World Championship Wrestling was both the most successful promotion in the history of North American pro wrestling, and also the industry’s biggest letdown and failure. In only a handful of years, WCW went from the world’s hottest organization boasting what probably remains, to this day, the greatest overall wrestling roster to ever exist to a company without a television contract that was ultimately bought by its biggest competitor, the World Wrestling Federation. Due to a lack of long-term thinking and bitter feelings that should have disappeared following the end of the “Monday Night Wars,” much about WCW was intentionally buried in WWE storylines during the Invasion storyline that left much to be desired and, in turn, resulted in pockets of fans giving up on the product.
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In recent years, the WWE has been more open about embracing parts of WCW’s past that now, technically, exist underneath the WWE umbrella. One example is the WarGames match that made its debut on a WWE program in NXT in November 2017. Whether or not WarGames will remain only on the NXT brand has yet to be seen, but logic seems to suggest fans around the world would enjoy seeing a main-roster feud end with a WarGames match that takes place at a pay-per-view or major event. Plenty about the old WCW needs to remain buried in the ground forever — nobody anywhere needs to see a triple-cage match occur — but many ideas from that failed promotion should be given chances to thrive on WWE programming in the near future.
14 Real Cruiserweight Division
Yes, we understand that the 205 Live show continues to exist on the WWE Network, and fans around the world would admit that program has improved dramatically since Triple H reportedly took control of that product. What the WWE seems to forget is that fans loved watching the WCW Cruiserweight division as part of the overall product. When that portion of WCW was at its peak, those wrestlers were presented as some of the best wrestlers on the roster and as something different that brought needed sparks to long editions of Nitro.
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The matches on 205 Live fall flat with some in-house audience members because that show takes place after two-hour SmackDown programs. Feature good and serious Cruiserweight matches on Raw, WWE, and fans will care.
13 World War 3
The WWE is all about battle royals as of the spring of 2018. WrestleMania 34 will apparently feature both the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and a WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal. In January 2018, both men and women on the roster competed in Royal Rumble matches. It’s been widely reported in March that the company is going to stage a 50-man battle royal at an event in Saudi Arabia later this year.
Why not go all-in on the idea and bring the 60-man World War 3 from WCW back for either a pay-per-view or an exclusive event available only on the WWE Network? WWE wouldn’t struggle filling three rings with 60 competitors. A championship match or some other opportunity could be on the line. This just makes sense considering the current state of the promotion.
12 TV Title
Wrestling fans and also the WWE quit pretending that there was any real difference between the United States and Intercontinental Titles not long after the WWE brought the US Championship from WCW to SmackDown. One way to differentiate the mid-card Championships on the main roster brands would be to exchange a belt for the defunct Television Championship.
The TV Title that was part of WCW could be defended on one of two WWE television shows on a weekly basis, which was one of the original gimmicks behind WCW version of the belt, and it could be used as a way to elevate heels and babyface wrestlers who were otherwise floundering on the roster. These matches could also include a different WCW idea that has disappeared throughout the 2000s since the collapse of that promotion.
11 Time Limit Draws
Some fans out there may suggest that the idea of time-limit draws wouldn’t get over among viewers who watch both pro wrestling and mixed-martial arts in 2018. History tells us that isn’t true. After all, Ring of Honor has used the idea of time-limit draws to tell compelling stories throughout that company’s history. TV title matches, in particular, almost always included time-limit draws, and heels were able to use that rule to their advantage as they attempted to run the clock out and retain the championship.
Not every WWE match should include time-limit draws for obvious reason — too much of anything is a negative — but this WCW idea could work if utilized sparingly and for matches in which a championship was on the line.
10 A Real Balor Club Invasion, nWo Style
The one big thing WCW got right starting in 1996 was the New World Order invasion storyline in which some viewers actually believed former WWE guys Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were legitimately representing their old employers in a real wrestling war.
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Bullet Club, repackaged as Balor Club in the WWE, has often been compared to the NWO for several reasons, including the “Too Sweet” hand gesture, but Balor Club has not yet been given a major push as a group of performers looking to take control of a portion of the WWE roster. Finn Balor, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows could get over as either a babyface or heel unit if given the chance to thrive as more than just a trio of guys who happen to get along. This WCW idea could also, in time, lead to current Bullet Club members eventually being signed and then introduced as WWE wrestlers.
9 Halloween Havoc
The sets used for the WCW Halloween Havoc pay-per-views were some of the best designs in the industry at the time. They were even favorites of gamers who enjoyed titles such as WCW/nWo Revenge, a Nintendo 64 game that remains popular in 2018.
As previously mentioned, the WWE has done well to bring WCW events and shows to its catalog. Why not Halloween Havoc? An updated version of that set for high-definition television would look amazing in-person, on TV and in future editions of WWE video games. Think what the WWE could do with a Halloween Havoc match between Bray Wyatt and WOKEN Matt Hardy. That, alone, should spark enough intrigue and imagination for the WWE to use this forgotten WCW idea every October moving forward.
8 Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles
Depending on when you gave up on WCW — and the television ratings suggest many did before these championships were introduced — you may not even know that the company presented Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles during the dying days of the company. Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio, two wrestlers who eventually made the jump from WCW to the WWE after Vince McMahon bought his competition, won the titles on the last ever edition of Nitro, but those belts disappeared almost as quickly as they appeared once WCW was officially no more.
