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NITRO: Expanded Edition - The Incredible Rise and Inevitable Collapse of Ted Turner's WCW
NEW EXPANDED EDITION INCLUDES FOUR BONUS CHAPTERS, A NEW FOREWORD FROM ERIC BISCHOFF, 100+ ADDITIONAL FOOTNOTES, AND MORE!Four bonus chapters!A new foreword from Eric Bischoff!Dozens of new tidbits!Over 100 footnotes to the original story!Reviews
"The most definitive, well written and thoroughly researched book on the rise and fall of WCW."
--Eric Bischoff, former WCW President
"This is - without question - the very best book ever written on professional wrestling."
--Conrad Thompson
"Well written and captivating...a fresh take on [the] time period."
--Chris Harrington, AEW VP of Business Strategy
"...may be the best overall pro wrestling book to date."
--David Bixenspan, Deadspin
Synopsis
In April 1999, Entertainment Weekly asked its readers what many were surely wondering to how did wrestling get so big?
As a consequence of the heated ratings competition between World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), the spectacle had taken over Monday nights on prime-time cable television. But in a departure from the family-friendly programming produced by the last industry boom - the 1980s wave, which made household names of Hulk Hogan, 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper and Andre the Giant - the new era of wrestling combined stunning athleticism with a raunchy sex appeal, engrossing story lines and novel production techniques that reflected a changing society and its shifting values.
Once again, wrestling was a ubiquitous phenomenon - only this time, it seemed as though the fad would never end. With both WCW and WWF expanding into other forms of entertainment - movies, video games, music and the like - the potential for growth appeared to be limitless.
But with uncertainty surrounding its corporate future, and increasingly uninspired programming eroding its audience, WCW stood on the verge of collapse. Three years into a five-year plan devised by its charismatic leader - a former Blue Ribbon Foods salesman named Eric Bischoff - the company whose unexpected ascension initiated the entire boom was operating on borrowed time.
For by the end of the five-year plan, WCW ceased to exist.
But NITRO is a story about much more than WCW and the Monday Night Wars. It is a story of an era, a time in which the media and cultural landscape precipitated - and later supported - pro wrestling's mainstream popularity. It is a story of how a company made in the image of an intuitively brilliant risk-taker betrayed its original promise. It is a story of how a handful of men, each struggling with their own limitations, facilitated a public obsession that changed television forever.
And so, with the inside knowledge of a journalist, the perspective of a historian, and the passion of a fan, author Guy Evans provides a fresh look at an unfortunate inevitability - the downfall of World Championship Wrestling. Bolstered by exclusive interviews with over 120 former TBS and WCW employees, NITRO is the definitive picture of the last wrestling boom.
Featuring exclusive interviews and comments from over 120 former TBS and WCW employees,
Eric Bischoff, fmr. President of World Championship Wrestling;
Harvey Schiller, fmr. President of Turner Sports;
Jamie Kellner, fmr. CEO of Turner Broadcasting System;
Bill Burke, fmr. President of TBS network;
Joe Uva, fmr. President of Turner Entertainment Sales and Marketing;
Scot Safon, fmr. SVP of Marketing for TNT network;
Dick Cheatham, fmr.
"The most definitive, well written and thoroughly researched book on the rise and fall of WCW."
--Eric Bischoff, former WCW President
"This is - without question - the very best book ever written on professional wrestling."
--Conrad Thompson
"Well written and captivating...a fresh take on [the] time period."
--Chris Harrington, AEW VP of Business Strategy
"...may be the best overall pro wrestling book to date."
--David Bixenspan, Deadspin
Synopsis
In April 1999, Entertainment Weekly asked its readers what many were surely wondering to how did wrestling get so big?
As a consequence of the heated ratings competition between World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), the spectacle had taken over Monday nights on prime-time cable television. But in a departure from the family-friendly programming produced by the last industry boom - the 1980s wave, which made household names of Hulk Hogan, 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper and Andre the Giant - the new era of wrestling combined stunning athleticism with a raunchy sex appeal, engrossing story lines and novel production techniques that reflected a changing society and its shifting values.
Once again, wrestling was a ubiquitous phenomenon - only this time, it seemed as though the fad would never end. With both WCW and WWF expanding into other forms of entertainment - movies, video games, music and the like - the potential for growth appeared to be limitless.
But with uncertainty surrounding its corporate future, and increasingly uninspired programming eroding its audience, WCW stood on the verge of collapse. Three years into a five-year plan devised by its charismatic leader - a former Blue Ribbon Foods salesman named Eric Bischoff - the company whose unexpected ascension initiated the entire boom was operating on borrowed time.
For by the end of the five-year plan, WCW ceased to exist.
But NITRO is a story about much more than WCW and the Monday Night Wars. It is a story of an era, a time in which the media and cultural landscape precipitated - and later supported - pro wrestling's mainstream popularity. It is a story of how a company made in the image of an intuitively brilliant risk-taker betrayed its original promise. It is a story of how a handful of men, each struggling with their own limitations, facilitated a public obsession that changed television forever.
And so, with the inside knowledge of a journalist, the perspective of a historian, and the passion of a fan, author Guy Evans provides a fresh look at an unfortunate inevitability - the downfall of World Championship Wrestling. Bolstered by exclusive interviews with over 120 former TBS and WCW employees, NITRO is the definitive picture of the last wrestling boom.
