Worst Promotional Move                  

Award Description:

To be given to the worst move made by a promotion this past year. This could
include giving somebody a push, demoting someone, firing someone hiring
someone, or anything of a promotional nature. 

Previous Winners:

  1991: WCW loses Ric Flair 
  1992: WCW bans off the top rope moves under Bill Watts 
  1993: WCW tapes 13 weeks of TV at one time in Orlando, Fla. 
  1994: WCW lets Hulk Hogan control his scenarios 
  1995: WCW gives Hulk Hogan too much control
  1996: WWF lets Scott Hall and/or Kevin Nash go
  1997: Sting doesn't wrestle for the entire year
  1998: WCW sues Ric Flair, causing nearly five month absence from television
  1999: (Tie) WCW lets big names go / WCW signs musical acts for Nitro

**2000**: WCW gives Benoit, Guerrero, Malenko and Saturn requested releases

509 first place votes
474 second place votes
457 third place votes

109 63 45  824   WCW releases Radicalz
 99 69 35  772   WCW gives world title to David Arquette
 43 15 22  304   Mae Young goes "topless" at Royal Rumble
 32 36 17  302   WCW rehires Vince Russo & Eric Bischoff
 23 12 14  179   TNN drops ECW / ECW gets into too many disputes with TNN
 12 26 18  174   WCW gives world title to Vince Russo
 10 19 24  153   WCW's "surprise Vince McMahon can do nothing about" is Goldberg heel turn
 12 17 14  139   WCW systematically devalues all its titles
 15 11 13  134   WCW caters to "smarks"
  9 14 12  111   WWF hypes "Smack Down Your Vote" challenge with presidential candidates
 12  8  9  102   WCW has Sting drop from the rafters in Kemper Arena
  9  6 17   97   Vince McMahon starts XFL
  9 11  9   96   WCW gives Kevin Sullivan the book
  6  7 22   95   WWF jobs Tazz to Jerry Lawler...repeatedly
 10  9  6   89   WCW books Goldberg to break a limousine window with his hand
  7 12  9   89   WCW lets Vince Russo book himself into storylines / on camera
  9  7 11   88   WWF programming moves from USA to TNN
  3 12  3   57   WCW lays off almost all the luchadores
  2  7 10   51   WWF protects X-Pac
  4  6  5   48   Chris Jericho paired with Chyna
  4  2 10   46   Vince McMahon attempts to make PTC battle personal
  5  2  7   45   WCW loses $80 million
  4  5  4   43   WCW quietly releases Bret Hart
  2  4  6   34   WCW signs Mike Awesome
  1  9  1   34   WCW cancels Saturday Night
  5  1  2   32   Big Japan works with CZW
  2  2  7   30   WWF reveals Rikishi as Steve Austin's assailant
  1  5  5   30   WCW cruiserweight title traded between Evan Karagias, Madusa, and Oklahoma
  4  1  1   25   Triple H rarely loses
  1  3  5   24   WCW gets involved in "Ready to Rumble" motion picture
  0  5  4   23   WWF wastes many potential good match ups at King of the Ring
  1  2  5   21   WCW ceases house shows
  1  0  6   17   WWF gives championship to Big Show
  1  1  4   16   WCW releases Scott Hall
  1  3  0   14   MTV airs Sunday Night Heat
  0  2  3   12   WWF feuds Chris Jericho with X-Pac
  0  3  1   11   WCW retires World Television championship
  2  0  0   10   XPW "invades" ECW PPV
  2  0  0   10   WCW stays in business
  2  0  0   10   TNN's got POP
  1  1  1   10   ECW gives world title to Tazz
  1  0  2    9   WCW signs Shawn Stasiak
  1  0  2    9   WCW books Jeff Jarrett into numerous ppv main events
  0  3  0    9   WCW brings back Hulk Hogan
  0  2  1    8   WCW moves to combined Nitro, Thunder tapings
  1  0  1    7   WWF gives intercontinental title to Chyna
  1  0  1    7   WWF advertises Steve Austin at Survivor Series but doesn't deliver
