50 Fun Facts About WCW

Which media mogul founded WCW in 1988 by buying a Charlotte-based NWA territory?

The subsidiary was called Universal Wrestling Corporation and only became legally defunct in 2017.

Which NWA territory, based in Charlotte, was bought in 1988 to create WCW?

The name World Championship Wrestling had been Georgia Championship Wrestling's TBS show since 1982.

Who was the first ever WCW World Heavyweight Champion?

WCW and the NWA split their world-title lineages in 1991 when Flair left for the WWF with the belt.

How many world championship reigns does WWE officially credit Ric Flair with?

Eight NWA, six WCW and two WWF; other sources count as many as 25.

On which US holiday was Starrcade traditionally held in the 1980s?

The WWF scheduled Survivor Series against it in 1987 and demanded exclusivity from cable providers.

Who was appointed WCW's executive producer in 1993 and later ran the company?

A former AWA announcer, he cut the Southern accents on commentary and started raiding WWF stars.

According to Hulk Hogan's famous 1996 heel promo, what would WCW's boss still be doing without him?

Bischoff really had run a butcher shop with van delivery before the AWA.

On which network did WCW Monday Nitro air?

It went head to head with Raw on USA from September 4, 1995; Thunder later ran on TBS.

Where was the first episode of Nitro broadcast from?

Lex Luger shocked viewers by walking in the night after his last WWF match.

Which former WWF star made a surprise return to WCW on the very first Nitro?

He had wrestled for the WWF the night before and signed with WCW that morning.

For how many consecutive weeks did Nitro beat Raw in the ratings?

The streak ran from June 1996 to April 13, 1998, when Raw finally won again.

Which two ex-WWF stars invaded Nitro in May and June 1996 as The Outsiders?

Nash powerbombed Bischoff through a table when he refused to name WCW's team.

At which 1996 pay-per-view was Hulk Hogan revealed as the nWo's "third man"?

He dropped the leg on Randy Savage at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach and the crowd pelted the ring with trash.

Whom did Hogan hit with the leg drop when he turned heel in July 1996?

It was his first heel turn since his AWA days in 1981; the match was ruled a no contest.

What nickname did Hogan adopt as the nWo leader?

He won the WCW title from The Giant at Hog Wild in August 1996 by clobbering him with the belt.

Which "Million Dollar Man" became the nWo's financial backer, dubbed "Trillionaire Ted"?

He debuted on August 26, 1996, as the group's fourth member.

What was the name of the nWo's red-and-black splinter faction that broke away in 1998?

Bischoff has since called the split rushed and directionless; the two halves reunited in the Fingerpoke of Doom.

Which 1994 film inspired Sting's dark, brooding makeover in 1996?

He swapped the multicoloured "Surfer" paint for black and white and lurked in the rafters for over a year.

What is Sting's real name?

He and Jim Hellwig, the future Ultimate Warrior, started out as the Blade Runners in 1986.

Sting vs Hogan headlined WCW's highest-grossing pay-per-view in December 1997. How long had the feud been building?

Sting spent the build lurking in the rafters as the Crow; the show remains WCW's biggest-grossing event.

How many WCW World Heavyweight Championship reigns did Sting have?

He held 15 titles in the company overall and made more WCW pay-per-view appearances than anyone.

What was Goldberg's promoted undefeated record when he finally lost at Starrcade 1998?

Kevin Nash beat him after Scott Hall, dressed as a security guard, hit Goldberg with a taser.

Whom did Goldberg beat on the September 22, 1997 Nitro in his televised debut?

He had beaten Buddy Lee Parker in a dark match in Macon three months earlier.

In which building did Goldberg beat Hogan for the WCW title on July 6, 1998?

WCW gave the match away free on Nitro rather than saving it for pay-per-view.

For which NFL team did Goldberg play before wrestling?

The Rams drafted him but cut him; he played nine games for the Falcons in 1992-93 wearing number 71.

What was Goldberg's catchphrase during his streak?

