All language subtitles for WWE.The.Rise.And.Fall.Of.WCW.2009.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX]

>> I THINK IT WAS JUST A STAGE

THROUGH WHICH JIM CROCKETT

PROMOTIONS GREW TO A NATIONAL

POWER.

>> WE WERE DOING REALLY WELL

BECAUSE WE HAD TBS.

>> AND I LOOKED AT THE 80S, IT'S

BEEN THE GOLDEN YEARS.

>> THE POPULARITY JUST WENT OFF

THE CHART.

>> WE LIVED IT UP, WE WERE ROCK

STARS.

>> I PROBABLY WASN'T THE

BUSINESSMAN I NEEDED TO BE.

>> AND THE BILLS JUST POPPED UP.

>> IF THEY HAD STAYED BETWEEN

BALTIMORE AND CHICAGO, THEY'D

STILL BE IN BUSINESS.

>> I DIDN'T WANT US OUT.

>> IF THE SALE HADN'T GONE

THROUGH, WE WOULDN'T HAVE

SURVIVED.

>> I WANTED TO BE NUMBER ONE.

>> I MADE WCW THE NUMBER ONE

WRESTLING COMPANY ON THE PLANET.

>> HE HAD IDEAS AND VISIONS.

>> YOU REALLY HAD TO TUNE IN TO

THE SHOW TO SEE JUST EXACTLY

WHAT THE HELL I WAS GONNA DO.

>> THE NWO WAS SO HOT AND THE

COMPANY WCW WAS SO HOT.

>> ABSOLUTELY AND UNBELIEVABLY

PINNACLE TIME.

>> IT WAS PHENOMENAL FOR A

COUPLE OF YEARS.

>> SHOWTIME.

>> BISCHOFF IS NOT A SIMPLETON,

BUT I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS DRUNK

WITH POWER OR MAYBE JUST DRUNK.

MAYBE WE STARTED COLLAPSING

BECAUSE OF IT.

>> CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA HAD

AN ATHLETIC COMMISSION AND THEIR

LOCAL PROMOTER HAD TO BE A

RESIDENT.

MY DAD WHO WAS SINGLE AT THE

TIME, THEY WANTED TO HIM TO GO

TO CHARLOTTE AND THIS WAS SORT

OF THE EARLY NWA WITH JUST A

GROUP OF PROMOTERS THAT SHARE

TALENT.

AND TO RUN CHARLOTTE, THEY HAD

TO HAVE A RESIDENT, SO HE WENT

TO CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA.

>> AND IT WAS AROUND 1933 THAT

HE STARTED PROMOTING WRESTLING.

>> [MUSIC]

>> JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS HAVE

STARTED AS A REGIONAL PROMOTION

IN THE MID-ATLANTIC AREA,

CAROLINA, VIRGINIA, ETCETERA.

>> BOTH MY DAD AND JIM CROCKETT

SR. WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE NWA

WHICH IS A GROUP OF WRESTLING

PROMOTERS.

>> CROCKETT HAD THE MID-ATLANTIC

REGION AND RICHMOND WAS HIS

NORTHERN MOST TERRITORY AND IT'S

ONLY 90 MILES FROM WASHINGTON,

D.C.

WHICH WAS WHERE MY DAD BEGAN

PROMOTING.

>> MR. CROCKETT, JIM CROCKETT

SR. AFFECTIONATELY CALLED BIG

JIM RAN ALL KINDS OF EVENTS.

>> DID A LOT OF BOXING

EXHIBITIONS.

>> BOWLER DERBY, SPORTSMAN

SHOWS.

>> DID A LOT OF GLOBETROTTER

EVENTS.

>> CONQUERING THE WESTERN

CIRCUS.

>> DICK CLARK CARAVAN OF STARS

TYPE OF SHOWS.

>> ANYTHING THAT HE THOUGHT

WOULD DRAW ALL ENTERTAINMENT,

YOU NAME IT.

AT THAT TIME, MY FATHER RAN THE

BUSINESS OUT OF HIS SHIRT

POCKET.

HE COULD TELL YOU DATES AND

FIGURES AND TALENT AND MATCHES.

HE HAD HIS LITTLE RED BOOK.

>> ALL IN ALL, FROM WHAT I

UNDERSTAND BY JIM CROCKETT SR.

WAS HE WAS A GOOD PROMOTER AND A

PRETTY GOOD GUY.

>> MY DAD DIED APRIL 1ST OF '73.

>> AND WHEN HE PASSED AWAY, WE

HAD TO RECONNECT WITH THE

BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE

ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY AND MAKE

OUR OWN FOOTPRINT.

>> SO DAVID AND I SAT DOWN ONE

NIGHT OVER HIS HOUSE, SO IT WAS

FINE FOR ME FOR DAVID TO RUN THE

COMPANY AND I WOULD ACTUALLY

JUST RUN THE WRESTLING BECAUSE

THAT WAS MY LOVE.

>> SO JIM CROCKETT PICKED UP THE

RING, SO THEY DID VERY, VERY

WELL.

>> SOMEBODY HAS TO BE VIEWED AS

THE BOSS.

THE BUCK HAS GOTTA STOP

SOMEWHERE.

AND IF YOU'RE GONNA START

TELLING THE DIFFERENT

ENTERTAINERS THAT, YOU KNOW,

"HEY, THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO

DO OR DON'T DO."

BUT YOU'RE GONNA BE A BOSS.

OVER A PERIOD OF COUPLE OF

YEARS, THAT'S--IT JUST MORPHED

INTO THAT, "OKAY, NOW, I'M THE

PRESIDENT."

>> HE WENT OUT AND HE WAS A VERY

GOOD POLITICIAN.

IT JUST TOOK AWHILE FOR THE

OTHER PROMOTERS TO START TO

FOLLOW IN LINE.

I THINK A LOT OF THAT ALSO HAD

TO DO WITH WE BECAME SUCCESSFUL.

>> MY FATHER STARTED PROMOTING

WRESTLING 48 YEARS AGO.

HIS DREAM WAS TO BRING THE BEST

WRESTLERS IN THE WORLD TO THE

CAROLINAS AND GIVE THE PEOPLE

THE MATCH-UPS

THEY WANTED TO SEE.

>> I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW MUCH

ABOUT JIM CROCKETT JR. AND ABOUT

THE PROMOTION OTHER THAN IT WAS

A THRIVING PROMOTION.

>> JIMMY BECAME PRESIDENT.

HE HAD OTHER BOOKERS COME IN,

GEORGE SCOTT, JOHN VALENTINE.

I WAS ONE OF THOSE NEW WRESTLERS

THAT CAME IN.

>> A LOT OF THE OLD PROMOTERS

DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT CABLE

WAS GOING TO DO TO THE BUSINESS.

>> YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST

STARTED COMING TO ATLANTA TO DO

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING ON

TELEVISION, MATCHES WERE HELD

EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE CITY

AUDITORIUM.

WELL, OF COURSE WITH THE ADVENT

OF A SATELLITE AND THE OMNI,

WRESTLING HAS RISEN TO DIZZYING

HEIGHTS, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.

>> CHANNEL 17 AND TED TURNER,

WHAT HE DID FOR THE CABLE

INDUSTRY, HE'S THE FATHER.

>> YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ALL OVER

THE COUNTRY AND I'VE BEEN

MISSING--I'VE BEEN MISSING 17

BECAUSE THAT'S THE ROAD IS THE

SCENE ON 17.

>> TED TURNER, HIS MODEL WAS I

WAS CABLE BEFORE CABLE TO

SCHOOL.

WHATEVER TED WANTED TO DO, HE

DID.

HE DIDN'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.

>> FOR THE GENRE OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT, TURNER HAD A

MAJOR ROLE.

BEGINNING AT ABOUT 1971 WHEN HE

CLEARED A TWO HOUR BLOCK OF TIME

FROM 6:05 EASTERN TIME TO 8:05

EASTERN TIME, EVERY SATURDAY

NIGHT.

>> YOU CAN WALK AROUND NOW IN

THE COUNTRY, IN FLORIDA OR IN

THE SOUTH OR ANYWHERE AND THEY

KNOW THE TIME.

AT 6:05, THAT SHOW WAS ON EVERY

WEEK, THEY KNEW IT.

>> AND I WENT TO THE PEOPLE ON

CHRISTMAS NIGHT TO BRING THAT

TITLE BACK WHERE I GOT IT FROM

HARLEY RACE.

RIC FLAIR, I'M GONNA COME FOR

YOU ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT.

>> AS A KID GROWING UP AROUND

GEORGIA, THAT 6:00 TO 8:00

TIME-SLOT ON TBS WAS PRIMETIME.

EVERYBODY WATCH THAT SHOW.

>> TURNER BUILT HIS ENTIRE

TELEVISION EMPIRE AROUND THE

RATINGS THAT THEY GOT FROM

GEORGIA CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

THEY WOULD PUT TV SHOWS ON,

BEFORE AND AFTER THAT THEY

WANTED TO BUILD AND USE THAT

BECAUSE PEOPLE TUNED IN A LITTLE

EARLY OR THEY WOULD THEN WATCH

WHEN THE SHOW WAS OVER UNTIL

THOSE SHOWS HAD GOOD RATINGS, IT

SPURRED THEM OFF ON THEIR OWN.

AND HE CREATED TBS THROUGH

GEORGIA CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

>> [MUSIC]

>> MID-ATLANTIC, THAT WAS THE

FIRST SORT OF CONCEPT OF A

REGIONAL--REAL REGIONAL

PROMOTION, BUT MID-ATLANTIC WAS

JUST A STAGE THOUGH WHICH JIM

CROCKETT PROMOTIONS GREW TO A

NATIONAL POWER.

>> AND HE BROUGHT NEW TALENT IN,

JOHN VALENTINE, WAHOO MCDANIEL.

GENE AND OLE ANDERSON WERE WITH

US BEFORE THAT AND THEN THIS

YOUNG WRESTLER WHO FIRST CAME IN

AS [INDISTINCT]

WHICH IS RIC FLAIR.

>> WORKING FOR JIMMY CROCKETT

AND GEORGE SCOTT WAS PHENOMENAL.

IT WAS A WHOLE NEW WORLD TO ME

AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT MUCH

ABOUT THE SOUTH BUT I--AND I

FELL IN LOVE WITH IT FOR A SHORT

PERIOD OF TIME.

THE WEATHER WAS GREAT, I

COULDN'T HAVE BEEN HAPPIER HERE.

>> AND ALL THESE WRESTLERS WERE,

YOU KNOW, STARTED COMING IN AND

THE FANS LOVED IT.

>> I BECAME A FRIEND AND A FOE

OF THE DIFFERENT PROMOTERS

AROUND.

>> NOW CROCKETT DID VERY, VERY

WELL AT A VERY LUCRATIVE

TERRITORY THAT A LOT OF

WRESTLERS WANTED TO GO WORK

BECAUSE THEY CAN MAKE MONEY.

>> WHERE'S TALENT GONNA GO THAT

CAN MAKE MONEY?

ARE YOU GONNA GO TO MADISON

SQUARE GARDEN WHERE THEY'RE

GROSSING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS

OF DOLLARS OR ARE YOU GONNA GO

TO THE CAROLINAS WHICH WAS THE

SECOND GROSSING.

I BECAME--OKAY, I'LL SEND YOU

RIC FLAIR, YOU KNOW, THE

DIFFERENT PEOPLE WE HELPED

CREATE AND ALSO GET ON TV.

SO NOW THEY'RE LOCAL STARS

WITHOUT BEING THERE.

WELL, THAT SORT OF MORPHED INTO

WHO DO WE WANT AS OUR WORLD

CHAMPION?

>> IT WAS A NINE MEMBER BOARD, I

MEAN I DID HAVE A MAJORITY VOTE

TO BECOME THE CHAMPION.

>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

I'M THE QUALIFIED MAN IN THIS

COURT TO TELL YOU THERE'S NOT

ANOTHER PROMOTION LIKE ANYWHERE

IN THE WORLD.

>> EVERYBODY WANTS TO HAVE THEIR

GUY BE THE WORLD CHAMPION

BECAUSE IT'S THEN THEIR

PROMOTION IS THE WORLD CHAMPION.

>> AT THAT TIME, I DIDN'T

UNDERSTAND--I JUST KNOW HOW

IMPORTANT IT FELT WAS.

I WAS A BIG GUY IN THE

CAROLINAS, BUT I WAS JUST LOCAL.

CABLE IS IN AN INFANCY, BUT

STILL YOU'RE ON CABLE, YOU GET A

LOT MORE EXPOSURE ANYWHERE THAN

JUST LOCAL TV.

>> WE STARTED--RIC GRADUALLY

SENDING HIM OUT TO WRESTLING IN

DIFFERENT AREAS GETTING THE

OTHER PROMOTERS TO KNOW HIM.

RIC WAS THE NEW FACE OF

WRESTLING.

>> I LOVE THE CAROLINAS.

I LOVE THE MID-ATLANTIC AREA.

>> WE NEED TO GO INTO EACH AREA

AND MAKE THEIR TV AND GET OVER

WITH THEIR FANS AND DRAW MONEY.

IF THERE'S A WRESTLER OUT THERE

THAT WANTS TO FIND OUT WHERE HE

STANDS, THEN HE BETTER GET IN

THE RING WITH RIC FLAIR.

>> THAT WAS REAL DIFFICULT AT

FIRST BECAUSE THE PROMOTERS

WEREN'T HELPING ME.

>> WHEN I COME BACK INTO THIS

AREA AND IT'S MY HOME AND

EVERYONE KNOWS I EXPECT AND KNOW

THAT I'M GONNA BE WRESTLING THE

BEST COMPETITION IN THE WORLD

TODAY.

>> IT ALL WORKED OUT AND WHEN I

WON THEM OVER AND I THINK THEY

SAW THAT I WAS EASY TO DO

BUSINESS WITH AND THAT I HAD THE

ABILITY TO MAKE MONEY FOR THEIR

TERRITORY.

>> FLAIR HAS A SUPER EGO, I

SUPPOSE YOU WOULD SAY ABOUT THE

MAN, EXCEPT FOR ONE THING, HE

BACKS IT UP AND BACKS IT UP

EXCEPTIONALLY WELL.

>> RATHER THAN GOING TO

SPARTANBURG, WE TRADED FLAIR

OUT, SO HE COULD GO TO ST.

LOUIS.

WELL, THE PAY DAY THERE WAS A

LOT BETTER THAN SPARTANBURG.

>> MY FIRST TIME IN ST. LOUIS AS

THE CHAMPION WAS A LOT AND THAT

MEANT A LOT.

ST. LOUIS WAS THE MECCA CITY TO

BE IF YOU'RE THE NWA CHAMPION.

>> THE MORE THAT WE COULD

SERVICE AS A BOOKING AGENT FOR

THE REAL TALENT, THE HAPPIER

THEY WERE, THE EASIER IT WAS TO

WORK WITH THEM.

WE WERE THE SOURCE OF BIG

DOLLARS.

AND AS THE DOLLARS GREW, THE

PAY-PER-VIEW STARTED.

I THINK I WAS DISCUSSING

PAY-PER-VIEW LONG BEFORE ANYBODY

ELSE IN THE COUNTRY.

I WAS TRYING TO DO THE CABLE

NETWORK THING LONG BEFORE

ANYBODY ELSE.

>> JIM CROCKETT, WE WERE SO

CLOSE, WE WERE BUDDIES, WE

WERE--WE WERE IN A LOCKSTEP.

>> HE UNDERSTOOD THE CONCEPT OF

THE BIG EVENT PROBABLY BETTER

THAN MOST PEOPLE.

>> JIMMY CROCKETT HAD THE VISION

BECAUSE DUSTY GAVE IT TO HIM.

>> WE PROMISED OUR FANS TO...

>> DUSTY NEEDED TO RUN SIDE BY

SIDE WITH SOMEONE WHO HAD THAT

KIND OF MONEY, THAT COULD

UNDERSTAND AND HAD THE BALLS TO

PUSH IT THROUGH.

>> STARRCADE '83, THIS IS A

WONDERFUL OCCASION.

I'M DUSTY RHODES, THE AMERICAN

DREAM LIVE AT STARRCADE '83.

>> THAT WAS MY STRONG POINT OF

HELPING PEOPLE USE THEIR

CREATIVITY.

>> ON BEHALF OF JIM CROCKETT

PROMOTIONS, WELCOME TO THE

PREMIER WRESTLING EVENT,

STARRCADE.

>> WE SHUT DOWN I-40 AND I-85.

I MEAN ACTUALLY SHUT THEM DOWN,

PEOPLE TRYING TO GET TO THE

GREENSBORO COLISEUM.

THE IMAGE OF THAT FORM OF

ENTERTAINMENT, I THINK THAT'S

WHEN IT REALLY CHANGED FROM,

"OH, IT'S THAT?"

TO, "OH."

THE FIRST STARRCADE JUST CHANGED

A LOT OF PEOPLE'S ATTITUDES.

EVERYBODY WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT

THAT.

THE SMALLER RATIONAL PROMOTERS,

IT WAS PROBABLY THE DEATH BELL

FOR THEM.

THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BIG

PRODUCTION, ALL THE TALENT

WANTED TO GO WHERE THEY WERE THE

SHOWCASE EVENTS.

AND THAT ONLY LEFT TWO CHOICES

THEN.

I THINK MOST PEOPLE VIEWED IT AS

A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS.

WE GAVE YOUNG TALENT

OPPORTUNITIES.

THE INDUSTRY KEPT MORPHING INTO

SOMETHING ELSE, SOMETHING ELSE.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, GREENSBORO,

NORTH CAROLINA IS THE WRESTLING

CAPITAL OF THE SOUTH.

>> THE TALENT THAT COMES IN AND

OUT OF HERE IS WHO'S WHO IN

WRESTLING.

AND NOW, YOU'VE GOT GIBSON AND

MARTON, THE ROCK 'N' ROLL

EXPRESS, YOU'VE GOT THE KOLOFFS,

MAGNUM TA, THE U.S.

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION, DUSTY

RHODES IS NOW THE NEW WORLD

TELEVISION CHAMPION, WE'VE ONLY

JUST BEGAN.

>> AS THE POPULARITY JUST WENT

OFF THE CHART BACK IN THE MID

'80S, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS

LIKE FOR ELVIS FOR THE BEATLES,

BUT I TELL YOU, IF IT WAS

ANY--ANYMORE CRAZY THAN THAT, I

CAN'T IMAGINE IT, BECAUSE THE

PEOPLE WERE SO PASSIONATE.

THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING TO GET TO

YOU TO TOUCH YOU.

>> RIC FLAIR.

>> WAS IT ME OR WAS IT THE

TALENT OR MAYBE IT WAS THAT WE

EXPLOITED AND GOT THEM TO DO

WHAT THEY COULD DO BEST.

>> THEY DEVELOPED A LOT OF GREAT

STARS.

>> AND I THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY

WHAT KEPT ME GOING LONGER THAN A

LOT OF OTHER PROMOTERS.

