WCW
WCW
World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was the Atlanta-based, Ted Turner-owned promotion that pushed the WWF to the brink during the 1990s Monday Night Wars. On the strength of the nWo — born when Hulk Hogan turned heel in 1996 — WCW beat WWF's Raw in the ratings for 83 straight weeks. Its modern-era significance is enormous: WCW's cruiserweight division introduced U.S. audiences to Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero, its "Crow" Sting storyline is a masterclass in the slow burn, and its 2001 collapse and sale to the WWF ended the war and reshaped the entire industry.
A short history of WCW
Built from Jim Crockett Promotions and bankrolled by Ted Turner's cable empire, WCW spent the early 1990s as the WWF's distant number two, carried by icons like Ric Flair and its loyal franchise Sting. Everything changed in 1995 when Eric Bischoff launched Monday Nitro head-to-head against Raw and, in July 1996, engineered the single most influential angle of the era.
At Bash at the Beach 1996, Hulk Hogan — America's hero for 15 years — turned heel to reveal himself as the third man of the invading Outsiders, forming the New World Order (nWo). The rebellion-versus-establishment storyline sent Nitro to 83 consecutive weeks of ratings wins over Raw. WCW's cruiserweight division, meanwhile, gave a national stage to Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho, and self-made underdog Diamond Dallas Page and the unbeaten Goldberg became huge draws.
The turning point came at Starrcade 1997: the 18-month "Crow" Sting-versus-Hogan payoff was undone by a famously botched finish that many historians mark as the beginning of the end. Creative disorganization, ballooning guaranteed contracts, over-reliance on aging nWo stars, and corporate turmoil at Turner/AOL Time Warner combined to sink the company. In March 2001 the WWF purchased WCW — its brand and priceless video library — ending the Monday Night Wars.
Defining Matches
All matches| Match | Event | Year | Wrestle Lore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero (Title vs Mask) | Halloween Havoc | 1997 | ★★★★★ |
| The nWo formation (Hogan's heel turn) | Bash at the Beach | 1996 | ★★★★½ |
| Sting vs Hollywood Hulk Hogan | Starrcade | 1997 | ★★★½ |
| Goldberg vs Hollywood Hulk Hogan | Monday Nitro (Georgia Dome) | 1998 | ★★★★ |
Frequently Asked
What was WCW?
World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was the Atlanta-based promotion, owned by Ted Turner, that rivaled the WWF during the 1990s Monday Night Wars. On the strength of the nWo it beat WWF's Raw in the ratings for 83 straight weeks before collapsing and being purchased by the WWF in 2001.
What was the nWo?
The New World Order (nWo) was WCW's era-defining faction, launched in 1996 when Hulk Hogan turned heel to join the invading Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash). It became the most influential angle of the Monday Night Wars and fueled WCW's ratings dominance over the WWF.
Why did WCW go out of business?
Creative missteps — including the botched Sting vs Hogan finish at Starrcade 1997 and "hot-shotting" marquee matches like Goldberg vs Hogan onto free TV — combined with bloated contracts and corporate changes at Turner/AOL Time Warner. WCW's assets and video library were bought by the WWF in 2001.