10 Huge Bust-Ups Between Wrestlers And Bookers

6. The Radicalz Vs. Kevin Sullivan

Do The Job Austin McMahon
WWE.com

Chris Benoit, Eddy Guerrero, Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko were not true difference-making stars, but their collective exit from WCW stripped the company of its one remaining - and not insignificant - calling card.

Asinine booking had infected programming, creating a weird, stale yet chaotic vibe. Goldberg had his wings clipped, the WrestleMania-equivalent Starrcade ended with a Montreal Screwjob finish two years after the fact, and, on the same show, commentator parodies and David Flair were featured in prominent positions as the Cruiserweight Title degenerated into parody. It was a show - WCW's biggest - for nobody. The stars weren't stars and the wrestling was sh*t.

Except Chris Benoit's super US Title win over Jeff Jarrett. That was awesome, and in a rare, non-dumbf*ck decision, WCW recognised this and decided to push Benoit as its next top babyface star. In the meantime, WCW pissed off their next big star (!) by giving the pencil back to Kevin Sullivan. Sullivan, to Benoit, had cause to stop that push, and his Radicalz friends didn't fancy their prospects much, either, because they were of course "midgets".

They requested their release, Mike Graham threatened to kill Benoit, and the Radicalz were born, leaving behind a wrestling company with no stars nor great wrestling.

Who was in the right?

WCW didn't get anything right after July 1998.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!