As of March 2018, it is rumored that a Cruiserweight tag team division and championships will be added to the roster soon after WrestleMania 34. We’re hoping these belts last a little longer than those in WCW.
7 Spring Break Monday Shows
We’re not going to pretend that every edition of Monday Nitro that occurred at Club La Vela in the late 1990s and in 2001 were entertaining and the best episodes of any given year. They offered fans in attendance and also those watching via television something different and unique, and they also provided opportunities for spots that never get old in wrestling; heels being thrown into bodies of water; a pool in these instances.
Imagine how hilarious it would be to watch Braun Strowman launch The Miz or Elias into a pool during a spring break Raw show. Sure, these are cheap pops, but the moments almost always elicit positive reactions from fans so long as they are done right. They also make viewers suffering through cold winters wish they could take trips to warmer climates.
6 The Big Gold Belt
The greatest title in the history of North American professional wrestling is the “big gold belt” formerly held by the WCW World Heavyweight Champion that was later presented as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. It’s the belt associated with “Nature Boy” Ric Flair and, in the eyes of many, is the most important of its kind in the business.
There’s no reason for the Raw and SmackDown Championships to look similar other than strap colors. Some may even want to company to merge the Universal and WWE Championships so that there is only one top title-holder on the roster. The “big gold belt” may, all things considered, be the best WCW idea the WWE needs to bring back because it’s an easy swap that wouldn’t negatively affect the roster or the product one bit.
5 Clash of Champions TV Specials
Credit the WWE for bringing the Clash of the Champions name from WCW to WWE for annual shows. The WWE lost its way here by having them occur as pay-per-view events that, for the most part, are not all that different from most that include championship bouts.
Clash of the Champions stood out because titles were defended and won on free television shows that were separate from Nitro, WCW Saturday Night and other programs. The WWE could do this by putting a Clash of the Champions on over-the-air NBC or one of several other properties on a Saturday or Sunday evening. It may not draw the biggest rating, and it could even be seen as a failure when all is said and done. Nevertheless, it’s a risk that, on paper, is worth taking.
4 Uncensored
Here is another WCW idea the WWE would need to present carefully. The concept with the early Uncensored pay-per-views involved those running WCW essentially allowing for unsanctioned matches to fill a card so that storylines could either progress or finish in serious and, in some cases, hardcore battles. Thus, championships were not meant to be defended and won at these shows since WCW wasn’t “in charge” on those nights.
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While hardcore wrestling in 2018 isn’t nearly as dangerous as it was 20 years ago, Uncensored could still work as a unique yearly show that didn’t require championship matches to draw interest. Bray Wyatt versus Matt Hardy, Sami Zayn versus Kevin Owens and Bayley versus Sasha Banks are three hypothetical matches that could occur at an Uncensored as of March 2018.
3 Japan Supershows
This WCW idea would require a special agreement between the WWE and a promotion such as New Japan Pro Wrestling regarding which performers would have their hands raised at the conclusions of matches. When WCW and NJPW produced a few of these events back in the 1990s, they featured performers unfamiliar to fans in North America because Japanese wrestling wasn’t shown on television and wasn’t easy to find unless you were willing to trade tapes.
That, of course, is no longer the case, as wrestling fans all around the world are now able to stream NJPW shows. The popularity of NJPW coupled with the WWE actively looking to sign wrestlers on that roster could make for an interesting show or two so long as these parties could work together.
2 Six-Man Tag Team Championships
Years ago, WWE.com published a story about championships missing from the product as of that time. The first championships mentioned were the old WCW six-man tag team titles. One could easily argue there is no better time than the present to bring those championships to either Raw or SmackDown for various reasons.
The WWE roster is stacked, to the point some may believe there are too many performers signed when you consider everybody who is in NXT and the developmental portion of the promotion. Some talented wrestlers will get lost in the mid-card because there are only so many available hours of television per week. Pushing the six-man titles as important properties could provide fans with some great matches, and it would give plenty signed by the WWE something to chase.
1 WCW All-Nighter
Wrestling fans who grew up in the 1990s and who searched through a TV guide to find shows were equal parts elated and surprised to see the existence of WCW All-Nighter, also sometimes referred to as WCW Up All Night, in 1995.
This marathon that aired through the night, hence the name, showcased old matches from both the National Wrestling Alliance and WCW, and it was a way for old and new fans to connect to the product. Hours and hours of classic wrestling television are available via the WWE Network. A WWE All-Nighter that aired on USA Network or some other property could serve as the ultimate advertisement for that streaming service, and it would allow some to re-live their youths and favorite times as fans.
BattleBowl
In the spring of 2018, the WWE is all about both battle royal matches and tournaments. Here is a WCW idea that features the best of both worlds! The BattleBowl gimmick began with what was referred to as a “Lethal Lottery” in which teams were drawn at random, in storyline, to create mismatched duos who competed for spots in an over-the-top-rope battle royal. The last man standing at the end of that match didn’t always win an award, but the bout’s finish could advance a storyline involving two feuding wrestlers.
If nothing else, this WCW idea is one that stands out from other basic battle royals that will air on WWE Network throughout 2015. How many standard over-the-top-rope matches does one need to see within six months, anyway?