLY BAD AND

A HORRIFIC FAILURE BECAUSE HOW

DO YOU LET A MAJOR SUPERSTAR

SLIP THROUGH YOUR FINGERS.

HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT HIS

CONTRACT IS NOT VALID?

HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW HE'S GONNA

STICK IT YOUR [INDISTINCT]

LEX LUGER'S PLACE IN

HISTORY--YOU MIGHT BE

UNDERESTIMATED.

BUT THAT ONE NIGHT IT WAS HUGE

BECAUSE HE WAS A STAR FOR WWE.

ALL OF A SUDDEN HE'S NOT THERE

ANYMORE AND HE'S WRESTLING FOR

WCW ON NITRO.

THANKS FOR JOINING ON THIS

DEBUT EDITION OF WCW MONDAY

NITRO ON TNT.

AND WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

WCW'S MONDAY NIGHT GAMBLE

PAID OFF.

OVER TWO AND A HALF MILLION

VIEWERS TUNED IN TO NITRO'S

DEBUT EPISODE.

INITIAL BROADCAST OF NITRO

FROM JUST THE RATING'S POINT OF

VIEW WAS CONSIDERED ACROSS THE

BOARDS IS A PRETTY GOOD SUCCESS.

WE PUT OUT A PRETTY GOOD

PRODUCT.

I KNEW THAT WE PULLED A COUPLE

OF BIG SURPRISES I'D EVER HAD.

IT LOOKED DIFFERENT, IT FELT

LIVE.

WE MADE A LOT OF NEWS.

THERE WAS A BIG BUZZ ON THE

SHOW.

I STRONGLY SUSPECTED THAT WE

WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO BUILD ON

THAT SUCCESS.

THE PRESS AND I THINK WAS SET

FROM THAT FIRST SHOW FOR WWE AND

WCW, WE SHOULD HAVE TO BRING OUR

A-GAME.

IT WAS A START OF SOMETHING

REALLY BIG.

THE FOLLOWING WEEK, NITRO

WOULD GO HEAD TO HEAD WITH RAW

FOR THE FIRST TIME.

AND IN AN ATTEMPT TO STAY

COMPETITIVE, ERIC BISCHOFF WOULD

THROW THE RULEBOOK OUT THE

WINDOW.

I WORK FOR THE PEOPLE THAT

PAY ME.

AND WHEN THE GUY THAT PAYS ME

SAYS, "I WANT YOU TO MAKE THIS

COMPANY NUMBER ONE."

I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO

MAKE THAT COMPANY NUMBER ONE.

IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER

THAN LIVE.

IT MEAN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF

THE FACT THAT I WAS A LIVE

BROADCASTER AND WWE WAS TAPED

WHICH GAVE ME A GREAT IDEA.

ONE DAY I THOUGHT, "OKAY.

PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA

HAPPEN ON MY SHOW BUT WE CAN

TELL THEM WHAT'S GONNA ON THE

COMPETITION."

YOU KNOW, WHAT BETTER WAY TO GET

THE AUDIENCE TO STOP CHANNEL

SURFING THAN TO TELL THEM

EVERYTHING THEY'RE GONNA SEE ON

THE OTHER SHOW.

HEY, BY THE WAY, IN CASE

YOU'RE TEMPTED TO GRAB THE

REMOTE CONTROL, CHECK OUT THE

COMPETITION, DON'T BOTHER IT'S

TWO OR THREE WEEKS OLD.

SHAWN MICHAELS BEAT THE BIG GUY

WITH A SUPER KICK.

HE COULD EARN A GREEN BELT WITH

IN A LOCAL YMCA.

STAY RIGHT HERE, IT'S LIVE.

IT'S WHERE THE ACTION IS.

IT WAS DIRTY POOL.

ONCE IT BEGAN TO GIVE OUR

RESULTS AWAY, IT WAS PAINFUL.

IT WAS LIKE, "WAIT A MINUTE.

THAT'S A ROTTEN THING TO DO.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT ONE."

HE WAS TRYING TO HURT US.

AND MY BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY IS,

"TRY AND HELP YOURSELF."

YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSE TO HURT THE

COMPETITION.

SO WCW, IN THE FIRST FIVE

MINUTES, WOULD TRY TO GIVE AWAY

ALL THE RESULTS OF THE WWE.

THAT'S DIRTY BUSINESS.

