Opinionated: 6 Ideas WWE Should Utilise From WCW!
It’s been eighteen years since World Championship Wrestling closed its doors when it’s number one competitor, WWE, bought it after its decline in the early 00s. Before that all happened, however, and before WCW became a messy, awkward, strange shadow of what it used to be, it was a successful and entertaining product that was packed full of some truly influential and interesting concepts. So, I thought it might be fun to talk about SIX things that WCW did that WWE could implement into their product today, and why it would be a good thing to do so. WWE, in 2019, has eight (soon to be nine) hours of weekly television to fill (and that’s just with RAW, SmackDown, NXT, NXT UK and 205 Live) and PPV’s and Specials popping up monthly or more. That’s A LOT of content to write and produce, and sometimes it can result, as we’ve seen, in things getting stale, or seeming a little same-old. Implementing new (or in this case, old) ideas can be a really good way to bring in new fans, get old fans to return, and cause a buzz in order to get more eyes on the shows. It might not always work, but hey… it’s worth a try sometimes, and I’d love for WWE to try some of these things. I mean, this is all fantasy-booking style stuff, but hey, we’re wrestling fans, that’s what we do.
6. TELEVISION TITLE!
Ok, so… WCW (and ECW) had a TV Title, something WWE has never had, and it was a cool way to have a title that appeared weekly and was defended on television. Now, I know that WWE has more titles than they know what to do with right now, but I think a TV Title would be something cool, even if it was implemented in NXT, a show about to go to network television and increase from a one-hour weekly show to a two-hour one. Imagine that! An NXT TV Title that was defended most weeks on the new NXT show on the USA Network. It would allow lesser used talent to shine and show their abilities, and give another slice of gold to an upcoming star. I mean, it isn’t perhaps necessary due to just how many straps WWE has, but I think it would be a cool thing, if used well.
5. NWO-STYLE STABLE WARFARE!
We know that WWE don’t tend to go overboard on factions these days. I mean, there’s been a good few three-man teams (New Day, Shield) and we have the awesome Undisputed Era in NXT and Imperium on NXT UK, but generally we don’t see many big stables in WWE. I’m a fan of the faction thing. I think it’s a fantastic way to push a whole bunch of people and give them a single focus. Evolution helped to bring Batista and Randy Orton to prominence. The Nation of Domination helped to establish The Rock as a big deal. We all recall how awesome The Hart Foundation angle in 1997 was. In WCW they did this even bigger with the NWO, and before it was diluted and over-booked, the New World Order (of wrestling, brother) was a big f’n deal. It was super over, and it was one of the biggest reasons that WCW overtook WWE in the ratings-war. Imagine something like that in WWE. A huge stable of people who changed character suddenly and shocked the world, and ran rampant on television. It’s a great way to build new stars, change-up existing ones, and create some damn fine storytelling in the process.
4. CRUISERWEIGHT IMPORTANCE!
Back when Triple H announced the Cruiserweight Classic tournament many fans were excited and when we saw it happen it was great. We saw some excellent matches, and in the process we also had a new Cruiserweight Title and a show called 205 Live. The sky was the limit, right? Well, not really. WWE have been very inconsistent with 205 Live, and while the roster is incredible and the show often shines very brightly, it is rarely treated like much more than an after-thought. Why? These guys are capable of amazing things, and when they get a chance, they pull the live crowds into every single move they attempt. WCW was known for booking their Cruiserweight division very well back in the day, with the likes of Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio Jr, Psychosis and others having huge PPV matches that often stole the show. WWE could have a division that is even better, especially with the roster they have. I’d love to see 205 treated better, or even dissolved and added to the main shows or NXT, keeping the title and having the division blend with the rest of the roster. With talent like Drew Gulak, Angel Garza, Buddy Murphy, Ali, Cedric Alexander, Oney Lorcan and others, there’s no good reason for these guys not to be given better chances.
3. WORLD WAR 3!
WWE in 2019 isn’t like WWE in the 90s or even the 00s. The roster that WWE has amassed is exceptional and incredibly deep. Across all the brands and with the talent yet to even debut that are signed to developmental deals, WWE have hundreds (and hundreds) of wrestlers at their disposal. There’s no better time, then, to implement a show on which more of these folks can appear. Three rings, sixty wrestlers, one winner! World War 3 is an over-the-top sensationalistic idea and perhaps clashes in concept a little with Royal Rumble, but I think, if it was done in the Summertime, a few months after the Rumble, people would bite onto it and have fun with it. A big ole Battle Royale, this could be a fun way to sell a PPV and also allow more wrestlers a chance to get on the bigger stage. Give the winner a Survivor Series title-shot, and you’ve got a fresh concept that people can invest in. It’s easy.
2. THEMED PPV’S!
Now, WWE do have their own version of “themed PPVs” like Hell in a Cell and Elimination Chamber, but those aren’t so much themes as they are matches that sell a show. I’m talking about the themes that WCW used like Halloween Havoc, Beach Blast, Road Wild and others. Now, they weren’t all great ideas, I’m not saying that, but I love the idea of a WWE Halloween themed PPV, or a PPV with a Christmas theme in December, or how about SummerSlam has a more Summery feel, with beaches and water and all that stuff? It’s corny, it’s silly, but I kind of feel like it’s one of the things that drew me to wrestling back in the early 90s, and could bring in new fans today. When every show looks the same, it can be a bit boring and tedious visually. Bray Wyatt alone could have a blast in October if they had a spooky or creepy themed event.
1. TURN YOUR MAIN GUY HEEL!
Now, this is one that it over-discussed and not something I think necessarily needs to be said, but I do want to say it anyway. It’s obvious that WWE still holds Roman Reigns high, and wants him to be a face of their company. There’s good reason for it. He’s solid in the ring, has a great look, and his promo work has improved a lot over the years. He still doesn’t quite connect with a lot of the fans, though, and it’s a shame. How cool would it be to see Roman turn to the dark-side and turn his back on the audience that has treated him so poorly for years? Put him in an expensive suit, throw some sunglasses on him and drape the World Title over his shoulder, and let him loose on the microphone, telling the crowds how they make him sick. It would be huge, and could cement Roman as THE guy in WWE finally. Hell, we saw what happened when The Rock turned to the dark-side. He ended up as one of the biggest babyface in company history. Roman could see the same fate, if they had the guts. WCW did it with Hulk Hogan, the biggest babyface in the world of wrestling, in 1996, and changed the face of the entire industry. WWE could really cause a huge stir if they did something similar with Roman. Maybe even add heel Uso’s to his side, and create a new heel faction. Ok, now I’m rambling.
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Ok, so there we have it. Six things that I think WWE could use that WCW used all those years ago, and could improve the product and create buzz by doing so. What do you think? Are there any things from the days of WCW that you’d like to see WWE do? Let us know!
