Original subtitles

THROUGHOUT THE 1990S, MONDAY

NIGHT SERVED AS A PRIME-TIME

BATTLEFIELD THAT 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 CROWNED.

LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT

MONSTER.

IT WAS THE LAND OF THE

GIANTS, THE BIGGER THE BETTER.

BUT PERCEPTIONS AT SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT WOULD UNDERGO A

TRANSFORMATION.

WHAT A MOVE.

WCW UNLEASHED AN

INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENON THAT

WOULD RAISE THE BAR.

MYSTERIO IS UP AND DOWN.

AND REWRITE THE RULES OF THE

RING.

AND THE FUTURE IS STARING YOU

IN THE EYE.

THIS IS THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

[MUSIC]

HULK HOGAN HAS BETRAYED WCW.

WHAT IN THE WORLD'S HE DOING

HERE?

MONDAY NIGHT RAW!

MONDAY NIGHT'S THE--

AUSTIN 316 SAYS I JUST

WHIPPED YOUR ASS.

[INAUDIBLE]

THE NEW WORLD ORDER.

WE ARE AT WAR.

HE'S HUGE, MASSIVE.

SINCE THE DAWN OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT, A LARGER THAN

LIFE IMAGE WAS A KEY INGREDIENT

TO THE SUCCESS OF BOTH A

SUPERSTAR AND A PROMOTION.

ANDRé THE GIANT, HE'S THE

EIGHTH, THE NINTH AND THE TENTH

WONDER OF THE WORLD.

GUYS WERE HUGE BACK THEN.

AND THAT WAS A HUGE PART OF 'EM

GETTING INTO THE BUSINESS AND

THEM BEING SUCCESSFUL.

EMERGING AS THE INDUSTRY'S

NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED STANDARD,

WWE ROSE TO PROMINENCE ON THE

BACK OF VINCE MCMAHON'S

IMPRESSIVE, IMPOSING ROSTER.

GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN.

HE CREATED THE EARTH.

HE CREATED ALL THE HULKAMANIACS.

THEN HE CREATED A SET OF 24-INCH

PYTHONS, BROTHER.

THE TYPICAL MODEL FOR AN

EFFECTIVE ENTERTAINER INCLUDED

BOTH A COLORFUL PERSONA AND A

MARVELOUS PHYSICAL PRESENCE.

AS FAR AS THE WWE WAS

CONCERNED, WE CALL IT THE LAND

OF THE GIANTS BECAUSE EVERYBODY

WAS HUGE.

AND I THINK THAT GOES FROM

"I'LL PAY TO SEE THE HUGE

ATTRACTION, THE CLASH OF THE

TITANS."

WWE HAD A PLETHORA OF THESE

MOUNTAINOUS MEN AND CONTINUED TO

REIGN SUPREME ATOP SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT WITH THE LAUNCH OF

THEIR NEW PRIME-TIME

PROGRAMMING, MONDAY NIGHT RAW,

IN 1993.

[MUSIC]

WELCOME, FANS, TO WCW'S

SATURDAY NIGHT.

TED TURNER'S WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING REMAINED

BEHIND THE INDUSTRY LEADER,

DESPITE WCW'S ATTEMPTS AT

REPLICATING THE SUCCESSFUL

FORMULA.

THE FACT THAT HULK HOGAN IS

HERE IN THE WCW, THIS IS THE

BIGGEST DAY OF MY LIFE, THE

BIGGEST DAY IN MY CAREER.

IN ORDER TO ELEVATE WCW'S

NATIONAL PERCEPTION, EXECUTIVE

PRODUCER ERIC BISCHOFF NEEDED

HIS PRODUCT TO STAND OUT FROM

WWE.

THE NEED TO DIFFERENTIATE

THEMSELVES TOOK WCW BEYOND

AMERICAN BORDERS.

THE COMPANY BEGAN RECRUITING

SUPERSTARS FROM MEXICO AND

JAPAN, WHERE TWO DISTINCTLY

DIFFERENT STYLES OF IN-RING

ENTERTAINMENT HAD EXISTED FOR

YEARS.

[SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN

LANGUAGE]

"LUCHA" IS THE MEXICAN TERM

FOR A WRESTLER.

THEY'RE TYPICALLY A LITTLE BIT

SMALLER THAN YOUR AMERICAN

COUNTERPARTS.

THEY'RE A LOT FASTER BECAUSE

THEY'RE SMALLER.

THEIR STYLE IS MUCH MORE

HIGH-RISK, MUCH MORE

HIGH-FLYING.

IT KIND OF REMINDS YOU OF THE

SUPERHERO CHARACTERS THAT YOU

READ IN COMICS.

THE MEXICAN KIDS THAT COULD

PERFORM AT A REAL HIGH LEVEL

STAYED IN MEXICO BECAUSE THE

AMERICAN STYLE WOULDN'T

ACCOMMODATE 'EM.

AND THE BIGGER GUYS JUST WEREN'T

GONNA GO FOR ANY OF THAT STUFF.

I KNEW THAT I WAS ALWAYS

GOING TO BE COMPARED TO WWE AND

I WAS TRYING TO GROW AN ENTIRELY

NEW AUDIENCE BY BRINGING IN THE

LUCHADORES AND A LOT OF THE

JAPANESE WRESTLERS.

HE USED THE HEEL OF HIS HAND

TO STRIKE HIS OPPONENT.

JAPANESE WRESTLING IS VERY

MARTIAL ARTS BASED.

JAPANESE WRESTLING HAS ALWAYS

STUCK VERY CLOSE TO FIGHTING SO

THEIR STYLE OF WRESTLING HAS

ALWAYS INCLUDED HARD KICKS.

AND SO IT'S MORE HARD HITTING,

IT'S MORE IMPACTFUL, WHEREAS

LUCHA DOES MORE OF THE

HIGH-FLYING STUFF.

THE [INAUDIBLE]

DIVE OFF THE TOP ALL THE WAY TO

THE FLOOR.

SENSING AN OPPORTUNITY TO

INTRODUCE WCW'S AUDIENCE TO AN

INNOVATIVE BRAND OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT, ERIC BISCHOFF

TOOK A RISK.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

BROKE TRADITION, REACHING OUT TO

SUPERSTARS PERFORMING THESE

STYLES BOTH ABROAD AND IN

REGIONAL DOMESTIC PROMOTIONS

LIKE EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

WELCOME BACK TO EXTREME

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING, CLASSIC

CONFRONTATION.

EDDIE GUERRERO AND DEAN MALENKO.

BISCHOFF WAS REALLY SMART.

HE'D GONE OUT AND SCOURED, LIKE,

ECW AND MEXICO AND JAPAN.

HE BROUGHT 'EM IN.

THEY WERE VETERANS.

THEY JUST NEVER MADE THE BIG

STAGE.

THEY WERE KIND OF WORKING OFF

BROADWAY.

THIS THING HERE IS GONNA BE A

CLASSIC MATCH-UP.

THESE SUPERSTARS FORMED WCW'S

NEW CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION.

THE END RESULT WAS A WILD HYBRID

OF HIGH-FLYING STYLES THAT

CAPTIVATED AMERICAN AUDIENCES.

THROWN HIM UP IN THE AIR AND

DOWN ON THE KNEE AND MALENKO

SHOWING HIS RAW POWER HERE.

WCW WENT OUT.

THEY'VE GOTTEN SOME OF THE BEST

WRESTLERS I'VE SEEN IN A LONG

TIME INTERNATIONALLY OVER HERE

IN THE UNITED STATES AND I

THOUGHT IT WAS MY TIME, MY

PLACE, TO COME TO WCW AND SHOW

THE PEOPLE WHAT DEAN MALENKO'S

ALL ABOUT.

THINK ERIC GOT A LITTLE BIT

OF A VISION OF DOING SOMETHING

DIFFERENT THAT'S NEVER BEEN DONE

BEFORE, THAT'S BRINGING A BUNCH

OF GUYS THAT WERE HIGH FLIERS,

NOT A PARTICULAR WEIGHT, FOR

INSTANCE, BUT GUYS FROM ALL OVER

THE WORLD.

FOR THE CRUISERWEIGHTS TO

COME IN AND SHOW THEIR ABILITIES

AS THE SMALLER GUY AND TO BE

ABLE TO DO MORE MANEUVERS ON THE

ROPES AND TO DIVE AND TO DO THE

MEXICAN-STYLE WRESTLING, I THINK

THAT WAS THE INTRODUCTION THAT,

YOU KNOW, TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT

THIS ISN'T A BIG MAN'S SPORT

ANYMORE.

