8 Things We Learned About WWE Buying WCW From Dave Meltzer On Talk Is Jericho
Did the XFL's failure force Vince McMahon into a knee-jerk reaction over WCW?
From 1995-2001, the WWF and WCW went head-to-head every single Monday night for ratings superiority. Before that, both companies had been considered competitors, although it wasn't until the advent of Nitro and the nWo that WCW began bothering Vince McMahon. Then, the gloves were off, and wrestling fans witnessed one of the most thrilling periods in industry history.
Dave Meltzer, chief of the long-running Wrestling Observer Newsletter, lived through all of it. He was the guest on Chris Jericho's 'Talk Is Jericho' podcast this week, and he gave valuable insight into how the 'Monday Night War' ended. Specifically, Meltzer was there to talk about McMahon's purchase of his great rival in WCW, what it meant for the industry and why his plan to run both promotions concurrently failed.
The Invasion pay-per-view, the finances behind the deal, original plans, the XFL, who scuppered Vince's vision and more were all parts of the interview. Jericho, who'd batted for both sides during the war, showed remarkable restraint and let Meltzer take the floor.
The results will be fascinating even to those who have read extensively on the subject...