>> PAUL JONES, THERE WERE

SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE THAT--AND

JIM BARNETT THAT OWNED GEORGIA

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING, THE

STOCKHOLDERS.

AND VINCE CAME IN AND GOT

CONTROL OF GEORGIA CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING, WHICH GAVE HIM

CONTROL OF THE TURNER SHOWS.

>> OH BEHALF OF WTBS, IT'S A

PLEASURE TO WELCOME THE WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT.

>> AND SO THAT WAS BLACK

SATURDAY WHEN HE CAME IN AND IT

WAS VINCE MCMAHON.

>> THANK YOU.

IT IS INDEED A PLEASURE TO BE

ASSOCIATED WITH WTBS AND WE

PROMISED TO BRING YOU THE

GREATEST IN PROFESSIONAL

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT IN THE

WORLD TODAY.

>> WELL, I THOUGHT IT WAS

BRILLIANT MANEUVER ON OUR PART,

QUITE FRANKLY.

AND IF I COULD ATTACK THE CABLE

AUDIENCE AT BOTH ENDS FROM USA

NETWORK STANDPOINT AND ALSO FROM

A TURNER NETWORK STANDPOINT

WHICH QUITE FRANKLY I THINK

TURNER AS A SUPER STATION THEN

WAS PROBABLY MORE CABLE SYSTEMS

THAN USA.

SO I THOUGH THAT WOULD BE A

GREAT ONE, TWO PUNCH STRAIGHT

AWAY INTO THE CABLE MARKET THUS,

YOU KNOW, INTO PAY-PER-VIEW.

>> I DON'T KNOW HOW HE GOT BY

WITH DOING THIS FOR TED.

>> VINCE, HE CALLS TED TURNER

AND SAYS, "TED, I'LL GIVE YOU

$500,000 A YEAR AND PROVIDE YOU

A SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT TV SHOW."

SO TED CALLS JIMMY AND SAYS,

"JIMMY, YOU'RE OFF THE AIR."

>> AND I BOUGHT GEORGIA

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING RIGHT OUT

FROM UNDER, YOU KNOW, THOSE WHO

WERE SUPPLYING THE, YOU KNOW,

THE PERFORMERS WHICH WAS IN THIS

CASE THE NWA, JIM CROCKETT

PROMOTIONS.

>> I DIDN'T LIKE IT BECAUSE HE

WAS ON THE STATION.

YEAH, I KNEW WE WOULD'VE MET.

IF HE'S ON SYNDICATED SHOWS,

THAT'S ONE THING BUT ON

SUPERSTATION, THAT'S ANOTHER.

THAT TIME TURNER BROADCASTING

WAS AMERICA'S STATION, EVERYBODY

KNEW TBS.

>> I FIGURED THAT WAS THE END OF

US BECAUSE TBS GAVE YOU

CREDIBILITY ON TOP OF EVERYTHING

ELSE.

>> AND EVERYBODY JUST WAS "OOH,

MAN, IT'S THE END OF AN ERA."

>> SMART BUSINESS ON HIS PART.

IT MADE EVERYBODY STAND UP AND

TAKE NOTICE.

>> GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE AND I

THINK YOU'RE GONNA FIND AN

AUDIENCE HERE THAT'S VERY WARM

TO THE TALENT YOU HAVE AND TO

THE GREAT MATCHES.

>> WHEN THEY AIRED THE PRODUCT

THAT THEY DID, THE FANS WENT

NUTS.

>> FANS GOT A SAMPLE TODAY AND

THEY'RE IN FOR A TREAT.

YOU GOT A GREAT ACTION COMING IN

THE MAJOR CITIES IN THIS COUNTRY

AND RIGHT HERE IN ATLANTA, PART

OF IT NOW WITH GREAT ACTION

EVERY SINGLE WEEK ON TV.

>> HE TRIED TO CHANGE THE TBS

FRANCHISE AND IT DIDN'T WORK.

>> AND HERE ON WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING HAS MADE

THE POLICE POWER ARRIVED AND

[INDISTINCT]

I DON'T KNOW WHAT POLITICAL

STRINGS WERE PULLED BUT IN A

VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, TED

WANTED OUT OF OUR CONTRACT WHICH

WAS A HAND CHECK.

AND I HAD A FOLLOWING OUT WITH

TED AND SO LET'S FIND SOME TRUTH

AMICABLE WAY IN WHICH WE CAN GET

OUT OF THIS.

AND WE DID.

>> CROCKETT JR. CALLS VINCE AND

SAYS, "I WANT MY TV STATION

BACK, WHAT'S IT GONNA COST ME?"

>> WE ENDED PAYING VINCE A

MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE CONTRACT

TO RUN THE TV AT TBS.

>> SO I DIDN'T SUFFER ANY.

I PROBABLY MADE A FEW BUCKS, YOU

KNOW, ALONG THE WAY.

>> AT THAT TIME TOO, VINCE WAS

LOOKING--HE WANNA DO

WRESTLEMANIA.

HE WANTED--THAT WAS AROUND THE

FIRST TIME AT WRESTLEMANIA.

SO BASICALLY WE BOUGHT IT AND

PAID FOR WRESTLEMANIA.

>> [MUSIC]

>> WE WELCOME YOU TO

MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

NWA PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING, THE

MAJOR LEAGUES OF PROFESSIONAL

WRESTLING.

>> JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS

BECAME THE CONTENT PROVIDER FOR

THAT BLOCK AND THAT WAS HUGE.

>> IN MARCH OF 1985, JIM

CROCKETT PROMOTIONS TOOK OVER

THE ATLANTIC PROMOTION.

WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO DO

DIFFERENTLY THAN THE PROMOTIONS

PREVIOUS TO JIM CROCKETT

PROMOTIONS?

>> IT MAY SOUND A LITTLE CORNY

BUT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT THE FANS

BACK INTO WRESTLING.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> WHEN CROCKETT REALLY GOT

ROLLING, THERE WERE MANY MORE

CABLE COMPANIES, THE

PROLIFERATION, THE GROWTH OF

CABLE TELEVISIONS STARTED

EVOLVING.

>> AND THERE WAS WTBS WHO HAD

MORE EXPOSURE ON CABLE SYSTEMS

AS A SUPERSTATION.

IT WAS REALLY THE BUILDING BLOCK

TO A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, MAKE

NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT.

>> AND WHEN WE GONE OUT AND

PROMOTED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY,

THE FANS HAVE RESPONDED, SO WE

ARE TRYING TO GIVE THE FANS WHAT

THEY WANT.

>> WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT WE

STARTED GETTING TELEVISION

RATINGS, STARTED DRAWING BIGGER

NUMBERS OF PEOPLE IN THE ARENAS

WHICH ATTRACTED TALENT.

>> 1985 WHEN I WENT TO WORK FOR

THE CROCKETTS.

THEY THE COMPANY THAT WAS

GETTING READY TO EXPLODE, A LOT

ABOUT SIDE TALENT CAME IN,

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, ROCK 'N' ROLL

EXPRESS, MYSELF.

>> BEING A HORSEMAN IS NOT

SOMETHING YOU PUT ON IN THE

MORNING AND TAKE OFF AT NIGHT.

IT'S A STATE OF MIND.

IT'S EXCELLING TO THE BEST OF

YOUR ABILITY.

IT'S FOUR INDIVIDUALS THINKING

SINGULARLY, ACTING COLLECTIVELY.

>> THERE'S BEEN A RECRUITMENT

CAMPAIGN BY JIM CROCKETT.

>> WE WERE DOING REALLY WELL

BECAUSE WE HAD TBS, BECAUSE TBS

WENT EVERYWHERE.

IF YOU HAD CABLE, YOU HAD TBS

AND IT'S 6:05, THE IMPORTANCE OF

THAT TIME-SLOT FOR OUR

ENTERTAINMENT VENUE WAS AMAZING.

I MEAN THERE ARE PEOPLE SO LOYAL

TO IT, THEY TALKED ABOUT IT

TODAY.

>> YOU COULD FEEL IT TO THROUGH

THE TV SET.

I GET GOOSEBUMPS THINKING ABOUT

IT.

IT WAS TERRIFIC.

>> TED TURNER, HE WOULD TALK

ABOUT HOW WELL TBS' RATINGS WERE

IN CERTAIN MARKETS.

>> THE STRONG DEMOS ACROSS THE

BOARD WOULD SALES UP EVERY YEAR.

>> YOU MATCHED UP AD SALES WITH

THIS CABLE AND THEN A REGIONAL

PACKAGE UNDERNEATH IT, AND YOU

HAD SOME ADVERTISERS WHO WOULD

BUY.

>> WE FOUND WRESTLING EASY TO

SELL, DEMANDING HIGH RATES AND

HIGH DOLLARS, INCREASING AND

IMPROVING THE BOTTOM LINE.

>> SO I SAID, "OKAY.

LET'S GO RUN A SHOW IN TEXAS

TOWNS, I MEAN JUST DIFFERENT

PLACES."

SAN FRANCISCO, WE WENT INTO

CHICAGO AND WE DREW GREAT

CROWDS.

>> BUSINESS JUST TOOK OFF AND IT

WAS UNLIKE ANYTHING I HAVE

EXPERIENCED.

>> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME

TO THE GREAT AMERICAN BASH AND

WELCOME TO THE CAPITAL OF

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING,

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA.

>> CAN YOU PICK SOME OF THE

STARS OF TOMORROW THAT MIGHT

SHINE HERE IN ATLANTA?

>> MAGNUM TA, 26 YEARS OLD.

CERTAINLY, HE'S GONNA BE A

SUPERSTAR.

HE IS A STAR BUT HE IS GONNA BE

ONE OF THE SUPERSTARS IN

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING IN THE

FUTURE.

>> MAGNUM, WHEN HE CAME ALONG,

LOOK GREAT, EVERYBODY JUST LOVE

THIS GUY.

>> WHEN I GOT INTO THE CROCKETT

ORGANIZATION, I CERTAINLY KNEW

WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT.

I HAD ACTUALLY FLOW INTO NEW

YORK AND DUSTY AND I AND JIMMY

CROCKETT HAD SAT AND TALKED

ABOUT THE WORLD TITLE AND THE

PLANS FOR ME TO HAVE A RUN WITH

THE WORLD TITLE.

AS PLANS WILL BE, PLANS WILL GO

A RIDE.

>> IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN THE

WORLD CHAMPION AT SOME TIME IN

THIS CAREER AND A TERRIBLY,

TERRIBLY TRAGIC ACCIDENT, YOU

KNOW, TOOK PLACE.

>> HIS ACTION SHUT DOWN AT THE

HOSPITAL.

THERE WERE SO MANY FANS THERE.

>> BUT TO SEE A GUY WHO WAS ON

THE VERGE OF BEING ONE OF THE

NEXT SUPERSTARS, HIS CAREER JUST

CUT SHORTLY THAT THE MAN--THE

MAN WAS HEARTBROKEN AS AN

ATHLETE.

THAT WAS ONE OF THE SADDEST

MOMENTS IN WRESTLING.

>> HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE

BIGGEST OF ALL TIME.

I MEAN HE HAD CHARISMA, HE HAD

THE BODY, HE HAD THE LOOKS, HE

HAD THE BRAINS.

A LOT OF GUYS, YOU'LL GET TWO

OUT OF THREE BUT HE HAD ALL

THREE.

>> ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AFTER

WE HAD BECOME PARTNERS, ME AND

CROCKETT, THE WHOLE LANDSCAPE

CHANGED, THE BOY FROM GETTING

WEALTHY.

THE COMPANY WAS GETTING WEALTHY.

>> WE WERE DOING AND AWFUL LOT

OF THINGS RIGHT.

WE HAD GROWN FROM, I THINK, WHEN

I TOOK OVER TWO OR THREE-MILLION

DOLLARS A YEAR AND WE WERE ON

PACE THE LAST YEAR TO DO IT,

ABOUT TWENTY-FIVE MILLION

DOLLARS AND THEY HAVE REVENUES.

THOSE ARE GROSS DOLLARS AND, YOU

KNOW, THE WHOLE LOT OF FINGERS

IN THE PATH.

>> OUR INDUSTRY WAS CHANGING AND

CROCKETT COMING OUT OF LITTLE

MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING AND FLYING ALL OVER

THE WORLD IN TWO DIFFERENT JETS.

WE WERE LIKE A ROCK SHOW COMING

TO TOWN.

>> WE HAVE AN OFFICE WITH

SEVERAL EMPLOYEES NOW.

I'M LOOKING TO BUY AN APARTMENT

HERE IN ATLANTA.

THIS IS BECOMING MORE OF A HOME

THAN MY HOME IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH

CAROLINA.

I'M SPENDING SO MUCH TIME HERE.

>> WE HAD THE TBS TELEVISION.

WE COULD'VE WENT ANYWHERE WE

WANTED AND RAN, PEOPLE NOTICED.

>> WE STARTED TO RUN ACROSS THE

WORLD INSTEAD OF STANDING IN

THAT AREA BECAUSE OF TBS.

LET'S GO WORK LOS ANGELES AND

SAN FRANCISCO.

BUT LET'S BASE OURSELVES OUT OF

LAS VEGAS.

WE CAN FLY BACK AND FORTH EACH

NIGHT ON THIS PRIVATE JET.

>> CROCKETT WAS MAKING A LOT OF

MONEY BACK THEN.

BUT THEY BOUGHT TWO AIRPLANES

AND THEY OVERSPENT, WOULDN'T

STAY WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF

WHERE THEY COULD MAKE MONEY

WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, COMING OUT OF

POCKET TO DO IT.

>> ALL OUR BUSINESS PRIMARILY

WAS ON THE EAST COAST, FROM

PHILADELPHIA ON DOWN.

IF THEY WOULD'VE STAYED WITHIN

THOSE PARAMETERS, JIM CROCKETT

PROMOTIONS WOULD BE IN BUSINESS

TODAY.

THE FACT WAS JIMMY CROCKETT

EXPANDED IN SUCH A RATE.

THE EXPENDITURES WERE JUST

EXCEEDING WHAT WAS BEING DRAWN.

>> I PROBABLY WASN'T THE

BUSINESSMAN I NEEDED TO BE.

>> AND I WAS RUNNING HIS COMPANY

FOR HIM ON THE ENTERTAINMENT

SET.

>> WE LIVED IT UP.

WE WERE ROCK STARS.

AND THE BILLS JUST POPPED OUT ON

ONE GUY, MR. JOHNSON.

HE WAS THE BOOKKEEPER.

>> FINALLY JUST STARTED SAYING,

THIS IS NOT WORKING.

WE WERE RUNNING, YOU KNOW, FROM

DEPOSIT TO DEPOSIT.

TOWARDS THE END, HE HAD A

NERVOUS BREAKDOWN.

>> HE WALKED OUT ONE DAY.

I'LL NEVER FORGET IT.

WE JUST SOLD OUT GREENSBORO AND

HE WALKED INTO THE OFFICE, HE

WALKED INTO CROCKETT AND HE

SAID, HE SAID TO CROCKETT, HE

SAID, "WE'RE FIVE MILLION

DOLLARS IN THE HOLE."

>> AND IT HURT, IT HURT BIG

TIME.

>> JIMMY CROCKETT PUT JIM

CROCKETT PROMOTIONS OUT OF

BUSINESS.

HE STARTED PLANNING BIG LEAGUES,

HAD SOME IDEAS BUT IF HE JUST

STUCK WITH THE SAME THING HIS

FATHER DID, HE'D STILL BE A

MULTIMILLIONAIRE TODAY.

>> IF I HAD BROUGHT IN A GOOD

BUSINESS MANAGER TWO YEARS

EARLIER, WE PROBABLY WOULD'VE

BEEN FURTHER ALONG IN THE

EXPANSION.

>> IF THEY'D STAYED BETWEEN

BALTIMORE AND CHICAGO, THEY'D

STILL BE IN BUSINESS.

>> WHAT IF, I MEAN IF A BULLFROG

HAD WINGS, IT WOULDN'T BUMP ITS

REAR END.

IF AD SALES HAD RUN A YEAR

AHEAD, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD

A TON OF MONEY ON THE BOOKS, BUT

WE WEREN'T GONNA GET THAT MONEY

FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.

AND THAT WAS OUR DOWNFALL.

>> HE DIDN'T WANNA LOSE

EVERYTHING FOR HIS FAMILY, I'M

SURE, WITH THE FAMILY DECISION

TO DO THAT.

>> JIM BARNETT CAME TO ME AND

MENTIONED IT AS FAR AS TED AND

THAT JIMMY HAD BEEN TALKING TO

HIM, BEFORE JIMMY MENTIONED IT.

>> WHEN THE SALE WAS RUMORED

THEM THE TALENT--OH, MY GOSH, IT

JUST, YOU KNOW, IT WAS--WE

WOULDN'T--IF THE SALE HADN'T

GONE THROUGH, WE WOULDN'T HAVE

SURVIVED.

>> BARNETT WAS SAYING HOW GOOD

IT WOULD BE FOR THE COMPANY IF

TED CAME IN.

I DIDN'T WANNA SELL, DID NOT.

AND I FOUGHT IT--I FOUGHT IT

'TIL THE VERY END.

I KEEP ON SAYING THAT THEY

PULLED THE MOTHER CARD.

THEY HAD MY MOTHER COME IN AND

TALK TO ME.

AND THEN I AGREED.

>> I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT

DETAILS.

I GOT A GOOD CHUNK OF MONEY.

I'D BUY A NEW FAMILY.

I GOT A GOOD CHUNK OF MONEY.

>> WE WERE GIVEN A FIVE-YEAR

CONSULTING AGREEMENT.

THEY SAID I WOULD STILL PRODUCE

AND STILL ANNOUNCE.

>> THAT LASTED ABOUT TWO, THREE

WEEKS, MAYBE.

>> SO THE SELL TO WHERE NOT SO

MUCH TURNER BUT THE CORPORATE

MACHINE BEHIND HIM DECIDED TO

BUY THIS PRODUCT THAT THEY

DIDN'T REALLY WANT, THAT THEY

HATED, THAT THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW

WHY IT'S ON EXCEPT IT DOES THE

BIGGEST NUMBER THAN ANYTHING

ELSE ON THEIR SHOW.

>> TED DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA THAT

PEOPLE WERE GOING UNDERNEATH

HIM.

HE LOVED WRESTLING BUT HE DIDN'T

MICROMANAGE IT.

HE SAID, "NOW, I GOT--NOW, I OWN

THE COMPANY.

YOU GUYS GO MAKE SOME MONEY WITH

IT.

HAVE SOME FUN WITH IT."

>> TURNER MADE JACK PETRICK

PRESIDENT FIRST, JIMMY GOT

FRUSTRATED WITH IT.

>> THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF

BACK ROOM POLITICKING, A LOT OF

PEOPLE I TRUSTED AND I FOUND OUT

I COULDN'T.

BUT MY REAL POINT IS THE FUN WAS

GONE.

>> WE WERE ALL FRUSTRATED WITH

IT.