He won the US title from Raven in April 1998 and started using it around then.

How did Scott Hall help end the streak at Starrcade 1998?

Bam Bam Bigelow and Disco Inferno also interfered.

What happened in the Fingerpoke of Doom on January 4, 1999?

It reunited the nWo factions and is blamed by many for starting WCW's decline.

Which WWF result did Tony Schiavone give away on air on the night of the Fingerpoke of Doom?

"That'll put butts in seats," he sneered; it did, on the other channel.

What was WCW's second live weekly show, launched on TBS in January 1998?

Time Warner ordered it, along with a third hour of Nitro, stretching the roster thin.

What is DDP's finishing move called?

He did not have his first pro match until he was 33, having managed in the AWA and run a Florida nightclub.

Which talk-show host teamed with DDP against Hogan and Bischoff at Road Wild 1998?

Bischoff, a former kickboxer, later won the WCW Hardcore title himself.

To whom did Rey Mysterio lose his mask in WCW?

He wrestled unmasked until 2002, when WWE let him put it back on.

How many times did Rey Mysterio win the WCW Cruiserweight Championship?

The cruiserweight division was WCW's lucha-inspired showcase and one of its most praised innovations.

Which two former WWF writers replaced Bischoff as WCW's creative team in late 1999?

Their "Crash TV" style lasted only weeks before Russo was sent home in January 2000.

Which four wrestlers, known as The Revolution, walked out to the WWF in January 2000?

Benoit was WCW World Champion at the time; they became the Radicalz in the WWF.

Which actor was made WCW World Heavyweight Champion in 2000 as a publicity stunt?

He had just filmed the WCW movie Ready to Rumble and headlined Slamboree with the belt.

Which WCW-produced film was the actor-champion promoting when he was written into the shows?

He first appeared in the crowd on the April 12, 2000 Thunder and allied with DDP and Kanyon.

Which champion did Goldberg accidentally force into retirement at Starrcade 1999 with a botched kick?

Days later Goldberg badly cut himself punching a limousine window on Thunder.

Which new broadcasting boss cancelled all WCW programming in March 2001?

He deemed wrestling off-brand even though Thunder was TBS's highest-rated show.

Where was the final episode of Nitro broadcast from on March 26, 2001?

Vince McMahon appeared by satellite from Raw in Cleveland, only for Shane McMahon to "reveal" he had bought WCW himself.

Which two long-time rivals wrestled the last match in WCW history on the final Nitro?

They had also faced each other on the very first Nitro; Booker T beat Scott Steiner earlier that night to unify the World and US titles.

Roughly how many wrestler contracts did the WWF take on when it bought WCW's assets in March 2001?

It also got the trademarks and tape library; the Invasion pay-per-view drew 775,000 buys.

In what year was the nWo inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame?

Hogan, Hall, Nash and Sean Waltman went in as its members.

What was the Turner subsidiary that bought Jim Crockett Promotions originally incorporated as?

After the November 1988 purchase the familiar 'World Championship Wrestling' name was adopted instead; the shell later handled leftover liabilities.

Which Turner Sports head removed Eric Bischoff from his position in September 1999?

Nitro's ratings had fallen to half of Raw's; Schiller quickly hired Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara, proponents of 'Crash TV'.

Which investment group backed Eric Bischoff's January 2001 bid to buy WCW?

The deal collapsed when a key backer pulled out after AOL Time Warner refused to keep WCW on its networks.

How much did the WWF pay AOL Time Warner for WCW's name, library and other assets in March 2001?

A further $1.8 million covered negotiation costs, bringing the total to $4.3 million for a company once worth far more.

Which promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett in 2002 tried to take over WCW's market position?

It used ex-WCW stars such as Sting and branded its own cruiserweight-style division as the X Division.

Who presented the 2024 Vice TV documentary series 'Who Killed WCW?'

The four-part series premiered June 6, 2024 and featured Goldberg, Bischoff, Bret Hart, Booker T and Kevin Nash among others.