8 Awesome WCW Ideas That Didn't Last

In the summer of 1998, WCW were on top of the world.

Yes, anyone with a keen eye for the business could see the cracks starting to widen in the creative process, fissures which would eventually lead to the complete crumble of the entire company. But in the moment, the Turner group was killing it in the ratings, the leading light in a pro wrestling boom that had brought the industry back to Golden Era levels of relevance.

It was during that last time of plenty than national network NBC had any involvement in wrestling. In 1998, they once more wanted a slice of that pie - and in the same Hulk Hogan flavour as previously. So they approached the family-friendly WCW with an offer, with a view to filling the scheduling hole left by the ongoing NBA lockout. Three Las Vegas specials were agreed for 1999: the first opposite WWE's St. Valentine's Day Massacre, another, audaciously, going up against WrestleMania XV, and a final show ringing the year out on New Year's Eve.

The WCW Heavyweight Championship was shifted to Hulk Hogan as efficiently as possible - all it took was a single infamous fingerpoke - as Bischoff began booking around the Valentine's Day special. It was then his paymasters got involved. Eric's boss Harvey Schiller, echoing the sentiments of Turner higher ups, told him the board were uncomfortable with NBC profiting from Turner's property. Failing to see the bigger picture, a potentially lucrative and aggrandising idea went up in smoke. When the NBA returned to NBC, the deal was done for.