THE FAST PACE OF LUCHA LIBRE

STYLE MIXING THE JAPANESE STYLE,

THE EUROPEAN STYLE, THE AMERICAN

STYLE, THAT, FOR THE FIRST TIME

EVER, FANS IN THE UNITED STATES

AND AROUND THE WORLD WERE BEING

ABLE TO SEE.

NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HAVE

GUYS THAT NOBODY UP UNTIL THAT

POINT HERE IN THIS COUNTRY HAD

BASICALLY HEARD OF AND COMING

HERE AND PRESENTING A COMPLETELY

DIFFERENT STYLE.

EDDIE SPRINGING ON THE TOP

ROPE.

ANOTHER TREMENDOUS MANEUVER.

THAT'S THE WAY IT'S DONE HERE

IN AMERICA.

THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF

WRESTLING, IT'S ALWAYS EVOLVING

AND YOU ALWAYS MEET PEOPLE FROM

DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD

THAT BRING THEIR OWN STYLE TO

IT.

AND EDDIE GOING, I'M SURE,

HERE FOR HIS PATENTED FROGSPLASH

FROM THE TOP--THERE IT IS.

HE'S DOWN.

INCREDIBLE.

ONE, TWO, THREE.

SINCE JANUARY OF 1993, WWE

HAD REIGNED SUPREME IN

PRIME-TIME, CATERING TO A FAMILY

AUDIENCE, WITH A STANDARD

ROSTER.

BUT WCW'S SYNDICATED PROGRAMMING

HAD BEGUN TO DIFFERENTIATE

ITSELF FROM WWE WITH A

SUCCESSFUL NEW FORMULA.

THE WCW CRUISERWEIGHT

DIVISION, YOU'LL SEE ACTION LIKE

THIS EACH AND EVERY WEEK.

[MUSIC]

I WATCHED WCW EXCLUSIVELY FOR

THE CRUISERWEIGHTS ON WCW PRO OR

ON WCW SATURDAY NIGHT.

IT WAS A REALLY FUN TIME TO BE A

WRESTLING FAN BECAUSE YOU WERE

BEING EXPOSED TO ALL THIS

DIFFERENT STUFF.

FOR A WHILE, WWE FELT

COMFORTABLE IN THEIR OWN STYLE.

ONCE THE LUCHADORES BROKE ON THE

SCENE, IT WASN'T YOUR TYPICAL

"HAMMERLOCK, HAH," THAT YOU

WOULD SEE IN WWE, "OH,

HEADLOCK."

THEY WERE DOING ALL DIFFERENT

TYPES OF CRAZY THINGS.

IT WAS DEFINITELY

GROUNDS-BREAKING.

IT MADE WCW STAND OUT AND SO

PEOPLE REALLY STARTED TO, IN THE

END, WATCH DEAN MALENKO, EDDIE

GUERRERO, AND THAT FAST-PACED

STYLE THAT YOU COULDN'T WATCH IN

WWE.

SO IT WAS DIFFERENT.

IT MADE WCW STAND OUT IN A

REALLY GOOD WAY.

IT'S GONNA BE HIGH-FLYING,

EXCITING.

SO DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT

MISSING THIS ONE.

[MUSIC]

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

WAS BECOMING A UNIQUE ENTITY,

THANKS TO ERIC BISCHOFF'S GAMBLE

AND THE TALENT OF THEIR

INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS.

THE WCW HAD THE FORESIGHT TO

SAY, "HEY, THIS COULD ACTUALLY

WORK."

IT JUST CREATED A WHOLE

DIFFERENT LAYER OF APPRECIATION

FOR WCW.

YOU'VE GOT THINGS GOING ON IN

A SEGMENT OF TELEVISION THAT IS

UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE ON TV.

PERIOD.

AND IT ADDED A DIFFERENT

DIMENSION TO OUR SHOW.

BUILDING ON THIS MOMENTUM,

WCW WOULD SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY

AND GO HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH WWE.

[EXPLOSION]

THE DEBUT EDITION OF WCW

MONDAY NITRO.

WE ARE COMING TO YOU LIVE HERE

ON TNT.

IN SEPTEMBER OF 1995, TED

TURNER AND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING WERE CONFIDENT ENOUGH

IN THEIR DIVERSE ROSTER TO

LAUNCH WCW MONDAY NITRO DIRECTLY

OPPOSITE WWE'S MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

AND WE'RE GONNA KICK THINGS

OFF WITH THE MAN FROM TOKYO,

JUSHIN "THUNDER" LIGER.

ERIC BISCHOFF MADE SURE WCW'S

UNIQUE STYLE WAS ON DISPLAY FROM

THE VERY BEGINNING.

NITRO'S INAUGURAL OPENING MATCH

WAS A CRUISERWEIGHT CONTEST

BETWEEN BRIAN PILLMAN AND JUSHIN

"THUNDER" LIGER, SHOWCASING

WCW'S INNOVATIVE MATCHES ON A

NEW PRIME-TIME STAGE.

IT WAS THE HIGH-FLYING ACTION

THAT YOU DIDN'T GET TO SEE FROM

THE 300-POUND GUYS.

AND SO IT WAS SUCH A DIFFERENT

STYLE OF MATCH--

OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS.

AND JUST SEPARATED FROM

EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE CARD.

EVEN IF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THE

CRUISERWEIGHTS, THEY'LL REMEMBER

THEM AFTER THE SHOW.

MONDAY NITRO RECEIVED STRONG

RATINGS RIGHT FROM THE START.

AND THE CRUISERWEIGHT ATHLETES

PROVIDED AN EXCITING UNDERCARD

TO SUPPORT MORE TRADITIONAL MAIN

EVENT SUPERSTARS.

ERIC BISCHOFF HAD SUCCESSFULLY

PROVIDED FANS WITH DIVERSE

PROGRAMMING AND WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING WAS NOW A

VIABLE THREAT TO THEIR

PRIME-TIME COUNTERPART.

HE HAD TO DO SOMETHING

SPECIAL.

HE HAD THE HULK HOGANS AT THE

TIME.

HE HAD THE RIC FLAIRS AND HE

KNEW HE HAD TO TRY SOMETHING

DIFFERENT.

VARIETY IS KEY TO OUR

PROGRAMMING.

CRUISERWEIGHTS, I ALWAYS ENJOYED

WATCHING BECAUSE THE SPEED AND

THE ATHLETIC ABILITY, IT'S

ENTERTAINING.

AND THAT'S WHAT OUR BUSINESS IS,

IS ENTERTAINMENT.

AND HOPEFULLY WITH VARIETY,

THERE'S SOMETHING OUT THERE FOR

EVERYONE.

IT WAS A PERFECT BLEND.

JUST HAD SUCH MEGA SUPERSTARS

THAT COULD PULL THE WAGONS AND

DRAW THE BIG HOUSES BUT THEN YOU

HAD THE WORKHORSES.

I LOVE THIS ACTION.

STANDING SWITCH FROM BEHIND,

KNEE TO THE MIDSECTION.

SHIFTING WEIGHT, OH, HE GOT HIM.

HE GOT HIM.

"HE GOT HIM" IS RIGHT.

[BELL]

[INAUDIBLE]

DEAN MALENKO.

THE UNDERCARD WAS THE MEAT

AND POTATOES OF THE SHOW.

YOU HAD TECHNICAL WRESTLERS THAT

KNEW THEIR CRAFT AND COULD PUT

ON AN INCREDIBLE SHOW AND TELL A

STORY.

THEY DIDN'T NEED A LOT OF

MICROPHONE TIME OR ALL THE GLITZ

AND GLAMOUR OF THESE MAIN EVENT

ANGLES BECAUSE THEY COMPEL THE

AUDIENCE AND GIVE THEM AN

INCREDIBLE SHOW WITHIN THE

CONFINES OF THOSE ROPES.

THEY ALL WERE PERFORMERS AND

THEY ALL WERE HUNGRY.

SO THEY HAD TO OVERCOME THEIR

LACK OF EXPERIENCE OF THE MIC

WITH GREAT WORK.

OH!

HO, HO, HO, HO.

WHAT A GREAT MOVE.

HEADING INTO THE SPRING OF

1996, NITRO AND RAW WERE TRADING

RATINGS VICTORIES IN A WEEKLY

BACK-AND-FORTH POWER STRUGGLE.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

RECOGNIZED THE GROWING

POPULARITY OF THE CRUISERWEIGHT

DIVISION AND REWARDED THEIR

EFFORTS.

THE DEFUNCT LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

CHAMPIONSHIP WAS RELAUNCHED AND

REBRANDED AS THE WCW

CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

BRINGING A BUNCH OF GUYS FROM

ALL OVER THE WORLD TO VIE FOR

THE CHAMPIONSHIP, THAT BEING THE

CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP, THAT

WAS A UNIQUE CONCEPT THAT WAS

NEVER DONE BEFORE AND I THINK IT

CAUGHT PEOPLE'S ATTENTION.

