When was WCW the best?

[JoeDirt 0]

From 1995-2001, when did you like WCW's product the best and why? It doesn't have to be when they were winning the ratings war, or maybe it is...but when did you enjoy their shows the most?

[Papacita 0]

July-September 96 when the nWo first got started.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

From what most people told me, 1997. Unfortunately, I didn't become a WCW fan until I saw the infamous nWo Monday Nitro episode. I enjoyed most of 1998 though.

[Papacita 0]

Unfortunately, I didn't become a WCW fan until I saw the infamous nWo Monday Nitro episode.

Which one?

 

I always thought 97 WCW was overrated, BTW. Just the same stuff every week. Hogan and Bischoff come out, Hogan plays air guitar, nWo beats somebody down, Sting drops from the rafters, end of show.

 

The shows weren't as bad as as they'd get eventually, but they couldn't touch what Raw was putting out at the time.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

January-April 1998. The NWO was featured less and this was the time of such great things as Benoit/Raven, Jericho's heel push, Booker's initial single push, Eddy/Chavo, and so on. Souled Out was one of the best PPVs that WCW ever put on. This was also when they started teasing the NWO breakup. The angle was good in the early stages before the whole Wolfpack/Hollywood thing. Everything came crashing down when Hogan won the title back the night after Spring Stampede.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Which one?

 

The one where they took over the show and were giving Hogan all the kinds of gifts and crap. Ended with Hogan being (very amusingly) "scared shitless" when he opened a box, a gift from Sting, of a fake plastic head of Hogan.

[Enigma 0]

I was at the nWo Monday Nitro episode. December 1997 in Macon, GA. And let me tell you, it was boring as hell.

 

I think WCW 2001 doesn't get nearly as much credit as it deserves due to the circumstances. Sure, the main event scene sucked, but when did it ever not suck? The mid-card and the Cruiserweight division was definitely on it's way back to prominence with the implementation of great new talents such as Shane Helms, Jamie Knoble, Cash, and Jason Jett and the established veterans of the division Chavo Guerrero, Jr., Rey Mysterio, Jr., and Billy Kidman. The match quality from the lower-card to the upper-mid card was absolutely fantastic and doesn't get near enough recognition it deserves due to it following the very bleak WCW 2000 period and the sale to Vince McMahon which ultimately killed the company.

[Placebo Effect 0]

When the nWo first came around, I loved the product. Watching it today devalues it so much because back then, the things WCW were doing were so foreign to us. A heel hogan, the cool bad guys, backstage attacks, etc. Plus, the cruiserweights held things up on the workrate end.

 

Other than that, I absolutely loved WCW from the New Blood angle until their demise. Most of the angles just clicked with me, and for whatever reason, I was digging guys like Mark Madden being on commentary, excluding his lame ass catchphrases.

[King Kamala 0]

I dig the summer of 96, WCW was just clicking on all cylinders at that time. Sure the main events were bleh, but those storylines for them were excellent and most of the undercard was excellent.

[El Gigante 0]

The summer of 1996 through mid 1998 was when they had some good angles going and kept the shows entertaining. With the unpredictablility of the nWo and who would join next along with the question of would Sting finally get a match with Hogan. I also liked from the New Blood era to the demise of the company. It wasn't the greatest angles and wrestling at some points, but it might have been the stupidity of some of the angles they ran that kept it entertaining.

[Guest M. Harry Smilac]

From the time the nwo started in '96 till the time they decided to make nitro 3 hours.

 

My brother had trouble staying awake through all 3 hours and gave up after about 5 episodes and that was after 1-2 years never missing an episode.

 

I lasted a bit longer but not much.

[chaosrage 0]

From what most people told me, 1997. Unfortunately, I didn't become a WCW fan until I saw the infamous nWo Monday Nitro episode. I enjoyed most of 1998 though.

That was the show that turned me into a WWF fan.

[JustJoe2k5 0]

I became a wrestling fan in '98, and the very first thing I ever saw was Lex Luger, Randy Savage, and Sting fighting the nWo. I followed WCW from '98 until their demise, and as far as in-ring wrestling, I believe their peak was in '99. Storyline wise it would be '98, and I was really enjoying their shows in '01, including their last three PPVs.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

I also really liked WCW's final 3 months in existance. Even though the end was neigh, it didn't stop them from trying to go out in the best way possible, and I think they achieved that.

 

The final 3 months, to me, really showcased DDP as WCW's MVP at the time, as he was a guy who you could always count on for a great PPV match. Not to mention all the really wicked cruiserweight stuff that went down at that time, including the largely forgotten about work of Jason Jett.

 

UYI

[eiker_ir 0]

i agree with Kahran Ramsus, my favorite period was the first half of 1998, mainly for all the Jericho stuff with the Cruiser belt vs. Malenko/Juvi , but also the Raven/Benoit/DDP matches, the Chavo/Eddie Angle and some great cruiser matches as always.

