10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (March 29)
7. WCW Sold $8m Worth Of Merch In Japan During 1998
If anyone needs a reminder of just how hot World Championship Wrestling's product was in the late-90s, consider this: in 1998 alone, the company shipped off $8 million worth of nWo merchandise to Japan. They were making money hand over fist for the simple, cheap black and white t-shirts the group wore on TV.
Eric Bischoff explained the deal on his '83 Weeks' pod.
According to Bisch, the shirts were manufactured in the United States, sold to New Japan officials in the west and then shipped over to Japan for sale. That way, WCW avoided any differences in the way business was handled between both counties and made an absolute f*ck ton of cash.
Admittedly, the full $8 million figure was down to some other products too, but it was mainly the popular nWo tee that pulled in the punters. Before that shirt, WCW didn't make a lot of money in the US, let alone internationally.