AND HE BLEW OFF AT PETRICK AND

PETRICK TELL TO HIM GO HOME.

>> AND THAT MEANT THAT I WAS OUT

OF THE BUSINESS.

>> PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HAS

BEEN ONE OF THE LONGEST RUNNING

PROGRAMS ON TBS.

OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, TBS HAS

TELEVISED SOME OF THE GREATEST

MATCHES AND SOME OF THE GREATEST

LEGENDS OF WRESTLING.

I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING GOING

BACK TO THE TRADITIONAL STYLE OF

WRESTLING WHICH EMPHASIZES

ATHLETICISM.

AND I WANNA CONGRATULATE WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING FOR

CONTINUING THE TRADITION OF

BRINGING ACTION PACKED WRESTLING

EXCITEMENT TO TBS.

>> WHEN CROCKETT PROMOTIONS WAS

BARRED OUT BY WCW, NOW THAT'S

WHEN THE SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

INDUSTRY GOT A NEW WRINKLE.

>> NOW, YOU WENT FROM A CAROLINA

PROMOTION, NOW THEY WENT TO A

GLOBAL PROMOTION, THAT'S WHAT IT

FELT LIKE TO US.

>> I WAS THERE IN THE BEGINNING

WHEN WCW TOOK IT OVER FROM

CROCKETT.

AND WE ALL SAYING, "WOW, THEY

GOT A LOT OF MONEY BACK THEN."

>> WELL, I THOUGHT IT WAS A

GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY.

I MEAN THE MONEY GOT A LITTLE

BETTER AT THAT TIME.

IT WAS A BIG OPPORTUNITY FOR A

LOT OF PEOPLE TO GET CONTRACTS

AND A LOT OF THINGS WERE BETTER

WITH TURNER.

IT DID REALLY HELP IT A LOT.

>> I JUST KNEW THAT SOMEBODY

WITH THE MIDAS TOUCH OF TED

TURNER AND WITH THE CASH FLOW

COULD DO NOTHING BUT HOPEFULLY

RIGHT, WCW.

>> I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THE WCW

PRODUCT IN THE LATE '80S WAS

BETTER IN RING PRODUCT THAN

WWES.

>> ANOTHER GREAT ILLUSTRATION OF

THE YOUNG TALENT BASE THAT THE

NWA POSSESSES RIGHT NOW.

I THINK THAT ALONG WITH THE

TREMENDOUSLY COMPETITIVE

ATHLETIC CONTENT OF THESE

MATCHES IS REALLY WHAT SEPARATES

THE NWA FROM ALL OTHER

ENTERTAINMENT.

>> I MEAN THEY HAD THE ROAD

WARRIORS, THEY HAD DUST, THEY

HAD FLAIR, THEY HAD STING, THEY

HAD THE STEINERS, THEY HAD RON

SIMMONS, THEY HAD BUTCH REED.

>> IT WAS A FUN TIME BEING A

PLAYER.

IT REALLY WAS BEING AN

ENTERTAINER BECAUSE YOU HAD THAT

STAGE AND YOU HAD THE OPTION.

>> AND HE WAS [INDISTINCT]

THAT I'M IN THE PERFORMANCE

DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, IT TOOK

[INDISTINCT]

WITH SOMEONE LIKE BARRY AND ARN

AND MYSELF, TULLY.

WE ARE THE BEST THERE IS.

WE ARE THE HORSEMEN.

ROCK 'N' ROLL EXPRESS, MIDNIGHT

EXPRESS, IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.

THE ROSTER WAS DEEP AND IT WAS

STRONG AND IT WAS VERY TALENTED.

>> WHEN YOU GET THAT

CONGLOMERATION OF TALENT IN THE

[INDISTINCT]

OF A ROLL.

IT'S HARD TO BEAT THAT.

THAT WAS THEIR STRENGTH.

>> THE QUALITY OF THE MATCHES

AND THE RIVALRIES WERE REALLY

GOOD AND YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE

LAUNCHED OF STING AND MANY

MATCHES WITH RIC FLAIR.

>> THE NEW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION

OF THE WORLD HAS BEEN CROWNED.

>> I WATCH RICKY STEAMBOAT AND

RICK RUDE IN A SERIES OF

MATCHES.

THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.

THEY WERE SECOND TO NONE.

THEY WERE BOTH IN THEIR PRIME

SHAPE, AND TWO OF THEM TOGETHER

GO ON JUST FULL SPEED, UTILIZING

THEIR TIMING WAS SOME OF THE

BEST WORK I'VE EVER SEEN.

>> ALL THE MATCHES THAT I HAD

WITH FLAIR, WE WRESTLED SO MANY

HOUR TIME, AND WE DRAW MATCHES

THAT HE AND I BOTH QUIT

COUNTING.

AND HONESTLY, I HEAR IT ALL THE

TIME AND I JUST SAW THAT MATCH

WITHIN AN HOUR WITH FLAIR.

I--I'VE WATCHED SOME OF THEM

BACK AND THEY WERE--THEY WERE

GOOD, WE KEPT GOING, WE GOT

NEVER LAZY.

>> AND I WAS SO CONFIDENT WITH

MY SKILLS BACK THEN.

SO CONFIDENT OF MY ABILITY TO

HAVE A MATCH WITH ANYBODY THAT I

WANTED TO.

>> RIC FLAIR TO ME WAS THE ONE

THAT BROUGHT MY NAME TO A

NATIONAL LEVEL WHEN WE STARTED

HAVING OUR MATCHES.

>> ALL RIGHT, FANS, THIS IS WHAT

WE CAME TO SEE.

>> HE AND I WENT TO THE RING

EVERY NIGHT JUST TO PROVE THAT

WE WERE THE TWO BEST IN THE

BUSINESS.

THAT'S ALL WE DID.

>> EACH MAN HAS TAKEN THE BEST

THAT THE OTHER COULD DISH OUT.

>> THE BIGGEST MATCH I REFEREED

WAS RICKY STEAMBOAT AND RIC

FLAIR FOR THE WORLD TITLE IN

CHICAGO.

IT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST

WRESTLING MATCHES.

>> RICKY "THE DRAGON" STEAMBOAT

HAS WON THE WORLD TITLE.

>> IT WAS NEVER IN THE HISTORY

THAT COMPANY FELL.

>> RIC FLAIR AND STEAMBOAT

WERE--IT WAS REALLY GREAT.

>> THAT'S PRETTY MUCH CONSENSUS.

>> THE PRODUCT IN THE RING WAS

VERY GOOD.

THE PRODUCT BEHIND THE SCENES

AND THE MANAGEMENT OF IT WOULD A

LOT OF TIMES NULLIFY THE

PROGRESS THAT WAS MADE IN THE

RING.

>> IT WAS AN ERA THERE.

THEY HAD GREAT PLAYERS, GREAT

PERFORMERS.

IT'S JUST THE FACT THEY DIDN'T

HAVE CONSISTENT LEADERSHIP ON

THE FIELD.

>> JACK PETRICK BROUGHT IN A

FRIEND OF HIS, JIM HERD, WHO

USED TO BE A DIRECTOR UP IN ST.

LOUIS AND HE DIRECTED HOCKEY AND

OTHER THINGS AND HE MIGHT HAVE

DONE SOME OF WRESTLING.

I'M NOT SURE.

>> THE FIRST PRESIDENT WAS A

PIZZA GUY.

HE'S RUNNING THIS EMPIRE THAT'S

BEEN ALIVE FOR 60 OR 70, 80

YEARS.

AND NOW HE'S IN CHARGE OF THE

BIGGEST TELEVISION ACROSS THE

COUNTRY CABLE.

HE'S IN CHARGE OF THE GREATEST

PLAYERS ON THE EARTH AND HE HAD

NO KNOWLEDGE TO BE HEAD COACH.

>> HE CAME IN LIKE NAPOLEON

TRIED TO--TELLING GUYS WHAT TO

DO AND THEN TRYING TO CHANGE

PEOPLE'S PERSONAS OVERNIGHT.

HE CAME UP WITH IDEAS OF DING

DONGS.

>> WELL, [INDISTINCT]

TO GET ON.

>> IT SURE IS.

I GUESS WE'LL CALL THAT ONE DING

AND THE OTHER ONE DONG FOR LUCK

OF A BETTER ONE, I DON'T KNOW.

>> JIM HERD HAD ME WATCH IT AND

I HAD TO WRITE A CRITIQUE OF THE

PRODUCT AND I DON'T LIKE SAYING,

"WELL, I WOULD HAVE DONE IT

DIFFERENTLY."

BUT I THOUGHT THE PRODUCT STUNK.

AND I TOLD HIM, I SAID, "THIS IS

NOT GOING TO WORK.

YOU CAN'T DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING."

AND IT NEVER DID.

>> HERD GOT DEALT WITH A BAD

HAND.

TBS AT THAT TIME WASN'T PAYING

RIGHTS FEES FOR WRESTLING.

CONTRARY TO THE '90S WHEN ERIC

BISCHOFF WAS INTELLIGENT ENOUGH

TO GO AND SAY "HEY, LOOK, WE'RE

PROVIDING ALL THESE HOURS FOR

FIRST RUN PROGRAMMING AND WE

WERE A SYNDICATOR OR INDEPENDENT

PRODUCER, YOU'D BE PAYING AS X.

THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN WITH HERD.

HERD WAS RUNNING AT A DEFICIT

FROM DAY ONE AND WAS LUCKY GOT

TO STAY OF DEFICIT JUST A MATTER

OF HOW MUCH TO A FURTHER TO

NOTICE.

>> AND THEN YOU HAD--THE PEOPLE

THEY BROUGHT IN AS THEIR

CREATIVE PEOPLE.

>> IT WAS A REVOLVING DOOR WITH

THE--WITH THE PLAY CALLERS, THE

BOOKERS, COACHES.

>> OLE ANDERSON HAD A LOT OF

SUCCESS.

>> HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE

COMPANY.

HE USED TO THROW A LOT OF MONEY.

HE MADE A LOT OF MONEY.

>> OLE HAD A GREAT WRESTLING

MIND.

OLE WAS A GREAT TOUGH MINDED.

GUYS REALLY LIKED OLE OR THEY

REALLY DIDN'T AND HE DIDN'T

CARE.

>> OLE IS OLE.

HE'S VERY HARDHEADED.

IT'S HIS WAY OR THE HIGHWAY.

>> OLE WAS NOT THE SWEETEST GUY

IN THE WORLD, MATTER OF FACT,

AND OLE KNOWS THIS, ALMOST PROUD

OF IT, HE WAS AN --

>> OLE ANDERSON WAS THE WORST

BOOKER IN THE HISTORY OF

AMERICA.

HE WASN'T A PEOPLE PERSON.

>> OLE WAS UNWILLING TO CHANGE

OF TIMES.

HE JUST CLASSED WITH THOSE

EXECUTIVES AND THOSE SUITS AND

IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO NEGOTIATE

BETWEEN THEM.

AND YOU GOT TO CHANGE WITH THE

TIMES, THESE WERE TELEVISION

PEOPLE.

HE HAD A LOT OF IDEAS AT THAT

TIME, LOT OF THINGS OUTSIDE THE

BOX, A LOT OF THINGS ABOVE AND

BEYOND THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT

YOU WOULD CONSIDER THE WRESTLING

BUSINESS.

>> BUT IT'S THE SAME STORY.

HE WASN'T ALLOWED TO COACH HIS

TEAM FOR A FULL SEASON.

>> IT GOES BACK TO THIS

REVOLVING DOOR OF BOOKERS

BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET ANY

TRACTION.

AND WHAT THAT DOES IS LEAVE, YOU

KNOW, YOUR SOLDIERS IN THE FIELD

VERY CONFUSED.

BECAUSE THEY STARTED, YOU KNOW,

SUBSCRIBING TO ONE THEORY OF HOW

WE'RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND

THEN SIX MONTHS LATER, SOMEBODY

COMES IN, HAS A WHOLE DIFFERENT

THEORY.

>> HERD LEFT BECAUSE I BELIEVE

THAT HE JUST GOT TOO MUCH ON HIM

AND THERE WAS TOO MUCH

COMPLAINING, SO I BELIEVE

SOMEONE HAD A MEETING WITH

TURNER AND THEN THEY PUT--KEPT

FRYING HIM, DIDN'T STAY LONG

ENOUGH TO MAKE ANY GREAT

CHANGES.

>> JIM BARNETT TELEPHONED TO

TURNER, COME IN, COME BACK AND

RUN THE INDUSTRY THE WAY YOU

WANT TO, WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT I

WANTED TO DO.

>> DUSTY RHODES VERY, VERY

CREATIVE.

I'D GO ON THE WORD SAYING GENIUS

IN THIS INDUSTRY.

>> DUSTY IS ONE OF THE TOP WITH

THESE SMARTEST GUYS IN THIS KIND

OF BUSINESS.

IT'S JUST GETTING THE AUTHORITY

BEHIND YOU.

IT WASN'T DUSTY'S CREATIVITY.

IT WAS--HAVE THE AUTHORITY

BEHIND YOU.

>> [MUSIC]

>> YOU KNOW, NEW CONTRACTS WERE

MADE AND THEN ALIGNED TO THE

OFFICE, STEADY LINE OF PLAYERS

NOW, BECAUSE NOW THEY GOT

AGENTS.

THEY GOT GUYS THAT WANT IT IN

THEIR BUSINESS.

GUYS THAT MADE PEOPLE WEALTHY,

LIKE BARRY BLOOM MADE SOME GUYS

IN OUR INDUSTRY THAT DID

ABSOLUTELY AS ZERO WEALTHY.

>> THE COMPETITORS WERE GETTING

GUARANTEED CONTRACTS, HUGE FOR

THAT DAY IN TIME AND IT WAS A

GOOD FEELING KNOWING THAT YOU

WERE GOING TO MAKE AT LEAST THIS

MUCH MONEY.

>> NOT ONLY DO THEY PAY THEM BUT

THEY PAY THEM SUCH HUGE SALARIES

THAT MOST OF THEM WITH OUR NEW

AGENTS AND A CLAUSE THAT THEY

HAD FINAL SAY IN WHAT THEY DID.

>> I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW,

KNOWING THAT HE WAS SURROUNDED

IN SHARK AND FESTIVE WATERS, AND

MAYBE DEPENDED ON HIMSELF TOO

MUCH.

>> BUT THE INDUSTRY SUFFERED,

THAT WAS IT.

THAT WAS POOF.

THAT WAS DONE.

>> THERE WERE MIXED SIGNALS

SOMETIMES THROWN BACK AT DUSTY.

THE ISSUE WAS THERE WAS NO

COMMITMENT WITH UPPER MANAGEMENT

THAT TURNER TO MARKET THE

PRODUCT.

>> THEY TRIED TO HAVE LAWYERS

RUN IT.

THEY TRIED TO HAVE ACCOUNTANTS

RUN IT.

THEY TRIED WITH A BUILDING

MANAGER RUN IT.

THEY TRIED TO HAVE A CAMERAMAN

RUN IT.

THEY TRIED TO HAVE EVERYBODY RUN

IT.

BUT THEY DIDN'T WANT A WRESTLER

TO RUN BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T THINK

THEY WERE SMART ENOUGH.

>> THEY THOUGHT IN A DIFFERENT

PERSPECTIVE AND IT HAMSTRUNG ANY

OTHER BOOKERS THAT WOULD COME IN

THAT WERE FROM A WRESTLING

BACKGROUND.

>> I FOUGHT IT AS LONG AS I

COULD UNTIL, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU

KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING YOU COULD

DO, NOTHING.

THEY DIDN'T REALLY WANT IT AND

THEY DIDN'T CARE HOW MUCH MONEY

IT WAS MAKING.

AND THEY SAY THEY LOST MONEY.

THAT IS A CROCK.

IT WAS JUST POORLY RUN AND IT'S

NOT--AND I'M NOT BITTER,

OBVIOUSLY, YOU CAN TELL.

I'M JUST FEELING OUR INDUSTRY.

>> ALL THEY WANNA DO IS PUT A

PRODUCT ON THE AIR THAT WOULD

GENERATE DOLLARS AND THAT'S

WHERE IT BEGAN AND ENDED,

PERIOD.

>> IN ONE DAY AND OUT THE NEXT.

>> FROM THERE ON, I'VE SEEN THE

WHOLE CHANGE COME AND HAPPEN

WHICH I KNEW WAS COMING.

>> AT THIS TIME AS THIS

REVOLVING DOOR KEPT GOING ON, I

REMEMBER, I MEAN LIKE IT WAS

YESTERDAY, EMPHATICALLY, THAT

JIMMY "JAM" AND I WERE DYING AND

HOPING THAT BILL WATTS WOULD

COME IN.

>> BILL WAS SUCH A SUCCESSFUL

BOOKER IN HIS DAY WHEN HE OWNED

HIS OWN TERRITORY, MISSED OUT

WRESTLING IN EWF.

>> WHAT WAS THE MATTER THEN THAT

YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CAPTAIN?

THERE WAS NO RUDDER TO THE SHIP

AND IT JUST SEEMED LIKE YOU HAD

THIS CORPORATE PEOPLE WHO FOR

BETTER OF WORSE MAY'VE BEEN--MAY

HAVE BEEN TRYING THE HARDEST

THEY COULD TO MAKE THE SHIP RUN

STRAIGHT AND TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

BUT I DON'T SEE HOW, YOU KNOW,

ESPECIALLY IN HINDSIGHT OR EVEN

THEN IN THE DAY HOW YOU COULD

HAVE EXPECTED THESE PEOPLE

WITHOUT THE QUALIFICATIONS,

WITHOUT THE EXPERIENCE AND ONCE

AGAIN, WITHOUT THE PASSION.

IT'S NOT JUST A JOB.

IT'S A WAY OF LIFE AND THESE

PEOPLE WOULD THINK THEY WOULD

HAVE GOOD IDEAS AND THEN EVEN IF

THE BOOKER HAD GOOD IDEAS, HE

HAD TO TRY TO SELL THEM TO A

GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T KNOW

WHETHER THEY WERE GOOD OR BAD

IDEAS.

SO, WE WANTED SOMEBODY THAT

WOULD RIGHT THE WRONGS AND COME

IN AND WE THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS

BILL WATTS.

>> THE ONLY SHOT THAT A

WRESTLING PERSON EVER HAD TO RUN

THE COMPANY WAS BILL WATTS.

>> HE WAS AN INTIMIDATING SON OF

A -- WHEN THEY HIRED HIM, THEY

FOUND THAT IT WAS FRIGHT NIGHT

WHEN THEY'VE SEEN HIM WALK IN,

BUDDY, OOH, MAN, WE CAN'T

CONTROL HIM WITH THIS STUPID

STUFF THAT WE WANT HIM TO DO.

THE ASYLUM WAS BEING RUN BY THE

INMATES BUT AT THIS POINT IN

TIME, THE INMATES GOT SCARED AND

THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE

ASYLUM, THEY WERE PETRIFIED

BECAUSE HE WAS GONNA DO WHAT HE

WANTED TO BECAUSE HE KNEW IT

WORKED.

