It's the end of the World Championship Wrestling franchise as we know it. Tonight's (April 10) program will mark the debut of the handiwork of Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo, former competitors turned teammates. The two were brought together by Brad Siegel, president of general entertainment networks at Turner, WCW's parent company.
"The world will change Monday night," Siegel said at Turner's upfront last week, referring to the changes Russo and Bischoff are making at the WCW. Bischoff was in charge of the WCW until last fall, when he left over differences with Turner sports head Harvey Schiller, reportedly involving the amount of money Bischoff was spending on talent.
Schiller is now gone, and Bischoff was brought back, "with more money and more freedom," Bischoff says. Russo, previously a writer for the World Wrestling Federation, came over to the WCW last fall.
The WWF started eating the WCW's lunch a couple of years ago, when, as Bischoff puts it, "they put tits and ass all over television and did all those ridiculous things to get attention, and Turner didn't do that kind of thing."
Bischoff and Russo are countering with new talent and storylines, beginning tonight. "If the WCW right now was a horse, I would shoot it and get a fresh horse," says Bischoff. "That's the approach we're going to take April 10, creatively in every way."
