10 Bizarre WCW Stats, Facts And Coincidences That Really Happened

1. WCW’s Major Acquisition Bret Hart Ironically Helped Lead To Its Downfall

When Bret Hart negotiated and signed a three-year contract with WCW in 1997 for the huge sum of $2.5 million per year, it was seen as a game-changing major deal in wrestling at the time. WCW was by far the healthier company, dominating the WWF in ratings and PPV buys. The WWF was obviously struggling, not being able to afford and honour Bret’s contract with them, making Bret look elsewhere.

When Bret exited after Survivor Series (1997) many in the WWF were worried and concerned the company would continue to financially decline without one of their major attractions for TV and house shows. But ironically it was the events that transpired at Survivor Series with the Montreal Screwjob that enabled the WWF to once again become the No. 1 wrestling promotion in the United States. Vince McMahon became so despised by certain section of fans after Survivor Series (“Bret screwed Bret”) that it inspired the Mr. McMahon character that would become the main antagonist for Stone Cold Steve Austin in the hugely successful Attitude Era.

Without Bret ever leaving the WWF, fans likely would never have witnessed the full-scale of what the Austin-McMahon rivalry became. WCW was always going to eventually collapse inward from being severely mismanaged but its downfall was exceedingly sped up with the events that transpired from Survivor Series onwards in the WWF.