Post by TheXtremisT on Aug 10, 2022 4:53:12 GMT -5
On the Network, I've been watching WCW Nitros from 1997 onwards, and I'm currently at April 1999. And the direction the company is going is evident. Chaos and lack of conviction/clear plan is what I'd describe it as, even if I didn't know what came of the company during 1999-2001.
But what's confused me the most was how it went from well-established characters and motivations, to acting out of character and changing heel/face.
For example:
- Literally during the Flair vs Hogan match at Uncensored, March 1999, Hogan was working the match as babyface (which the crowd got behind) despite getting David Flair to turn on Ric and organising an abduction and beat down of Ric in the middle of a field prior to the match. Soon after this, Mean Gene, the commentators and the crowd began treating Hogan like a face despite being a dastardly mega heel and still leader of the NWO/Wolfpac up until this point. And he was getting good crowd reactions almost as a face. Totally unearned.
Also, at Spring Stampede in April, he was treated as a babyface after he got injured....
- Ric Flair was face and chasing Hogan for the World Heavyweight Championship, and had been named President of WCW. David turned on him, and garnered Ric sympathy from the fans. But the story from the commentators/wrestlers became Ric cared more about the WHC than David, started to become drunk with power. But he didn't really show much of abusing power at this time, the fans still cheered him and the 4 Horsemen. It was only after winning the WHC at Uncensored that he started to back down from challenges. Which came out of the blue and made no sense. Then by pure virtue, Benoit and Malenko just "became" heels despite being mega babyfaces prior to this. The fans almost didn't know to cheer or boo the Horsemen.
- DDP had just feuded with Scott Steiner who was antagonising Kimberley. And had just thrown her out of a moving car. Page then inexplicably was turned heel just because he said "don't believe the hype" to Mean Gene when Gene referenced Page being the People's Champion AND locking on the figure 4 around the ring post on and injuring Hogan at Spring Stampede. Page was still supposed to be a babyface, won the WHC, then literally the next night Roddy Piper trashed him on commentary for injuring THE BIGGEST HEEL IN THE COMPANY and questioned Page's testicular fortitude because Page had unfinished business with Steiner and wanted to clear that up rather than fight Goldberg.
So then the next couple of week's Page started ducking out of challenges for the title and it was clear he was a heel. He didn't seem heel, he didn't act heel. But commentary treated him like a heel and then the crowd started booing him. It felt like it came out of left field.
- Kevin Nash - part of the Wolfpac and feuded with Flair, beat him senseless in the field.... Then like 1 month later was all pally with Flair in a backstage segment as if nothing had happened prior to this (eg turning David against his father), and then helped Goldberg from getting injured by DDP. Goldberg - the man he had been feuding with and caused to break the streak/lose the WHC....
Basically all of this felt like it came unearned and out of nowhere.
Thoughts?
But what's confused me the most was how it went from well-established characters and motivations, to acting out of character and changing heel/face.
For example:
- Literally during the Flair vs Hogan match at Uncensored, March 1999, Hogan was working the match as babyface (which the crowd got behind) despite getting David Flair to turn on Ric and organising an abduction and beat down of Ric in the middle of a field prior to the match. Soon after this, Mean Gene, the commentators and the crowd began treating Hogan like a face despite being a dastardly mega heel and still leader of the NWO/Wolfpac up until this point. And he was getting good crowd reactions almost as a face. Totally unearned.
Also, at Spring Stampede in April, he was treated as a babyface after he got injured....
- Ric Flair was face and chasing Hogan for the World Heavyweight Championship, and had been named President of WCW. David turned on him, and garnered Ric sympathy from the fans. But the story from the commentators/wrestlers became Ric cared more about the WHC than David, started to become drunk with power. But he didn't really show much of abusing power at this time, the fans still cheered him and the 4 Horsemen. It was only after winning the WHC at Uncensored that he started to back down from challenges. Which came out of the blue and made no sense. Then by pure virtue, Benoit and Malenko just "became" heels despite being mega babyfaces prior to this. The fans almost didn't know to cheer or boo the Horsemen.
- DDP had just feuded with Scott Steiner who was antagonising Kimberley. And had just thrown her out of a moving car. Page then inexplicably was turned heel just because he said "don't believe the hype" to Mean Gene when Gene referenced Page being the People's Champion AND locking on the figure 4 around the ring post on and injuring Hogan at Spring Stampede. Page was still supposed to be a babyface, won the WHC, then literally the next night Roddy Piper trashed him on commentary for injuring THE BIGGEST HEEL IN THE COMPANY and questioned Page's testicular fortitude because Page had unfinished business with Steiner and wanted to clear that up rather than fight Goldberg.
So then the next couple of week's Page started ducking out of challenges for the title and it was clear he was a heel. He didn't seem heel, he didn't act heel. But commentary treated him like a heel and then the crowd started booing him. It felt like it came out of left field.
- Kevin Nash - part of the Wolfpac and feuded with Flair, beat him senseless in the field.... Then like 1 month later was all pally with Flair in a backstage segment as if nothing had happened prior to this (eg turning David against his father), and then helped Goldberg from getting injured by DDP. Goldberg - the man he had been feuding with and caused to break the streak/lose the WHC....
Basically all of this felt like it came unearned and out of nowhere.
Thoughts?
