The Boston Seethe Party
WCW’s flagship program Nitro ran from September 1995 to March of 2001 and until recently was the longest running non-WWE/F wrestling tv show in history. In that time we saw the formation of arguably the greatest stable in history, the nWo, the rise of a guy named Bill, and the lucha revolution in the lower cards. The latter of which during the late 90s paved the way for the Styles of the X-Division. That approach would become the “indie style” after WCW’s demise.
We had our cake and could eat it too
That was until Time Warner and Evil Vinman came to Panama City.
With the purchase of WCW, WWF made sure that the rich history of Nitro would go away for good and in its place was…well nothing really. Sure we would end up with TNA and aside from a few glimmers it was clear that they’d never truly be a competitor to the sports entertainment juggernaut.
Those of us that were still fans held onto the small scale indies and Japanese promotions, hoping for a hero to come. After countless exciting developments that gave us hope like Lucha Underground and Ring of Honor, which was bought by Sinclair broadcasting we all seemingly sighed in resignation that a new mainstream alternative could never happen again. That’s when a billionaire watched the evolving alternative wrestling market as a place to plant his flag and make a difference, once and for all.
Tony Khan watched the first ever All In as a fan and afterwards, cemented his plans for a new promotion that would be created in the image of the most popular non-WWE entity there was in 2019, The Elite. So when the perfect storm happened and the nucleus of that group was all free to leave New Japan and ROH, the gamble was made to launch All Elite Wrestling and after just a few months in business, another huge move was made that would change history.
Time Warner famously cancelled WCW programming in the early spring of 2001, rendering the company practically brain dead. Despite an effort by Eric Bischoff(gross) and his team to outright buy the company, it was then sold to the Evil Empire. No one ever thought TNT would have wrestling again and therefore that announcement of Dynamite coming in the fall of 2019 was earth shaking. Everyone felt that time stopping sensation and it felt like a whole new world had begun. Little did we all know how true that would be.
Since that October 2nd debut edition of AEW Dynamite almost 6 years ago, it’s been a beautiful ride. From the first episode leaving Omega and Moxley in an ocean of glass, to the stellar pandemic shows that kept the company alive when all seemed for naught. The memorable debuts and returns that seemed impossible, have become must-see tv. It took wrestling away from a media conglomerate and gave it back to the fans. Dynamite has become the home of having fun as a fan again because…
WRESTLING IS FUN!
On Wednesday April 16th, AEW Dynamite will have outlived WCW Nitro and we will embark on a new measurement.
The gloomy, unfair cloud of WCW that has loomed overhead since the beginning might just break a bit and people will be forced to find another hater-grift. In Boston, another kind of revolution will begin. Or perhaps, it’s a revolution that never really ended. Bischoff will deny it but he will be watching and he will be seething. The one thing he has held his hat on, will be ripped off the wall and shat on. Isn’t it beautiful? AEW isn’t like anything before it, it’s an entity we all keep trying to pigeon hole, even though it morphs evermore.
Art by Neon Ghost