BISCHOFF WAS THROWN A BILLION

DOLLAR COMPANY AND IF YOU ASK

ABOUT IT, HE'LL TELL YOU, HE WAS

-- THEN.

I LOVE DOING IT BECAUSE IT

JUST PISSED SO MANY PEOPLE OFF.

YOU KNOW, THAT WRESTLING FANS,

THEY WERE OUTRAGED.

ERIC BISCHOFF, WHAT AN --.

HOW COULD HE POSSIBLY DO THAT?

THAT'S HORRIBLE.

THAT DE-DE-DE-DAH."

AND THE MORE THEY COMPLAIN, THE

MORE--THE MORE I DID IT.

LIKE, "OKAY.

THAT'S WORKING."

AND RIGHT OFF THE BAT, I

WANNA LET ALL YOU FANS KNOW WITH

REMOTE CONTROLS IN YOUR HANDS,

OVER AT THE WORLD WHINING

ENTERTAINMENT, HERE'S HOW IT

GOES DOWN.

BIG YOKOZUNA IN A HANDICAPPED

MATCH.

JAKE "THE SNAKE" ROBERTS, WHO'S

TALKING ABOUT IT?

LEAVING UP SOME BONES HERE.

PULVERIZING YANKEM AND DIESEL

OVER BOB HOLLY--HE'S STILL

AROUND, OKAY.

WE GOT THAT OUT OF THE WAY.

NOW YOU ARE WHERE THE ACTION IS.

AND THE ACTION IS LIVE.

WAS IT A BAD BUSINESS MOVE?

NO.

BUT COULD YOU FEEL GOOD AS ERIC

BISCHOFF OR ANY OF THE, YOU

KNOW, HIGHER UPS IN WCW SITTING

AROUND GOING, "WE'RE GONNA DO

THAT."

HMM.

YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE A

CROOKED MOVE.

I [INDISTINCT]

THAT I HAD A PROBLEM WITH DOING

THAT?

OF COURSE, NOT.

IT'S BUSINESS.

THE OLD EXPRESSION OF "HEY,

DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY.

IT'S JUST BUSINESS."

YOU KNOW, MY BUSINESS IS

PERSONAL TO ME.

JUST TO MAKE THAT WORK REALLY

EFFECTIVELY, I CALL THE NETWORK

AND SAID, "I WANNA GO UP AT

8:57.

I WANNA GIVE AWAY THE RESULTS OF

THEIR SHOW THREE MINUTES BEFORE

THEY EVEN GO ON THE AIR."

SO I USED THAT TIME TO BASICALLY

PULL THE RUG OUT FROM UNDERNEATH

THE WWE AND RAW AND IT WORKED

REALLY WELL.

IN THE WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED,

WCW MONDAY NITRO CONTINUED TO

SCORE RATING VICTORIES OVERALL.

THEY HAVE MONEY AND THEY'RE

ABLE TO MAKE THEMSELVES HAVE THE

APPEARANCE OF THE WWE BECAUSE

THEY'VE TAKEN SO MANY OF THEIR

GUYS.

THIS IS A REAL WAR BETWEEN

TWO COMPANIES WHO HATE EACH

OTHER AND IT MADE IT REALLY

INTERESTING.

AND HE IS BACK WITH A

VENGEANCE.

BACK IN THE RING RIGHT NOW

AND--OH.

ONE, TWO, AND THREE.

OH, THAT WAS CLOSE.

YOU CAN SEE A MATCH BETWEEN

TWO WWE SUPERSTARS BUT YOU KNEW

ALSO IN THE BACKGROUND THERE WAS

A REAL FIGHT GOING ON BETWEEN

VINCE MCMAHON AND TED TURNER.

AND THE PEOPLE WANTED TO TUNE IN

EVERY WEEK AND SEE WHAT WAS

GONNA BE THE LATEST INSTALLMENT

IN THAT FIGHT.

IN DECEMBER OF 1995, THE

BATTLE WAS STILL EVEN.

BUT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

WOULD SOON STRIKE AGAIN.

MADUSA, FORMERLY KNOWN IN THE

WWE AS ALUNDRA BLAYZE DEFECTED

TO WCW PRESENTING ERIC BISCHOFF

WITH A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY.

WCW MONDAY NITRO LIVE ON TNT.