AND HE BETTER BE CAREFUL

RIGHT HERE.

A LOT RIDING ON THIS THING.

A LOT RIDING ON THIS.

THE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION IS UP

AND HE'S BACK DOWN, CAUGHT BY

MALENKO.

OH, HOOKED HIM UP.

YES, HE'S GOT HIM.

[BELL]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE

WINNER OF THE MATCH AND THE NEW

WCW CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION, THE

MAN OF 1000 HOLDS, DEAN MALENKO.

THAT WAS SPECTACULAR.

WE HAVE A NEW CRUISERWEIGHT

CHAMPION OF THE WORLD.

THE CRUISERWEIGHTS, IF YOU

TREATED THEM SEPARATELY, COULD

BE INCREDIBLY ENTERTAINING AND

SHOW ME THINGS THAT I'D NEVER

SEEN BEFORE IN A WRESTLING RING.

LOOK AT WHAT--HE'S UP THERE,

MAN.

BACK FLIP AND HE LANDS ON

HIM.

HE LANDED ON GUERRERO.

BOTH MEN ARE DOWN.

THE CRUISERWEIGHT

CHAMPIONSHIP GAVE THOSE GUYS AN

IDENTITY BUT THE THING IS, I

MEAN, IT LOCKED 'EM IN A CERTAIN

POSITION AS WELL.

THE MINUTE YOU GO

CRUISERWEIGHT, IT AUTOMATICALLY

DEMEANS THEM IN TERMS OF BEING

IN CONTENTION FOR THE WORLD

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

YOU'RE NOT GONNA FIND A BETTER

PERFORMER THAN DEAN MALENKO BUT

DEAN WAS CATEGORIZED

CRUISERWEIGHT.

AND THAT WAS ALMOST LIKE

BEING CALLED A LEPER, YOU KNOW,

"OH, IT'S THE CRUISERWEIGHT.

JUST PUT THEM ON AND LET THEM DO

THEIR THING."

OH, [INAUDIBLE]

SEE THAT.

HO, HO.

TOP ROPE.

THAT IS MAGIC.

[MUSIC]

DESPITE THE CRUISERWEIGHTS

BEING TREATED AS A LESSER GROUP

THAN THE MAIN EVENT SUPERSTARS

IN WCW, RATINGS CONTINUED TO

IMPROVE.

THE CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION IS

WHAT SEPARATED WCW FROM THE WWE.

WE HAD SOMETHING THAT THEY

COULDN'T TOUCH AND IT WAS BETTER

THAN ANYBODY IN THE WORLD.

[BELL TOLL]

YOU CAN FEEL THAT COLD CHILL.

THE UNDERTAKER, THE PHENOM

HIMSELF.

ON JUNE 10, 1996, RAW

DEFEATED NITRO IN THE RATINGS.

IT WOULD BE THE LAST TIME WWE

WOULD WIN A HEAD-TO-HEAD BATTLE

FOR NEARLY 2 YEARS.

HELLO, EVERYBODY, AND WELCOME

TO THE GREAT AMERICAN BASH.

SIX DAYS LATER, WCW'S GREAT

AMERICAN BASH WOULD FEATURE THE

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE

COMPANY'S HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL

HOSTILE TAKEOVER STORYLINE,

INVOLVING FORMER WWE MAIN EVENT

SUPERSTARS, SCOTT HALL AND KEVIN

NASH.

WHOA, WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

SECURITY!

THEY SHOULD GET UP THERE

RIGHT NOW.

OH FOR--AGH!

UNBELIEVABLE.

WHILE HALL AND NASH GRABBED

THE HEADLINES, THE GREAT

AMERICAN BASH ALSO FEATURED THE

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

DEBUT OF ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE

IN-RING PERFORMERS OF ALL TIME.

FROM TIJUANA, MEXICO, REY

MYSTERIO JUNIOR.

MY MATCH WAS AGAINST DEAN

MALENKO.

THEY DIDN'T TELL ME IT WAS A

PAY-PER-VIEW SO I THOUGHT I WAS

GOING TO A HOUSE SHOW.

AND I STARTED SEEING THE SET-UP

AND THE CAMERAS AND I ASKED.

"NO, IT'S A PAY-PER-VIEW, 'GREAT

AMERICAN BASH.'" WOW!

SO MY HEART STARTS POUNDING.

OUR FIRST LOOK AT REY

MYSTERIO JUNIOR.

WHEN I FIRST SAW HIM, I

THOUGHT HE WAS A BABY DUCK THAT

HAD FELL OUT OF AN EGG.

I SAID, "THAT CANNOT BE A HUMAN

BEING."

I THOUGHT SOMEBODY HAD THEIR KID

BACKSTAGE.

IT WAS THE DAMNEDEST THING I'D

EVER SEEN.

WHAT IS ALL THIS HYPE ABOUT

REY MYSTERIO JUNIOR THAT WE'VE

HEARD ABOUT?

IS HE GOING TO BE ABLE TO

DELIVER?

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THE

AMERICAN PUBLIC REALLY GOT AN

OPPORTUNITY TO SEE SOMEBODY LIKE

REY MYSTERIO.

MY FAVORITE MATCH OF 1996 WAS

HIS DEBUT IN WCW AT THE GREAT

AMERICAN BASH AGAINST DEAN

MALENKO FOR THE CRUISERWEIGHT

CHAMPIONSHIP.

WHEN I SAW IT, I WAS, LIKE, THIS

IS A STYLE OF WRESTLING I HAD

NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

I COULDN'T HAVE SAT DOWN AND

THOUGHT OF THESE THINGS, MUCH

LESS PERFORMED 'EM.

THEY WERE SO FAR BEYOND ANYTHING

I'D IMAGINED.

AND HE TUMBLES OUT BEYOND THE

MATS.

WATCH OUT, MYSTERIO IS UP AND

DOWN.

SPRINGBOARD SOMERSAULT OFF THE

TOP ROPE.

IT WAS GROUNDBREAKING.

YOU'D WATCH IT, REY, AND YOU

WERE, LIKE, "HOW THE HELL DOES

THIS GUY DO THAT?"

THAT NAILED HIM.

UP ON TOP AGAIN.

[INAUDIBLE]

THAT'S A FRANKENSTEINER.

ONE, TWO, WE'VE--NO, WE DON'T.

WHOA, BABY!

WE ARE SEEING ONE OF THE FINEST

CRUISERWEIGHT MATCHES EVER.

REY EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS

IN TERMS OF WHAT HE COULD DO IN

THE RING AND THE KIND OF

ELECTRICITY THAT HE COULD

CREATE.

AND I REMEMBER GOING OUT

THERE, HAVING A BOMB MATCH.

HE'S GOT THE ROPES, AND TWO

AND THREE.

WELL, UNBELIEVABLE.

THEY'RE STANDING AND APPLAUDING

NOT ONLY THE CHAMPION BUT BOTH

MEN.

AND IT WAS A STANDING OVATION

WHEN WE WALKED BACK INTO THE

LOCKER ROOM.

[MUSIC]

IN THE WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED,

WCW WOULD BEGIN THEIR DOMINANCE

OVER WWE IN THE NATIONAL

TELEVISION RATINGS.

WELL, ALL OF A SUDDEN,

BROTHER, THE NEW WORLD ORDER IS

REAL IMPORTANT AROUND HERE.

WITH INDUSTRY ICON, HULK

HOGAN, AT THE HELM, THE

REBELLIOUS NEW WORLD ORDER

FACTION WAS HELPING NITRO

DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM MONDAY

NIGHT RAW.

CHRIS JERICHO, ANOTHER

INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR, MAKING

HIS WAY TO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

THE PRODUCTION'S RECENT

EXPANSION TO 2 HOURS TRIGGERED A

HIRING WAVE OF NEW

CRUISERWEIGHTS WHO SHOWCASED

THEIR SKILLS TO NITRO'S GROWING

AUDIENCE.

AND WHEN WCW GOT ALL THE BEST

PEOPLE FROM THAT DIVISION ON

BOARD, AND LET THEM LOOSE, IT

JUST BLEW PEOPLE'S MINDS.

AND LOOK AT KIDMAN SET TO

FLY.

WHOA!

I WOULD TUNE IN RELIGIOUSLY

TO SEE THE CRUISERWEIGHTS

BECAUSE THEY WERE NIGHT AFTER

NIGHT DOING THE MOST EXCITING

THINGS OUT OF ANYBODY ELSE.

IT WAS A FAST, HARD-HITTING

STYLE THAT HAD A LOT OF THOUGHT

PUT INTO IT AND ALSO A LOT OF

PSYCHOLOGY AS WELL.

