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PWTORCH NEWSLETTER FLASHBACK SERIES #2: Documenting build-up to Rock-Hogan at WM18 ten years ago, origins of Brand Split, NWO Invasion & TV ratings decline

Mar 18, 2012 - 4:08:24 PM
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Ten years ago this weekend, The Rock and Hulk Hogan squared off in one of the most memorable WrestleMania matches of all-time when the WM18 crowd firmly sided with nostalgia (Hogan), going against the build-up of the match that presented Hogan as a heel with the "invading" NWO group. Ten years later, Rock is back in a WWE ring main-eventing WrestleMania 28 against John Cena. This time, the crowd is expected to go with Rock and boo Cena.

The build-up to WrestleMania 18, which was panned creatively and was a TV ratings bust, was eventually completely over-shadowed by the match itself. This was also the period when WWE introduced the Draft Split to "shake things up" after WWE's promotion of the NWO Invasion Angle fell flat. As for this year's Rock-Cena build-up, both men's promotional tactics have been panned and the build-up has not delivered in the ratings. But, will the result be like 2002 with Rock-Cena being so memorable that no one remembers the hype?

The following is a Timeline of Events from the 2002 Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter Back-Issues documenting the lead-up to WrestleMania ten years ago. (Not VIP? Find out how to subscribe to access two decades worth of Back-Issues documenting major events in wrestling history at PWTorch.com/GoVIP .)

TORCH #692 - Feb. 16, 2002

WWE NEWSWIRE: The hype of the pending return of the NWO has had a negligible effect on TV ratings thus far. The Jan. 28 Raw, the first show after Vince McMahon had revealed on Smackdown the previous week that the NWO was returning, drew a 4.5 rating, down a notch from the post-Royal Rumble edition of Raw the week before. The Feb. 7 Smackdown drew a 4.1 rating, which is solid up against strong network competition during sweeps, yet an early indication that the return of the NWO may not result in the ratings jump that Vince McMahon was hoping for. The intent was to milk the return of the NWO as long as possible before actually delivering full-fledged live appearances by the trio at the PPV. It could still be the best move in the long-run, but as of now it appears most fringe viewers are content to wait until they actually appear before becoming regular viewers.

***

Torch #693 - Feb. 23, 2002. HEADLINE - NWO attacking Rock highlights memorable Raw. SUBHEADLINE: WrestleMania taking shape with intense angles involving Hogan-Rock and Austin-Hall.

COVER STORY: All doubts about the long-term effectiveness of the NWO have not been erased. Many of the short-term doubts have. The Feb. 18 Raw did what the No Way Out PPV failed to do the night before - energize the WWF in a way that it hasn't been in years. Although the Rock-NWO parking lot angle is what stands out from the show, there were several outstanding segments of the show... It is going to be tough for any match to seem like the main attraction other than Rock vs. Hogan. The build-up to that match on Raw was outstanding. The WWF drew upon the history of Hogan, and the generation-separated parallels between Hogan and Rock. Their chemistry in the ring was strong from the get-go...

The Invasion angle last summer drew one good buyrate. The WWF needs more than one good buyrate at WrestleMania to justify the NWO acquisition. The matches have to deliver. With Rock and Austin involved, though, the odds are strong the WrestleMania matches will not live down to people's worst fears.

***

Torch #694 - Mar. 2, 2002

WWE NEWSWIRE: -The first two weeks that Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall were a central part of Raw, the show averaged 0.1 higher than it did in January. The Feb. 18 and 25 editions of Raw drew 4.7 ratings, in some ways a colossal disappointment considering the much most significant ratings boosts that seemingly lesser angles have generated in the past year, including Rock's return to Raw, Hunter's return to Raw, and Austin's babyface turn tease. The news was better on Smackdown, which jumped from a 3.9 on Feb. 14 to a 4.5 on Feb. 21, the first show following the hot Raw angle with Rock and the NWO.

