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Vern Gagne

When did you know WWE would regain the #1. spot

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Nitro won the ratings war for 88 straight weeks. The NWO storyline changed wrestling. It was Must See TV. WCW however didn't really capitalize. They blew the entire Sting in the Rafters storyline, they misused Brett Hart, the made the NWO too dominate, certain performers gained too much power.

 

At what point did you say the WWE would regain the #1 spot? For me it was the Hart Foundation storyline in 1997. Good matches, great storylines. Austin's character imo at it's best both in ring and out of the ring.

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The Hart Foundation feud with Austin, definitely, that was IMO much more exciting than the nWo dominating Nitro. Honestly, I thought the nWo had ran it's course once the roster bloated so much, and it was the great workers on the undercard that I was tuning in for, not the main angles. Pretty much anything the Stone Cold character did in late 96 and 1997 was more compelling than anything WCW produced.

 

And once the original DX formed, combined with Austin and The Rock both on fire, I knew it was just a matter of time before the WWF pulled ahead.

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Guest Loss

The product started improving when Bret turned heel and formed a stable, and it was obvious it was only a matter of time. Before the ratings came out, I thought for sure they'd won the night Austin and Tyson got into a shoving match. Lucky for them (and us), Vince was patient and stayed the course because he knew he was putting out the better product.

 

It's sad that Bret was one of the major ingredients in the product's improvement and he wasn't around to reap the benefits of his work.

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Guest LooneyTune

I'd say around the time for Wrestlemania XIV with the Mike Tyson angle. I was a fan of Tyson, and wasn't watching WWF match at the time, but it got me watching on a more regular basis than WCW.

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Guest Trivia247

the exact moment, Wm14

 

be it that the crowd was hot, and the mainstream public eye got curious due to the fact Mike Tyson was on there, and they promoted it good from the end of Royal Rumble on up. Made WM 14 anticipation through the roof. of Course Austin winning and Shawn just nearly sacrificing his ability to walk just to give the crowd a main event you couldn't forget. Thats when the Turn begun... It was Solidified by the Raw after that with Austin in the semi Corporate style came out and turned on Vince. and the DX army began to grow. Then made their invasion a few weeks later on WCW, well outside the Arena.

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Once the WWF dodged the bullet in regard to getting cancelled by USA. After that, it was only a matter of time. WCW was so rife with backstabbing, politicking and a sea of huge ego's, that it was just a matter of time before it all imploded. It wouldn't have mattered if the nWo angle was booked to perfection, all those ego's would have self-destructed sooner or later.

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MIKE.

 

TYSON.

 

It was shocking. It made Austin a national figure. Every kid in school talked about it.

 

WM 14 was the true "rebirth" of the WWE's meteoric return to #1. The began winning the wars shortly after, with Raw in Philly and the McMahon/Austin weeks later non-match.

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I got back into the product again just before the Hart Foundation storyline, but I'd say the ONE thing that made me believe the turnaround was in full effect was the night Austin and Tyson stood eye-to-eye. I felt that they had finally found that one big star to hitch their wagon to again. People may argue that Austin had that before, but even during 1997, there was still Hart, Michaels, and even Undertaker for Austin to leapfrog. Once the Tyson confrontation happened, it was there that they really pulled the trigger on the Austin push which, given his popularity, was naturally the correct thing to do.

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When Vince said on RAW that there was no way in hell that he wanted Austin to become champion in early 98. I knew that was the storyline that would carry them to #1 again. Tyson would get people talking, but he would be gone after Wrestlemania. Austin/McMahon is what would keep them there.

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MIKE.

 

TYSON.

 

It was shocking. It made Austin a national figure. Every kid in school talked about it.

 

WM 14 was the true "rebirth" of the WWE's meteoric return to #1. The began winning the wars shortly after, with Raw in Philly and the McMahon/Austin weeks later non-match.

Man, I was at that Raw. Fucking electric in there that night.

 

But yeah, definitely the Tyson appearances, and then the McMahon/Austin non-match.

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