THEY WERE PRODUCING THESE

LIGHTS OUT MATCHES, DOING SO

MANY AMAZING THINGS AND

CONTORTING THEIR BODIES IN WAYS

THAT YOU HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

AND THEY WERE, LIKE, REALLY

TECHNICAL TOO.

DEAN MALENKO, THE MAN OF 1000

HOLDS, WE FEEL HE HAS NO

PARALLEL IN THIS SPORT.

DEAN MALENKO, I CAN WATCH

EVERY SINGLE MATCH OF HIS 20

TIMES AND NOT GET BORED.

JERICHO ONCE AGAIN.

HE CALLS THAT HIS LIONSAULT.

CHRIS JERICHO HAD TALENT.

THE KID WAS INNOVATIVE.

PSICOSIS WAS ANOTHER GREAT

PERFORMER.

ONE OF THE BIGGER GUYS THAT

MADE A HUGE IMPACT HERE WAS LA

PARKA.

TOUGH IN THE RING, HIGH-FLYING,

VERY GUTSY.

YOU HAD JUST SUCH A DEEP

TALENT POOL THERE THAT IT WAS

HARD TO EVEN HAVE A BAD MATCH

WITH SOMEBODY.

THE GUYS THAT HAD TO GO OUT

AND PERFORM AFTER THOSE GUYS,

ALWAYS WOULD COMPLAIN, "WELL,

HOW AM I GONNA, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW

THAT?"

AND THIS WILL GO DOWN AS ONE

OF THE BEST OF NITRO.

THOSE ARE THE MATCHES THAT

I'D SIT BACK AND WATCH.

CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION WAS

UNBELIEVABLE.

IT WAS AWESOME.

BY OCTOBER OF 1997, NITRO WAS

RIDING A YEAR-LONG RATINGS WIN

STREAK BEHIND THE SUCCESS OF THE

NEW WORLD ORDER, THE COMPANY'S

REBELLIOUS GROUP OF MAIN EVENT

SUPERSTARS.

[CROWD NOISE]

THE CRUISERWEIGHTS WERE ALSO

RECEIVING MORE RECOGNITION FOR

THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS AND AT

HALLOWEEN HAVOC TWO MEN WOULD

PROVE THEIR WORTH WHEN REY

MYSTERIO AND EDDIE GUERRERO PUT

ON A MATCH THAT STILL HAS THE

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT WORLD

TALKING.

HALLOWEEN HAVOC WITH EDDIE

GUERRERO AND REY MYSTERIO, WHEN

THEY GOT IN THE RING TOGETHER,

IT WAS JUST MAGIC.

AND HERE WE GO.

REY MYSTERIO AND EDDIE

GUERRERO HAD SUCH AMAZING

CHEMISTRY TOGETHER.

NICE ARM DRAG BY MYSTERIO, SO

QUICK AND HE SENDS EDDIE

AIRBORNE.

AND WHEN YOU WATCH THOSE

MATCHES IT WAS REALLY AN ART

FORM.

SPRINGBOARD TO THE MIDDLE.

HOLDS ON.

EDDIE HOLDS ON.

HEAD SCISSOR TAKES HIM ALL THE

WAY OUTSIDE.

WHAT A MOVE.

I PULLED OUT MOVES THAT NIGHT

THAT WEREN'T IN MY MIND.

THEY WEREN'T PLANNED OUT.

THEY JUST HAPPENED AT THE

MOMENT.

OVER THE ROPES.

OH, [INAUDIBLE]

WOW, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING

LIKE THAT.

BOTH MEN, PUSHING THEIR

ABILITIES--

TO THE LIMIT HERE.

RIGHT THERE.

HE GOT IT TURNED AROUND.

DDT OUT OF NOWHERE.

REY MYSTERIO HAD EDDIE'S ARM.

HE JUMPED UP TO THE TOP ROPE,

DID A BACKFLIP AND OUT OF THE

BACKFLIP HIT A DDT ON EDDIE

GUERRERO.

THAT WAS ONE FOR THE

HIGHLIGHT REEL OF THE YEAR RIGHT

THERE, GUYS.

WHEN I SAW IT, MY JAW JUST

WENT LIKE THIS...

[MUSIC]

YOU'RE WATCHING RIGHT NOW

PROBABLY THE MOST TALENTED MEN

IN OUR SPORT EVER.

BOTH GUYS WERE JUST ON FIRE

AND THEY TORE THE HOUSE DOWN

THAT NIGHT.

THAT'S WHAT THIS

CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE MATCH HAS

BEEN, A FIGHT.

FROM THE OPENING BELL, BOTH MEN

PUSHING THEIR ABILITIES TO THE

LIMIT HERE.

THIS IS FROM THE MIDDLE

TURNBUCKLE.

ONE, TWO, THREE.

[BELL]

YES!

NEW CHAMPION.

IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST, IF

NOT THE BEST, THAT I'VE EVER

PERFORMED WITH THE OPPONENT THAT

I WANTED TO DO IT WITH.

ONE OF THE BEST MATCHES I'VE

EVER HAD.

I LOOK BACK AND I JUST SAY, "YOU

DIDN'T HAVE TO CHANGE NOTHING ON

THAT MATCH."

WELCOME TO PRO WRESTLING'S

NUMBER ONE PROGRAM.

IT'S WCW MONDAY NITRO.

WCW'S CRUISERWEIGHTS NOT ONLY

DELIVERED GREAT MATCHES, BUT

DREW IN A NEW WAVE OF VIEWERS

THAT HELPED NITRO EXPAND THEIR

RATINGS LEAD OVER RAW.

WHOA, WHAT A MISSILE

DROPKICK.

WCW AND THE WWE WERE HAVING

MONDAY NIGHT WARS.

OH, MY GOODNESS.

THOSE CRUISERWEIGHTS ADDED

ANOTHER DIMENSION TO THE SHOW

THAT WE WERE BRINGING TO THE

FANS.

IT DEFINITELY BROUGHT NITRO

TO ANOTHER LEVEL.

WE REVOLUTIONIZED THE SPORT AND

CREATED SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR

THE FANS TO WATCH.

THE COMBINATION OF THE NWO

AND THE CRUISERWEIGHTS MADE IT A

PRODUCT THAT APPEALED TO

EVERYBODY.

FOR SOMEBODY LIKE ME WHO LOVES

WRESTLING, THEY HAD THAT ON

THERE.

FOR PEOPLE WHO JUST WANT

STORIES, THEY HAD THAT ON THERE.

FOR PEOPLE WHO JUST WANT TO SEE

STARS, THEY HAD THAT ON THERE.

WITH STAR POWER, EDGY

STORY LINES, AND THE

CRUISERWEIGHTS' INNOVATIVE BRAND

OF IN-RING ACTION, MONDAY NITRO

HAD BEEN OUTDRAWING RAW FOR OVER

A YEAR STRAIGHT BY THE END OF

1997.

SUICIDE DIVE [INAUDIBLE]

THEY BOTH BOUNCED OFF THE

RAIL.

THESE GUYS IN THE

CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION WERE THE

ONES WHO WERE REALLY GETTING

YOUR ATTENTION FROM THE SHOW.

IT WAS LIKE THEY WERE ALL IN A

LOCKER ROOM TOGETHER, LIKE, "OH

YEAH, WELL, HOGAN GOT ALL THESE

PEOPLE WATCHING BUT WE'RE GONNA

BE THE ONES TO TEAR IT DOWN."

YEAH, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF

WHAT WE DO BETTER THAN ANYBODY

IN THE WORLD AND THAT IS THE

CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION.

[MUSIC]

THAT OPENED MY EYES AND MY

MIND TO THIS WHOLE DIFFERENT

STYLE THAT, AT THE TIME, MAYBE

WWE WASN'T CAPITALIZING ON.

OH MY!

HE'S IN THE THIRD ROW.

SECOND ONLY TO THE NWO, THE

CRUISERWEIGHTS WAS THE BIG

REASON WHY WCW WAS BEATING WWE.

YOU COULDN'T TURN ON RAW AND SEE

WHAT YOU WERE SEEING ON NITRO.

THIS IS WHY WE ARE TOPS.

IT'S BECAUSE OF WHAT WE HAVE IN

THE RING, WHY WE'RE NUMBER ONE.

THEY WERE GIVING SOMETHING

THAT WE WEREN'T GIVING THE FANS,

TO BE QUITE HONEST WITH YOU.

WE WEREN'T GIVING 'EM SMALLER

GUYS MOVING FASTER IN THE RING

AND DOING HIGH-FLYING STUFF

EVERY MATCH.

WHOA!

THIS CONTEST, THE FINALS IN

THE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

TOURNAMENT--

WWE HAD CULTIVATED MAIN EVENT

TALENT BUT THEY HAD NO ANSWER

FOR THE CRUISERWEIGHTS,

PROMPTING THE COMPANY TO LAUNCH

THEIR OWN LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

DIVISION.

