10 Greatest Things About WCW’s Final Year
3. That Shocking Simulcast
Even though it had been its own worst enemy at times, it was still a sad, sad day when World Championship Wrestling aired its final ever episode of Nitro.
But while that final Nitro really was the end of an era - an end that would lead to Vince McMahon monopolising the industry for two decades - it also threw up the truly unthinkable visual of seeing Vince appearing live on WCW television.
That Panama City-held final Nitro left jaws agape when it opened with a promo from Vince McMahon. As Nitro and WWF Raw aired in simulcast fashion, WCW audiences were greeted by McMahon appearing live from the Gund Arena setting of that night's Raw. VKM was there to announce his purchase of WCW and to publicly fire Jeff Jarrett.
Considering the previous war between Vince McMahon's WWF and Ted Turner's WCW, that 26 March 2001 night gave fans something they never thought they'd see. But not just one McMahon did WCW fans get on that last Nitro, but there would be two McMahons.
Spinning this real-life purchase into the Invasion storyline, the Panama City crowd would see Nitro closed out by Shane McMahon revealing that it was he, not his old man, who was now the kayfabe owner of WCW.