WHEN MADUSA CAME OVER, SHE

HAD THE WWE WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

AND, YOU KNOW, SHE CALLED ME AND

SAYS, "YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT THIS

BELT.

SHOULD I SEND IT BACK TO THEM?

WHAT SHOULD I DO?"

AND I SAID, "NO.

DON'T SEND IT BACK TO THEM.

AT LEAST NOT YET.

BRING IT TO TV WITH YOU."

THIS IS THE WWE WOMEN'S

CHAMPIONSHIP BELT.

WHOA.

WHOA.

I WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE HER,

AGAINST HER WILL, THAT IT WAS A

GREAT IDEA TO JUST TAKE THAT WWE

WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP, DROP IT

RIGHT IN THE GARBAGE CAN IN

NATIONAL TELEVISION.

THAT INDEED IT IS.

NOT IN THE TRASH CAN.

AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK OF

THE WWE WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

BELT.

MADUSA, TAKING OUR WOMEN'S

TITLE AND THROWING IT IN THE

TRASH CAN RIGHT THERE ON THE

NOW THAT WAS WHAT GOT

EVERYBODY'S EYE UP.

THAT IS JUST SOMETHING YOU DON'T

DO.

I MEAN, IT'S LIKE YOU DON'T DROP

THE FLAG ON THE GROUND.

YOU RESPECT A TITLE, A

CHAMPIONSHIP BELT.

AND IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF MANY

TRADITIONS BEING BROKEN.

WHEN ALUNDRA BLAYZE DROPPED

THE BELT IN THE TRASH, IT JUST

LET YOU KNOW THAT THE WAR WAS

REALLY ON.

I AM NOW IN THE WCW AND THEY

USED TO CALL ME ALUNDRA BLAYZE

BUT NOT ANYMORE.

IT WAS LIKE A [INDISTINCT]

THING TO DO AND IT WAS SURE OF

A SHOCK ACROSS THE BOUGH AND A

PRETTY MUCH A KICK IN THE GROIN

I THINK AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE.

THIS IS WHERE THE BIG BOYS

PLAY AND NOW, THIS IS WHERE THE

BIG GIRLS PLAY.

HOLY SMOKES.

WE ARE LIVE FROM STOCKTON,

CALIFORNIA, LADIES AND

GENTLEMEN.

AND RIGHT NOW, WE PRESENT--FOR

COMEDIC PURPOSES, BILLIONAIRE

TED "WRASSLIN' WAR-ROOM.

MEN, I BUILT THIS COMPANY TO

WHAT IT IS TODAY BY DOING ONE

THING WELL, THAT'S BUYING ALL

ASSETS AND REPACKAGING THEM.

BUY--LIKE BUYING OLD MOVIES.

YOU KNOW, BUYING OLD CARTOONS.

WELL, HECK, I EVEN BOUGHT OLD

WRESTLERS.

AFTER MONTHS OF SILENCE,

VINCE MCMAHON FINALLY FIRED

BACK.

AIRING PARODIES OF WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

WWE MOCKED THE AGE OF THEIR

OPPOSITION'S TOP TALENTS LIKE

HULK HOGAN AND RANDY SAVAGE.

AS WELL AS THE BUSINESS

PRACTICES OF WCW OWNER TED

TURNER.

I AM NOT A HILLBILLY AND I

DON'T WEAR CHEAP SUITS.

NOW, QUESTION, PLEASE.

YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER THE

BILLIONAIRE TED VIGNETTE AND TO

BE HONEST WITH YOU, I THOUGHT

THEY WERE FUNNY.

SURPRISINGLY ENOUGH TED THOUGHT

THEY WERE FUNNY.

I WAS NOT THAT OFFENDED BY

THEM.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I SAID, "BOY,

THIS MUST BE HURTING TO BE

RESORTING IN TO THIS KIND OF

STUFF."

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME WWE

REFERRED TO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING ON TELEVISION AS A

COMPETITOR.

THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, IF WCW

ADDED CREDIBILITY.

WE KIND OF LIKE MADE FANS,

THEY RETUNED TO WCW TO SEE IF

HULK HOGAN IS REALLY PUSHING THE

WALKER.

YOU KNOW, THEY KIND OF LIKE MAY

PEOPLE LOOK YOU KNOW, TO SEE IF

I WAS REALLY THAT WASHED UP.

IF YOU'RE NUMBER ONE, YOU

SHOULDN'T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE

NUMBER TWO.