IT'S AN UPHILL [INAUDIBLE]

[BELL]

[INAUDIBLE]

CHAMPION.

TAKA HAS WON IT.

AND THEY TRIED.

THEY GOT, LIKE, TAKA MICHINOKU

AND THOSE TYPE OF GUYS BUT IT

WASN'T THE SAME.

THOSE GUYS WERE GOOD BUT THEY

WEREN'T LIKE OUR GUYS.

WCW HAD THE BEST TALENT YOU

COULD POSSIBLY GET IN

CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION.

AND THEN YOU LOOK AT WWE AND

YOU'RE LIKE, "NAME ONE.

NAME ONE."

WEIGHING IN AT 212 POUNDS,

FLANAGAN.

WELL, I MEAN, I THINK OUR

ATTEMPT AT A CRUISERWEIGHT DEAL

WAS PRETTY LAUGHABLE.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF HALF THE

GUYS WERE CRUISERWEIGHTS, YOU

KNOW, I MEAN, SCOTT PUTSKI--

WEIGHING 235 POUNDS, SCOTT

PUTSKI.

SCOTT PUTSKI, AN OUTSTANDING

YOUNG LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT.

MISSED THE POINT OF THAT ONE.

LOOK AT TAKA MICHINOKU.

HE LOSES ANOTHER POUND, WE'LL

HAVE TO FILE A MISSING PERSON'S

REPORT.

BUT I THINK AT THAT TIME, THE

POWERS THAT BE IN THE WWE WERE

STILL SKEPTICAL AS TO WHETHER OR

NOT THE FANS WOULD BUY THESE

SMALLER GUYS.

ALL THE WWE OFFICIALS ARE

SCOUTING ALL OVER THE WORLD

LOOKING FOR GREAT LIGHT

HEAVYWEIGHT TALENT.

WHAT FOR?

I KNOW COMES FROM THE OLD

BELIEF THERE WAS A LIMITED

AMOUNT OF MONEY IN IT AS FAR AS

DRAWING POWER.

I DON'T THINK THEY TOOK IT AS

SERIOUSLY AS THEY SHOULD HAVE.

HUH?

YOU, JACKASS.

DESPITE THE UNSUCCESSFUL

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION,

WWE'S SHIFT TO CUTTING EDGE

STORY LINES AND THE EMERGENCE OF

NEW SUPERSTARS--

DAMN RIGHT, 'CAUSE I'M THE

CHAMP.

HELPED CLOSE THE GAP WITH WCW

IN EARLY 1998.

[MUSIC]

BUT WCW WAS STILL AT THE TOP

OF THE INDUSTRY.

THE SUCCESS OF MONDAY NITRO

PROMPTED THE COMPANY TO LAUNCH A

NEW THURSDAY NIGHT SHOW,

"THUNDER," IN JANUARY OF 1998.

TONIGHT, WE UNVEIL A BRAND

NEW ERA.

TONIGHT, WE WELCOME YOU TO

"THUNDER."

THE PROGRAM WAS WORKING SO

WELL ON MONDAY NIGHT, THE

AUDIENCE EXPANDED EXPONENTIALLY

ON TNT AND I WANTED TO GET TBS'S

RATINGS UP.

IT WAS STRICTLY A RATINGS-DRIVEN

MOVE.

NITRO WAS SO HOT THE

ADDITIONAL OF THUNDER GAVE US AN

OPPORTUNITY TO, I THINK, WORK

WITH SOME MORE TALENT.

BECAUSE TALENT WASN'T REALLY

BEING DEVELOPED.

RATINGS WERE STILL HEALTHY AT

THAT TIME.

SOMETIMES WHEN THINGS ARE GOING

GOOD AND, YOU KNOW, LET'S TRY TO

GET ALL WE CAN GET OUT OF IT.

BUT IT JUST SEEMED LIKE A LOT OF

WRESTLING.

[BELL]

MAYBE A LITTLE OVEREXPOSURE.

DEAN MALENKO BATTLED MARTY

JANNETTY AND COMES AWAY WITH A

BIG WIN HERE ON THUNDER.

DESPITE RECEIVING MORE

TELEVISION TIME TO SHOWCASE

THEIR SKILLS, THE CRUISERWEIGHTS

WERE STILL PLAYING SECOND FIDDLE

TO THE NWO.

NO LONGER CONTENT WITH JUST

APPEARING ON NATIONAL

TELEVISION, MANY OF WCW'S MOST

TALENTED SUPERSTARS WOULD BEGIN

TO FACE OPPOSITION IN THEIR

ATTEMPTS TO ADVANCE IN THE

COMPANY.

ERIC BISCHOFF, I CAME HERE

TONIGHT TO WRESTLE.

WE FELT WE WERE STAGNANT.

MANAGEMENT WOULDN'T LET US GET

PAST A CERTAIN LEVEL.

YOU WANT A MATCH?

YOU MORON.

WHICH WAS SOMETIMES A LITTLE

CONFUSING AND A LITTLE

DEPRESSING.

BUT TOWARDS THE LATTER PART OF

IT, IT STARTED TO GET VERY

IRRITATING.

NITRO WAS LOSING GROUND TO

MONDAY NIGHT RAW AS WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING HAD

BECOME A VICTIM OF ITS OWN

SUCCESS.

KIDMAN'S OUTMATCHED, THERE'S

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

HE'S NO MATCH FOR BIG SCOTT

HALL.

WELL, HE'S A CRUISERWEIGHT

BUT HE'S IN A HEAVYWEIGHT

OHH!

THE BACKSTAGE TENSION BETWEEN

THE HARDWORKING UNDERCARD AND

THE VETERAN MAIN EVENTERS WAS

THREATENING TO DERAIL WCW'S

REIGN AT TOP SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT.

THE AUSTIN ERA HAS BEGUN.

HEADING INTO THE SPRING OF

1998, WWE WAS TURNING THE TIDE

IN THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR BY

MIXING ENTERTAINING CHARACTERS

WITH DYNAMIC STORY LINES.

WELL, THAT'S A PRETTY SOLID

MESSAGE.

[SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN

LANGUAGE]

[LAUGHING]

WELL, THAT'S NOT SO SOLID.

AND ON APRIL 13, RAW DEFEATED

NITRO IN THE RATINGS FOR THE

FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 2 YEARS.

IT DIDN'T BOTHER ME.

TO ME, IT FELT LIKE A GOOD STIFF

JAB, NOT A HARD RIGHT CROSS.

BUT I KNEW I HAD TO THINK, I

KNEW I HAD TO MOVE.

I KNEW I COULDN'T JUST STAND

THERE AND TAKE PUNCHES.

IT KIND OF FIRED ME UP AND

FORCED ME TO START REALLY

THINKING ABOUT HOW I WAS NOT

ONLY GONNA GET BACK IN NUMBER

ONE POSITION BUT, YOU KNOW, TO

KEEP FROM GETTING KNOCKED OUT.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

WAS ONCE THE LEADER OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT THANKS TO

INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS.

BUT IN THE SUMMER OF 1998, NITRO

WAS ON THE LOSING END OF THE

RATINGS BATTLE.

AND WE TRIED TO WARN ERIC,

"ERIC, MAYBE YOU SHOULD TAKE

SOME OF THESE CRUISERWEIGHT GUYS

AND PUT 'EM IN A LITTLE BETTER

PLATFORM AND MOVE 'EM UP THE

CARD," AND HE WOULDN'T HEAR IT.

RATHER THAN TURNING TO UP AND

COMING CRUISERWEIGHT TALENT FOR

ANSWERS, WCW CONTINUED TO ONLY

FOCUS THEIR EFFORTS ON THEIR

MOST LUCRATIVE IDEA TO DATE, THE

NWO.

THE NWO SPLIT RIGHT AT THE

TOP.

THE NWO WOLFPACK, NWO HOLLYWOOD.

LET'S GET OUT OUR PAPERS AND

KEEP TRACK OF THE DIFFERENT

ROSTERS WITHIN THE NEW WORLD

ORDER.

LET'S SEE WHAT HE'S GOT ON.

HE'S GOING TO NWO.

HE'S GOING TO THE BLACK AND THE

WHITE.

THANK GOD, HE'S GOING TO THE

BLACK AND THE WHITE.

STING HUGGING HOGAN.

STING DECKED HOGAN.

HE'S GOT THE RED AND THE BLACK.

THE NWO WAS EXCITING BUT, AS

TIME WENT ON, WHAT REALLY

EVOLVED WITH NWO?

IT WAS KIND OF THE SAME OLD SAME

OLD.