>> AND I CAN'T FORGET HOW HAPPY

IN THE LIGHT THAT WE WERE WHEN

BILL GOT HIRED, HOWEVER, WHERE

WE WRONG.

>> I THINK WHEN BILL CAME IN, HE

WANNA SEND A MESSAGE TO THE

TALENT THAT WE'RE GOING BACK TO

BASICS.

>> WCW AND TBS IS GONNA SET THE

STANDARD FOR PRO-WRESTLING LIKE

IT ALWAYS HAS.

WE'RE GONNA GO A DIFFERENT

DIRECTION THAN ANY OTHER

PROMOTION.

WE'RE NOT GONNA BE LIKE A

MACABRE CARTOON COME TO LIFE.

>> I THINK BILL HAD LOST TOUCH

IN THE ATHLETE OF THAT TIME.

>> WE'RE GONNA GET BACK TO WHERE

THE WRESTLERS ARE KICKING TAIL

AND TAKING NAMES IN THE RING.

BUT WE ARE GONNA ENFORCE SOME

RULES.

I THINK YOU GOT TO HAVE RULES

AND THEN YOU KEEP IT INSIDE THE

SQUARED CIRCLE.

>> I DID THINGS FOR A FACT.

I TOOK AWAY THE MATS AROUND THE

RING.

>> THE MAIN THING IS THERE'S NO

MORE PADDING ON THE FLOOR AROUND

THE WCW RING.

IF THESE GUYS GET SLAMMED ON THE

FLOOR, IT'S NOT GONNA BE

PADDING, IT'S GONNA BE ON

CONCRETE, BECAUSE WE GOT THE MEN

BECAUSE WCW IS A REAL DEAL.

>> OH, MY GOSH.

YOU'RE CRUEL.

HELL, ALL OF US HAD WORKED ALL

OUR LIVES WITH NO MATS.

WHAT WE DID IS THAT WE'RE THE

TOUGH GUYS.

VINCE IS A BUNCH OF WHEEZES.

THEY GOT THAT LITTLE MATS TO

FALL ON.

>> SO, THERE WAS A LOT OF

UPHEAVAL, A LOT OF UNREST IN THE

LOCKER ROOM AT THAT TIME BECAUSE

WATTS CAME IN AND LAID THE

HAMMER DOWN WITH THE DISCIPLINE

AND THE--AND HIS RULES.

>> AND HE WOULD FIND GUYS LIKE

IN HIS ERA, IN HIS DAY.

YOU CAN'T DO THAT HERE.

I SAID, "BILL, YOU CAN'T FIND

THIS, YOU CAN'T FIND THIS GUY."

>> AND YEAH, I WAS TRYING TO

BUST CONTACTS.

WE HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE GUYS.

THEY COULD GET PAID WHETHER THEY

SHOWED UP OR NOT.

>> NINE MILLION DOLLARS FOR

ABOUT SEVENTY-SEVEN WRESTLERS ON

THE PAYROLL AND IT WAS JUST

EXORBITANT AND THESE GUYS WERE,

YOU KNOW, MAKING HUGE SALARIES

NO MATTER HOW THEY PRODUCED, HOW

THEY DREW, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER

WHAT.

IT WAS--IT WAS A GUARANTEE.

>> SO I STARTED INSTILLING

DISCIPLINE AND THAT CREATED A

LOT OF HEADACHES AND A LOT OF

ANIMUS BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD IT

THEIR OWN WAY.

>> THE PASSION AND THE LOVE FOR

THE BUSINESS WAS NOT WHAT IT WAS

IN THE '80S.

IT ALL TURNED THE CORNER, IT ALL

CHANGED.

>> THEY ALL HAD A VERY NO

NONSENSE APPROACH AND HE HAD NO

ISSUE GETTING IN A STAR'S FACE

OR A BEGINNER'S FACE IN FRONT OF

OTHERS TO EXPRESS HIS OPINION OF

THEIR EFFORTS OR LIKE THEIR OWN.

>> IF HE COULDN'T GET YOU

MOTIVATED BY TELLING YOU IN

WORDS, SOMETIMES, HE'D USE HIS

FIST.

YEAH, AND THAT WHERE YOU--THAT

WILL GET YOU MOTIVATED.

>> AND A LOT OF GUYS WITH

MEASURED EGOS NEVER--DIDN'T LIKE

THAT.

>> AND WHILE HE WAS THROWING HIS

WEIGHT AROUND, WHICH I'M SURE HE

THOUGHT WAS FOR THE GOOD OF THE

INDUSTRY, WHAT HE WAS DOING WAS

MAKING THE PRODUCTS SO BORING

FOR, ONCE AGAIN, FANS.

THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS.

IT'S WHAT THEY WANT.

>> THE BIGGEST THING -- THEM

OFF, I TOOK AWAY--I MADE IT

ILLEGAL OR A DISQUALIFICATION TO

COME OFF THE TOP ROPE ON A GUY.

OH, MY GOSH.

YOU'RE KILLING THE BUSINESS.

NO, I'M NOT.

SO ALL IT DID WAS, YOU HAD TO DO

SOMETHING PSYCHOLOGICALLY THAT

WAS AGAINST THE RULES.

WE STILL HAD ALL THE HIGH

FLYING.

WE STILL HAD EVERYTHING GOING.

WE TURNED THE THING AROUND.

WE HAD THE OMNI UP AND GOING,

THE RATINGS UP, WE CUT THE LOSS

FROM EIGHT MILLION TO FOUR

HUNDRED THOUSAND IN ELEVEN

MONTHS BUT YOU JUST FIGHT ALL

THE TIME, ALL THE CRAP IN THE

BACK AND EVERYTHING ELSE, SO I

JUST GOT TIRED OF THIS.

AND I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T MIND

THE WRESTLING BUSINESS BUT IF I

GOT TO SPEND MOST OF MY TIME

DEFENDING MYSELF TO THIS

CORPORATION, THE HELL WITH IT.

>> AND BILL, YOU KNOW, IMPLODED

UNTIL THESE WHITE SHIRTS AND THE

RED TIE GUYS WHERE THEY COULD

STICK IT AND THERE WERE CERTAIN

TERMS.

>> AND THEN AFTER HIM, THE

STATEMENT CAME OUT, "THERE WILL

NEVER BE ANOTHER PERSON EVER

THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED IN SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT THAT WILL HAVE

ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS

BUSINESS."

>> SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE ON THE

OTHER DIVISION DIDN'T WANT US,

SO WE HAD TO FIND THAT PERSON

THAT COULD CHANNEL TED'S MONEY

AND TED'S WISHES THE RIGHT WAY

AND THAT'S WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO

BILL WAS THE PERSON THAT USED

TED'S MONEY THE RIGHT WAY.

>> [MUSIC]

>> THE BODY EQUIPMENT, CERTAIN

EQUIPMENT THAT WE NEEDED ON THE

ROAD, MORE HANDHELD CAMERAS AND

MORE CABLE AND LIGHTING, YOU

KNOW, AND POWER TECHNIQUES.

WE BOUGHT OUR OWN AUDIO SYSTEM.

>> I THINK BILL SHAW WAS A SMART

ENOUGH MAN TO KNOW HE WASN'T

SMART ENOUGH TO RUN THE

WRESTLING BUSINESS.

AND HE WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY

HE COULD TRUST AND SOMEBODY WHO

COULD RUN THE WRESTLING

BUSINESS.

>> SHAW, I THINK, FOR THE LACK

OF THE DESIRE TO GO OUT

INTERVIEW ENDLESS PEOPLE, WHO

WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE WRESTLING

PEOPLE.

HE GOT BISCHOFF.

HE WAS MORE OF A MARKETING TV

GUY BUT THE IRONY OF THAT WAS

ERIC'S ROOTS WERE WRESTLING.

ERIC STARTED AS AN ANNOUNCER,

WORKING FOR VERNE IN THE AWA.

AND THERE WAS SUCH A NEGATIVE

TASTE IN THE--IN THE SENIOR

MANAGEMENT OF TURNER'S MOUTH

ABOUT THE WRESTLING EXPERIENCES,

AND ERIC SOLD HIMSELF AS EXACTLY

THE [INDISTINCT]

AND THAT'S WHAT SOLD SHAW.

>> [MUSIC]

>> HE WAS A VISIONARY.

HE WAS SHARP ENOUGH TO LISTEN.

TWO OTHER GUYS WE'RE TALKING

ABOUT, THEY WOULDN'T LISTEN TO

ME OR YOU, WHOEVER WAS

IN-CHARGE.

>> WHEN BISCHOFF GOT HIS JOB, HE

WALKS IN THE OFFICE FIRST DAY,

HE SITS DOWN, MAN, HE'S

JUST--HE'S ON CLOUD NINE.

HE CALLS ME AND SAY "HEY, MIKE,

COME HERE."

SO I GET UP ON MY OFFICE, I WALK

IN AND HE SAID, "IF YOU RUN THIS

COMPANY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?"

I SAID, WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME

GETTING CROWDS WHERE WE SHOOT

OUR TV SHOWS, SO I SAID, BEFORE

I CAME TO WORK HERE, MY PARTNER,

STEVE KEIRN, SPENT ALMOST A YEAR

ROMANCING THE PEOPLE AT

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS TO PUT A

WRESTLING SHOW THAT THEY WOULD

PAY US TO PUT THE WRESTLING SHOW

IN UNIVERSAL AND BE A PART OF

THEIR PARK.

>> YOU COULD SHOOT, YOU KNOW, 26

EPISODES IN A SHORT PERIOD OF

TIME AND DAYS AND YOU HAVE A

FRESH AUDIENCE EVERY HOUR.

>> TAKE A LOOK AT THIS CROWD

READY TO GO HERE AT DISNEY-MGM

AS WCW WORLDWIDE BEGINS A NEW

CHAPTER FROM THE DISNEY-MGM

STUDIOS.

>> AT THAT TIME, WE WERE DOING

THREE OF FOUR CLASHES A YEAR ON

TBS AND TWO TO THREE

PAY-PER-VIEWS A YEAR.

>> HERE ON TBS LIVE FROM ST.

PETE, THIS, LADIES AND

GENTLEMEN, IS THE CLASH OF THE

CHAMPIONS.

>> WE HAD LIKE A $300,000 BUDGET

FOR THE BUILDING AND LIGHTING

AND EFFECTS AND ALL THAT KIND OF

STUFF.

I SAID, WE'RE GIVING AWAY THE

CLASHES FOR FREE.

IT'S COSTING US THE SAME AMOUNT

OF MONEY, SO YOU NEED TO SLOWLY

PHASE OUT ALL THE CLASHES AND

CREATE MORE PAY-PER-VIEWS THAN

THE OLD MAKE MORE MONEY EVEN IF

YOU SELL, YOU KNOW, 5,000 UNITS

AT HOME, THAT'S MORE MONEY THAN

YOU'RE MAKING JUST FROM THE

ARENA INCOME.

>> I WOULD GET HULK HOGAN

SIGNED.

I HAD ALREADY TALKED TO TERRY

AND TERRY HATED WATTS.

HE SAID, "I'LL NEVER WORK FOR

BILL WATTS.

THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN."

SO I TOLD BISCHOFF, I SAID, "YOU

NEED TO SIGN HOGAN."

>> JIM HERD HAD GONE TO TURNER

EARLIER [INDISTINCT]

BUT JIM HERD HAD CONVERSATIONS

WITH MACHO MAN AND HULK AND ALL

THOSE GUYS.

HERD HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS OFF

THE RECORD, BUT I KNOW HE HAD

THEM, BUT IT COULD GET THE

MONEY.

>> BUT BILL JUST--HE ALWAYS

SAID, "SPEND THE MONEY WISELY.

I'M WILLING TO SPEND IT.

DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO."

AND WE GO, "OKAY."

AND YOU DO IT.

>> WAIT A MINUTE, A BULLETIN IS

COMING ACROSS.

HULK HOGAN, HULK HOGAN HAS JUST

SIGNED WITH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

>> AND LEGIONS OF FANS ARE

FOLLOWING THIS VAN RIGHT NOW,

THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

ERIC BISCHOFF, GREATEST DAY

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HAS EVER

SEEN.

>> HULK SAW THE DOLLARS SIGNS,

KIND OF, FLYING THROUGH THE AIR

AND HE CAME ABOARD AND NO DOUBT,

HE WAS A BIG BOOM IN THE

BUSINESS, THE FIRST REALLY BIG

MOVE IN THE NEW WCW.

>> HOGAN WILL BE AND ALWAYS HAS

BEEN THE BIGGEST STAR IN THE

CENTURY.

THERE'S NO--THERE'S NO DOUBTING

THAT.

WHEN SOMEONE SAYS WRESTLING, IF

THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT

WRESTLING, THEY'RE "OH, THAT'S A

THING THAT HULK HOGAN DOES."

THEY KNOW THAT.

>> HOGAN LEGITIMIZED THE WCW.

>> IT MADE THE PRESS AND BECAUSE

IT MADE THE PRESS, CERTAIN

PEOPLE BECAME AWARE OF

WRESTLING.

EVERYBODY KNEW WHO HE WAS, YOU

KNOW, HE SHOOK HANDS WITH

TURNER.

THEY DID A PRESS CONFERENCE.

>> WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF OUR MOST

POPULAR PROGRAMS.

THE BRAVES HAD BECOME A WINNING

IN BASEBALL, CNN IS THE LEADER

IN WORLD'S NEWS AND INFORMATION,

AND NOW, WCW IS ABOUT TO

DOMINATE THE GLOBE IN

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO

SIGN A CONTRACT FOR A MATCH

BETWEEN TWO OF WRESTLING'S

BIGGEST SUPERSTARS, HULK HOGAN

AND RIC FLAIR.

>> [MUSIC]

>> THE ROOF'S GONNA COME OFF

HERE.

HE'S BACK.

HE'S BACK.

>> [CROWD CHEERING]

>> SMOKE, FIRE, AND PANDEMONIUM.

>> AND THEY ARE STANDING

EVERYWHERE.

>> WHAT?

I CAN'T HEAR YOU.

>> ON THEIR FEET, THE

HULKAMANIA.

AND HULKAMANIA HAS RETURNED.

>> HE'S PICKING UP RIGHT WHERE

HE LEFT OFF EVERYBODY.

HE WANTS TO RULE PROFESSIONAL

WRESTLING.

HULK RULES.

>> I MEAN I THOUGHT THE ROOF IS

GONNA BLOW OFF THE BUILDING AS

HE WALKED IN THERE.

>> IT'S THE MATCH WE ALL TALKED

ABOUT AS WRESTLING FANS.

THE MATCH WE ALWAYS WAITED FOR

AS FANS.

AND TONIGHT, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING IS PROUD TO BRING YOU

THAT MATCH.

>> AND THEN HOGAN WAS IN BACK

THEN [INDISTINCT]

>> IT WAS LIKE WCW HAD BEEN

REBORN.

>> HULKAMANIA LIVES IN THE WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING, HIS

FIRST MATCH IN WCW.

AND HE SETS IN ALL TIME AND

ATTENDANCE RECORD, AN ALL TIME

PAY-PER-VIEW RECORD FOR WCW AND

BECOMES A HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION

OF THE WORLD.

>> YOU'D SEEN THE LIGHT AT THE

END OF THE TUNNEL, ALL OF A

SUDDEN, THE SUN WAS STARING YOU

IN THE FACE.

IT WASN'T A LITTLE LIGHT AT THE

END OF THE TUNNEL ANYMORE.

IT WAS--WHOA, DAYLIGHT FOR

MONTHS AT A TIME.

>> ERIC HAD USED TED'S OWN EGO

AND HIS OWN COMPETITIVENESS.

AND IF YOU WANNA OVERTAKE

MCMAHON AND KICK HIS -- , WELL,

THEN, I NEED SUPPLIERS.

AND LET'S GEAR AND MAKE A RUN

AND I THINK IF I GET THESE

PLAYERS, I CAN WIN THE SUPER

BOWL.

WINNING THE SUPER BOWL FOR THEM

WAS LIKE PUTTING MCMAHON OUT OF

BUSINESS.

>> A LOT OF GUYS THAT VINCE HAVE

MADE STARS, STILL HAD STAR POWER

AND EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE OVER

THE PRIME OF THEIR CAREERS, THEY

STILL HAD A LOT TO OFFER AND

IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THOSE GUYS,

YOU KNOW, GAVE A NEW SHOT AT

LIFE.

IT MADE WCW GO TO A DIFFERENT

LIGHT IN A LOT OF PEOPLE'S EYES,

OKAY, THESE ARE THE BIG STARS

FROM THE WWE.

NOW, THERE WERE WCW, THEY MUST

BE COMPATIBLE.

>> [MUSIC]

>> I THINK HOGAN'S CERTAINLY

HELP WCW'S VISIBILITY AND NOW,

IDENTITY.

WHAT MADE WCW REALLY GOOD WAS IN

FACT, THEY WENT ON MONDAY NIGHT

TELEVISION.

>> ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE SAW

THAT WE COULD IMMEDIATELY LAND

IN BLANK INK BY 1995 WAS TO

INCREASE OUR REVENUES ON THE

INTERNATIONAL SIDE OF OUR

BUSINESS.

SO WE GO UP, 14TH FLOOR, TURNER

BROADCASTING, I PROCEEDED TO LAY

THIS PRESENTATION ON TED.

ABOUT 45 SECONDS INTO THE

PRESENTATION, TED SAID "OH,

ERIC, WHAT DO WE GOT TO DO TO

COMPETE WITH WWE?"

I WASN'T PREPARED FOR THAT.

SO I DID WHAT ANY SMART, YOU

KNOW, YOUNG GUY THAT WANTS TO

KEEP HIS JOB WOULD DO.

AND STUTTERED AND SAID, "GIVE ME

PRIMETIME."

AND TED LOOKED RIGHT AT ME,

LOOKED AT SCOTT SASSA, LOOKED

BACK AT ME AND SAID, "SCOTT,

GIVE ERIC TWO HOURS EVERY MONDAY

NIGHT ON TNT."

>> THIS SHOW IS GONNA BE IN YOUR

FACE, OVER THE EDGE SURPRISE

EVERY SINGLE MONDAY AND IT'S

GONNA BE LIVE.

AND I TELL YOU, IT'S A NEW FACE,

REALLY, THAT'S GONNA BE A NEW

FACE.

THIS IS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT

PLATFORM.

NOW, WHY I WANTED TO GO UP

AGAINST THE COMPETITION, IT WAS

ONLY KICKING BUTT.

>> 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.

>> WHEN I SAW THEIR FIRST SHOW

AND I WAS LIKE, "OH, BOY, THIS

IS REAL COMPETITION."

>> I DON'T THINK WE ENJOYED THAT

MUCH SUCCESS UNTIL IT BECAME A

COMPETITION BETWEEN THE

NETWORKS.

>> OH, WHAT IN THE HELL IS HE

DOING HERE?