THEY'RE NOT THERE, THEY DON'T

EXIST.

BUT ONCE THE TIDE BEGAN TO TURN

A LITTLE BIT, YOU NEED TO GO

AFTER THEM.

THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THAT.

ALL WE'VE GOT ARE THE

DISLOYAL, GREEDY, HAS-BEENS FROM

THE '80S.

WHO YOU CALLING A HAS-BEEN,

BROTHER?

YOU CAN'T BLAME A GUY FOR

TRYING TO KIND OF MAKE A BUCK.

WHO YOU CALLING DISLOYAL?

BESIDES, I STARTED IN THE '70S

NOT THE '80S.

WHY ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF

THEM?

IF YOU HAD A BETTER PRODUCT, YOU

DON'T CARE.

WHEN YOU START MAKING FUN OF THE

OTHER PRODUCT, THEN IT'S LIKE,

UH-OH, LIKE WE HAVE PROBLEM

HERE.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

HAD BECOME A LEGITIMATE THREAT

TO WWE.

AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, VINCE

MCMAHON'S REIGN ATOP THE SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT WORLD WAS

JEOPARDIZED.

WE JUST WANT TO BE A

SUCCESSFUL AS VINCE IS.

AND THEN, WE'D LIKE TO, YOU

KNOW, KICK HIS BUTT.

THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A LIGHT

OF A SHOW LIKE THIS THAT WOULD

COMPETE AGAINST THE LIGHT OF

THAT SHOW.

NEVER BEFORE IN THE HISTORY OF

TELEVISION HAS THAT EVER

HAPPENED.

SO, YOU HAVE TO GRAB YOUR BEST

HOLD AS WE SAY IN OUR BUSINESS.

MONDAY NIGHTS WERE BECOMING

MUST-SEE TV.

HE TOOK THE WORLD TITLE HERE

ON NITRO.

THIS IS MY BELT.

AS THE COMPETITION

INTENSIFIED, LOYALTIES WOULD BE

TESTED.

AND NEW SUPERSTARS WOULD EMERGE.

MANKIND...

CHRIS JERICHO.

HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY.

DEL RIO.

OH.

AUSTIN 3:16 SAYS, "I JUST

WHIPPED YOUR --."

AND LEGIONS OF NEW FANS WOULD

WITNESS THE GREATEST BATTLE IN

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT HISTORY.

COMPETITION CREATES

INTERESTS, AND THAT'S REALLY

WHAT SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT NEEDED

AT THE TIME.

COMPETITION ALWAYS BRINGS OUT

THE BEST IN ANYBODY.

YOU NEED TO FIGHT THE BEST TO BE

THE BEST.

I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH HOW FUN IT

WAS JUST TO BE A WRESTLING FAN.

I HAD TWO TVS STACKED SO, I

CAN WATCH THEM AT THE SAME TIME

AND TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.

AND IT JUST CREATED A BUZZ

AND IT CREATED A NEW FAN BASE.

THERE WAS A WCW FAN, THERE

WAS A WWE FAN, AND THEN THERE

WAS THAT FAN IN THE MIDDLE WHO

WENT BACK AND FORTH AND THAT'S

WHAT MONDAY NIGHT CREATED.

THIS WHERE CARPAL TUNNEL

SYNDROME CAME--CONFIRM BUT, YOU

KNOW, EVERYBODY WITH THE--WITH

THE REMOTES TRY TO FLICK BACK

AND FORTH AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.

THE WRESTLING FANS LOVED IT.

THERE'S JUST TWO GUYS WHO

DIDN'T, MCMAHON AND TURNER.

THAT'S WHERE THE FIGHT WAS.

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?

WE WERE IN A MASSIVE WAR.

WHEN I SAY WAR, IT WASN'T LIKE

YOU KNOW, "WELL, IF IT DOESN'T

WORK OUT, WE MOVE ON OR

SOMETHING."

IF IT DIDN'T WORK OUT, WE WERE

PROBABLY GOING OUT OF BUSINESS.

IT WAS THAT DRASTIC.

IT WAS AN ERA UNLIKE ANY

OTHER.

AN ERA THAT REDEFINED PRIMETIME

TELEVISION.

AN ERA IN WHICH TWO INDUSTRY

TITANS WOULD GO BLOW FOR BLOW IN

FRONT OF A GLOBAL AUDIENCE.

IT WAS THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.