This was a wacky weekend. The same day as this press conference, Zuffa bought UFC and that weekend were the last two ECW shows.
@Biesel10 жыл бұрын
It's depressing to listen to this. This could have been great. So sad.
@cameroncrash87558 жыл бұрын
It could've been if everyone was on the same page, but even if Time Warner and Fusient were on the same ballpark, I doubt they would've played nice with each other, especially with Bischoff in the midst of all of this.
@juanguerra71075 жыл бұрын
It was a sad day
@cameronmcdonley97959 жыл бұрын
Imagine if this happened. Would WCW still be around today?
@LALakersNornIron3 жыл бұрын
I certainly believe it would be. There would have been no Impact wrestling or AEW. And the XWF or WWA would never have been attempted. I do believe this new ownership would have grown WCW and turned it into a profitable and successful wrestling entity.
@PuroresuFan3 жыл бұрын
@@LALakersNornIron I don't think any startups would've followed in the coming years. I've said it until I'm blue in the face on Twitter but everybody seems to argue with me about it with immature "clap-backs". Without the death of both WCW and ECW, there would've been no TNA/Impact Wrestling, no Ring of Honor, and most certainly no AEW. Not to mention, many television networks didn't want wrestling at the time, so there would've only been room for 2 or 3 promotions on top. It was the absence of competition that made fans (and network executives alike), clamor for content on these stations years and decades later. If the competition (WCW) was still there on a major level, there would've been no motivation for a startup to even try their own brand of wrestling. A lot of newer fans don't get that and are in my opinion, brainwashed by the modern popular opinion.
@williammcguire1302 жыл бұрын
If they could've survived until 2005 they'd still be here today. The rights fees went crazy around that time.
@KentKaliber8 ай бұрын
This is absolutely FASCINATING to time travel back and hear this. It's so sad how this ended. An entire generation of fans LEFT pro wrestling when WCW closed, and they never came back.
@Koolazzmike4 жыл бұрын
This sounds like a deal that should have went through. It also sounded like WCW would have been in better hands than Time Warner.
@LALakersNornIron3 жыл бұрын
It definitely would have worked. Brian and Eric would have been a perfect partnership. WCW may not have overtaken the WWF again but they could have grown and become profitable again and become a very strong number 2.
@jonas14g9 жыл бұрын
Why did they sell to WWF for less than Fusient was willing to pay? A bad business move surely as well as being the move that killed wrestling (in all but name). It seems more and more people are starting to realise this was a terrible day, for all WCWs flaws. (most of which were inflicted by Time-Warner/AOL anyway) grateful for this - never thought I'd ever hear this
@hezekiahramirez69658 жыл бұрын
Since no one ever answered your question I thought I would in case you'd not heard this yet. Fusient pulled out of negotiations when Time Warner canceled WCW. The head of programming would not give them a TV deal and no other channel would pick them up for various reasons. Without a TV deal Bischoff's investors pulled out and Fusient didn't have the capital anymore and was forced to exit talks. Without TV WCW was more or less worthless to anyone who didn't already have infrastructure in place. It would not have made sence economically to buy the company, keep it operational, and maybe eventually get back on TV where they could make money. So Vince McMahon was essentially the only willing buyer left who had the capital and was willing to take it off their hands immediately. So in a nutshell that's what happened. Of course there are twists and turns but that's pretty much it. I hope that answers your question to your satisfaction.
@cameroncrash87558 жыл бұрын
The whole thing is still weird. It's still honestly one of the most convoluted things outside of the ring to happen in this business. Some people still question if the sale to WWF was even legal.
@willisapril7 жыл бұрын
Beacause WWE didn't actually buy the company. The just bought the name likeness and film library. The WCW wrestlers that were under contract had to accept a buyout to come to WWE. Some came right away like Booker T and DDP. Others like Hall, Nash, Hogan, Flair, Steiner, Goldberg waited till their contact with Time Warner ran out.
@litodat2336 жыл бұрын
jonas14g because they didn’t like wrestling felt they did it out of spite
@RetroUnlim6 жыл бұрын
After the Scott Hall invasion/debut at WCW, using the Razor Ramon likeness, WWE took WCW to court and received damages and an agreement that if WCW were ever for sale in the future, they would have first option.
@revolucion0410 жыл бұрын
i love it when they say "it's not a competition between wwf and wcw". bischoff was so cocky in the mid 90's it's hilarious that they're backin off now that they're company is on the verge of dying
@LALakersNornIron3 жыл бұрын
I think he was being realistic here. WCW would have been looking to have been profitable number one and grow the brand once again. Basically it was 1993 all over again only it would have been tapings from Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas rather than Disney MGM. Eric would have made this work with such great partners. Oh what could have been.
@BossChronicles6 жыл бұрын
If only this went through ! Wrestling died when WCW folded and went of business
@CBright78319 жыл бұрын
1:05 - I'd love to hear that one day.
@stanteau10 жыл бұрын
Awesome
@CHUUMPASS5 жыл бұрын
what an interesting piece of history, oh if only, what could have been....a massive case of coulda shoulda woulda.
@simonc31128 жыл бұрын
i don't know why bishoff didn't think of this before, and stall and push time warner for just a little more time until he could get a tv deal, which i'm sure he would have been able to do in a fairly short amount of time because pro wrestling was still so hot back then. instead he leaves it up for grabs not assuming that vince might just be waiting for the opportunity to kill his competition. he went to turner executives and said "let me buy the company", and didn't think that he might not have airtime? didn't he notice that they had lost hope in wcw?