WWE RAW 2/26 SUMMARY REVIEW: A standard Raw that set the stage for several WrestleMania matches, but didn't provide memorable follow up to last week's hot NWO angle. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash just aren't as fun without the witty (shoot) comments they were known for in WCW. The WWF is forcing the group to play true heels, which eliminates a major element that made the NWO so successful in WCW. While no one is suggesting the WWF let Hall and Nash get out of control, they need to loosen the reigns a bit.

***

Torch #695 - Mar. 9, 2002

WWE NEWSWIRE: The Feb. 28 edition of Smackdown on UPN drew a disappointing 3.8 rating. That is way down from the 4.5 rating it drew the week before. Up against four first-run NBC sitcoms and the debut of the new Survivor, it faced extremely stiff competition. Nonetheless, with the injected star power of the NWO, the hope was Smackdown would be more resilient. It's a sign of possible weakness for the NWO angle and doesn't bode well for interest in WrestleMania experiencing a surge in buys due to the NWO's presense.

BRUCE MITCHELL COLUMN: The results are in. The Return of the NWO, the latest Sure-Fire Can't-Miss Hot-Shot Angle, is a failure. This time the WWF didn't even get the benefit of the traditional two-week ratings boost based on morbid curiosity. It wasn't sabotage or a lack of understanding that messed things up the way it messed up the WCW Invasion, either. Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Hulk Hogan had the key people on their side that could make sure the Outsiders made the same impact in the WWF that they made on the entire wrestling business five years ago...

Things were different, this time. The NWO Trinity had the support of the major hitters in the WWF - the putative son in law Hunter Hearst Helmsley, the princess prodigy Stephanie McMahon, and most importantly the god of wrestling Vince McMahon... So, the WWF started the slow build, eschewing the Big Surprise that trades shock for pay-per-view money and/or ratings points, making sure that every fan knew the time and place these three WWF legends would make their return. The company was in position to take full financial advantage to the answer on the question on every WWF fan's lips: When are Kevin Nash and Scott Hall coming back?...

Hulk Hogan, who for all his selfishness and old age, is one of the two or three biggest stars in the businesses history, teamed with the Rock for the best interview segment in either's illustrious career. The telling part of the segment was the When Worlds Collide quality of the encounter, not the Cool versus Cool quotient. Fans were more interested in Hulk than Hollywood.

The WWF followed this all-time interview segment with a slice of Crash TV at its all time over-the-top expensively wildest. For all intents and purposes, the NWO murdered the Rock, literally running him over with a Mack Truck. The NWO debut was one of the best Raws ever and the NWO angle was the most memorable. Then the ratings came in.

The Next Sure Thing wasn't even a short term boost. The next two weeks, except for a single Smackdown increase, showed an audience that was either staying steady or dropping slightly. The Crash TV stuff was a bad miscalculation of what today's fans want, leading to the equally ludicrous sight of Austin pulling a pop gun on Hall and Nash. Almost immediately the confidence in the NWO Trinity on-air waned... WWF ought to ask Steve Austin himself what to do about their creative hangover. Austin, Hall, and dozens of other wrestlers could tell them you can try all the hotshot cures and panaceas you want, but the only thing that really eases the pain of a hangover is time. Unless you've been too drunk for too long.

***

Torch #696 - Mar. 16, 2002. HEADLINE: WrestleMania: The battle for the main event slot. SUBHEADLINE: Hogan vs. Rock, Triple H vs. Jericho, and Austin vs. Hall - only one match can get top billing

COVER STORY: There hasn't always been a definitive WrestleMania main event, but never before have the three top stars in the WWF been in three separate top matches. Without question, Steve Austin, The Rock, and Triple H are the top three stars in today's WWF, with neither being a definitively bigger name than the other headed into the WWF's biggest event of the year. None is facing another. Instead, they each have very different opponents to work with at the PPV.

Rock vs. Hulk Hogan appears the strong favorite to be the final match at WrestleMania, coming after Jericho-Triple H. Because of Hogan's historical stature in the WWF, and because this is his first televised singles match in the WWF since his return, it's not altogether inappropriate that his bout against Rock would end up being presented as the main event. It has leapfrogged Jericho vs. Triple H as the top billed match in most of the WWF's publicity.