GET THAT KID OFF OF HERE.

>> WHO?

>> LOOK AT--GET HIM OUT AND GET

THE CAMERA OFF OF HIM.

>> WHAT IS THIS?

>> OH, WAIT A MINUTE.

HE'S GOT A RIGHT TO BE HERE.

IT IS A PUBLIC MALL.

>> AS WE'RE GETTING CLOSER AND

CLOSER TO THE DEBUT OF NITRO,

LEX CAME AND THEN HE SAID,

"LOOK, MY CONTRACT IS UP AND A

LIGHT BULB WENT OFF OF MY HEAD."

I SAID, "WOW.

IF WE CAN THIS QUIET AND

LITERALLY HAVE YOU WALK OUT ONTO

NITRO, THAT MOVE RIGHT THERE

WILL SET THE TONE."

>> IT BECAME A SURPRISE DEAL ON

MONDAY NIGHT, WHO WAS GONNA COME

OVER NEXT, WHO WAS GONNA WALK IN

THE DOOR?

>> WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT...

>> AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK OF

THE WOMAN'S CHAMPIONSHIP BELT.

>> I WAS REALLY CONCERNED AND

THAT THEY WERE REALLY GONNA BE A

COMPETITOR IN OTHER ASPECT, THEY

WERE JUST GOING HEAD TO HEAD

WITH US.

AND BY DEFINITION, YOU WERE

GOING TO DIVIDE THE AUDIENCE.

>> MY NETWORK AT THAT TIME

TENDED TO SKEW A LITTLE OLDER

ANYWAY, SO I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW,

GO AFTER A DEMO THAT WWE ISN'T

GOING AFTER.

>> MONDAY NIGHTS BECAME

WRESTLING NIGHT.

>> SO I THOUGHT, "OKAY.

HERE'S WHAT I'LL DO.

I'LL MAKE A LIST OF EVERY WAY

POSSIBLE I CAN BE DIFFERENT FROM

THE WWE."

THEIR TAPED, I'LL BE LIVE WHICH

GAVE ME A GREAT IDEA.

ONE DAY, I THOUGHT, "OKAY.

PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA

HAPPEN ON MY SHOW BUT WE COULD

TELL THEM WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN ON

THE COMPETITION."

>> WE ARE LIVE.

WE ARE NOT LIKE THE WORLD

WHINING ENTERTAINMENT WHICH IS A

TAPED, CANNED SHOW, HAPPENED A

COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

LET ME SAVE YOU SOME TIME AND

PUT YOUR REMOTE CONTROL DOWN.

THE RUPAUL IMPERSONATOR, THE

TRANSVESTITE GOLDUST, IF THE

SAVIO VEGA REGAIN THE

INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE, YAWN,

MANKIND DEFEAT ALDO MONTOYA,

BIGGER YAWN, AND VADER DEFEATS

FATU.

OH, BOY.

>> YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A NUMBER

OF THINGS THAT THEY DID THAT

WERE AGAINST THE RULES AT THAT

TIME.

THERE WAS ALWAYS AN UNWRITTEN

CODE IN OUR INDUSTRY AND THEY

WERE BREAKING THERE ON A WEEKLY

BASIS.

>> [MUSIC]

>> ERIC HAD AN EDGE, A DIFFERENT

WAY OF LOOKING AT THINGS, THEY

LOOKED OUTSIDE THE BOX.

>> I LITERALLY DID EVERYTHING

THAT I COULD DO TO BE DIFFERENT.

THEIR CHARACTERS ARE VERY

ANIMATED, VERY CARTOON-ISH.

I'M GONNA MAKE MINE VERY REAL.

I'M GONNA HAVE MY GUYS USING

THEIR REAL NAMES.

THEIR STORY-LINES ARE VERY

ANIMATED AND CARTOON-ISH.

MY STORY-LINES ARE GONNA BE

REALITY BASED.

>> STEVE'S GOAL WAS TRYING TO

GET OFFENSIVE GOAL AND...

>> WAIT A MINUTE.

>> BUT...

>> WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON

HERE?

>> BUT WHAT?

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

>> LOOK HERE.

>> WELL, WHAT THE HELL...

>> WAIT A MINUTE.

WE NEED -- WAIT A MINUTE.

WAIT.

WE NEED A SECURITY HERE.

>> NITRO AT THE TIME WAS

BEGINNING TO GET SOME TRACTION,

THE NUMBERS WERE GROWING,

REVENUE WAS GROWING, THE COMPANY

WAS GROWING, YOU KNOW, WE NEEDED

SOME FRESH FACES.

SO WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT SCOTT

WAS AVAILABLE, I TALKED TO

SCOTT.

>> YOU KNOW WHO I AM.

>> [CROWD CHEERING]

>> BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHY I'M

HERE.

I WENT TO VINCE MCMAHON WHO'S

THE BOSS AND ASKED HIM IF COULD

IMPROVE MY SITUATION WITH THE

COMPANY, I DIDN'T WANNA LEAVE.

AND AT THAT TIME, VINCE, YOU

KNOW, FELT NO, HE COULDN'T

ACCOMMODATE ME WITH THE WAY I

WANNA BE ACCOMMODATED.

>> NOT AGAIN.

LOOK, YOU HAD--YOU HAD...

>> MAN, RELAX, MAN, RELAX.

YOU STARTED IT.

YOU WANNA GO TO WAR?

YOU GOT A WAR.

YOU STARTED IT, WE'RE GONNA

FINISH.

>> WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WE?

YOU'RE COMING UP THIS WE STUFF

AGAIN, I DON'T SEE...

>> YOU KNOW WHO, MAN, YOU KNOW

WHO.

HEY, DID DADDY WARBUCKS GET HIS

MONEY YET?

>> GUYS THAT CAME DOWN FROM NEW

YORK TO HOGANS, THE HALLS AND

NASHES, THOSE GUYS HAD THE

BUSINESS EXPERIENCE.

>> THEY WERE ASKING FOR SOME

SORT OF GUARANTEE CONTRACT

BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE

OFFERED BY TURNER'S

ORGANIZATION.

>> THIS IS WHERE THE BIG BOYS

PLAY, HUH?

LOOK AT THE ADJECTIVE, PLAY.

WE AIN'T HERE TO PLAY.

>> THEY HAD TO HAVE SOMETHING

THAT WAS A GUARANTEE.

I WAS AGAINST THEY DIDN'T GIVE

GUARANTEES AND JUST GAVE

OPPORTUNITIES AT THE TIME.

>> SO I HAD TO DO WHAT I THOUGHT

WAS THE BEST FOR ME AND MY

FAMILY, AND ACCEPT AN OFFER FROM

WCW.

>> CAN YOU IMAGINE A COMPANY WHO

SIGN A CONTRACT?

THIS IS OKAY, YEAH, I'LL COME IN

FOR EXTRA AMOUNT OF DOLLARS BUT

ANYBODY ELSE THAT YOU HIRE AFTER

ME, THEY CAN'T MORE THAN ME OR

YOU HAVE TO BUNK ME AFTER THAT

CONTRACT.

>> THOSE GUYS COULD COME IN TO

WCW AND JUST LITERALLY CARVE

WHATEVER THEY WANTED OUT OF IT.

>> WELL, MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT

FOR THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS SINCE

MAY 27TH, AS A MATTER OF FACT,

WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF--LET'S

JUST CALLED THEM, INTERRUPTIONS

ON NITRO.

>> IT CAME ACROSS AS RAZOR

RAMON.

NASH CAME ACROSS AS BIG DIESEL.

WELL, WE DIDN'T USE THE NAME.

WELL, WHY DIDN'T WE USE THE

NAME?

BECAUSE WE WANTED THE PEOPLE TO

THINK THAT WWE WAS INVADING US.

>> WOW, LOOK AT THIS.

LET'S GET EVERYBODY GO TO THE

WALL HERE AT WCW, LET'S DO IT.

>> FORGET ABOUT THE PAST CHICO,

LET'S WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE.

>> IT WAS IN THAT SENSE, YOU

KNOW WHO WE ARE, YOU KNOW,

MEANING WWE AND IN THAT SENSE,

WE'RE INVADING WCW.

SO THAT WAS I FELT TRADING AND

INFRINGING, YOU KNOW, ON OUR

TRADEMARKS AND DIDN'T LIKE IT,

SUBSEQUENTLY SUED TERMS, SO

FORTH FOR THAT.

>> I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE END

RESULT BUT I DON'T THINK IT WAS

VERY SUCCESSFUL ON THE PART OF

THE PEOPLE WHO SUED US BUT I

DON'T THINK WE STOLE ANYBODY'S

CHARACTER.

AS LONG AS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE

INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE A

FOLLOWING, I DON'T THINK IT

REALLY MATTERS WHETHER YOU

CHANGE THEIR NAME OR ANYTHING

ELSE, IT'S THE PERSON WHO GETS

THE FOLLOWING.

>> IT WAS PRETTY CLEVER QUITE

FRANKLY ON MY PART OF WHETHER

IT'S BISCHOFF, I DON'T KNOW

WHO'S IDEA IT WAS, PROBABLY

HOGAN, TO BE ABLE TO POSITION

THEM AS THE INVADING WCW SO I

THOUGHT, UH-OH, NOW, I'M REALLY

IN TROUBLE.

>> YOU TELL BILLIONAIRE, TED, TO

BREAK OUT THE MONEY AND GET

ANYBODY HE CAN BECAUSE THE BIG

MAN AND THE MEDIUM SIZED MAN AND

OUR SURPRISE BUDDY ARE GONNA

CARVE THEM UP.

>> YOU KNOW, I HAD A MEETING

WITH TED TURNER AND ERIC

BISCHOFF AND THEY SAID WHAT CAN

WE DO IN WRESTLING THAT'S NEVER

BEEN DONE BEFORE?

AND I SAID, WELL, THERE'S

NOTHING.

AND WHAT CAN WE DO THAT'S NEVER

BEEN BEFORE.

YOU KNOW, WE ASKED OURSELVES A

QUESTION IN TURNER'S OFFICE TWO

OR THREE TIMES AND ERIC

BISCHOFF, ULTIMATELY SAYS, HOW

ABOUT YOU BEING A BAD GUY.

>> I JUST HAD THIS GUT FEELING

THAT IF HE DID THIS, THIS WOULD

PUT IT OVER A THOUGHT.

>> HULK HOGAN IS IN THE

BUILDING.

>> YOU DAMN RIGHT, HE IS.

>> GO GET HIM, HULKSTER.

>> YES, SIR.

>> GET HIM HOGAN.

GO GET HIM, BABY.

>> AS I WAS ON MY WAY OUT TO

THAT RING.

I WAS THINKING, OH, MY GOSH, ARE

WE GONNA GET OUT THIS RING

ALIVE?

OH, MY GOSH, HOW MUCH STUFF ARE

THEY GONNA THROW?

OH, MY GOSH, ARE THEY GONNA HAVE

A RIOT?

>> [CROWD CHEERING]

>> HULK HOGAN ARRIVES.

OH.

>> WHAT IS HE DOING?

>> OH, MY GOD.

IS HE THE THIRD MAN?

>> HE'S A THIRD MAN.

>> DROPPED A LEG ON RANDY

SAVAGE, TURNED ME AGAINST MY

BROTHER, MACHO MAN, OH, YEAH.

>> HULK HOGAN HAS BETRAYED WCW.

>> THIS RIGHT HERE IS THE FUTURE

OF WRESTLING.

YOU CAN CALL THIS THE NEW WORLD

ORDER OF WRESTLING, BROTHER AND

NOT ONLY ARE WE GONNA TAKE OVER,

WE WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING ON

OUR PATH, MEAN GENE.

>> [MUSIC]

>> HULK HAD TO BE NUMBER THREE

BECAUSE HULK CHANGED THAT WHOLE

FACE AND THAT WHOLE DEAL.

THAT WAS HUGE.

>> ALL THE SUDDEN, OUR NUMBERS

TOOK OFF AND WE REIGNED AND WE

RULED THE WRESTLING WORLD IN THE

RATINGS.

>> WHEN HULK HOGAN TURNED AFTER

ALL THOSE YEARS AND THEN SCOTT

HALL AND HULK HOGAN AND KEVIN

NASH RUNNING RUSH OUT OVER THE

WCW, IT WAS LIKE, HOLY -- WHAT'S

GOING ON HERE?

>> AND THERE'S REY MYSTERIO.

>> HEY, IT'S OVER--WHAT?

>> THAT'S REY--THAT WAS THE

CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION, REY

MYSTERIO.

>> OH, NO.

OH.

HEAD FIRST INTO THE TRAILER IN

THE BACK.

>> HE THREW HIM LIKE HE WAS A

DARK.

>> NWO WAS A GREAT CREATION.

NWO WAS--I MEAN, IT WAS--IT WAS

MONUMENTAL.

>> IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT

SOME OF THE VERY EARLIEST NWO

VIGNETTES WAS ALL PRODUCED IN

BLACK AND WHITE AND RATHER THAN

A STAND UP, YOU KNOW, MICROPHONE

BACK AND FORTH KIND OF,

INTERVIEW WHICH IS WHAT

EVERYBODY HAD ALWAYS DONE.

I WANTED TO CREATE SOMETHING

THAT FELT A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

>> WHEN GET THAT YOU SING IT AND

HULK, WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR

BIRTHDAY?

OH, I'D BEAT THE GIANT.

I WANT HIS TITLE.

>> THE PLAN THAT ERIC BISCHOFF

HAD LAID OUT AT THAT POINT WAS

HE WANTED IT BE PERCEIVED AS A

SEPARATE COMPANY SO THEREFORE,

WE NEEDED OUR--MORE TALENT, WE

THOUGHT THE PLAN WAS TO HAVE OUR

OWN TV SHOW OR MERCHANDISE,

EVERYTHING SO THAT THE FANS

WOULD DECIDE, DO YOU LIKE WCW,

DO YOU LIKE NWO?

>> I WANTED TO CREATE A WCW AND

I WANTED TO CREATE AN NWO, AND I

WANTED THERE TO BE A CONFLICT

BETWEEN THOSE TWO ORGANIZATIONS.

>> THIS GUY HERE WAS THE

FOUNDATION OF THE WCW, NOW, HE

WORKS FOR THE NWO.

>> [MUSIC]

>> WHEN THE STORYLINE HAD

EVOLVED AND IT WAS SUGGESTED

THAT I BECOME PART OF THE NWO,

THERE WAS SOME CONCERN THAT

OVEREXPOSING MYSELF AND GETTING

TOO INVOLVED AT THAT LEVEL IN

THE STORYLINE WOULD BE A PROBLEM

FOR ME BOTH AS THE EXECUTIVE

RUNNING THE COMPANY AND AS AN

ANNOUNCER.

WE ARE GOING TO BUILD A DYNASTY.

YOU'RE EITHER WITH US OR YOU'RE

AGAINST US.

IN TERMS OF HOW IT AFFECTED MY

ABILITY TO STILL BE THE

EXECUTIVE OF THE COMPANY AND

MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIPS WITH

TALENT, I WAS A LITTLE BIT

CONCERNED ABOUT THAT BUT I FELT

STRONGLY ENOUGH ABOUT THE

STORYLINE, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE

NWO PLATFORM WAS TO BASICALLY

CREATE ANARCHY.

>> AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY

GREAT MASTER PLAN ERIC BISCHOFF

DID COME UP WITH NEW WORLD ORDER

WITH THAT--YOU KNOW, IT WAS HIS

IDEA AND THE REST WOULD JUST

KIND OF FELL INTO PLACE.

I MEAN, THAT WAS NO BIG MASTER

PLAN, IT WAS JUST--IT WAS--IT

WAS PERCEIVED TO BE A TAKEOVER.

>> ERIC BISCHOFF, FOR

[INDISTINCT]

I DO GIVE HIM THE CREDIT.

HE'S VERY SHARP AND HE HAD A LOT

OF DIFFERENT IDEAS.

AND ONE IDEA THAT HE BROUGHT WAS

THE NWO WHICH WAS BASICALLY A

CONCEPT PUT UP BY NEW JAPAN FOR

WRESTLING.

HE WAS IN A WORKING GROUP WITHIN

A COMPANY THAT WAS A RIVAL GROUP

TO EVERYBODY ELSE IN THAT

COMPANY.

>> BISCHOFF OBVIOUSLY GOT THE

IDEA FOR THE NWO FROM AN ANGLE

THAT THEY DID IN JAPAN.

I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE

BIGGEST REASONS WHY THE MONDAY

NIGHT WARS TOOK OFF BUT I THINK

THAT ONE OF THE FORGOTTEN REASON

BUT JUST AS IMPORTANT WAS THE

INTRODUCTION OF THE

CRUISERWEIGHTS.

>> [MUSIC]

>> WE BROUGHT A LOT OF

EXCITEMENT TO TELEVISION.

>> THEY WERE USUALLY THE

BEGINNING MATCHES AT

PAY-PER-VIEWS BUT TO ME AND I

THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY THE GLUE

THAT KEPT EVERYTHING TOGETHER

DURING THAT TIME PERIOD.

>> THE GUYS LIKE MYSELF, DEAN

MALENKO, EDDIE GUERRERO, REY

MYSTERIO, ALL OF THOSE GUYS THAT

REALLY WORKED THE DIFFERENT

STYLE THAT NOBODY HAD EVER SEEN

BEFORE.

>> OH, MAN, CRUISERWEIGHT

DIVISION WAS UNBELIEVABLE.

IT WAS AWESOME.

MANY TIME YOU GET JERICHO AND

YOU GET MALENKO AND YOU GET

GUERRERO, I MEAN THOSE GUYS HAVE

WRESTLED ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

>> ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE

THE MOST-WATCHED WRESTLING

PROGRAM EACH AND EVERY WEEK IS

THERE ARE MORE, NEW, UP AND

COMING INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS

HERE IN WCW THAN ANYWHERE ON THE

PLANET.

>> YOU GOT THE TO SEE A VARIETY

OF WRESTLERS FROM JAPAN.

A LOT OF LUCHADORES WITH THE

MASK, NOW, WE ARE STARTING TO

EDUCATE THE AMERICAN FANS.

NOW, YOU WERE GIVING THEM THAT

LUCHA LIBRE STYLE, THE ACROBAT,

HIGH-FLYING MANEUVERS.

SO THAT WAS DEFINITELY A PART OF

THE SHOW THAT REALLY, REALLY

STOOD OUT.

>> I THINK THAT, OKAY, THE NWO

MIGHT HAVE BEEN GETTING PEOPLE

INTO THE ARENAS BUT I THINK IT

WAS THE HARD WORK OF MYSELF AND

ALL THE GUYS THAT WE--THAT I

WORKED WITH THAT KEPT PEOPLE

COMING BACK.

>> WHEN I WAS IN THE LOCKER

ROOM, OUR ATMOSPHERE WAS ALWAYS

GREAT.

WE WERE KICKING -- .