THERE'S SO FEW FILMS THAT THE

SECOND ONE'S BETTER, IT'S JUST

LIKE YOU NEVER RECAPTURE THAT

MAGIC.

WHEN IT HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME

IT WAS ORGANIC AND THEN NOW

YOU'RE TRYING TO RECREATE THAT.

IT'S NEVER WORKED OUT.

JUST ANOTHER BATTLE FOR

SUPERIORITY AMONG THE TWO NWO

FACTIONS, WOLFPACK, NWO

HOLLYWOOD.

THE NWO, THEY GOT OUT OF HAND

WITH THE AMOUNT OF GUYS THAT

WERE JOINING THE GROUP 'CAUSE

EVENTUALLY.

THEY WATERED IT DOWN.

IT WAS REALLY BAD.

ANY TIME YOU HAD TO DO ANYTHING

WITH NWO, YOU KNEW IT WAS A

WASTE OF TIME.

TIRED OF BEING UNDERUTILIZED,

MEMBERS OF THE CRUISERWEIGHT

DIVISION WOULD NO LONGER ACCEPT

BEING CAST ASIDE.

WAIT A MINUTE, EDDIE GUERRERO

WAS JUST SCHEDULED FOR A

MATCH-UP HERE AGAINST KONAN--

EDDIE'S ONE OF THOSE GUYS,

YOU KNOW, WHO FELT LIKE HE

SHOULD HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, A

MAJOR PLAYER.

EDDIE WENT OUT AND HE PROVED YOU

CAN'T JUST KEEP GOING WITH THE

FLOW.

I DON'T CARE ANYMORE, ERIC

BISCHOFF.

YOU GOT A LOT OF YOUNG TALENT

HERE IN WCW AND ALL YOU DO IS

HOLD US DOWN FOR PEOPLE THAT YOU

PAY A LOT OF MONEY TO AND THAT

YOU HAVE WAY UP HERE.

HE'D COME HOME AND I'D HEAR

ALL HIS OPINIONS.

NAMES THAT I HEARD OF I WON'T

SAY HERE ON CAMERA BUT, YEAH,

THERE WAS A LOT OF, YOU KNOW,

THERE WAS A LOT OF BAD BLOOD.

I COME TO WORK WITH MY HEART

AND ALL YOU DO IS STEP ON IT.

IT GOT TO A POINT WHERE I WAS

TAKING WORK HOME AND I WAS JUST

REAL DEPRESSED AT HOME.

I WAS DEPRESSED ALL THE TIME.

I HATED BEING AROUND THAT LOCKER

ROOM.

YOU'D WALK INTO THAT LOCKER

ROOM, IT WAS LIKE WALKING INTO A

PIT OF SNAKES.

I'VE MADE YOU A STAR, YOU

PUNK.

YOU'RE GOING NOWHERE.

YOU MADE ME THE STAR?

I DIDN'T DO THAT ALL ON MY OWN

IN THE RING?

I DIDN'T DO THAT ON MY OWN IN

THE RING?

I DID IT.

OH, YOU DID IT?

I DID.

[MUSIC]

THE GUYS THAT I LIKED NEVER

GOT ANY RECOGNITION.

HERE IS A CHARACTER THAT I'M

VERY ATTACHED TO AND TO SEE HIM

NOT PROGRESS IS JUST LIKE, ONE,

IT'S FRUSTRATING; TWO, YOU LOSE

INTEREST.

EVEN THOUGH HE'S HAVING GREAT

MATCHES, YOU LOSE INTEREST

BECAUSE THIS MATCH DOESN'T MEAN

ANYTHING.

HE CAN WIN THIS MATCH, HE CAN

LOSE THIS MATCH, IT DOESN'T MAKE

A DIFFERENCE.

HE'S NOT GONNA MOVE UP THE CARD.

THE FRUSTRATIONS WITH THEIR

LACK OF DIRECTION WOULD BRING

THE CRUISERWEIGHTS CLOSER

TOGETHER.

WITH THE NEW WORLD ORDER BEING

THE BEST WAY TO GET NOTICED, A

NEW ALLIANCE WOULD FORM.

LWO, LATINO WORLD ORDER.

TOGETHER, WE CAN DO THIS.

WE ARE GONNA DO WHAT IT TAKES TO

GET OUR PIECE OF THE CAKE.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO,

ERIC.

[KISSING]

RIGHT HERE.

THERE WAS A LOT OF ANIMOSITY

FOR THE SMALLER GUY BECAUSE, YOU

KNOW, THE BIGGER GUYS DID GET

ALL THE ATTENTION AND I THINK

THE LWO, IT WAS A GREAT IDEA,

YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT BROUGHT

THAT COMPETITION TO THE NWO.

BUT WCW WAS ALREADY SATURATED

WITH FACTIONS.

ANOTHER GROUP ONLY INTENSIFIED

THE PROBLEM.

IT DID GET PLAYED OUT, YOU

KNOW, TO WHERE IT DIDN'T GO

ANYWHERE BECAUSE THEY HAD ALL

THESE CLIQUES GOING IN THE WCW.

AND THERE'S NWO WHITE AND

THEN THERE'S THE WOLFPACK NWO

AND THEN THERE'S THE LWO.

AND I SAID, "THERE'S TOO MANY OF

THESE NWOS."

THE NWO CHANGED FROM BLACK

SABBATH TO SPINAL TAP IN ABOUT 2

YEARS.

IN ADDITION TO UNDERWHELMING

STORY LINES, WCW'S BACKSTAGE

POLITICS PREVENTED THE

CRUISERWEIGHTS FROM ADVANCEMENT.

I NEVER THOUGHT THAT THEY GOT

THE SUCCESS THAT THEY COULD HAVE

GOTTEN.

THERE'S A CERTAIN GLASS CEILING

WITH CERTAIN STYLES.

THERE ALWAYS HAS BEEN.

THAT KIND OF WRESTLING IS FUN,

IT'S ENTERTAINING BUT IT'S NOT

THE MAIN EVENT.

WHY CAN'T THEY BOTH GO AT THE

SAME RATE?

WHY'D THEY GOT TO HOLD SOMEONE

DOWN?

EL DANDY, I THINK YOU'RE A

HECK OF A WRESTLER, YOU'RE A

GREAT TECHNICIAN IN THE RING,

AND YOU'RE A JAM-UP GUY.

WHOA.

I DON'T SEE ANY REASON--

WHOA.

WAIT A MINUTE.

EL DANDY HAS BEEN WRESTLING IN

THE CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION HERE,

PLEASE.

HE'S A GREAT WRESTLER.

IF THE CROWD IS GETTING

BEHIND SOMEBODY THAT THEY'RE NOT

SUPPOSED TO, THEN THE PEOPLE IN

CHARGE SOMETIMES LET IT GO.

WELL, WE GOT TO DO SOMETHING TO,

LIKE, STOP THIS 'CAUSE WE WANT

THEM TO BE CHEERING FOR THIS

GUY, NOT THIS GUY.

THE MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE

STARS IN THE ROSTER JUST--IT

HELPS EVERYBODY.

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY CARED

ENOUGH TO TRY.

AND LUGER'S MUCH, MUCH BIGGER

THAN REY JUNIOR AND NOW I CAN

ONLY THINK THAT THE NWO MUST BE

THE ONLY GROUP, THE ONLY WORLD

ORDER GROUP IN PRO WRESTLING.

THERE'S ONE THING ABOUT THE

GOOD OLD BOY CLIQUE, IF YOU'RE

NOT IN THE CLUB, IT'S REALLY

HARD TO MOVE UP.

AND THE CRUISERWEIGHTS WAS NOT

IN THE CLUB.

REY, WE'RE REAL SORRY AND,

SINCE IT DOESN'T FIT ME ANYWAY,

INSTEAD OF FIGHTING, COME ON

DOWN AND I'LL GIVE YOU BACK YOUR

MASK.

THERE WAS A LOT OF BIG NAMES

THAT DIDN'T WANT US TO GO ANY

FURTHER.

SO THEY WOULD LET 'EM COME UP

A CERTAIN LEVEL AND THEN THEY'D,

YOU KNOW, THAT GLASS CEILING

WOULD COME RIGHT DOWN ON THEIR

AND THEY WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO

GET WHERE THEY REALLY COULD GET

UNTIL THEY ASKED FOR THEIR

RELEASE AND WERE GRANTED IT.

[BELL]

[INAUDIBLE]

CONSISTENTLY HINDERED, WCW'S

SMALLER ATHLETES WERE REACHING A

BREAKING POINT.

ONE OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF

THE CRUISERWEIGHT FOUNDATION

WOULD DEFECT TO THE COMPETITION

IN THE SUMMER OF 1999.