[Coffin Surfer 0]

I'd go with 92 easily, thanks to the awesome Dangerous Alliance Angle, Vader, and of course the staggering number of excellent matches the year produced such as:

 

Sting vs. Cactus Jack Beach Blast '92

 

Jushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman Superbrawl '92

 

Shane Douglas & Ricky Steamboat vs. Barry Windham & Brian Pillman Starrcade '92

 

Sting vs. Vader GAB '92

 

Sting vs. Vader Starrcade '92

 

Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes vs. Larry Zbysko & Steve Austin Superbrawl '92

 

Wargames 92

 

91 and 93 had some good stuff too.

[Guest wildpegasus]

95 was awesome because it was the arrival of Benoit, Eddie and others. I still remember hoping Benoit would the title in 95. Anytime Benoit, Regal, Eddie, Dean, DDP, Raven, Saturn, Kidman, Booker and Mysterio Jr. were wrestling were my favourite times of WCW.

[eiker_ir 0]

well the question is your favorite period from 1995-2001

[alfdogg 0]

From July to the end of 96, when the NWO was the N W FUCKING O, and not the pussified version we saw in 98.

[Steviekick 0]

i agree with Kahran Ramsus, my favorite period was the first half of 1998, mainly for all the Jericho stuff with the Cruiser belt vs. Malenko/Juvi , but also the Raven/Benoit/DDP matches, the Chavo/Eddie Angle and some great cruiser matches as always.

That was a very good time. I'd actually say extend that time period to summer 1997. The stuff when Raven first debuted was really cool, especially the TV title stuff with Disco, Saturn, Rick Martel, and Booker.

[deancoles 0]

Guys like Buff Bagwell and Alex Wright were good at that time as well and it's a shame that both suffered injuries which killed their workrate.

[Steviekick 0]

Guys like Buff Bagwell and Alex Wright were good at that time as well and it's a shame that both suffered injuries which killed their workrate.

That's true. And it's a shame that the Berlyn gimmick got killed off. It was actually one of the better ideas that Dusty had.

[SteakGrowsOnUecker 0]

I've gotta agree with July 96 through December 96 is when WCW was at their absolute best. The shows were interesting and brought something new for the time, compared to the same ol stuff that was on Raw. Everything from the nWo to the cruiserweights, the way random stuff happened through the two hours just made it great. Once they got into the weekly formula at the beginnign of 97 is when the unpredictablility died and I stopped watching.

[Coffin Surfer 0]

well the question is your favorite period from 1995-2001

The way it's worded, I thought he was just sayng that 95-2001 was his favorite period. Still, I'd take 92 or over any of those years too.

[Si82 0]

I really like it from 1996 - 1998 once the nWo came in (the first Nitro I saw was the one after Bash at the Beach '96).

 

Although, to narrow it down, I would say early 98 was may favourite period with stuff like Raven/Benoit/DDP and Jericho/Malenko.

 

WCW was just so cool during that period. Mind you the WWF started to comeback from around April '97 with the Hart/Austin feud.

[tommytomlin 0]

WCW in 1996-1998 was my favourite era of a wrestling promotion ever. Stuff like the 6-Man Lucha matches, Crow Sting, the Flock vs Benoit/DDP/Saturn, the nWo, Piper going crazy, Flair, all the surprise debuts like Rude, Jarrett, Henning, the rise of Goldberg, Jericho/Malenko, Rey and Eddie's matches and just the way every Nitro had a big-time feel to it hooked me.

 

The dieing days of WCW, with the Steiner/Booker feud and the re-emergance of the Cruiserweight division with Chavo and Sugar Shane rocked too. A shame it took two years of absolute shit in the middle.

[The Buzz 0]

I'll say 97-98, 2001 for the question.

 

But WCW's best overall period was 92 as an earlier poster mentioned.

[4hartthreat 0]

I'm glad others are mentioning the completely underrated 2001 period of WCW. The only things not clicking during that time was the top group with Flair, Jarrett, Bagwell, the Steiners, Animal, and whoever else was in there, and Kronic. EVERYTHING else was awesome. I thought the Cruiserweight division had finally gotten back to its former greatness with the emergence of Helms, Moore, a future world champion AJ Styles, and others. And also the newly formed Cruiserweight Tag Team title had a hot little series going with Kidman and Rey vs. Elix and Kid Romeo. I truly believe that had the deal with Bischoff gone through, we were on the verge of another golden era for wrestling. The WWF was going strong and would get better, and WCW looked like it was ready to break out again. I get a little sad everytime I think back to WCW 2001 and what could have been.

 

As for the question, I thought WCW was awesome from late 95 through most of 98.

[Placebo Effect 0]

Magnificent Seven.

 

WHO ATTACKED MIDAJAH???

[Guest Choken One]

1994 prior to Hogan.

 

1997 when the CW's and Jericho ruled all.