@litodat2336 жыл бұрын
simon c he tried to get another tv deal nobody wanted it fox nobody wanted it he did try
@NickGerse6 жыл бұрын
No major TV companies wanted pro wrestling in 2001, really. WWF was still getting great ratings but the 90s boom of wrestling was fading away and WCW was looked at as tainted goods.
@kaledadam39552 жыл бұрын
ughhh if this sale would have happened sigh
@HILLTOWNKING424 жыл бұрын
23:50 Alex Marvez is on the conference call
@hoivanmavin22286 жыл бұрын
the problems with WCW and its times was the massive egos of all concerned. when a business man disregards the profitability of a company even when they were no longer dominating the 'Monday night war' that's when u have to question the business acumen of that business man. Let's be blunt here WCW was the entity of Ted Turner he built his empire in part on wrestling. The final nail in wcw's coffin was that the new guys didn't share Ted's passion or vision. in retrospect most of what is said in this conference call is proven correct . we see wwe making the most of the internet in terms of content delivery although its possible now and the possibility of it and viability of it was thanks to next gem internet is web 2.0. back then it would have been in viable because of how unreliable the technology was. that's in part why the merger of AOL-TimeWarner failed.
@jerranspearman496110 жыл бұрын
good video
@Fanblastt9 жыл бұрын
so you're gonna announce a sale when you haven't actually sold? the incompetence lasted well beyond it's death
@cameroncrash87558 жыл бұрын
The deal was about to go through, but they pulled out when Time Warner and AOL had a merger and cancelled all wrestling from its network.
@30907bng8 жыл бұрын
Wasn't there a rumor that kellner & or segal were friends of McMahon and that set the wheels in motion for the purchase?
@cameroncrash87558 жыл бұрын
Brad Siegel after the fact was talking about the purchase of WCW being completely illegal and was actually looking to challenge that in court, so I don't think he was. A very interesting rumor. The whole purchase was strange to be honest.
@joseaguilera635510 жыл бұрын
How did Keller get his hands on this
@cameroncrash87558 жыл бұрын
That's what I want to know. I don't think Bischoff just gave him a recording of this to use.
@YonderComesSin9 жыл бұрын
Is your other channel gone for good?
@AWrestlingOdyssey9 жыл бұрын
***** Yeah looks like it : (
@Marcelg132 жыл бұрын
Even if Bischoff had bought WCW, it probably would be just a better version of TNA from 2002.
@jjghhggmnbgbgbgbg95603 жыл бұрын
I find it funny that people think Bischoff would have saved WCW. He would have done the same stuff he did in the old WCW. Form the NWO and have Goldberg go undefeated again. Running those storylines into the ground just like before. Not to mention guys like Hogan and Nash were going to be involved. Having the same power and playing politics like they always have. Bischoff wasn't bringing anyone different in there on the creative side. It was going to the same recycled people as before. Just a different financial backer with less money. WCW was going to die regardless of who bought it.
@williammcguire1302 жыл бұрын
He stated in interviews he wanted to build around RVD and introduce wrestlers from Toryumon/Dragon Gate. Maybe that happens maybe it doesn't but he knew he couldn't run it the same way.
@rowds2 жыл бұрын
The NWO and Goldberg undefeated again? I don't think Bischoff was even there when they started those again? wasn't that Russo? they did that with Sid..have him beat like 6 guys per show all count as wins in the ''streak''...and nobody cared because it wasn't an organic thing like the first time. WCW when Bischoff came back and Russo was gone *was* getting better.
@mikeperry73356 жыл бұрын
fusient fucked up in hindsight because even without tv at the time they couldve made alot of money just off the library and they definitely wouldve gotten a tv deal eventually and i dont think they had to take over the big contracts and pay those guys if they didn't want to
@SIXTHREEONEFOURTHREENIONEOOSEV7 жыл бұрын
koooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool
@Arctic_Falcon5 жыл бұрын
The fact that Bischoff couldn't get a quick TV deal shows just how overrated he is. Even during its decline, Nitro was still a very highly rated cable TV show (just wasn't being Raw, and by today's standard the ratings were pretty high). Nitro should have been considered hot property for any other network. And like others have mentioned, you don't announce the acquisition of a company before it's finalized. None of this adds up. How Bischoff still holds any relevancy in the wrestling industry today is beyond me, the guy never achieved anything in his career other than beating (a horrendously unwatchable) RAW in ratings for a few years, and he even screwed that up in disastrous fashion.
@DrowningSorrows14 жыл бұрын
RAW was great in 97 when they were losing, I agree Heenan that WCW was just lucky in beating WWE in ratings.
@MBM11177273 жыл бұрын
People just didn't want wrestling in 2001, it was insanely popular with young people but to old and grey network execs and to advertisers it was an embarrassment, the advertisers are key, TV exists for them basically. Paul Heyman couldn't find anyone interested in carrying ECW in late 2000 either, which is what he blamed on ECW shutting down. WCW Nitro was still pulling pretty good ratings but it wasn't popular with the biggest advertisers. and none of it's viewers stayed around for other TNT programming, which in the end meant that Nitro's popularity really didn't help TNT that much at all.
@williammcguire1302 жыл бұрын
Vince couldn't get a timeslot for WCW and he already had deals with multiple networks