10 Things Everybody Gets Wrong About WCW
2. Arquette
Film actor David Arquette didn't harm the legacy of the WCW World Heavyweight Title any more than a roster full of actual professional wrestlers had done and would again during the company's chaotic final few years.
Easily the most mismanaged major wrestling organisation in industry history by then, the tarnished title was left battered and bruised by relentless twists, turns and tournaments that decided its fate on television and pay-per-view. Once the most treasured icon in the game, the big gold belt had become the cheap imitation of a World Title WWE announcers called it during a Ric Flair's maiden voyage north in 1991.
Arquette himself is unfairly enflamed by the deal. He merely went along with creative direction that Russo, Tony Schiavone and others errantly thought would gain national media attention. The Hollywood star didn't want to be made champion, and donated all his performance fees to charitable causes related to the industry when his business with WCW had concluded.
It was a deeply flawed idea of course, but in no way was it the bullet in the head many passing critics observe. Collaborations with Dennis Rodman, Kevin Greene and Karl Malone had been huge for WCW, and Mike Tyson's involvement in arguably the most important main event in WWE history was a significant turning point for Vince McMahon. 'David Arquette - World Champion' was (particularly at the time) worth the gamble.