DEALING A BLOW TO THE WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING ROSTER,

CHRIS JERICHO LOOKED TO SHATTER

THE GLASS CEILING AND BECOME A

WWE SUPERSTAR.

WWE WAS THE PLACE TO GO IF

YOU WERE A YOUNGER GUY WITH

DESIRE TO MAKE IT.

WCW WAS THE PLACE TO GO WHEN

YOU'D ALREADY MADE IT AND YOU

JUST WANTED TO MAKE SOME CASH.

IT JUST GOT VERY STIFLING THERE.

AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, I KNOW

THAT I GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE

AND GO TO A PLACE WHERE

EVERYBODY HAS A STORY, EVERYONE

IS A CHARACTER.

THERE'S NO MISCONCEPTIONS.

I MEAN, YOU GET A CHANCE TO MAKE

IT OR BREAK IT.

[MUSIC]

BREAK THE WALL DOWN!

WELCOME TO RAW IS JERICHO!

CONTROLLING THE RATINGS FOR

NEARLY A YEAR BY SEPTEMBER OF

1999, MONDAY NIGHT RAW WAS

SETTING INDUSTRY TRENDS AND WWE

REIGNED SUPREME ATOP THE SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT WORLD.

THE SUCCESS OF THE SHOW HAD

VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH THE

WRESTLING.

IT WAS IN THE CHARACTERS AND THE

STORIES.

IF ANY OF YOU INTERFERE IN

ANY WAY, I WILL FIRE YOUR ASS

HERE TONIGHT IN LOS ANGELES.

IT'S GONNA BE A CRUISERWEIGHT

BATTLE ROYAL.

HOW MANY ARE IN THE RING?

WCW CRUISERWEIGHTS WERE

REALLY NAMELESS, FACELESS

PEOPLE.

THEY HID BEHIND A MASK.

THEY HAD NO PERSONALITY AND, AT

THE END OF THE DAY, THE

WRESTLING WASN'T DRIVING THE

PRODUCT AT THE TIME.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING'S UNDERCARD WAS

FAILING TO DEVELOP BEYOND THEIR

SKILLS IN THE RING.

MONDAY NITRO WOULD CONTINUE ITS

DOWNWARD SPIRAL AS CONFUSED

VIEWERS AND FRUSTRATED EMPLOYEES

GREW TIRED OF WCW'S LACK OF

DIRECTION.

RAVENS FLOCK: SICK BOY,

SATURN, AND A VERY DISTURBING

KIDMAN.

A LOT OF STORY LINES, YOU'D

BE WATCHING 'EM ONE WEEK, THE

NEXT WEEK THEY'RE GONE.

IF THEY REALIZED IT MIGHT NOT BE

GOING ANYWHERE SO INSTEAD OF

WRITING AN END TO IT, THEY JUST

ENDED IT.

CAN'T DENY THE ABILITY OF ONE

KIDMAN, REGARDLESS OF KIDMAN

BEING A MEMBER OF THE FLOCK--

OR IS HE?

IS HE STILL A MEMBER OF THE

FLOCK?

IT WAS A MESS AT THAT TIME.

WE HAD NO PLAN.

WE WERE JUST FLYING BY THE SEAT

OF OUR PANTS.

EVERY WEEK, WE WOULD DO THE SHOW

AND THE SHOW WOULD NOT EVEN BE

WRITTEN.

LET'S GO TO THE RING.

OUR FIRST MATCH ON WCW MONDAY

NITRO.

EDDIE GUERRERO'S--OKAY.

I'M SORRY, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO

NOW?

[MUSIC]

WE'RE GONNA LISTEN TO SOME

MUSIC.

THERE'S NO FLOW TO THIS.

OF COURSE, IF YOU'RE BOOKING THE

SHOW ON THE FLY, THAT MIGHT

EXPLAIN IT.

"OH, GOD, WE HAVE A 6-MINUTE

SEGMENT COMING UP.

WE HAVE NO MATCHES.

GET DRESSED."

SHANE DOUGLAS, HE'S GOT A

CHAIN AROUND HIS FIST.

AND HE HITS EDDIE IN THE BACK OF

THE HEAD.

AND LOOK AT THIS.

SANTA DIDN'T LIKE IT.

HAIRY SANTA'S UPSET.

GUYS WERE PUSHING THE PANIC

BUTTON FROM AN OFFICE STANDPOINT

AND REALLY GRASPING FOR STRAWS.

IT WASN'T AS FUN AS WHEN WE

FIRST STARTED THERE.

AND I THINK AT THAT PARTICULAR

MOMENT, IT WAS TIME TO MOVE ON.

THE REST OF THE ESTABLISHED

WRESTLERS IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING DON'T GET IT.

THAT TO TAKE THIS COMPANY TO THE

MILLENNIUM, THE YEAR 2000, IT'S

NOT WITH THE PAST.

IT'S WITH THE FUTURE.

AND THE FUTURE IS STARING YOU IN

THE EYE.

IN WHAT HAD BECOME A DEFINING

TREND OF THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR,

THE SUPERSTARS' DESIRE FOR A

BETTER CAREER PATH WOULD

CULMINATE IN A SURPRISING

DEFECTION.

EDDIE AND DEAN AND PERRY,

THEY JUST WANTED TO MAKE A

BETTER LIVING AND WANTED TO BE

ON THE BIGGER STAGE.

THEY TALKED FOR A VERY LONG TIME

AND EDDIE WAS JUST LIKE, "LET'S

GO, LET'S JUMP."

[FIREWORKS]

WE WELCOME YOU TO OUR RED HOT

EDITION OF WWE RAW LIVE FROM

CHILLY PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

THEY WERE NERVOUS, OF COURSE,

BUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY SAW

THIS BIGGER VENUE, THERE'S MORE

FANS, THEY WERE EXCITED.

I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS.

PERRY SATURN, EDDIE GUERRERO,

CHRIS BENOIT, DEAN MALENKO,

STANDING AT RINGSIDE ON WWE RAW.

WATCHING IT LIVE ON MONDAY

NIGHT RAW AND SEEING THEM IN THE

AUDIENCE, YOU JUST GOT CHILLS

'CAUSE IT WAS REALLY HAPPENING.

THE ROAD DOGG RAN OUT THERE

AMONGST THEM IN THE FRONT ROW.

ROAD DOGG HAVING SOME WORDS.

OH, THE ROAD DOGG JUST--HE

TOOK THE FIRST SHOT.

WHAT?

IS HE CRAZY?

AND WHEN THEY FINALLY JUMPED

THE BARRICADE, YOU KNOW, AND

THEY WERE THERE, IT WAS AWESOME.

SUPLEX.

THEY CAN'T DO THAT.

EDDIE GUERRERO.

EDDIE GUERRERO ON TOP

[INAUDIBLE]

THERE GOES PERRY SATURN.

THERE GOES EDDIE GUERRERO.

TWO WEEKS AGO YOU SAW 'EM ON WCW

NITRO, NOW THOSE GUYS ARE ON

RAW.

WHAT THE HELL?

LISTEN, THE WAY TO GET OVER

HERE IN THE WWE IS TO MAKE A LOT

OF NOISE.

DUBBED "THE RADICALS,"

FICTION AND REALITY BLENDED

TOGETHER.

WWE POSITIONED ITS NEW

SUPERSTARS AS HUNGRY FREE

AGENTS, LOOKING TO SHINE IN A

BRIGHTER SPOTLIGHT.

YOU'RE NOT QUITE READY TO

HANG IN THE WWE SO I'LL TELL YOU

WHAT, [INAUDIBLE] ,

AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU NEED

TO JUST GO AHEAD AND GET

YOURSELVES OUT OF HERE.

THE WHOLE RADICAL THING WAS

FUN.

IT WAS A NEW CHALLENGE.

IT WAS A NEW CHAPTER FOR ALL OF

US.

AND I THINK WE GOT PEOPLE

TALKING.

YOU SAID HE'S GOT THE

[INAUDIBLE]

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING

ON.

THIS ISN'T FAIR.

BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO

FORMER WCW SUPERSTARS, MONDAY

NIGHT RAW'S ADDITIONAL

STORY LINES AND CHARACTERS

HELPED WWE CONTINUE TO DOUBLE

THE RATINGS OF THEIR COMPETITION

WEEK AFTER WEEK.

IT GAVE THOSE GUYS A

DIFFERENT OUTLET AND A DIFFERENT

CHANCE TO SHINE ON A DIFFERENT

LEVEL.

YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT THEY CAN

DELIVER IN WCW.

NOW THEY MOVED UP, THEY PROVED

THEY CAN DO THE SAME THING IN

WWE.

DID YOU SEE CHYNA?

DID YOU SEE THAT TWINKLE IN HER

EYE?

