83 Weeks - End of the 83 Week Streak [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Our topic this week Eric…is that we are coming up on the 25th anniversary of the 83 week streak of Nitro defeating Raw coming to an end.

This is what the show is named after…this is the claim to fame and your highest achievement in professional wrestling is it not?

When did you get the feeling that there was a chance the streak would be broken?

Was it Mike Tyson - or did you already feel the current changing at some point?

Nitro was soundly beating Raw by a lot at the end of 1997 - you’d acquired their WWF champion at the time in Bret Hart, you’re building to the biggest match in company history with Sting vs. Hulk Hogan at Starrcade…do you think Starrcade was the catalyst?

What was the difference that you remember in the WWF product compared to WCW?

Was it all because of the shift in Attitude and edgyness or do you think they were pumping out a better product?

Are you sitting down with Kevin Sullivan, Terry Taylor, whoever and going…the momentum is shifting…how do we change this or that to regain it?

January 19th - Mike Tyson and Steve Austin go face to face on Raw and for the first time in forever…the gap between Nitro and Raw is .44 - a total rating of viewers. Does that make your hair stand up and go - whoa…

If you look at the Nitros from that point forward, your main events are big time matches. Lex Luger taking on Scott Hall, Randy Savage vs. Sting, the Outsiders taking on the Steiners…this was not something you were taking lightly was it?

You get a gift in February when the Westminister Dog Show takes Raw’s spot coming off a pay-per-view - and you load up the card with Hogan & Savage vs. Sting & Luger. It draws a 5.1 rating over 3 hours, with a record average of 3,694,000 homes watching…but something that doesn’t get discussed enough I think…Nitro is three hours. And I’ve been watching some with Tony Schiavone on What Happened When…these shows are just too long aren’t they?

How much of an impact was the expansion of product, between 3 hour Nitros and then you add in 2 hours of Thunder?

Was the product too overexposed?

In March Raw & Nitro combined for over 6 million homes watching professional wrestling on Monday night. What do you credit the growth of both shows to?

A Mike Tyson segment on March 2nd tied Nitro - who had Scott Steiner vs. Jim Duggan going at the time - and it was the first segment that tied Nitro in almost a full year. Is that something that lands on your radar?

With Tony Khan and AEW nowadays there’s a lot of talk about minute by minute not quarters. What did you examine - if you examined - the breakdowns?

The main event on March 9th of Hogan, Nash & Hall taking on Savage, Giant & Sting draws a 9.5 share and is watched in 4,188,000 homes - a new record on cable. Eric - you’re riding high with the highest amount of viewers ever…you never expected to see the streak end did you?

The next week the audience grows even more - with Raw preempted - the average viewership is over 4 million homes, with Hulk & Savage taking on Sting & Luger. The main event was the most watched wrestling match in cable history, with a 10.7 share and 4,840,000 homes.

You’re growing and growing and growing - and in the following weeks you’re pumping out still amazing main event attractions - Savage vs. Piper and then Hogan vs. Piper with Raw back on the air building to Mania and after Mania. But the gap closes big time the night after Mania. Nitro draws a 4.2 overall rating, but Raw actually defends Nitro’s second hour with its first hour. That’s the infamous Sean Waltman promo on you and Austin’s first time coming out as WWF champion - did you feel the heat coming off that?

April 6th is pivotal - it’s a taped Raw which back then normally meant the ratings were going to be down. The main event is not exactly superstar caliber - Triple H & the New Age Outlaws taking on DOA. WCW runs out Sting vs. Kevin Nash. Nitro draws a 4.6 to a 4.4. Did you think at the time - the streak was going to end?

Are you in booking meetings stressing this can’t happen - or were you ok if the streak were to be broken?

April 13th is the night it’s broken. The WWF early on in the night promotes Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon and it sets a record - drawing a 6.0 rating with a 10.2 share - and this is against a rematch of Sting vs. Kevin Nash from the week before. 4,414,000 homes watched the match - and by the way - Sting vs. Nash still drew 3,145,000 homes. That’s 7,559,000 homes watching professional wrestling at the same time…

Eric when you get the news the next day - what runs through your mind?

Are you panicking?

Did you think this day would ever come?

What’s the reaction inside WCW?

Vince Russo has said that when the rating came in - it was a quick great job and it was on to the next one. Was that the feeling inside WCW at the time?

Was there anything you - WCW - anybody - could’ve done differently to keep the streak going?

Was there a takeaway that you learned when the streak was broken?