WE WERE DOING REALLY GOOD,

RATINGS WISE, EVERY TIME WE

WOULD STEP OUT IN FRONT OF A

LIVE AUDIENCE AND PERFORM IN

FRONT OF MILLIONS AT HOME

WATCHING, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD

HAVE SOME OF THE BEST MATCHES

THAT I CAN SAY IN MY CAREER.

>> THEY PUT ON SOME MATCHES THAT

WERE ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE AND

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THOSE WERE THE

MATCHES THAT I'D SIT BACK AND

WATCH.

>> THE NWO AND SOME OF THE NEWER

THINGS THAT I WAS DOING

INCLUDING BRINGING IN THE

LUCHADORES AND A LOT OF THE

JAPANESE WRESTLER THAT I WAS

BRINGING IN AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT

OF THE CRAZY STUFF THAT I WAS

DOING REPRESENTED COUNTER

CULTURE TO THE HARDCORE FAN.

>> BISCHOFF'S SMART, MAN, HE HAD

A GOOD EYE FOR TALENT.

EVEN THOUGH BISCHOFF, AS A

MARKETING GUY, HE WAS BUT HE'S A

WRESTLING GUY.

>> [MUSIC]

>> THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS YOU

COULD SAY ABOUT ERIC BISCHOFF.

HIS STRONG SUIT WAS HIS CREATIVE

SIDE AND OFTEN YOU HAVE WITH

INDIVIDUALS WITHIN A STRUCTURED

ENVIRONMENT, YOU HAVE TO REIGN

IN THE MIDDLE A LITTLE BIT.

ERIC CAME UP WITH A LOT OF IDEAS

THAT I WOULD SAY, NO, THAT'S NOT

GONNA WORK IN OUR WORLD.

NOW, REMEMBER, I DIDN'T COME

FROM THE WRESTLING WORLD, SO I

THINK SOME OF THE BIG HITS HE

HAD WAS WHEN HE HIRED GOLDBERG.

>> I'D LIKE TO TAKE ALL OF THE

CREDIT FOR A, FINDING BILL

GOLDBERG, CREATING HIS

CHARACTER, DEVELOPING HIS

STORYLINE, I'D LIKE TO TAKE

CREDIT FOR ALL OF THAT.

UNFORTUNATELY, I CAN'T.

>> NEEDLESS TO SAY BEING A

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE, I WENT OUT

ON THE TOWN ONCE OR TWICE AND

MANY OF TIME, I WOULD RUB

SHOULDERS WITH NUMEROUS MEMBERS

OF WCW.

>> YEAH, I MET BILL AT A LOCAL

NIGHTCLUB, HIT IT OFF WITH HIM

PRETTY WELL, BILL'S A GREAT GUY.

>> IF I REMEMBER IT CORRECTLY, I

WAS--I WAS GONNA SIGN AT THE WWE

BUT I PUT A PHONE CALL IN TO

BISCHOFF.

HE CALLED ME AT THE ELEVENTH

HOUR.

AND FIRST CONTRACT, IT WAS A

DEVELOPMENTAL KIND OF, DEAL.

>> THE POWER PLANT WAS A REALLY

REVOLUTIONARY IDEA, YOU KNOW,

THEY HAD GREAT QUALITY TRAINERS.

>> I WALK IN THE POWER PLANT,

PUT MY BOOTS ON AND I FOUND OUT

HOW HARD IT WAS.

>> NOBODY SHOOTS ABOUT THIS

BUSINESS, THIS IS THE PLACE,

LET'S GET CRANKED UP NOW.

>> LET'S GO, BABY.

>> THERE WERE CERTAIN PEOPLE

THAT WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE

DEVELOPMENT OF GOLDBERG AS A

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER AND

WITHOUT SARGE, I WOULDN'T HAVE

MADE IT.

>> ALTHOUGH THE VISION FOR THE

FUTURE WITH THE BILL GOLDBERG

CHARACTER WASN'T CLEAR IN

ANYBODY'S MIND AT THAT MIND.

WE KNEW WE HAD SOMETHING.

WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT BUT WE KNEW

THAT THERE WAS JUST AN INNATE

NATURAL CHARISMA THERE.

>> I'VE HANDPICKED THE FIRST GUY

FOR HIM WHICH WAS BILL DEMOTT

BECAUSE I KNEW BILL WOULD GET

HIM OVER THE RIGHT WAY.

>> [MUSIC]

>> I REMEMBER HOW NERVOUS I WAS

AND I REMEMBER WHAT A GOOD GUY

HE WAS.

I MEAN IT'S TOUGH TO BE IN THE

SITUATION WHERE, YOU KNOW,

YOU'RE HUGH MORRUS, A GUY THAT'S

BEEN IN THE BUSINESS FOR A WHILE

AND HERE COMES THIS NOBODY GUY,

AND HE'S GONNA BEAT YOU.

>> GOT HIM UP, MUSCLED HIM OVER,

COMBINATION SLAM, ONE, TWO,

THREE, AND, OH, BILL GOLDBERG,

OUT OF OBSCURITY COMES TO NITRO

AND PULLS A MAJOR UPSET.

>> HUGH MADE ME LOOK GREAT THAT

NIGHT.

>> AFTER THAT, HE WAS OFF AND

RUNNING.

HE HAD THE PRESENCE AND HE

DIDN'T SPEAK, I WOULDN'T LET HIM

TO SPEAK, HE WAS MYSTIQUE.

>> YOU ABSOLUTELY GOT IN THERE

AND MANHANDLED HIM TONIGHT.

SIR, I'VE GOT TO GET A LITTLE

BIT MORE THAN THAT.

THIS GENTLEMAN, JUST WALKING

AWAY FROM ME.

>> IS HE A MUTE?

>> I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT.

>> TONY.

>> NO, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING

LIKE THAT VERY IMPRESSIVE BUT

WHO IS THIS GUY GOLDBERG?

>> I KNOCKED ON THE DOOR, THE

POLICE--OH, THIS MUST BE A BAD

GUY, THE POLICE GOT TO WALK HIM

TO THE RING.

HE CAME OUT SNORTING AND, YOU

KNOW, AND HE CAME THROUGH THE

SMOKE AND THIS--HE ALWAYS

INHALED THE SMOKE AND IT'D COME

OUT HIS NOSE LIKE A DRAGON.

AND WENT IN THERE, KICKED -- ,

TOOK NAMES AND GOT OUT AND

DIDN'T SAY A WORD.

SO MYSTIQUE WAS--WHO IS

GOLDBERG?

WE DON'T KNOW WHO HE IS.

WE JUST KNOW HE'S A TOUGH SON OF

A --

>> YOUR WINNER IS GOLDBERG

AGAIN.

THE STREAK CONTINUES HERE ON WCW

MONDAY NITRO.

>> [MUSIC]

>> THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA.

GOLDBERG'S--HE JUST--YOU KNOW,

HE HAD THAT UNBELIEVABLE LOOK

AND THE PERSONA AND FOR WHAT

THEY WERE SELLING THEM AND WHEN

HE WAS DOING IT, PHENOMENAL,

THAT GO AT A HUGE IMPACT ON THE

COMPANY.

>> [CROWD CHEERING]

>> BILL GOLDBERG CAME ALONG AT A

PERFECT TIME.

WCW WAS AT ITS APEX IN TERMS OF

A COMPANY, YOU KNOW, OUR

VIEWERSHIP WAS, YOU KNOW, AT

PEAK, WE WERE NUMBER ONE IN THE

INDUSTRY AT THE TIME OR PRETTY

CLOSE TO IT.

>> THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE

THAT MADE IT HAPPEN.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU

KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE

PROCESS THAT UNFORTUNATELY

DIDN'T THINK OF THE BIG PICTURE.

>> I BELIEVE THAT THE SENIOR

EXECUTIVES OF SUCH AS SCOTT

SASSA AND BRAD SIEGEL THAT WERE

RUNNING THE NETWORK, THE

ENTERTAINMENT SIDE, HAD A

LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH

WRESTLING.

THEY LOVE THE FACT THAT THEY

WERE BEATING OUT EVERYBODY IN

CABLE WEEK TO WEEK BUT THEY

DIDN'T LIKE THE FACT THAT IT

WASN'T HOLLYWOOD.

>> IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THAT PART

OUT OF THE EQUATION, IT WAS A

WONDERFUL TIME AND IT WAS

AWESOME.

EVERYBODY WAS ECSTATIC, MAN, WE

WERE HAVING A GREAT TIME.

WE KNEW WE WERE HAVING SELLOUTS

EVERYWHERE WE WHERE GOING AND

MERCHANDISE WAS FLYING OFF THE

SHELVES AND WE WERE ALL HAVING A

GREAT TIME.

I MEAN IT WAS--IT WAS AWESOME.

OUR HARD WORK WAS PAYING OFF.

WE HAD BROUGHT THE RIGHT PEOPLE

TOGETHER AT THE RIGHT TIME.

ALL THE STARS ALIGNED.

>> I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS

NITRO DID SO WELL AND WAS ABLE

TO DOMINATE FOR AS LONG IT DID

BECAUSE THE NATURE OF THE

CONTENT.

IT FELT REAL.

THERE WERE ENOUGH UNIQUE

ELEMENTS WITHIN NITRO WHERE EVEN

THE MOST JADED FAN WENT, "THAT

WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN."

>> THE BEST WAY TO PROVIDE A

SUCCESSFUL TV SHOW I BELIEVE IS

THIS OFFERS SOMETHING FOR

EVERYTHING AND I THINK WE DID

THAT WHETHER IT WAS THE NITRO

GIRLS, WHETHER IT WAS, YOU KNOW,

GOLDBERG GOING OUT THERE AND

SMASHING SOMEBODY WITHIN TWO

MINUTES OR WHETHER IT WAS HOGAN,

NASH, AND HALL, YOU KNOW, DOING

THE NWO GIG.

THE CAST OF CHARACTERS WE HAD AT

THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, MACHO MAN,

AND HOGAN, AND STING, AND FLAIR,

AND I MEAN, IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE

BUT WE DID HAVE A LITTLE OF

EVERYTHING FOR EVERYBODY, SO

DEPENDING UPON WHAT YOU WANTED

TO TUNE IN AND WATCH, YOU WERE

SATIATED EACH TIME YOU TURN TO

WCW.

>> [MUSIC]

>> WE DID VERY, VERY WELL AS

MOST PEOPLE KNOW, OUR RATINGS

WERE EXTREMELY GOOD.

>> [MUSIC]

>> YOU KNOW, WE KNEW THAT IF IT

WAS GOING TO WORK, IN FACT I

THINK I SAID RIGHT UP HERE AND

SAID LOOK, YOU KNOW, THE REASON

THAT WE WANNA DO THIS IS WE

BELIEVE IN COMPETITION AND

COMPETITION CREATES CONTROVERSY

AND CONTROVERSY CREATES CASH.

>> [MUSIC]

>> NITRO IS THE NUMBER ONE

REGULAR PROGRAM ON CABLE EVERY

WEEK, NOT ONLY IS NITRO THE

NUMBER ONE, TWO, AND THREE IN

ALMOST EVERY WEEK, OUR NEW SHOW

THAT WE JUST LAUNCHED IN JANUARY

CALLED THUNDER IS NUMBER SIX AND

SEVEN.

WE GOT FIVE OF THE TOP SEVEN

HOURS ON CABLE TELEVISION.

TO SAY THAT THAT'S EXCITING IS

AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

>> OUR PAY-PER-VIEWS WERE DOING

WELL.

>> TONIGHT IS OUR NIGHT.

STING IS THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT

CHAMPION.

>> WHAT A NIGHT.

WHAT A MEMORABLE STARRCADE.

>> AT THE BAR RATE THE WAY IT

WAS AND THE RATINGS, IT'S, YOU

KNOW, IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY

NEED TO PULL HIM DOWN FROM THE

SKY.

YOU KNOW, IT WAS--AND RIGHTFULLY

SO I MEAN, HE DESERVE THE

CREDIT.

>> THE MOVE WAS TOTAL ARROGANCE

WHEN THEY STARTED DOMINATING

WWE.

IT WAS LIKE THE GOLD GOOSE WAS

ON THE LOOSE, LAYING GOLDEN EGGS

EVERYWHERE AND THIS GOLD GOOSE

WOULD NEVER END.

>> ALL BISCHOFF WANT TO DO IS

SHUT DOWN VINCE.

THIS SHOULD--THEY SAID, "MY GOD,

WE'RE MAKING MONEY, WE HAVE THIS

OPPORTUNITY, LET'S JUST SEE

WHERE WE ARE WITH OURSELVES BUT

INSTEAD WE'RE WORRYING ABOUT

THIS GAME."

>> WE HAD A STRATEGY, WE HAD A

VISION, AND WE MOLDED THIS

COMPANY TO REALIZE THAT VISION.

AND WITHOUT QUESTION, TODAY,

THIS COMPANY HAS THE BIGGEST

STARS, THE BIGGEST NAMES, THE

MOST EXCITING PROGRAMMING ON

CABLE TELEVISION AND NUMBERS

DON'T LIE.

>> [MUSIC]

>> WCW DIDN'T DO ANYTHING THAT

WWE HAD NOT DONE EARLIER, IN

EARLY WRESTLEMANIA IS WHERE THEY

LOOKED TO GET MAINSTREAM STARS

INVOLVED IN ANY WAY, BUT THEY

TOOK A STEP FARTHER AND PUT SOME

MAINSTREAM PERSONALITIES IN THE

RING.

>> KARL MALONE WAS A HUGE

WRESTLING FAN AND LOVED WCW.

I WAS DOING AN AUTOGRAPH SESSION

IN HOUSTON, TEXAS AND WE HAD

GONE TO THE GAME, THAT NIGHT,

HOUSTON WAS PLAYING THE JAZZ.

AT ONE OF THE TIMEOUTS, BYRON

SCOTT TOLD KARL THAT DDP'S UP

THERE AND HE LOOKED UP AT ME AND

HE MADE THE DIAMOND CUTTER SIGN.

AND THEN HE SENT US SOME PASSES

TO GO BACK TO THE LOCKER ROOMS.

I WALKED OUT AND MET KARL AND WE

JUST BONDED IMMEDIATELY.

AND I SAID TO HIM, I SAID, BRO,

I SAID, IF YOU EVER WANNA GET IN

THAT RING AND JUST WORK OUT, SEE

WHAT IT'S LIKE, I'M SURE YOU'D

DO A DIAMOND CUTTER.

AND I SAID, MAN, WHY, DON'T YOU

COME BY AND SEE ME, MAN.

AND WE EXCHANGED NUMBERS AND

THAT WAS THAT.

I KNEW RODMAN WAS COMING IN AND

I KNEW THAT IT WAS GONNA HIM AND

HOGAN.

>> THIS IS LIKE SOMETHING I JUST

COME AND DO WHEN I'M LIKE TIRED,

YOU KNOW, THESE GUYS

ARE--THERE'S NO CHALLENGE HERE

BUT I COME HERE TO HELP MY GOOD

FRIEND RIGHT HERE, HOLLYWOOD

HULK.

>> SO I WENT OVER TO BISCHOFF'S

HOUSE.

AND I SAID I GOT A GREAT IDEA.

WHAT ABOUT ME AND MALONE AGAINST

HOGAN AND RODMAN?

HE SAID, I LOVE THAT IDEA, GET

HIM.

>> DDP HAS SECURED HIM ARGUABLY

ONE OF THE TOUGHEST MEN EVER ON

THE BASKETBALL COURT.

>> WHAT THAT DOES ANYTIME YOU DO

THAT, YOU'RE GONNA GET A CERTAIN

LEVEL OF PUBLICITY THAT YOU

NORMALLY WOULDN'T GET WITH YOUR

ROSTER.

>> THESE FOUR MEGA ATHLETES,

FOUR OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE

FACES IN THE SPORTS WORLD ARE

CENTER STAGED FOR ONE OF THE

MOST ANTICIPATED BATTLES EVER.

>> I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WHEN

RODMAN CAME IN AND GOT PAID SO

MUCH MONEY, I'M PRETTY SURE

SCOTT AND KEVIN'S MONEY WENT UP

AGAIN.

YOU KNOW, THEY GET THEIR MONEY

BUT IF ANYBODY ELSE COMES AND

AFTER THEM THEIRS GOES UP BUT

THEY HAVE A DIRECT EAR TO THE

BOSS TO SAY, HEY, MAN WHY DON'T

YOU BRING IN DENNIS RODMAN OR

SOMETHING, YOU KNOW.

>> WHEN WE SHOT THAT WITH MALONE

AND ME AND RODMAN, HOGAN ON

TONIGHT'S SHOW I'VE EVER BEEN A

PART OF SUCH PANDEMONIUM BEFORE.

I MEAN THAT NEXT DAY, THAT HIT

ALL THE WIRES, THAT WAS ON ESPN,

THAT WAS ON THE NEWS, THAT WAS

EVERYWHERE BECAUSE NO ONE SAW

THAT COMING.

THE NEXT DAY WE DID A PRESS

CONFERENCE WHICH I HAVE NEVER

BEEN INVOLVED WITH ANYTHING LIKE

THIS WHERE THERE WAS A HUNDRED

AND FIFTY PHOTOGRAPHERS AND IT

WAS SUCH A SCENE.

>> AT FIRST IT WAS COOL, I MEAN

THE FIRST RODMAN-MALONE MATCH,

IT WAS KIND OF A COOL IDEA.

RODMAN WAS A--WAS A--WAS A JERK,

KARL MALONE IS VERY COOL.

>> THE STORY TO ADD

ACCEPTABILITY AND NOTORIETY TO

WCW, I THINK BISCHOFF TOOK THAT

IDEA AND TRIED TO INCORPORATE IT

AS MUCH IT COULD ON EVERYTHING.

>> WELL, AND OF COURSE THEY HAD

JAY LENO, HE'S GOT HIS OWN SHOW.

IT'S A NETWORK SHOW.

>> WE CAME BACK AND SHOT A

DIFFERENT ANGLE WHERE HOGAN AND

BISCHOFF TOOK OVER THE TONIGHT

SHOW.

I MEAN THAT WAS UNPRECEDENTED.

AND THEN I CAME IN AND RAN THEM

OFF, HAD THEM TAKEN AWAY IN

HANDCUFFS AND THE WHOLE DEAL AND

I MADE JAY MY PARTNER.

AND THROUGH THAT WE ENDED UP

GETTING THAT MATCH TOGETHER FOR

STURGIS WHICH WAS AN INCREDIBLE

MEDIA EVENT.

>> I THOUGHT THE STURGIS

WRESTLING MARRIAGE WAS

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.

AND WHAT A WONDERFUL ATMOSPHERE,

YOU KNOW, TO PUT ON A PROGRAM

THAT WHERE PEOPLE ARE GONNA

WANNA BE THERE, I THINK IT DID A

LOT OF THE COMPANY.

>> WELL, IT'S TIME TO END THE

WAR OF WORDS, THE POSTURING, THE

MIND GAMES, AND LET'S GET IT ON

IN A PHYSICAL BATTLE.

>> HERE'S JAY.

