Soundstaged: Ep. 1 - How WCW's Biggest Crisis Led to Walt Disney World

In the summer of 1996, WCW brought the chaos of the New World Order to Walt Disney World, complete with backstage brawls, baseball bats, and a visit from the Orlando police. But how did professional wrestling end up inside Disney-MGM Studios in the first place? In the debut episode of Soundstaged, Eric Hersey traces the rise of Vince McMahon's WWF, the collapse of wrestling's territorial system, and the financial struggles that nearly brought World Championship Wrestling to its knees. From Ted Turner's acquisition of WCW to Eric Bischoff's bold plan to reinvent its television production, this is the story of how a struggling wrestling company began its unlikely journey to the Most Magical Place on Earth. HIGHLIGHTS • WCW Invades Disney: Revisit the infamous 1996 New World Order backstage attack at Disney-MGM Studios featuring Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Savage.• The Death of Wrestling's Territories: How Vince McMahon transformed the WWF into a national entertainment powerhouse and left regional wrestling promotions struggling to survive.• The Fall of Jim Crockett Promotions: Ric Flair, Starrcade 1987, and the financial disaster that helped bring one of wrestling's most influential companies to the brink of bankruptcy.• Ted Turner Buys WCW: Why the media mogul purchased Jim Crockett Promotions in 1988 and how years of executive turnover threatened the company's future.• Eric Bischoff's Big Idea: How a former wrestling announcer proposed a radical change in WCW's television production that would eventually lead the company toward Central Florida's theme parks. HOSTS• Eric Hersey - X/Twitter: @erichersey | Instagram: @erichersey | Website: https://strongmindedagency.com FOLLOW• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews• YouTube: @jimhillmedia• TikTok: @jimhillmedia• Website: https://www.jimhillmedia.com SUPPORTSupport the show and access the complete Soundstaged series, bonus episodes, and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia. PRODUCTION CREDITSWritten and Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com SPONSORSHIP INQUIRIESIf you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices