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MORNING THOUGHTS: KEVIN SULLIVAN AND THE END OF WCW & MORE

FREEBIRDS IN THE HALL OF FAME

To clarify something I wrote in my Morning Thoughts column yesterday, no Michaels Hayes actions and subsequent suspension should not keep the Freebirds out of WWE Hall of Fame consideration, but in my opinion, honoring Hayes within a year of this suspension sends a bad message.  Thus, there is no way in my mind he should be inducted this coming year in Houston, Texas.  I failed to properly convey that in my column yesterday, so I wanted to make that clear.

KEVIN SULLIVAN AND THE END OF WCW 

Upon the suggestion of my PWInsider.com Elite "broadast partner" Les Thatcher, who joins me regularly for exclusive audio discussions on the world of professional wrestling, I sought out the new DVD released by Kayfabe Commentaries, "Kevin Sullivan and the End of WCW."

As a viewer, I am far beyond and past the point getting excited about the latest in a long line of shoot interviews released by a myriad of companies and featuring a number of names discussing topics on the sports, most of which are based on the subject's own opinions and sometimes faulty memories.  With very few exceptions, I doubt there's anyone left who hasn't done one and hasn't done one with multiple companies, some of which feature stories that contradict the other interviews.

Still, when Les, who's track record in the industry is second to none and is gold in my mind, praised the DVD, I tracked down a copy to see how the one-time "Gamesmaster" recounted the demise of World Championship Wrestling and its eventual sale, at flea market prices given what the WCW library consisted of, to World Wrestling Entertainment.

I'm glad I did.  

The editing of the DVD, featuring titles that broke down the disintegration of WCW, at times day by day, week by week,  made for an easy two hour viewing,  setting stage for each segment of the discussion.  It also broke the monotony many shoot interviews, by their very nature, have, with a one camera shoot featuring a talent talking to an off-camera interviewer.  An introduction describing the loss of WCW and the National Wrestling Alliance's legacy that went along with it, was correct, concise and to the point that someone who didn't live through the Monday Night Wars era could immediately understand how terrible the loss of that company was to the overall health of this industry.

Sullivan, while reviewing the stress and trials he went through as a member of WCW management, is a breath of fresh air in discussing the company as well.  While most books and interviews regarding the end of the company are quick to point the blame on one singular person or reason - Kevin Nash, Vince Russo, Brad Siegel, the AOL-Time Warner merger, etc. - Sullivan simply recounts what he lived through and when things come up that he was in disagreement with at the time, is open enough to admit that perhaps the way he saw things wasn't always correct and allows to explain what the viewpoints that were opposite of his own were, without damning them.

If I recounted the entire DVD, you'd have no reason to seek it out himself, so some of the highlights:

*Sullivan dissecting the state of the company at the time and how everyone, at every level, was under extreme duress, expecting they could at any time, lose their income, their homes and everything they were depending on weekly to upkeep their level of living due to outside issues.

*Sullivan's views on Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara coming into WCW and that their failure was their attempts to bring the WWE style to a WCW audience.  "They were Ford and we were Harley-Davidson," says Sullivan on the DVD.  "Both vehicles, but two entirely different animals."  Sullivan was also honest enough to point out that if the situations were reversed, bringing a WCW-esque, more athletic take to the WWE product might not have worked for the better, either.

*Sullivan's continued feelings that if he was given 6-7 months to rebuild the company, how they might have had a chance to face of with WWE again, but with Time-Warner wanting immediate results, the pressure cooker that ensued and why no one could have saved it.

*Sullivan discussing how he got Hulk Hogan to agree to turn heel and then wouldn't let Hogan out of his sight in order to prevent anyone else from getting in Hogan's ear and changing his mind.

*Sullivan's praise of Lex Luger as someone who worked hard and did whatever he was asked during the period where WCW's talent base was falling apart.  Given Luger's reputation at the time, an interesting take on "The Total Package."

*Sullivan explaining that he put the WCW title on Chris Benoit as an attempt to sooth over the personal conflicts between he and Benoit's clique and as way to show that personal issues wouldn't cause an effect on the business side.

*Sullivan's exasperation at being the guy who had to go discipline Scott Steiner when he used live promo time to rip apart Ric Flair and tell viewers to change the channel to Raw and Tank Abbott, who pulled a knife on Big Al during a live PPV.  The Abbott story is especially funny when you know the back story of what Sullivan had originally asked of Tank.

*Sullivan's theory that someone, somewhere wanted WCW to fail and got money under the table, because of the song and dance price WWE was able to acquire 37-plus years of footage, plus talent, trademarks, etc.

Overall, a very strong DVD and one that was so well put together, I look forward to seeing the other titles Kayfabe Commentaries has in store.  Additional titles they have already released include a Tito Santana-Greg Valentine DVD and Guest Booker titles where the likes of Raven, JJ Dillon, Sullivan and Gabe Sapolsky book a fantasy situation over a series of months.

You can order the Kevin Sullivan and the End of WCW DVD from our good friends at www.highspots.com.

Mike Johnson can be reached at Mike@PWInsider.com.

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