JAY LENO WINS IT.

>> THE KING OF LATE NIGHT TALK.

>> HERE'S JAY LENO BEATING UP

HULK HOGAN.

AND I REMEMBER SEEING IT AND HIS

FIRST MOVE, WAS HOGAN GETS PUT

IN AN ARMBAR BY JAY LENO AND

THEY SAT THERE FOR ABOUT A

MINUTE AND I WAS LIKE, WHY, WHAT

ARE THEY DOING?

MEANWHILE, ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHERS

WERE TAKING PICTURES OF COURSE

NEXT DAY, HE IS IN A FRONT

COVER, HERE'S HOGAN IN AN ARMBAR

WITH JAY LENO.

>> I UNDERSTAND THE FACT THEY'RE

TRYING TO GET SOME--A NEW

AUDIENCE OUT THERE, TRYING TO

GET SOME EYES LOOKING AT A

PRODUCT THAT NORMALLY WOULDN'T

SEE IT BY BRINGING IN STARS

LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE KARL MALONE

AND JAY LENO, AND PEOPLE WITH

THAT STATURE, BUT AT THE SAME

TIME WAS I THINK IT TOOK WAY

OPPORTUNITY FOR A LOT OF GUYS

LIKE MYSELF OR GUYS IN THAT SPOT

THERE, THAT KIND OF JUST STAYED

STAGNANT.

>> I THINK IT'S GREAT TO BRING

CELEBRITIES INTO YOUR WORLD IF

THEY'RE USED PROPERLY ON THE

PERIPHERAL, BUT WHEN YOU BRING A

GUY IN LIKE A STANDUP COMEDIAN

TURNED TALK SHOW HOST LIKE JAY

LENO AND SAGER DOWN SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT, YOU'RE NOW AN

ATHLETE.

>> ANYTIME YOU BRING A MAJOR

STAR IN WHETHER IT BE FROM THE

WORLD OF SPORT OR THE WORLD OF

MOVIE OR TELEVISION, IT JUST

BRINGS MORE FANS IN, IT MEANS

THAT YOU'VE ARRIVED.

>> ERIC HAD A GREAT MIND AND WCW

WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH TOTALLY

DIFFERENT THINGS AND GOLDBERG

WAS A GUY THAT HAD AN INTENSE

LOOK ABOUT HIM, HAD A GREAT

LOOK.

HE HAD THE, WHAT WE CALL IN OUR

INDUSTRY THE IT FACTOR.

>> BILL GOLDBERG IS FOR REAL.

WE HAVE NEVER SEEN A MAN QUITE

LIKE THIS.

>> BILL GOLDBERG WAS AS HOT AS

ANYBODY HAS EVER BEEN IN THE

HISTORY OF THIS BUSINESS.

HE WAS AS HOT AS HOGAN.

HE WAS AS HOT AS THE ROCK.

HE WAS AS HOT AS AUSTIN, NAME IT

DOESN'T MATTER.

>> [CROWD CHATTER]

>> HE WAS A PHENOMENON.

>> HE JUST HAD IT.

WHEN HE CAME OUT AND BLOWING

SMOKE OUT HIS NOSE AND...

>> YOU'RE NOT GONNA FIND ANY MAN

IN ANY WALK OF LIFE IN ANY SPORT

MORE INTENSE THAN GOLDBERG.

>> MATCHES WERE 30, 40 SECONDS,

A MINUTE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

>> GOLDBERG HAS BEEN RUNNING

THROUGH EVERYONE.

>> IT WAS A FIRST TIME EVER THAT

THEY HAD A UNDEFEATED RECORD

THAT EXTENDED OF THAT LENGTH.

>> WHO IN THE WORLD CAN STOP

THIS MAN?

>> WHEN I WAS SITTING AT HOME

THURSDAY NIGHT WATCHING THUNDER

AND JJ DILLON COMES ACROSS THE

SCREEN WITH A SPECIAL

ANNOUNCEMENT.

>> HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN, THE WCW

CHAMPION IS CONTRACTUALLY

OBLIGATED TO BE IN THE GEORGIA

DOME THIS COMING MONDAY NIGHT

FOR NITRO TO DEFEND THE WCW

HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BELT AGAINST

WHAT I FEEL IS THE NUMBER ONE

CONTENDER, GOLDBERG.

>> OH, NO.

>> OH, YES.

>> WELL I'M THANKFUL, THAT'S

PRETTY COOL, THAT'S THE FIRST I

KNEW ABOUT IT.

>> [MUSIC]

>> WHEN ATLANTA FOUND OUT THAT

GOLDBERG, THEIR HOMETOWN GUY WAS

GONNA WRESTLE HOLLYWOOD HULK

HOGAN IN FRONT OF X AMOUNT OF

PEOPLE ON LIVE TV AT THE GEORGIA

DOME, WHERE GOLDBERG USED TO

PLAY FOOTBALL.

>> I MEAN, THAT'S HUGE MAN.

>> IT'S THE BIGGEST CROWD EVER

TO SEE A TELEVISED WRESTLING

EVENT ON CABLE TV AND YOU'RE A

PART OF IT.

>> THAT WAS A LOT OF WCW PROBLEM

WITH PAY-PER-VIEWS.

BISCHOFF WAS SO

RATINGS-ORIENTED.

ALL HE CARE ABOUT WAS BEATING

WWE EVERY WEEK.

>> [CROWD CHEERING]

>> HOGAN GOES DOWN.

>> NOW FINISH HIM OFF.

>> HE'S GOT HIM UP.

>> OH, HELL YEAH.

>> ONE, TWO, THREE.

>> [CROWD CHEERING]

>> [MUSIC]

>> [BELL RINGING]

>> OH, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

WE GOT A NEW HEAVYWEIGHT

CHAMPION OF THE WORLD.

THE FIRST UNDEFEATED MAN IN THE

HISTORY OF THIS SPORT TO EVER

WIN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

>> MAN, IT WAS HUGE.

THIS WAS A REGULAR SHOW ON

MONDAY AND IT HAD BEEN

ADVERTISED THREE DAYS BEFORE.

SO I MEAN, JUST THINK IF WE HAD

LIKE TWO WEEKS BEFORE AND IT WAS

A PAY-PER-VIEW.

WE COULD HAD PUT A HUNDRED

THOUSAND PEOPLE IN THAT PLACE.

WE PUT FOUR--OVER FORTY THOUSAND

PEOPLE IN--WITHIN THREE DAYS

NOTE.

IT'S CRAZY.

>> THE IRONY OF THE WHOLE THING

IS, NOT ONLY THAT THEY BLOW A

MAJOR PAY-PER-VIEW, THEY COULD

HAVE MADE HUGE MONEY FOR IN

TURN, IT SHOWS ALSO THE

IGNORANCE OF SENIOR MANAGEMENT

TURNER FOR ALLOWING IT TO

HAPPEN.

>> WHEN WCW IS DOING WELL, IT

WAS DOING WELL BECAUSE THE

SNOWBALL WAS RUNNING DOWN HILL

AND IT GATHERED MOMENTUM.

AND IT WAS LIKE GOLDBERG CAME

ALONG, YOU KNOW, NASH, DROPPED

OVER.

IT WAS CREATED SOMETHING,

EVERYTHING WAS GOING WELL AND

YOU COULD MAKE A MISTAKE.

>> [CROWD CHEERING]

>> [BELL RINGING]

>> ALL RIGHT.

IT'S A LITTLE TITLE TIME.

>> I THINK GOLDBERG REALIZE THAT

DDP IS NOT AFRAID.

THAT DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE WOULD

GO INTO THIS, YET THE RECKLESS

ABANDON NOT WORRYING ABOUT

TAKING PUNISHMENT.

>> EVERY--NO MAN.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

EVERY MAN HAS TAKEN PLACE FOR

THIS...

>> [CROWD CHEERING]

>> WHAT AN ARM DRAG BY PAGE.

>> PAGE HERE IN THE...

>> [MUSIC]

>> YOU CAN GO OVER FIVE MINUTES,

YOU GO OVER SEVEN MINUTES, IF

YOU HAD A DEAL WITH THE COMPANY.

THEY JUST FELT THERE WOULD BE NO

RECUPERATION, THEY REALLY DID.

NONE.

>> NONE.

EVERYBODY IN PRODUCTION WISE WAS

TRYING TO HELP.

NO MATTER HE WERE OR YOUR

FEELINGS TO GET IT DONE BECAUSE

WE KNEW--WE KNEW WHAT IT MEANT.

YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS TO THE

COMPANY AND RAMIFICATIONS OF

THIS.

IT WAS--IT WAS NUTS.

>> [MUSIC]

>> I THINK THAT'S WHEN

THIS--WHEN THIS--THEY STARTED TO

REALLY ANALYZE WHAT ARE WE DOING

HERE, WE LET THIS THING RUN

BY--RUN BY ITSELF.

NOBODY'S WATCHING US, UM, I

THINK THAT'S WHEN IT REALLY

STARTED TO GO DOWNTOWN.

>> THERE WAS NO SHOW-STOPPERS

EXCEPT GOLDBERG AND KEVIN NASH

WAS RUNNING THE COMPANY.

>> I THINK NASH WAS BEING OVER

HIS HEAD.

I DON'T THINK HE REALLY

UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO

BE A BOOKER.

I THINK HE WAS ONE OF THOSE

THINGS WHERE HE JUST KIND OF

WENT, "YEAH, I SHOULD BE THE

BOOKER.

YEAH, MAYBE I CAN CONVINCE ERIC

TO BE THE BOOKER.

ERIC I WANNA BE BOOKER, I WANNA

BE BOOKER."

"OKAY.

YOU'RE THE BOOKER."

"NOW WHAT I'M GONNA DO?"

>> IF YOU GOT GUYS THAT ARE BIG

STARS LIKE THAT.

IF THEY SEE AN OPPORTUNITY THEY

CONTROL OF ANYTHING, THEY WILL.

>> IF GOLDBERG THINKS FOR A

MINUTE HE'S RUNNING THE SHOW.

HE'S NOT.

WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT I'M

NEXT.

>> [CROWD CHEERING]

>> KEVIN NASH IS VERY SMART.

HE'S VERY CUNNING, UM, AND HE

DIDN'T WANT JUST ANY--HE DIDN'T

WANNA SEE ANYBODY GET ANYMORE

POWERFUL OR MORE FAMOUS OR MORE

ANYTHING THAN HE WAS.

SO WHEN HE SAW THE MONSTER

GOLDBERG COMING, THEN HE STARTED

SETTING SIGHTS ON HOW HE WAS

GONNA COOL HIS JETS.

>> I'M SURE THEY'VE BEEN TALKING

ABOUT THE GOLDBERG BUILT AND

CULMINATING HIS MATCH AT

STARRCADE WITH KEVIN NASH.

YOU'LL GET A LOT OF DIFFERENT

OPINIONS.

>> [CROWD CHEERING]

>> WAIT A MINUTE.

>> HE--OH, JACKKNIFE POWERBOMB.

>> COULD THIS BE IT?

>> ONE, TWO, THREE.

>> [BELL RINGING]

>> THE STREAK IS OVER.

AND WE HAVE A NEW WORLD'S

CHAMPION.

>> I THINK IT'S A STUPID MOVE TO

HAVE ONE OF THE INMATES HELP RUN

THE ASYLUM.

WAS IT THE TIME FOR THE STREAK

TO END?

WHO KNOWS, THAT'S NOT MY

DECISION.

>> IF YOU COME OUT OF RETIREMENT

TONIGHT, YOU GOT KEVIN NASH AT A

SHOT AT THE WCW WORLD

HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE.

>> THE LAST THING WE EXPECTED

WAS FOR HOGAN TO WRESTLE HERE

TONIGHT AGAINST KEVIN NASH BUT

WHY NOT.

>> [CROWD CHATTER]

>> WHAT'S THAT ABOUT?

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

>> WHAT?

>> [BELL RINGING]

>> [CROWD CHATTER]

>> WHAT?

>> WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?

>> IT IS UNBELIEVABLE THE NEW

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION,

HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN.

>> YOU KNOW, THAT WAS HOGAN AND

THAT WAS NASH PLAYING THEIR OWN

LITTLE GAMES AGAINST THE

WRESTLING WORLD.

>> BUT ONCE GOLDBERG JETS WERE

COOLED.

IT WAS DONE.

THERE WAS NO STANDOUT.

EVERYBODY WAS JUST THE SAME.

AND ONCE EVERYBODY IS JUST THE

SAME, MIGHT AS WELL STAY DOWN.

>> YOU CAN MAKE A BUNCH OF SMALL

MISTAKES WHICH WE MAKE VERY FEW

BIG ONES.

OTHERWISE, THE NOSE OF THE PLANE

GOES DOWN, WHEN THAT BIG PLANE

STARTS GOING DOWN IT'S HARD TO

PULL IT UP.

>> ON THE BIG HILL, THIS WORK

WITH ALL OF THIS GUYS ALL OVER

THE COUNTRY.

AND I'M MAKING ONE-SIXTH OF WHAT

THEY'RE MAKING.

I ASK FOR A RAISE AND I REMEMBER

HIS QUOTE TO ME WAS--BECAUSE I

WASN'T OVER ENOUGH TO DESERVE

IT.

YOU KNOW I REMEMBER THAT --

ME OFF TO POINT I SAID, "OKAY.

YOU WANNA SEE OVER.

I'LL GO SOMEWHERE AND GET OVER."

>> THERE WAS NO MOTIVATION TO

TRY AND BREAK FREE AND IF YOU

DID, YOU WOULD NEVER FINANCIALLY

COMPENSATE FOR THAT.

I WAS THERE TO BE WORKHORSE GUY

TO PROVIDE GOOD MATCHES, SO KEEP

MY MOUTH SHUT AND THEN DON'T

DARE TO GET OVER.

>> IT WAS PRETTY HARD WALKING ON

A LOT OF MONEY.

THAT WAS GUARANTEED MONEY THAT

WAS GUARANTEED TO MY POCKET.

IT JUST GOT TO THE BOILING POINT

OF, YOU KNOW, I'LL NEVER GONNA

GET PAST A CERTAIN LEVEL AND IF

I WANNA BE HAPPY WITH MYSELF AND

I KNOW I GOT MORE TO OFFER, I

NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND I

DID.

>> ANYBODY THAT REALLY GOT TO

CERTAIN LEVEL, PEOPLE STARTED

LIKING YOU.

THEY WOULD START TO PUT THE

SCREWS TO YOU AND I NEVER

UNDERSTOOD THAT MINDSET.

I THINK ANOTHER BIG PROBLEM WAS

WHEN VINCE RUSSO CAME OVER.

>> [MUSIC]

>> WHEN VINCE RUSSO CAME TO WCW.

THE MOST I COULD SEE IS HE

BROUGHT AN EXTRA $758,000 A YEAR

IN EXPENSE.

>> AT THE TIME THAT VINCE RUSSO

JOINED WCW, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR

ANYTHING TO GIVE THEM A VEST,

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR RIGHT IDEAS.

>> HE COME OVER TO WCW AND MAYBE

WAS GONNA TAKE WCW TO HIGHER

LEVEL.

>> I THINK PEOPLE THOUGHT RUSSO

WAS THE SAVIOR OF WRESTLING

BECAUSE OF WHAT HE DID IN WWE

BUT MEANWHILE RUSSO HAD A

FILTER.

RUSSO HAD BEEN SO GRANDER ON HIS

IDEAS THROUGH.

HE CAME IN WCW WITH FULL

CREATIVE CONTROL.

HE HAD NOBODY TO TELL HIM WHAT'S

GOOD AND WHAT'S BAD.

>> ANYTHING THAT RUSSO WAS

INVOLVED WITH, I THOUGH SMELLED

LIKE --

ANYTHING HE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH

I DIDN'T LIKE.

>> THE GUY WAS A THREE TRICK

PONY.

HE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE WHAT HE

SAID HE DID.

>> LOT OF US THOUGHT RUSSO WAS

THERE TO DISRUPT AND DESTROY AND

FINISH OFF THE COMPANY.

I THOUGHT IT WAS A CONSPIRACY.

>> I KNOW NOW HOW THEY WERE

SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE IT WAS HE WAS

IN CHARGE, IT WASN'T THEM.

>> I BELIEVED HE DID TRY HIS

HARDEST TO OVERCOME AND HELP OUT

AS MUCH TALENT AS HE COULD BUT

IT JUST--IT JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN.

>> AS THINGS START TO UNFOLD AND

THE THINGS THAT WERE SAID ABOUT

HIM WERE TRUE.

AND THE ASPECT OF HE WAS LITTLE

BIT OFF, UM, WHEN HE CAME TO THE

CREATIVE ASPECT OF--AGAIN ON MY

OPINION OF WHAT THE INDUSTRY,

WHERE IT WAS GOING.

>> THEY NEEDED FOR HIM TO BE

BETTER THAN HE ACTUALLY WAS.

I THINK HE WAS CREATIVE GUY WHO

WOULD DO A LOT OF GREAT THINGS

HERE.

BUT I THINK THAT THEY DIDN'T

KNOW THE WHOLE STORY.

>> THAT'S WHAT STARTED GETTING

RIDICULOUS, AND THEN THEY GO

THIS PLAYING.

AND THEY GOT THE KISS GUY AND

NOBODY CARE OF ANY OF THESE

PEOPLE.

>> YOU WANTED THE BEST, YOU GOT

THE BEST.

THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD,

KISS.

>> THE LOWEST RATING EVER IN THE

HISTORY OF WCW AT THAT POINT.

KISS THE FOUR-MINUTE LIP-SYNC

SEGMENT.

>> I WAS LESS UNCARPETED WITH

THAT BUT I WAS WITH THE DAVID

ARQUETTE INVOLVEMENT INTO THE

WCW BUSINESS.

>> [CROWD CHEERING]

>> MY GOD.

HERE COMES DAVID ARQUETTE.

>> WHAT'S LEFT OF HIM.

>> WHO COULD SCORE THE PINFALL

HERE.

SPEAR BY ARQUETTE.

>> HE'S OVER TOWARDS ARQUETTE.

>> ONE, TWO, THREE.

>> [BELL RINGING]

>> WHAT?

WHAT?

WHAT A--DAVID ARQUETTE GOT THE

WORLD TITLE.

>> DAVID ARQUETTE WON THE WORLD

TITLE.

>> I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

>> DAVID ARQUETTE WON THE WORLD

TITLE.

>> [CROWD CHEERING]

>> DAVID ARQUETTE WITH THE

ACOUSTIC EQUALIZER JUST TOOK OUT

DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE.

>> HE'S A GREAT TALENTED ACTOR,

A FUNNY GUY.

BUT, YOU KNOW, COME ON.

THE WCW CHAMPION, I DON'T THINK

SO.

>> I LOVE DAVID, MAN, AS LONG AS

IT MADE SENSE, I DON'T CARE WHO

HAD THE BELT.

YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS

TEMPORARY.

>> IT WAS--I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO

SAY.

YOU KNOW, A JOKE.

