One of the biggest success stories to come out of WCW Nitro history was the rise of Diamond Dallas Page. A midcard act, and not a particularly good one at that, for the first year of the Monday night program's existence, DDP worked extremely hard to improve as a performer. Did his personal friendship with Eric Bischoff, head honcho in WCW, have something to do with his increased television exposure? Probably. Would Bischoff have felt comfortable putting Page in that position if he was not positive that he could deliver? No. More importantly, would Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Lex Luger, Sting, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall have agreed to work with him if they did not trust him as a worker? Definitely not. So Page's development as a wrestler, something he took great pride in, And rightfully so. Page was a workhorse for WCW. At a time when some of the biggest stars in wrestling history were skating by, doing the minimum necessary to warrant the massive paychecks they were receiving, Page worked equally hard, regardless of the opponent. He was as likely to have a great match with Chris Benoit or Raven as he was Savage or Hogan, both of whom he worked with nonstop throughout 1997 and '98. In fact, it was his feud with Savage that convinced fans that Page was the real deal, that he was a legitimate threat to the New World Order and their attempt to dominate the landscape of wrestling. It was Paige who was chosen to partner with Karl Malone and Jay Leno in two marquee pay-per-view main events. It was Page who defeated industry icons Hogan, Sting and Ric Flair in a Fatal 4-Way match. Of all of the millionaires still left on the roster, Page was one of the few performers still determined to give his all to the company. It was that determination that helped elevate him in terms of importance to WCW and popularity with fans.
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.
