20 Secret Highlights Of WCW That WWE Won't Tell You About

In the spring of 1996, vignettes began to air on WCW television, insisting that the wrestling world was about to change forever. It did, thanks to the nWo, but the thing that the company originally expected to shake WCW to its foundation was the arrival of Glacier, a karate goober working a Mortal Kombat gimmick. The company ran vignettes hyping the guy for approximately 9 years, before his triumphant debut on PPV Monday Nitro WCW's Saturday morning recap show.

Glacier had this ridiculously complex entrance, with a laser light show, Undertaker mist and simulated snowfall. He'd then enter the ring, sloooooowly remove his $45,000 dollar Sub-Zero cummerbund, and then perform a karate exhibition. His arch-foes were Mortis and Wrath, who looked like guys that failed Dungeon of Doom auditions for being in good shape. Luckily, he was aided in his battle by Johnny Cage pastiche and WORLD KARATE CHAMPION, Ernest "The Cat" Miller. These guys were having their own karate-themed mini-promotion in the middle of Nitros. 

The whole thing was bizarre, but charming in its goofball sincerity. The closest WWE parallel would be the Gang Warz thing, I guess, but I'll take a low-rent Sub-Zero and his karate pals over a half-hearted race riot starring Crush any day of the week.