The demise of World Championship Wrestling in 2001 did not happen overnight. No, the death of the once-dominant sports entertainment was years in the making, the result of backstage politics, bad business maneuverings and egomaniacal performers. Those elements not only put the death knell in the company, it also made for a product that was less-than thrilling to watch once the fun and excitement of the New World Order angle and the ascension of Goldberg wore off. One of the biggest knocks on the WCW product, even at its height of popularity, was the lack of quality main event matches. With stars the likes of Rey Mysterio Jr., Billy Kidman, Juventud Guerrera, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit tearing up the mid and undercard scene, slower, older and more tired acts made up the top of the card. Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Ric Flair, Roddy Piper and Lex Luger may have been responsible for drawing fans based on name value alone but their poor performances left a sour taste in the mouths of fans who had purchased the pay-per-view events to see their antics in the night's biggest and most important matches. The lack of quality matches in the main event was a major strike against WCW and, after years of witnessing the Hulkster stink up the headline bouts with Nash, Flair and Piper, fans opted to turn to WWE, whose Attitude Era programming was more exciting and interesting, especially with The Rock, Steve Austin, Triple H and Mankind delivering classic and chaotic bouts on a monthly basis. There is no denying the fact that awful main events contributed to the death of WCW. Now, take a stroll down memory lane and relive the matches that should take the most blame for the downfall of Ted Turner's wrestling empire.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
