5 years ago, Russo and Ferrara moved to WCW

[JoeDirt 0]

On 10/18/99 (okay, it's a day short of 5 years as I type this, so what?), Russo and Ferrara had their first episode of Nitro after jumping from the WWF to WCW to "save" that company. This thread is devoted to WCW from this point to its end. Feel free to comment about whatever you'd like.

 

Results:

 

1) Evan Karagias and Juventud Guerrera go to a no contest when Bret Hart walks down in the middle of their match to do a mic segment. Sting comes down and they set up Sting/Bret for the world title later.

 

2) Disco Inferno d. Vampiro

 

3) Rey Misterio Jr. and Konnan d. Harlem Heat to become the WCW tag team champions

 

4) Meng d. Hugh Morrus

 

5) Berlyn d. Rick Steiner after interference by Berlyn's bodyguard.

 

6) Kidman d. David Flair after distraction by Torrie Wilson

 

7) Mona d. Madusa in an evening gown match

 

8) Sting d. Bret Hart to retain the WCW title after Lex Luger hit Bret in the leg with a bat, and Sting hooked the Scorpion Deathlock.

 

9) La Parka d. Buff Bagwell - after the match, Bagwell got on a headset and said "did I do good for you Russo? Is there anyone else you want to beat me?" Jeff Jarrett debuts and hits Bagwell with a guitar.

 

10) Chavo Guerrero d. Eddy Guerrero and Perry Saturn

 

11) Norman Smiley d. Horace Hogan

 

12) Goldberg d. Lex Luger

 

-This show also features the Outsiders trying to sneak into the arena as the Villanos, Kimberly meeting Ric Flair in a hotel (after thinking she was going to see David Flair), the Filthy Animals beating up Flair and taking his clothes and Rolex, and plenty of women in their underwear.

[deancoles 0]

From this show I remember really liking the Bret/Sting match and La Parka getting his biggest win ever in WCW(The Randy Savage thing doesn't count)

[Placebo Effect 0]

Russo's booking was such a mess in 1999. Having to fill up five hours of TV week with talent that he was mostly unfamiliar with working with was a disaster.

 

When he came back in April, I loved what he did in a freakish kind of way.

[Guest MikeSC]

I have a hard time remembering any of their angles from 1999.

 

But I do remember their shows sucking.

-=Mike

[The Mandarin 0]

Shit, I remember Jarrett's debut but I don't remember La Parka winning.

[The Dames 0]

I remember people on the net actually believing the hype and expecting WCW to be turned around within 2 months.

 

Every time WCW planned some sort of turnaround, there were people out there who gave Russo the benefit of the doubt. I will admit, the April 10th, 2000 show, when Russo & Bischoff joined forces and stripped everyone of their titles was pretty interesting, until they dropped the ball again.

 

Dames

[Guest MikeSC]

I remember people on the net actually believing the hype and expecting WCW to be turned around within 2 months.

 

Every time WCW planned some sort of turnaround, there were people out there who gave Russo the benefit of the doubt. I will admit, the April 10th, 2000 show, when Russo & Bischoff joined forces and stripped everyone of their titles was pretty interesting, until they dropped the ball again.

 

Dames

I was one of the few guys I knew who flat-out panned that show. Pure, unmitigated crap.

-=Mike

[Steviekick 0]

That show was crap. I actually wound up having it on a VCR tape. It didn't hold up after a few months, let a lone now.

[razazteca 0]

I remember people on the net actually believing the hype and expecting WCW to be turned around within 2 months.

 

Every time WCW planned some sort of turnaround, there were people out there who gave Russo the benefit of the doubt. I will admit, the April 10th, 2000 show, when Russo & Bischoff joined forces and stripped everyone of their titles was pretty interesting, until they dropped the ball again.

 

Dames

Too much dirt sheet info during that show killed whatever progress it made. But come on.....Jeff Jarrett as the future of the company?

[JoeDirt 0]

The April 10th, 2000 show was basically an "angle overkill" show to get the ball rolling for the future. Didn't have any wrestling, but it had a ton of angles thrown at you at once, kind of like Spring Stampede ended up being.

 

I think they were doing fine/okayish until they put the title on Arquette. And the fact that the title changed hands NINE TIMES from Spring Stampede to the end of May...NINE TIMES is a month and a half, didn't really do much for the prestige of that title or making people care any about the angles. And of course the angle with Arquette didn't make SENSE, either...he beats Bischoff in a match so DDP gets a title shot at Jarrett. DDP beats Jarrett for the title. Arquette then wins the title from DDP in a tag match when he's on DDP'S TEAM, and then screws over DDP at Slamboree and gives the title back to Jarrett.

 

So what the fuck was the point of all that?

 

Oh well...I guess it wasn't much worse than the shit WCW did from January-March of 2000. That stuff sucked too.

[Guest Loss]

Hmm, perhaps we wouldn't be in this k-hole had Russo never jumped, because someone else might have turned the WCW product around through patience and good booking, and we'd have another (free) alternative. I don't know that that's absolutely the case, but it's possible.

[JoeDirt 0]

I also wonder what would have happened in 1999 during Russo's first run if Hall, Goldberg, Jarrett, and Hart all hadn't gotten injured. Russo might never have been removed from power because he wouldn't have suggested Tank Abbott to win the title!

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I don't think any one would have been able to turn WCW around as long as the politics of the company were allowed to go unchecked. As soon as anyone got hot, the usual suspects cut their legs off, and without stopping that, it wouldn't have mattered who was booking.

[Guest MikeSC]

Hmm, perhaps we wouldn't be in this k-hole had Russo never jumped, because someone else might have turned the WCW product around through patience and good booking, and we'd have another (free) alternative. I don't know that that's absolutely the case, but it's possible.

Gotta disagree, simply because WCW's problems were deep. The inmates did run the asylum. It'd be like having MULTIPLE HHH's (or JJ's, for you TNA marks) in one company at one time.

 

I don't think anybody could have really helped them, since the ME scene was unable to become un-stale.

-=Mike