YEAH.

OKAY.

>> IT WAS A FARCE.

IT WAS EMBARRASSMENT,

ATHLETICALLY.

>> WHAT IT MEAN, YOU KNOW, FOR

THE TITLE, DEFINITELY MIGHT AS

WELL THROW IT IN THE TRASH CAN.

NOTHING AGAINST DAVID ARQUETTE

BUT, YOU KNOW, HE DIDN'T DESERVE

IT.

WE DIDN'T DESERVE IT THAT

HAPPENED TO US BUT THERE AGAIN

THAT'S THE LACK OF LEADERSHIP.

>> IT WAS ALMOST LIKE THE THREE

STOOGES OF WRESTLING.

JUST THESE BUMPKINS AND THESE

SIMPLETONS RUNNING THIS

MULTIBILLION DOLLAR COMPANY AND

BISCHOFF IS NOT A SIMPLETON BUT

SOMETHING WAS HAPPENING WHERE HE

WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION.

AND EVERYTHING STARTED

COLLAPSING BECAUSE OF IT.

>> I KNEW THINGS WEREN'T RIGHT

BY ANY STRETCH OF IMAGINATION.

IT WAS NOT THE WONDERFUL

ATMOSPHERE AT WCW THAT IT HAD

BEEN.

IT JUST SEEM AS IF MUTINY WAS

ABOUT TO HAPPENED.

>> AS MUCH AS YOU WANTED TO

ADMIT THAT, YOU KNEW THAT HOGAN

WOULD MAKE IT BACK HERE TO BASH

AT THE BEACH.

>> NO, NO.

I...

>> [BELL RINGING]

>> ...I KNEW HE'D NEVER EVER

MISS A BIG PAY PER VIEW PAYDAY.

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?

>> WAIT A MINUTE

>> WHAT'S JEFF DOING?

>> IS IT HALLOWEEN HAVOC ALL

OVER AGAIN?

>> [CROWD CHATTER]

>> RUSSO COMING.

>> WAIT MINUTE RUSSO.

>> WHAT HE'S SAYING.

>> RUSSO I THINK TOLD JERICHO TO

LAY DOWN.

WHAT'S GOING ON?

>> [CROWD CHATTER]

>> LOOK AT--WHAT IS GOING ON?

HE JUST THREW THE WORLD TITLE TO

HULK.

>> THAT'S WHY THIS COMPANY IS IN

THE DAMN SHAPE IT'S IN BECAUSE

--

LIKE THIS.

>> [CROWD CHEERING]

>> AND I PROMISE EVERYBODY OR

ELSE I'LL GET ON THE --

DAMN BRAKE YOU WILL NEVER SEE

THAT PIECE OF --

AGAIN.

>> IT WASN'T A RESPECTFUL

BUSINESS.

IT WAS MY PLAYPEN AND YOU'RE

GONNA PLAY MY WAY.

IF YOU'RE NOT PLAYING MY WAY

THEN, I'M GONNA SHOW YOU.

AND THIS WAS THE ATTITUDE OF SO

MANY PEOPLE.

AND IT WAS WRONG.

>> IT'S NOT JUST THE SALARIES

THEY WERE GETTING.

IT'S THE LACK OF EFFORT THEY

WERE GETTING BECAUSE EVERYBODY

WAS ME, ME, ME AND THERE WAS NO

WE, WE, WE.

AND THERE WAS NOT WAY THAT YOU

CAN NOT BE UNIFIED, STRIVING TO

ACHIEVE THE SAME GOAL AND EXPECT

TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

THERE'S NO WAY.

>> I AM THE CHOSEN ONE.

>> HE BROKE 6,000 GUITARS, NEVER

DREW A DIME THAT HE THOUGHT HE

WAS THE MAN.

AND HE REALLY THOUGHT IN HIS

LITTLE TENNESSEE BRAIN THAT HE

WAS BIGGER AND BETTER AND WOULD

DRAW MORE MONEY THAN HULK HOGAN.

>> THE FAN SUFFERED AND

ULTIMATELY THEIR COMPANY

SUFFERED.

>> TALENT WAS THERE JUST TO GET

A PAY CHECK AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S

BUSINESS.

RUN IT LIKE A BUSINESS.

THEY WEREN'T RUNNING IT LIKE A

BUSINESS.

>> [MUSIC]

>> THE OVERALL DEMISE OF WCW WAS

THE RESULT OF SEVERAL FACTORS.

TED'S WORLD CHANGE VERY

DRAMATICALLY IN THE ACQUISITION

BY TIME WARNER.

HE DIDN'T HAVE DIRECT CONTROL

OVER LOTS OF THE ELEMENTS

ANYMORE AND EVENTUALLY WHEN IT

WENT TO AOL, HE WAS OUT OF THE

PICTURE COMPLETELY.

>> AOL, THEY MADE IT CLEAR THAT

THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE

ANYTHING TO DO WITH WRESTLING.

>> IT WAS JUST A LACK OF

DIRECTION, YOU KNOW, OF WHAT WE

DO.

A LOT OF PEOPLE IN POSITIONS OF

POWER THAT DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE

WRESTLING BUSINESS, UM, MAKING

DECISIONS FOR WRESTLERS, ABOUT

WRESTLING, ABOUT A BUSINESS THAT

THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT.

>> I THINK THAT WRESTLING WAS

VIEWED IN GENERAL AS A ONE

OF--AN ORGANIZATION THAT PEOPLE

WERE JUST NOT COMFORTABLE WITH

IT FROM THEIR BACKGROUND.

>> THEY DIDN'T THINK THAT

WRESTLING FIT IN TO THEIR

PORTFOLIO.

IT WAS BENEATH THEM TO BE PART

OF THE WRESTLING CLIQUE.

>> BUT WHEN TWO BIG COMPANIES

MERGE AND ONE SAYS, THEY DON'T

WANNA HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING, THAT

PRETTY MUCH CUT AND DRY

SITUATION WHERE YOU KNOW IT'S

ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE

THAT ENTITY IS GONE.

>> IT'S STILL A BUSINESS.

YOU HAVE TO TURN A PROFIT AT THE

END OF THE DAY, IT WAS NOT GONNA

MAKE IT.

AND THAT'S NO DIFFERENT FORM ANY

OTHER BUSINESS IN THE WORLD.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT MAKING

MONEY EVENTUALLY THIS BUSINESS

WILL FAIL.

>> WELL, IT REALLY STARTS TO

SPILL IN THE END BECAUSE

EVERYBODY STARTED LOOKING A

DOLLAR AND CENTS AND MORE

CLOSELY.

>> THE REASON WHY IT FAILED WAS

JUST, YOU KNOW, TOO MUCH MONEY

GOING OUT AND NOT ENOUGH COME

ANY.

>> THEY WEREN'T GONNA FUND A

LOSING ENTITY FOR THE HELL OF

IT.

>> THAT'S WHEN THEY WERE TRYING

TO SELL US AND THAT'S WHEN WWE

WAS CONTACTED.

>> I'LL NEVER FORGET WHEN I

HEARD VINCENT HAD BOUGHT WCW.

>> WHEN I FIRST HEARD VINCENT

MCMAHON WAS BUYING WCW I DIDN'T

BELIEVE IT.

NONE OF US DID, WE'D HEARD 15

DIFFERENT STORIES ABOUT WHAT WAS

GONNA HAPPEN YOU KNOW.

THIS GROUP WAS GONNA BUY THIS

WEEK AND THIS GROUP.

AND WE HEARD THAT WWE HAD BOUGHT

THE COMPANY BUT WE WEREN'T SURE.

NOBODY WAS REALLY SURE, UM,

UNTIL SHANE MCMAHON WALK IN THAT

ROOM.

AND HE WALKED DOWN AND I WAS

LIKE, "OKAY.

WELL I GUESS THIS IS IT."

>> WELCOME TO A LANDMARK NIGHT

IN SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

I HAVE SEEN IT AND I STILL COULD

NOT BELIEVE IT.

>> I DIDN'T WATCH THE SHOW THAT

AIRED FROM PANAMA CITY WHEN WWE

TOOK OVER.

I COULDN'T.

>> WE ARE STUNNED, WE ARE

FLOORED.

WE ARE GONNA BE ADDRESSED BY MR.

MCMAHON HERE TONIGHT ON THE VERY

LAST TELECAST OF WCW MONDAY

NITRO.

>> THE VERY FATE OF WCW IS IN MY

HANDS.

>> IT'S KIND OF COOL WHEN WE

THAT WHERE BY SHANE SHOWS UP,

YOU KNOW, RUNNING WCW AND ALL OF

THE SUDDEN, THE RATINGS GO BACK

AND FORTH, WHICH I THOUGHT THE

AUDIENCE DID NOT KNOW WAS GONNA

HAPPEN.

I THOUGHT IT WAS A PRETTY COOL

NIGHT.

>> I NOW OWN WCW.

>> [MUSIC]

>> THAT LAST NITRO IN PANAMA,

THERE WAS--THERE WAS A LOT FEAR

FOR A LOT OF GUYS.

AS FAR AS WE'RE CONCERNED THAT

LAST NIGHT IN PANAMA WAS GONNA

BE OUR LAST MATCH.

>> I WAS ACTUALLY SCARED.

I WAS SCARED BECAUSE I DON'T

KNOW IF I WAS GONNA BE LEFT OUT

OF A JOB OR NOT.

>> WHAT MUST BE GOING THROUGH

THE MIND OF RIC FLAIR.

>> THAT PLACE IS GONNA BE SHUT

DOWN A YEAR BEFORE IT WAS--IT'S

TERRIBLE.

I WAS EMBARRASSED TO BE PART OF

THE SHOW.

>> [MUSIC]

>> WE HAD NO PARADE.

WE HAD NO CELEBRATION BECAUSE

THEY WENT OUT.

WE--IT WAS ANOTHER DAY.

>> I DIDN'T FEEL ANY, YOU KNOW,

EGO BOOST OR "WAY TO GO VINCE,

YOU KNOW, YOU CRUSH THEM AND NOW

YOU OWN I MEAN ALL OF THAT."

I LOOK AT IT AS, UM, AS A

BUSINESS AS USUAL.

WHEN THIS ASSET WAS AVAILABLE WE

GOT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS GONNA BE

A GREAT DEAL.

>> WHEN I HEARD WHAT HE BOUGHT

IT FOR.

I SAID, "I WISH I WOULD HAVE

KNOWN BECAUSE I WOULD TRY TO BUY

IT."

FOR THE MONEY THAT HE BOUGHT IT

FOR I COULD HAVE AFFORD IT.

>> BUT YEAH WHEN VINCE BOUGHT

WCW THAT WAS THE END OF AN ERA.

>> I WASN'T--YOU KNOW, HE LAID

THE DAY THEY SOLD IT.

BUT I DO I THINK IF THE BUSINESS

WOULD BE BETTER IF WE HAD TWO

COMPANIES, IT WOULD BE GREAT.

>> I THOUGHT IT WAS HORRIBLE FOR

THE BUSINESS.

YOU KILL YOUR COMPETITION.

WHAT IT'S GONNA DO TO DO THE

MARKET PLACE?

>> NOT THE BEST TIME FOR A

PERFORMER IN THIS BUSINESS

BECAUSE YOU COULD ALWAYS GO

SOMEWHERE ELSE IF YOU DIDN'T

LIKE WCW YOU CAN GO TO WWE.

IF YOU DIDN'T LIKE WWE GO TO

WCW, YOU KNOW YOU CAN GET

TREATED FAIRLY, FINANCIALLY IF

NOTHING ELSE.

>> A LOT OF GUYS THAT HAD THE

ABILITY TO BE WORKING IT ALL.

THERE IS JUST NOT ANY PLACE GO,

YOU KNOW, WHICH IS SAD BECAUSE

IT'S A PHENOMENAL WAY TO MAKE A

LIVING.

>> THE BUSINESS WAS PROSPERING

MUCH MORE SO WHEN WCW WAS GOING

HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH WWE.

>> WHEN THEY CLOSE UP SHOP.

IT WAS SUCH A PIECE JUNK BY THAT

TIME THAT I WAS READY TO SAY

GOODBYE AND GO ON TO OTHER

THINGS.

>> I WASN'T HAPPY AT ALL WHEN

THE WHOLE THING WENT DOWN AND I

WAS EVEN SAD MORE BY THE WAY IT

WENT DOWN.

>> I WAS SAD BECAUSE I--IT WAS

AN END TO MY FATHER'S COMPANY.

AT THE SAME TIME I WAS HAPPY

WE'RE THE SAME PERSON AT IT.

>> AT LEAST IT WASN'T GOING TO

JUST DISAPPEAR, YOU KNOW, THAT

WAS MY BIGGEST CONCERN AT THE

TIME.

BECAUSE I FELT LIKE EVEN THOUGH

IT WASN'T MY COMPANY, IT'S

CLEARLY IT WASN'T.

BUT I FELT LIKE IT WAS.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF ME WRAPPED

UP IN THAT COMPANY, YOU KNOW, AT

LEAST IN MY OWN MIND MAYBE NOT

ON ANYBODY ELSE'S BUT IN MINE.

AND THE FACT THAT IT STILL HAD A

LIFE, YOU KNOW, I FELT GOOD

ABOUT THAT.

>> TO ME WCW WAS NEVER A BAD

THING.

THEY WERE THE COMPETITION.

THEY WERE THE TEAM WE PLAYED

EVERY MONDAY NIGHT.

AND WE WANNA BEAT THEM BUT NEVER

HAD.

>> [MUSIC]

>> WCW WAS SO COOL EARLY INT

THE, YOU KNOW THE 70S AND 80S.

AND 6:05 IN A SMALL BUILDING, WE

HAD SO MUCH FUN.

>> I SIT BACK HERE IN TED

TURNER'S PRIVATE OFFICE AND I

WATCHED WHAT WE HAVE TO COME TO

KNOW AS THE GREATEST WRESTLING

PROGRAM EVER PUT TOGETHER BY

ANYBODY ANY WAY IN THIS WHOLE

WORLD.

>> TURNER BROADCASTING VEHICLE

HAD TAKEN US TO A DIFFERENT

STRATOSPHERE WHERE PEOPLE WERE

BUZZING ABOUT US ALL OVER THE

COUNTRY.

BEING IN THE FRONT OF THAT MANY

PEOPLE IN A FRENZY, THERE'S

NOTHING ELSE IN LIFE THAT WOULD

COMPARE WITH THAT.

>> I MADE SOME LIFE LONG FRIENDS

AS OF WCW, NWA.

>> THERE'S A FEELING, I GO BACK

TO.

WHEN THE POLICE GET ON THEIR TV

AND SAY DON'T COME TO

GREENSBORO.

IT'S SOLD OUT.

DON'T COME.

A WRESTLING MATCH SHUT DOWN A

TOWN.

THAT'S A TREMENDOUS FEELING OF

ACCOMPLISHMENT.

>> AS I LOOK BACK, I TAKE A LOOK

AT THE PRODUCTION VALUES, ALL OF

A SUDDEN THAT WERE BROUGHT UP.

>> PRODUCTION WISE, WE WERE THE

FIRST DIVISION AT TURNER TO GO

DIGITAL.

>> NITRO EACH AND EVERY MONDAY.

THE ONLY WRESTLING PROGRAM

COMING YOUR WAY IN EVERY WEEK IS

LIVE.

>> WE WERE VERY INNOVATED AND

BECAUSE WE WERE LIKE--WE WERE

CHANGING CERTAIN THINGS AS IT

WAS ON LIVE JUST TO MAKE IT

BETTER.

>> WHAT AN ELECTRIC ATMOSPHERE.

>> THEY CREATED A GREAT

COMPETITION ON MONDAY NIGHT THAT

MADE MONDAY A DESTINATION FOR

TELEVISION VIEWERS EVERYWHERE.

>> THEY TOOK THE BIG ARENA AND

THE FANCY TV AND THE FIREWORKS

AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.

AND THEN THEY TOOK THE OLD

STORY-LINES OF GOOD VERSUS EVIL,

BIG VERSUS SMALL.

AND THEY PUT THE WHOLE THING

TOGETHER.

AND IT MADE IT UNBELIEVABLE.

>> WE ARE NUMBER ONE,

UNCONTESTED, WE ARE WCW.

>> EVERYTHING CAME TOGETHER.

>> THIS THING JUST TOOK OFF.

>> NITRO HELPED REVOLUTIONIZE

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

>> MONDAY NITRO, THE PROGRAM

THAT SET THE STANDARD IS OFF AND

RUNNING.

>> IT TOOK A LIFE ON IT'S OWN.

>> PEOPLE WERE NOTICING, THE

AMOUNT OF KIDS THAT WE PUT

SMILES ON THEIR FACES.

>> IT WAS SOMETHING NEAR ON THE

SHELF FOR EVERYBODY.

>> WE STILL HAVE THE GREATEST

WRESTLING IN THE WORLD TO BRING

YOU, FOR YOU THE GREATEST FANS

OF THE WORLD.

>> AND THEY REALLY JUMPED ON THE

BAND WAGON.

>> I JUST WANNA TELL EACH AND

EVERY ONE OF YOU HERE TONIGHT,

HOW HAPPY I AM TO BE HERE WITH

YOU.

>> WE KNEW THAT WE COULD DO

THINGS THAT NOBODY EVER THOUGHT

WE WOULD DO, COULD DO, OR SHOULD

DO.

AND IT WOULD PROBABLY WORK AND

IT DID.

>> IT WAS REALLY FUN.

>> THE AUDIENCE WOULD HAVE NEVER

ENJOYED AS MUCH GREAT PRODUCT AS

THEY HAVE, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR

MONDAY NIGHT NITRO.

THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL.

>> WCW IS ON TOP OF THE

MOUNTAIN.

>> GUYS--FOR A LOT OF GUYS HAD

MADE A LOT OF MONEY,

GOT--LAUNCHED THEIR CAREERS,

TOOK TO THEM TO A NEW LEVEL.

>> I'M GETTING PAID TO DO

SOMETHING THAT I ABSOLUTELY LOVE

AND IT WAS PRETTY AMAZING.

>> I CUT MY TEETH IN WCW AND I'M

VERY THANKFUL I GOT CHANCE TO GO

THERE.

>> THEY GAVE ME MY BREAK.

I RAN WITH IT, I HAD A--YOU

KNOW, I MEET A LOT GREAT PEOPLE.

>> WE WOULD SOLD OUT ARENAS,

NIGHT IN, NIGHT OUT.

>> AN ALL TIME RECORD FOR

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING IN THE

CITY OF HOUSTON.

>> WERE IN FRONT OF THE LARGEST

CROWD EVER TO SEE A PROFESSIONAL

WRESTLING EVENT IN THE STATE OF

MISSOURI.

>> AND IT WAS FUN.

>> TED LOVED WRESTLING, EVEN TO

THIS DAY.

WHEN WE SEE THE IDEA TO BRING

IT, IT WAS HIS IDEA TO KEEP IT.

AND HE WOULD STILL LOVE TO HAVE

IT.