WWE NEWSWIRE: Smackdown ratings for the Mar. 7 program hit an alarming record-low rating of 3.4. That is down from a 3.8 rating the previous week, which was considered terrible... Several writing team members and top wrestlers are frustrated with Vince McMahon's direction and dictatorial approach regarding what others believe are really bad ideas. While Vince is able to get his way with just about anyone, including Paul Heyman, Pat Patterson, and Triple H, Steve Austin will not give in when he thinks an idea stinks as bad as he thought last week's idea stunk. Austin did not like what Vince McMahon had scripted for his angle with Scott Hall at Raw last week. Austin fought for changes and compromises were made that adapted his ideas. McMahon and Austin had a vigorous discussion regarding the matter, and each fought hard for their point of view, and eventually McMahon gave in to Austin.

***

Torch #697 - Mar. 23, 2002. HEADLINE: Hogan and Flair steal the show at WrestleMania. SUBHEADLINE: Raw next day sets stage for big changes in WWF, including talent pool split, perhaps end of Steph on TV.

COVER STORY By Wade Keller, Torch editor

A couple years ago, Hulk Hogan was desperately trying to find a persona that got a rise out of the crowd - either positive or negative. Nothing worked, and in the process he looked lost, desperate, and even pathetic. Last Sunday, it's as if none of that happened. The WWF fans in Toronto's Skydome gave Hogan one of the biggest, most resounding ovations in wrestling history. It lasted throughout the entire match. Even more remarkable, the fans turned on Rock.

The level of cheers for Hogan and the booing of Rock took WWF officials by surprise. They expected a somewhat split crowd, but not a strong, unified anti-Rock crowd. By the next night at Raw, all was made good again. It was a strange scene, though, seeing the WWF use a 25 minute segment to have Hogan turn the fans in favor of Rock. It was supposed to be the other way around as Rock somehow forgave Hogan for trying to kill him a few weeks earlier. It worked, as the boos for Raw at the start of Raw turned into cheers when they came out for the main event an hour-and-a-half later on Raw.

It was a remarkable two days for the WWF in so many ways. While Hogan got a taste of his glory days, so did his '80s counterpart Ric Flair. Flair, the biggest non-WWF star of the past 25 years, had perhaps his best WWF moment since lasting 60 minutes to win the Royal Rumble just over ten years earlier. Flair's match with Undertaker threatened to steal the show. The reaction Flair received may have made Hogan nervous that Flair was going to show him up on what was supposed to be his and Rock's night. As it turned out, WrestleMania X–8 will be remembered the night that the top two stars of the '80s were recognized by a new generation of fans for their impact on the business.

Triple H regained the WWF Title from Chris Jericho in an anti-climactic finale. Triple H and Jericho did what they could to wrest a bit more enthusiasm out of the crowd, but it didn't work. Steve Austin and Scott Hall didn't even seem to put forth any kind of special effort. They went through the motions and clocked out in less than ten minutes.

The WWF also announced that the roster will be split into two separate groups next week, one that will wrestle on Raw with Ric Flair in control and the other that will wrestle on Smackdown with Vince McMahon in control. Linda McMahon made the major announcement, but other than saying that the women's and men's heavyweight champs will appear on both shows, no hints were given as to who will appear on which show.

At this point Rock and Hogan appear to be destined to be on the same show as Hall and Nash in order to take advantage of their feud. It's also possible that Hall and Nash will be split since the WWF hinted at that with a backstage segment where William Regal taunted the Hardys with the prospects that they'll be separated in the draft. More than likely, though, somehow Hall, Nash, Hogan, and Rock will end up anchoring one show, while Triple H and Undertaker are among those anchoring the other show. Austin could end up on either show.

The WWF is going to look very different in two weeks than it did just one week ago. With the flat ratings despite a hefty increase in payroll from the acquisitions of the NWO, the WWF had great incentive to shake things up - and they are.


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