alternatehistory.com

Had this in my head for a long time. Let's see if I can do something decent with it, rushed start aside...

In March 2001, the world of Professional Wrestling changed forever when World Championship Wrestling, once a giant in the industry, was sold by AOL Time Warner to WCW’s rival, the World Wrestling Federation, for a mere $2.5 million (plus an additional $1.7 million for it’s tape library). This, combined with the bankruptcy of influential indie promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling left WWF owner Vincent Kennedy McMahon as the sole major wrestling promoter in North America, a position he has held in the decade since.

However, McMahon wasn’t the only one trying to buy WCW – former WCW President Eric Bischoff, along with a group of investors known as ‘Fusient Media Ventures’, has also attempted to purchase the promotion with the intent of relaunching it and continuing the so-called ‘Monday Night War’ with the WWF. Unfortunately, this would not come to pass due to the cancellation of all WCW programming on the Turner Broadcasting System by CEO Jamie Kellner. Despite attempts by Bischoff to secure a new television deal with another network, Fusient were forced to withdraw their offer – with no programming, WCW was worthless to them. The WWF was left as the sole bidder, and the rest, as they say, is history.

But what if it had been otherwise?
What if Eric Bischoff had managed to secure a television deal for WCW programming on another network?
Let’s find out…



Jamie Kellner cancels all WCW programming, causing panic among the investors of Fusient Media Ventures as without Television, WCW is worthless to them.
Fortunately, Eric Bischoff is able to secure a television deal with NBC, allowing them to air a show on USA Network (former home of WWF’s ‘Monday Night Raw’ until its move to TNN in September 2000).
Fusient Media Ventures continues with the purchase, buying World Championship Wrestling from AOL Time Warner for $8,000,000 (the price being driven up by a bid by the WWF).
However, Bischoff’s dreams of continuing the Monday Night Wars are dashed when USA only offers them a 90-minute Saturday timeslot (with the option of extending to two hours, pending good ratings). It is then decided (despite arguments from Bischoff) that the flagships shows, ‘Nitro’ and ‘Thunder’, should be retired. Thus, instead of Nitro, the new WCW’s flagship (and only) program will once again be a revived ‘WCW Saturday Night’, originally cancelled in June 2000.

While many members of the WCW roster choose to take the buyout of their AOL Time Warner contracts, a significant number of big names choose not to. Also, a number who do choose not to return to the now financially depleted WCW, instead choosing to pursue other options (the WWF, Andrew McManus’s World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA) in Australia, etc).

After the sale in March (the final Nitro being broadcast on March 26th 2001 from Panama City, Florida, with US Champion Booker T winning the World title), WCW goes on hiatus in preparation for a re-launch in May.
Initially planned as a pay-per-view, The Big Bang (scheduled for the 6th of May) becomes a two-hour televised event, officially launching WCW on USA Network, with Slamboree 2001 becoming the new WCW’s first pay-per-view later in the month.

Before The Big Bang airs, USA Network airs a number of ‘Best of WCW’ shows in preparation for WCW’s debut on the network. These shows, while hastily edited together, draw decent ratings and help to hype The Big Bang broadcast (Both ‘The Big Bang’ and Slamboree being advertised in between segments).

And so the stage is set…
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