Transfers

‘Vince McMahon Didn’t Try Stopping Me Join WCW

By Admin / April 7, 2025

Summary

  • Vince McMahon started losing top talent to his arch-rivals at the height of the Monday Night Wars.
  • More wrestlers left WWE for WCW due to the lure of creative freedom and better pay.
  • One former WWE star was the creative force behind a hugely successful WCW gimmick.

Some of the biggest names in pro wrestling jumped from WWE to WCW, including Hulk Hogan, a major player in the Monday Night Wars. Vince McMahon felt ‘heartbroken’ and ‘betrayed’ by the Hulkster’s switch in 1994, and the pair’s relationship soured as a result.

McMahon hated being on the losing side of history, and in the case of Hogan’s move to Ted Turner’s company, that was the case. More stars jumped ship due to the lure of more creative freedom and the potential of a better salary.

It was a difficult period for the former WWE Chairman, who watched his competitors thrive, with his old close friend leading the charge as the top heel. “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan fronted the legendary group the nWo (New World Order), which consisted of three former WWE stars. One of whom claimed McMahon didn’t try to prevent leaving, unlike Hogan.

WCW

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Scott Hall: Vince Never Sold Me Leaving WWE For WCW

The two-time WWE Hall of Famer recalled the infamous Curtain Call

Scott Hall was one of the most popular stars during WWE’s New Generation era, particularly with the legendary gimmick Razor Ramon. He won the Intercontinental Championship four times and was an excellent in-ring competitor. He put on several classics, such as his WrestleMania X Ladder Match against Shawn Michaels.

His promo work was up there with the very best as he put his rivals on blast while chewing on his toothpick. He’s one of the all-time greats who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a singles star in 2014 and as a member of the nWo in 2020.

The Monday Night Wars had erupted into chaos in 1996 and Hall felt that he wasn’t being paid on par with the top stars in the company and asked Vince for a raise. This fell on deaf ears, as he recalled in an interview with Chris Jericho on Talk is Jericho in early 2020 (via 411MANIA):

“I said (to Vince), ‘I’m curious because I want to make big money like the guys who proceeded me and I’ve noticed that my pay has kind of plateaued although I feel like my value to the company is increasing.’

I said, ‘I don’t have to have the most, I just want a lot.’ ‘I’m a redneck, I live kind of humbly, I’ll get by fine, I just want a little bit more, please.’ So, he said, ‘No.’”

Hall gave his notice and suggested Vince hadn’t tried to persuade him to reconsider his decision:

“Vince never sold it though. I gave my notice, he never sold it, he never said, ‘Hey let’s talk, let’s work this out,’ which is kind of what I was hoping.”

Hall’s last appearance on WWE TV was one of the most controversial segments in pro wrestling history, known as the ‘Curtain Call’. On May 19, 1996, he joined fellow babyface Michaels and heels Kevin Nash and Triple H in the ring at Madison Square Garden during a house show, breaking kayfabe to hug one another.

This group was known as ‘The Kliq’ backstage, and their actions significantly impacted the business as promoters couldn’t hide that their production was scripted. But there was an intriguing encounter between Hall and McMahon before the incident:

“I get summoned to Vince’s office. And I’m thinking, ‘Hey, I didn’t get hurt, I’m out of here, I’m going down there, whatever lay await for me, I’m going.’ And he comes in and goes, ‘Goddamnit, you still work for me, what did them sons of bitches offer you?’

I said, ‘Vince, I don’t feel comfortable really talking about this, I told Eric Bischoff I’m coming.’ ‘What they offer?’ I told him. He said, ‘That’s a pretty good deal.’ I said, ‘You asked.’ I said, ‘I’m out of here.’ Shawn burst in, ‘Oh I want this to happen,’ and the curtain call took place. Vince knew about it ahead of time.”

Hall debuted on WCW Monday Nitro on May 27 in a massive angle in which he was presented as an ‘outsider’ before being joined by Nash in June. This set in motion the creation of the nWo, one of the most important stables in pro wrestling history.

Vince’s lack of effort in keeping his former Intercontinental Champion looked even sillier when Hogan made a shocking heel turn at Bash in the Beach on July 7, 1996, to form the three-man group.

The nWo wreaked havoc and helped the company beat WWE in the ratings war while winning championships. The group remained together for five years in WCW until the company changed hands. This included eight different incarnations and a total of 79 members being recruited. But the street gang wasn’t the only iconic angle Hall played a key role in helping create while with WCW.

Scott Hall’s WCW Career

Debut:

May 27, 1996

PPV Matches (Singles):

9

PPV Wins (Singles):

4

PPV Defeats (Singles):

5

PPV Matches (Tag Team):

18

PPV Wins (Tag Team):

10

PPV Defeats (Tag Team):

7

Teams and Stables:

nWo, nWo Hollywood, nWo Wolfpac, Outsiders, Diamond Mine

Championships:

WCW United States Championship (2x), WCW World Tag Team Championships (7x), WCW World Television Championship

Scott Hall Came Up With Sting’s ‘Crow’ Gimmick

The character evolution was a massive hit with fans

Sting needed a new direction in the mid-nineties following Hogan and Randy Savage’s arrivals in WCW, especially when nWo formed to kickstart an era focused on cool and cocky gimmicks. With his bleached blonde hair and ‘Stinger’ persona, he was initially among those feuding with the group.

When he was wrongfully accused of attacking Lex Luger alongside the nWo, he took off, saying he was a free agent and would re-appear when everybody least expected it. He returned a month later dressed in full black with white face paint and a mysterious aura that saw him remain silent while holding a baseball bat and often appearing in the rafters during Monday Nitro.

This was Sting, as fans had never seen him before, but the character was familiar as it was a play on Brandon Lee’s 1994 superhero, The Crow. Hall was the creative genius who pitched the idea to the former six-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion.

Hall recalled this on Eric Bischoff’s 83 Weeks Podcast (via ITR Wrestling):

“I said ‘Have you ever seen The Crow?’ He said no. I said to him ‘It’s kind of like this cool, dark character with the white face paint and the dark lines. I then said I’m not telling you to rip off Taker but rip off Taker. The kind of rule was if you’re in a different territory it’s not quite as bad. The way I remember it I think he ran it by E (Eric Bischoff) and they went yeah and we were off to the races.”

Crow Sting was one of the best character creations in pro wrestling history. He helped Steve Borden stay in the main event scene during a buzz period for WCW. He continued using the gimmick when he joined TNA in 2003, where he starred at the top of the card alongside Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, and Samoa Joe.

“He definitely made us all better – helped me with that one-of-a-kind Scott Hall insight. So many “Too Sweet” memories.” – Sting on X responding to Scott Hall’s death in 2022.

WWE finally managed to sign Sting in 2014, and the Crow character remained intact, including in a WrestleMania 31 loss to Triple H, which saw the nWo, including Hall and D-Generation X, get involved. This was WCW’s answer to The Undertaker, and they had Hall to thank for its creation.

Data courtesy of Cagematch – correct as of 06/04/2025.

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