YEAH, I DID.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T HIDE

WHAT'S IN HERE.

COME ON, EDDIE.

LISTEN, YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY

GOOD-LOOKING GUY IN THIS GROUP.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT TWO

GREAT YOUNG ATHLETES GOING AT

IT.

STILL REQUIRED TO FILL 6

HOURS OF WEEKLY PROGRAMMING,

WCW'S LACK OF CHARACTER

DEVELOPMENT WAS REFLECTED IN

THEIR DECIMATED ROSTER.

HERE COMES KAOS, ONE OF THE

TOUGH, STRONG, YOUNG ATHLETES

COMING OUT OF THE WCW'S POWER

PLANT.

THE WRITING WAS ON THE WALL.

THE RADICALS JUMPED.

THAT'S JUST LIKE A SINKING SHIP

AND THEN THEY JUST PUT A MUCH

BIGGER HOLE IN THE SHIP.

I REALLY DON'T THINK THE

COMPANY KNEW THEY HAD LOST AT

THAT TIME.

THEY REALLY DIDN'T PAY A WHOLE

LOT OF STOCK, YOU KNOW, INTO

WHAT THOSE GUYS WENT OUT AND DID

ON A WEEKLY BASIS.

NOW, BRING IN THE BLONDES.

THE WEST HOLLYWOOD BLONDES, OF

COURSE, LENNY HELD ON TO THE

CRUISERWEIGHT STRAP A LITTLE BIT

LONGER THAN MOST PEOPLE WOULD

HAVE THOUGHT.

BUT THEY FELT LIKE WE CAN

REPLACE 'EM WITH A COUPLE MORE

GUYS.

AND THEY FOUND THAT WAS PRETTY

HARD TO DO.

WE WERE THE BACKBONE OF THAT

COMPANY, YOU KNOW?

WHEN THEY LOST US, THEY LOST THE

BACKBONE.

[MUSIC]

MEANWHILE, WWE WAS

TRANSFORMING WCW'S PAST INTO

PROFITS.

IT KIND OF SHOVED IT BACK

INTO WCW'S FACE.

IT WAS, LIKE, ALL RIGHT, YOU

TOOK OUR GUYS WHO WERE STARS.

WE'RE GONNA TAKE YOUR GUYS WHO

WEREN'T STARS AND WE'RE GONNA

MAKE THEM STARS.

ENOUGH OF THIS YACKING,

WHERE'S THE STAGE?

MY PEOPLE ARE WAITING.

WWE LET THEM BE WHAT THEY

COULD BE AND THEY BECAME

MONEYMAKERS.

VINCE ISN'T STUPID.

HE SEES GUYS THAT HE THINKS HE

CAN MAKE MONEY WITH, KNOWS

THEY'RE GOOD PERFORMERS.

AND, YEAH, WE ALL WENT THROUGH A

LITTLE TRANSITION PERIOD OF

LEARNING THE WWE STYLE BUT ONCE

WE LEARNED IT, ALL OF US BECAME

CORNERSTONES OF THOSE YEARS THAT

WE WERE THERE.

NO!

WE GOT A NEW CHAMPION!

NO WAY.

[INAUDIBLE]

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?

WHAT?

JERICHO, JERICHO, JERICHO.

WITH OVER 2 YEARS OF

CONSECUTIVE RATINGS WINS, WWE

REMAINED SOLIDIFIED AS THE

LEADER OF SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

AT THE START OF 2001.

A WATERED-DOWN ROSTER AND

PROGRAMMING INSTABILITY WOULD

SPELL THE END OF WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

[BELL]

WE'VE GOT A POWER BOMB

HANDICAP MATCH FOR THE

CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE.

TOWARDS THE END OF WCW, THEY

STARTED TO STRAY CERTAINLY FROM

THEIR FORMULA.

THEY'D COMPLETELY ABANDONED WHAT

HAD MADE THEM SUCCESSFUL.

AND NOW THE PATENTED

JACKKNIFE POWERBOMB.

IS KEVIN THE CRUISERWEIGHT

CHAMP?

HERE'S THE COUNT OF ONE, TWO,

THREE.

NO.

IT'S ABOVE AVERAGE MIKE SANDERS.

WOW.

I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT

BRINGING THE LUCHA GUYS IN,

BRINGING THE GUYS IN FROM JAPAN.

AND BRING IN A MUCH, MUCH

BROADER AUDIENCE.

YEAH, BUT THE THING IS, THEY

WEREN'T PUT IN THE RIGHT

POSITIONS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, WHEN

I REALLY FEEL LIKE THAT WAS ONE

OF THE BIGGEST, BIGGEST

DOWNFALLS OF WCW.

DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SETS.

WCW IS ON SMACKDOWN.

AFTER WCW FOLDED IN THE

SPRING OF 2001, AN EVEN BIGGER

INFLUX OF THEIR HIGH-FLYING

TALENT WOULD GO ON TO ACHIEVE

SUCCESS AS MEMBERS OF THE WWE

ROSTER.

A ROLL-UP.

DID HE GET IT?

YES, MY GOD.

[INAUDIBLE]

HAS BEAT THE ROCK.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

ULTIMATELY FAILED TO MAINTAIN

THEIR STATUS AS A NATIONAL

POWERHOUSE BUT ONLY AFTER THEIR

CRUISERWEIGHT INNOVATIONS HAD

REDEFINED THE BOUNDARIES OF

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

THE CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION

WAS STOCKED WITH REAL TALENT.

UP ON THE TOP.

WHOA!

THAT WAS ALL WCW.

THEY'RE THE ONES WHO MADE

CRUISERWEIGHTS THAT IMPORTANT

FACET OF THE BUSINESS NOW.

THEY OPENED THE DOOR, LIKE,

LOOK, HEY, THESE GUYS AIN'T BIG

BUT THEY'RE FAST, THEY'RE DOING

CRAZY STUFF.

IT'S REY MYSTERIO SCALING THE

CAGE.

IT USED TO BE THE LAND OF THE

GIANTS AND NOT ANYMORE.

ATHLETE.

A GUY LIKE REY MYSTERIO

WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN BEEN GIVEN A

SECOND LOOK, YOU KNOW, 30 YEARS

AGO.

BUT IT'S AN EVOLUTION OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT AND THAT'S WHAT

THE FANS ARE LOOKING FOR.

CAN HE DO IT?

TWO.

YES!

[BELL]

IT'S CHAMPION!

EDDIE GUERRERO GETS HIS

REDEMPTION.

IT DEFINITELY GAVE CREDENCE

TO, OKAY, I MEAN, THESE GUYS

AREN'T THE BIGGEST GUYS IN THE

WORLD.

THIS IS ATTAINABLE, YOU KNOW?

AND HERE WE ARE NOW.

[MUSIC]

EVERYBODY BRINGS SOMETHING

KNOW?

BIG SHOW'S BIG AND STRONG BUT, I

MEAN, HE CAN'T DO A MOONSAULT OR

A 450 SPLASH.

THERE'S A CHANCE FOR ANYBODY

TO MAKE IT IF YOU'RE WILLING TO

PUT IN THE TIME AND THE WORK.

THE CRUISERWEIGHTS DEFINITELY

KICKED THAT DOOR OPEN.

GUYS LIKE DEAN MALENKO AND

REY MYSTERIO, IF IT WEREN'T FOR

THEM, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE

NEVER TRIED.

THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM HAS

BECOME REALITY.

DANIEL BRYAN HAS DONE IT.

THERE'S YOUR NEW FACE ON WWE.

THERE WAS NO REASON FOR

SOMEBODY LIKE ME TO SAY, "WAIT A

SECOND, I CAN'T DO THAT, YOU

KNOW, I'M NOT BIG ENOUGH,"

'CAUSE HERE ARE GUYS OUT THERE,

SMALLER THAN ME, WHO ARE DOING

IT.

IT'S ALL PART OF WANTING TO

ENTERTAIN YOUR AUDIENCE.

WE GAVE THEM SOMETHING DIFFERENT

TO WATCH AND THEY WERE LIKING

WHAT THEY WERE SEEING.

I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I

LOVE YOU.

WE ALL HAD THE SAME HUNGER,

THE SAME DESIRE, THE SAME

PASSION.

MYSTERIO COULD BE MOMENTS

AWAY FROM WINNING THE WORLD

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

IT WASN'T EASY.

THERE WAS A LOT OF WALLS PUT UP

BUT YOU KNOCK 'EM DOWN AND YOU

NEVER LOOK BACK.

WOW!

POWERBOMB.

ONE, TWO, THREE.

HE GOT IT, HE GOT IT, HE GOT

IT.

MYSTERIO WINS THE TITLE.

WE SUCCEEDED.

WE SUCCEEDED.

[MUSIC]

[CROWD CHEERING]