Featuring exclusive interviews and comments from over 120 former TBS and WCW employees,
Eric Bischoff, fmr. President of World Championship Wrestling;
Harvey Schiller, fmr. President of Turner Sports;
Jamie Kellner, fmr. CEO of Turner Broadcasting System;
Bill Burke, fmr. President of TBS network;
Joe Uva, fmr. President of Turner Entertainment Sales and Marketing;
Scot Safon, fmr. SVP of Marketing for TNT network;
Dick Cheatham, fmr.
768 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 17, 2022
38 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 28, 2024
This really is THE definitive book on WCW.
The major criticism of it seems to be that it is very balanced. However that is precisely what makes it a quality piece of journalism. Various competing narratives are presented, but none are filtered with the author’s take. If Vince Russo says something incredulous it is left to the other people being interviewed to refute it. In that light there are no real villains. Bischoff, Russo, Siegel, Turner, and even McMahon are presented evenly.
What it does well is present WCW as a business. What the other major book on the death of WCW does so badly is assume that WCW was a wrestling company. Clearly it was a TV entity within Turner. While a bad booking decision could certainly be embarrassing, both companies of that era had a plethora of bad booking (Vince McMahon won the 1999 Royal Rumble…).
But ultimately it was the corporate structure of WCW, reflected in everything from the ridiculous labour contracts to the standards and practices to the corporate decision making (with no one in charge) that sunk WCW. Anyone who has ever worked in a corporate environment knows that endless committee meetings are a recipe for failure. It wasn’t killed by ‘the finger poke of doom’ or any such nonsense. It was killed by Hogan being given five finishes and none making it to TV. He would veto one, Standards would veto one, Bischoff would veto one, Sullivan would veto one, and TNN would veto one. So they are starting TV with no idea of how they will end it, much less what will happen next week. THAT killed WCW.
Though Russo certainly helped. Even a sympathetic view of him here can’t mask that.
This book takes everything. The backstage nonsense, the fragmented corporate structure, the context of the 1990s and blends them brilliantly.
It probably won’t offer a lot of new info for people who are junkies for this era, but it is the definitive book on this era. Everything is contextualized and presented with no bias or focus on nonsense.
Skip the other books. Just read this one.
The major criticism of it seems to be that it is very balanced. However that is precisely what makes it a quality piece of journalism. Various competing narratives are presented, but none are filtered with the author’s take. If Vince Russo says something incredulous it is left to the other people being interviewed to refute it. In that light there are no real villains. Bischoff, Russo, Siegel, Turner, and even McMahon are presented evenly.
What it does well is present WCW as a business. What the other major book on the death of WCW does so badly is assume that WCW was a wrestling company. Clearly it was a TV entity within Turner. While a bad booking decision could certainly be embarrassing, both companies of that era had a plethora of bad booking (Vince McMahon won the 1999 Royal Rumble…).
But ultimately it was the corporate structure of WCW, reflected in everything from the ridiculous labour contracts to the standards and practices to the corporate decision making (with no one in charge) that sunk WCW. Anyone who has ever worked in a corporate environment knows that endless committee meetings are a recipe for failure. It wasn’t killed by ‘the finger poke of doom’ or any such nonsense. It was killed by Hogan being given five finishes and none making it to TV. He would veto one, Standards would veto one, Bischoff would veto one, Sullivan would veto one, and TNN would veto one. So they are starting TV with no idea of how they will end it, much less what will happen next week. THAT killed WCW.
Though Russo certainly helped. Even a sympathetic view of him here can’t mask that.
This book takes everything. The backstage nonsense, the fragmented corporate structure, the context of the 1990s and blends them brilliantly.
It probably won’t offer a lot of new info for people who are junkies for this era, but it is the definitive book on this era. Everything is contextualized and presented with no bias or focus on nonsense.
Skip the other books. Just read this one.
June 28, 2025
Couldn’t put it down!
Very detailed insight into the inner workings of not just the wrestling business but the minds of corporate executives. Amazed at how many people were willing to be interviewed for a book like this. Well done.
Very detailed insight into the inner workings of not just the wrestling business but the minds of corporate executives. Amazed at how many people were willing to be interviewed for a book like this. Well done.
July 13, 2024
This was easily one of the best books I’ve ever read. The interviews from within Turner, I learned so much about who/what really killed WCW. This book and the four part TV series really brought closure to a chapter of my life I’ve always had nostalgia about. I think Eric Bischoff had an impossible job. Despite being impossible, he is on the Mt Rushmore of execs. I was disturbed at how the final meeting went at the Power Plant when folks lost access to computers, etc. Overall, this book really provided in detail the inner workings of Turner and perhaps sheds light on why the WWF was able to swoop in and steal it at such a discounted rate. Highly recommend.
March 13, 2024
Actual Rating : 2/5
Quick Thoughts: I read the extended version of this book on Kindle Unlimited, which was nearly 800 pages long. It delves into the rise and fall of WCW in the late 90s. The author's interviews with Turner Network executives at the time are the highlights and the primary appeal of the book. However, the book tends to meander, jumping back and forth in time. Wrestler backstories are extensive but not always relevant. The book lacks analysis and feels better suited for a documentary than a novel. There is little critique of Eric Bischoff, with excessive praise throughout. While it contains interesting information for wrestling fans, the book's length is not justified.
Quick Thoughts: I read the extended version of this book on Kindle Unlimited, which was nearly 800 pages long. It delves into the rise and fall of WCW in the late 90s. The author's interviews with Turner Network executives at the time are the highlights and the primary appeal of the book. However, the book tends to meander, jumping back and forth in time. Wrestler backstories are extensive but not always relevant. The book lacks analysis and feels better suited for a documentary than a novel. There is little critique of Eric Bischoff, with excessive praise throughout. While it contains interesting information for wrestling fans, the book's length is not justified.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews