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BrIaNMeRcY
WF Legend

WF 10 Year Member

Joined on: Feb 13, 2005 19:08:07 GMT -5
Posts: 4,999

I want your input Aug 28, 2008 23:37:07 GMT -5

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Post by BrIaNMeRcY on Aug 28, 2008 23:37:07 GMT -5

I am in the beginning stages typing up a column based on The Monday Night War era. Below is an excerpt from what I started doing.

Fast forward to late-summer 1995. Ted Turner wanted to broadcast wrestling on TNT (interesting tidbit: TNT launched a month before JCP buyout). Eric Bischoff being the man in charge of WCW ran with the ball. That show would eventually be called "Nitro" and would later usher in a radical changed that is still felt to this day.

Nitro first aired on September 4th, 1995 from the Mall of America. One thing that shocked everybody was the arrival of Lex Luger. Luger had wrestled the night before on a WWF house show which is what stunned many. September 4th was the perfect date because RAW was pre-empted due to US Open Tennis.

RAW had only been on the air for little over two years at that point. At the time RAW was not their flagship show. The WWF was still airing Superstars on syndication. After Nitro's arrival, this became a footnote in wrestling. RAW then became their flagship show and still is in 2008. The wrestling world as we know it would become radically altered.

Comments are welcomed.

carly1988
Guest

I want your input Aug 29, 2008 0:45:59 GMT -5

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Post by carly1988 on Aug 29, 2008 0:45:59 GMT -5

1st thing I notice is I dont think Turner wanted wrestling on TNT...Turner called Bischoff into his office and wanted to know how to compete with WWF. Bischoff said that they had to go prime time during the week and live, turner gave him the time spot on TNT because at the time Braves games were aired on TBS which were more important to Turner.

2nd thing I dont think WWF ever considered Superstars the Flagship show. Before Monday Night Raw there was Prime Time Wrestling which was still a MAJOR prime time show. I would say Prime Time and Raw have always been their flagship followed by Superstars

moogie101
WF Legend

Joined on: Jul 19, 2003 12:29:15 GMT -5
Posts: 6,898

I want your input Aug 29, 2008 11:15:33 GMT -5

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Post by moogie101 on Aug 29, 2008 11:15:33 GMT -5

Who is the column aimed at?

The reason i ask is that if not hardcore fans you might want to talk me about lex Luger, the mega bucks push he had recieved by Vince to try & become the next hulk Hogan. Then the fact that he had stalled WWE about signing a new contract which it was allowed him to legally jump from groups.
If the reader doesn't know all this has little impact.

Also as said above Turner didn't decide to have wrestling on prime time, he asked Bischoff a question during a meeting about what he needed to compete with Vince. Bisch said a prime time show thinking he'd never get it & was shocked whenTurner turned around & said he had it.

Might beworth mentioning that many in the industry thought that they were mad to go head to head with RAW as no-one felt Nitro would compete with Raw.

Also mention how Monday Nitro was named as it sounds remarkably like Monday Night Raw!

Bagpuss, dear Bagpuss,
Old fat furry cat-puss,
Wake up & look at the thing that I bring,
Wake up, be bright,
Be Golden & light,
Bagpuss, oh hear what I sing.