Austin/McMahon made so much money that Vince was able to BUY WCW three years later.  That's not to say WCW was exactly a valuable commodity at that point...but still.  Austin/McMahon just drew a lot more money, had more longevity, and grew and adapted as it went on.  The nWo just got bigger, but the Austin/McMahon story grew into the Corporation, the Corporate Ministry, and so on, and helped the careers of Rock, Foley, and HHH a fair deal.