The 1990s

After a tremendous peak in the 1980s, pro wrestling dropped off the mainstream radar at in the early 90s. Vince McMahon’s WWF remained the most dominant promotion, but its popularity waned as fans tired of Hulk Hogan and the company failed to create new stars that were able to crossover into popular culture. The WWF’s deal with NBC ended and its visibility decreased on television in the early part of the decade.

Meanwhile Jim Crockett had sold his company to TV mogul Ted Turner, who turned it into World Championship Wrestling. Turner’s networks gave WCW plenty of TV exposure, making it the only major national company left to compete with the WWF, but the company struggled to maintain a following due to constant changes in leadership and direction. Other new companies attempted to break into the wrestling scene in the early 90s, but most had little success.

Things began to turn around in 1995, when WCW launched Monday Nitro to compete head-to-head with the WWF’s Monday Night Raw. The real war between the two companies over television ratings and talent led to a renewed interest in wrestling and some of the most watched shows in history. Paul Heyman’s Philadelphia-based ECW also broke through as a national player with mainstream TV exposure and pay-per-view shows and became a strong third national promotion.

The late-90s wrestling boom saw more live television shows, supercards, and pay-per-views than ever before, giving fans hundreds of hours of programming featuring countless memorable moments and great matches.