10 Times The Competition Totally Embarrassed WWE

2. WCW Throughout The Monday Night Wars

Steve Austin Samoa Joe
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Trace back the history of WWE, and the extent to which Vince McMahon almost got in his own way really is striking.

He saw little in the Undertaker and less in Steve Austin. Thought Tom Magee was such good sh*t, instead of merely sh*t. Thought the Royal Rumble was dumb. Didn't think Bret working Owen Hart was a good - or even relatable! - idea.

He was a master at eventually marketing that which he did eventually grasp, but it took a long old time for him to grasp the shifting landscape of the mid 1990s.

For 83 weeks, his self-aggrandising "recognised market leader in global sports entertainment" patter was exposed, calculably, as bullsh*t. He was battered, frequently, as WCW developed an awesome formula of workrate range, twisting mystery, and the ability to market the stars of the 1980s with a 1990s aesthetic.

The New Generation was great, insofar as its intricate storytelling and peak in-ring. Wildly, Vince's product at its best was the purest form of great technical wrestling and rugged brawls. WWF was more JCP than WCW in 1995, bar Vince's age-old aversion to the heavy heat angle.

This embarrassment, once again, was sold by a transparent attempt to no-sell it via those wretched War Room skits.

I'm not owned, I'm not owned, Vince continued to insist as he slowly shrank and transformed into a corncob.

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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!