10 Best Moments in WCW History (Ranked)

The WWE has long been the standard-bearer for professional wrestling. With a storied history that stems back to the 1950s, the company has seldom been knocked off their perch as the king of sports entertainment. Having faced opposition from the likes of TNA and AEW, the company that has brought about the most discomfort within the industry is WCW.

A billionaire-backed wrestling show, World Championship Wrestling, aired on TBS from 1995 up until early 2001. Ultimately, WCW would be bought out by Vince McMahon, producing one of the Attitude Era’s most shocking moments, but their legacy within wrestling remains.

WCW thrived off signing major stars from WWE, eliciting major shock among wrestling fans. Providing such a threat to the WWE that their Monday Nitro show sparked the Monday Night Wars, a streak of 83 weeks on top saw the wrestling landscape change forever. A decline in ratings and revenue saw the company take a drastic downward spiral, but that wasn’t before they had produced countless timeless moments. A memorable six-year reign as WWE’s strongest competitor, these are just some of the best moments to come from WCW’s existence.

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10

Lex Luger Defeats Hulk Hogan

A timeless World Championship win

In 1997, WCW had nWo running rampant on their programming. A group that consisted of Hollywood Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, Hogan was the WCW World Heavyweight Champion and would be for 359 days until a memorable night in August. Hoping to dismantle Hogan’s dominant reign, Luger challenged the WWE Hall of Famer to a World Title match, a bout that main evented the same show that the offer was made on.

Taking on not just Hogan, but the rest of the nWo who got involved, Luger managed to submit the Hollywood villain to the Torture Rack. A reign that lasted less than a week, it was arguably the biggest win of Luger’s career, a victory that fans of WCW will never forget.

9

Four Horsemen in WCW

Two legends passed the torch to up-and-comers

The Four Horsemen are one of professional wrestling’s greatest stables. Formed in Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985, the original quartet consisted of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard and Ole Anderson. Having made their presence felt in WCW, in a few iterations consisting of different members, it wasn’t until 1988 that the passing of the torch reformation occurred.

Having been sued by WCW, Flair returned to the company to a raucous reception. Cutting an impassioned promo, Arn Anderson joined his former Horsemen compatriot before adding Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to the group. What would be the final incarnation of the stable in WCW; they would not go on to do much of note, but the inception is unforgettable.

8

Man of 1,004 Holds

A hilarious Chris Jericho promo

For all the memorable victories and debuts, some hilarious moments took place in a WCW ring. Before Chris Jericho carved out a WWE Hall of Fame-worthy career, the king of reinvention was cutting his cloth in WCW. After enjoying a fruitful first two years in the company, the early months of 1998 brought Jericho a feud with Dean Malenko.

Regarded as one of the greatest technical wrestlers ever, Malenko was dubbed ‘The Man of 1,000 Holds’. Wanting to one-up his opponent, Jericho cut a timeless promo where he declared himself ‘The Man of 1,004 Holds’. Proceeding to recite a list filled with made-up holds and numerous armbar mentions, the crowd were in hysterics for a segment that is still rewatchable to this day.

7

The Outsiders Arrive in WCW

Two WWF defects cause mayhem

One of WCW’s many appeals was not knowing when who would show up. A level of unpredictability that was birthed at the debut of Nitro, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall’s debut in the company make for two of the best. After a three-year run in WWF, Nash and Hall departed the company with the infamous Madison Square Garden Curtain Call hug.

Appearing from within the crowd and claiming to be an ‘Outsider’, Hall was the first to debut in WCW. Joined by Nash two weeks later, the pair didn’t shy away from the war and aimed several shots at their former employer. Slamming Eric Bischoff through the table to make themselves known, the Outsiders’ debut in WCW paved the way for countless debuts.

6

Ron Simmons Becomes World Champion

A historic, emotional moment

Any World Championship win is impressive, and when orchestrated correctly, those triumphs can become timeless. Ron Simmons, known to WWE fans as Farooq, was embarking on a highly successful run in WCW before he was in the Nation of Domination and APA. A fantastic wrestler, one night in 1992 saw Simmons make history.

Facing off against Big Van Vader after winning a raffle for a World Title match, Simmons would powerslam Vader into defeat and earn himself the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Becoming the first African-American to win a World Heavyweight Title, his victory was deserved as much as it was emotional. Paving the way for the likes of Kofi Kingston and Bobby Lashley in the modern era, Simmons is a trailblazer that wrestling history will never forget.

5

Goldberg Defeats Hulk Hogan

Another legendary moment at the expense of the Hulkster

Another momentous World Championship triumph and it once against comes at the cost of Hulk Hogan. Goldberg’s run in WCW is a storied one. Embarking on a supposed 173-0 win streak over the span of 15 months, one of those wins saw the Da Man win a World Title.

Already the United States Champion, Goldberg’s obsession with winning meant it was impossible to deny him a World Title match. With Hollywood Hogan as champ, the Hulkster accepted Da Man’s challenge, and in 1998 on Nitro Goldberg became WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Defeating Scott Hall on the same night as his championship triumph, it cemented Goldberg’s historic run as prestigious.

4

WCW Nitro’s Debut Episode

A legendary debut ended a historic night

As mentioned, WCW enjoyed a six-year run on TBS before being bought out by Vince McMahon. Debuting on September 4, 1995, the brainchild of Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff cemented their presence in the professional wrestling industry with an iconic debut episode.

Airing live from the Mall of America, instantly distinguishing themselves as different from WWF, the hour-long show contained the likes of Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair before dramatically ending the night. Having been an upper card act in WWF, Lex Luger became the first defector from the company, as he debuted in the closing moments of WCW’s debut Monday Nitro. Paving the way for the endless debuts that were to come over the six-year reign, the inaugural episode remains timeless.

3

Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan

The meeting between two greats

The biggest names in professional wrestling during their heyday, it remains a mystery as to how Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan never faced off at WrestleMania. The Nature Boy and the Hulkster were briefly colleagues in the WWF but would soon find themselves in WCW in 1994.

A company that didn’t want to squander what their rivals did, Bash at the Beach 1994, played host to WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair against Hulk Hogan. A monumental match-up, it also marked the Hulkster’s in-ring debut for WCW. Hogan would end the night as World Champion following a 20-minute encounter, with fans forever being grateful to WCW for presenting this bout.

2

The Final WCW Monday Nitro

Flair vs. Sting capped off a historic run

One of professional wrestling’s greatest rivalries, Sting and Ric Flair, have locked up in numerous promotions. A range of matches have taken place over the course of four different decades, but the most memorable encounter took place on WCW’s final Nitro.

March 2001 marked the date on which McMahon bought out WCW, meaning the final Monday Nitro took place on March 26, 2001. An emotional night, what better way to bow out than pitting your two biggest stars against each other one last time. Sting would end the night as the winner, but it was a night where the winner’s share of the purse meant nothing. Hugging in the ring as the show came to an end, it marked the end of an iconic run for WCW.

1

Hulk Hogan Turns Heel

The birth of a Hollywood legend

For all of WCW’s highs and lows, nothing comes close to the moment Hulk Hogan turned heel. One of the most unexpected heel turns in the history of professional wrestling, it is still discussed in jaw-dropping regard to this day. Occurring in the main event of 1996’s Bash at the Beach PPV, Hogan turned on WCW’s strongest soldiers to side with the Outsiders.

Attacking Randy Savage before unveiling the New World Order with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, the raucous reception that the moment received makes for incredible viewing. The first heel turn for the Hulkster in 15 years, it cemented WCW as a company willing to take risks and able to create timeless moments.

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