WCW Is Dead

Hey all. I just wanted to say to all those who are waiting for WCW to return that we need to face reality--WCW is dead. I don't like it any more than you do; there was no bigger WCW fan than me from early 1996 till mid-2000. I didn't even bother with WWF/E until the Invasion storyline, which turned out to be just another excuse to have a Stone Cold/Rock feud and was a disgrace to both WCW and ECW.

First of all, Vince will never, ever sell the WCW and ECW licenses. He has a history of mericlessly buying out companies, not selling them so they can compete with him. Though in his heart of hearts he may realize competition is best for the business because it brings out the best in all the competitors (geez, starting to sound like Adam Smith here), he would never willingly create competition for himself.

Second, let's say Vince has a wrestling-like change of heart and allows WCW to be sold and to compete with him. Who from the glory days (or even the non-glory days) of WCW would hold our attention?

Let's look at the big names from WCW's past and see if they could plausibly fit in. Most of these names will be from 1996 to 1999, but there will be a few others.

1. Goldberg -- No. Would only be game if he could be the top dog. He wouldn't be happy to merely be in the championship hunt; he would have to be the champion, or he would take his ball and go home. Witness his WWE run for proof.
2. Hogan -- No. Too old to build around. Would make a good manager, but he, like Goldberg, would have to be the champ.
3. Sting -- Yes.
4. Luger -- No. Too troubled and was never a draw anyway.
5. Giant/Big Show -- No. Is associated more with WWE now then WCW, thanks to his push last year.
6. DDP -- No. Too old, too hurt.
7. Macho Man -- No. Too old.
8. Ric Flair -- Yes, but only in a limited role (like now).
9. Chris Benoit -- No. Is WWE through and through now.
10.Scott Hall -- No. My favorite wrestler of all time, but can't wrestle a lick anymore.
11.Kevin Nash -- No. Too old.
12.Buff Bagwell -- Yes, if anyone can find him.
13.Scott Steiner -- No. Too broken down.
14.Booker T -- Yes.
15.Sid -- No.
16.Bret Hart -- No, obviously.
17.Jeff Jarrett -- Yes. This is a reluctant yes on my part, because I think he's a mid-cardder at best and the fact that WCW crumbled with him as champion speaks for himself.
18.Raven -- Has been in too many companies to be associated with just WCW.


Undoubtedly, there are more one could argue for, but by my count that leaves us WCW Monday Nitro headlined by Sting, Booker T, Jeff Jarrett, Goldberg if you're lucky, and we'll throw in Buff and Raven for argument's sake. That leads to some pretty mediocre television, and it would look like a sad hybrid of WCW 2001 and TNA. That leaves WCW to clean up WWE's crumbs, and quite frankly there's only so much D'Lo Brown I can take.

So unless you've got old WCW tapes, which I unfortunately don't, there's no way WCW is going to be on your TV anytime soon. Let us instead throw our support behind TNA and hope they can provide the competition that WWE so sorely needs.