  1  0  1    7   WCW's constant office scuffles getting more press than the product
  1  0  1    7   WCW restarts Goldberg's streak
  1  0  1    7   WCW does not place Stevie Ray in color commentator's spot every show
  0  1  2    7   WXO only tapes three weeks of television
  0  1  2    7   WWF lets Chris Jericho waste away as midcarder
  0  1  2    7   WCW gives world title to Hulk Hogan - then freezes him out
  0  1  2    7   AWA Superstars of Wrestling falsely advertises appearances by "Big 3" wrestlers
  0  0  3    6   WCW gives world title to Kevin Nash
  1  0  0    5   WWF turns Triple H heel again
  1  0  0    5   WWF pushes Mr. Ass
  1  0  0    5   WWF gives hardcore championship to Steve Blackman
  1  0  0    5   WWF aligns Raven with Tazz
  1  0  0    5   WCW's image change
  1  0  0    5   WCW ruining themselves
  1  0  0    5   WCW lets the ol' jealous bastards creep back in
  1  0  0    5   WCW forced to release Juventud Guerrera after his behaviour
  1  0  0    5   WCW continues to bury Goldberg's career
  1  0  0    5   WCW brings back Vince Russo
  1  0  0    5   WCW brings back Lex luger
  1  0  0    5   WCW being WCW
  1  0  0    5   WCW allows Goldberg to make his own angles
  1  0  0    5   WCW "pushes" the New Blood
  1  0  0    5   Terry Funk unretires repeatedly
  1  0  0    5   Sabu to WCW Rumors
  1  0  0    5   Not much wrestling on "wrestling" TV anymore
  1  0  0    5   ECW releases Sabu
  1  0  0    5   ECW doesn't give world championship to Rob Van Dam
  0  1  1    5   WWF overexposed
  0  1  1    5   WCW brings back Insane Clown Posse
  0  1  1    5   WCW aligns seven new wrestlers into the Natural Born Thrillers
  0  1  1    5   New Japan tries to kill junior heavyweight division
  0  1  1    5   ECW loses EVERYBODY
  0  1  1    5   ECW lets Mike Awesome go
  0  0  2    4   ECW releases Raven
  0  0  2    4   ECW gives world title to Justin Credible
  0  1  0    3   WWF pushes Right to Censor
  0  1  0    3   WWF lets Steve Blackman anywhere near a mic
  0  1  0    3   WWF gives tag team titles to Too Cool
  0  1  0    3   WWF doesn't sign Lance Storm
  0  1  0    3   WWF doesn't book Foley win in his retirement match
  0  1  0    3   WWF cuts short Kurt Angle/Stephanie/Triple H angle
  0  1  0    3   WWF completely ruins all its titles by putting them on crappy wrestlers
  0  1  0    3   WWF Repackages Raven as Raven, instead of the far superior Johnny Polo
  0  1  0    3   WCW/WWF change good theme songs
  0  1  0    3   WCW using in a PPV commercial the words "Goldberg did not follow the script."
  0  1  0    3   WCW tries to "re-invent" itself continually with several regimes
  0  1  0    3   WCW releases Steven Regal
  0  1  0    3   WCW releases Mona
  0  1  0    3   WCW pushes Buff Bagwell
  0  1  0    3   WCW not innovating
  0  1  0    3   WCW lets Eric Bischoff disappear again
  0  1  0    3   WCW keeps changing thier backstage officials
  0  1  0    3   WCW gives world title to Chris Benoit
  0  1  0    3   WCW fires millionaries
  0  1  0    3   WCW doesn't fire Vince Russo
  0  1  0    3   WCW demolishing themselves
  0  1  0    3   WCW continually makes no sense
  0  1  0    3   WCW constantly turns all its top stars face/heel and back again
  0  1  0    3   WCW brings in Tammy Sytch despite personal baggage
  0  1  0    3   WCW brings back Sid Vicious
  0  1  0    3   Steve Corino wins ECW World Title
  0  1  0    3   Kid Rock, Joe C. perform on RAW
  0  1  0    3   Hulk Hogan sues WCW
  0  1  0    3   ECW stays in business
  0  1  0    3   ECW releases Tazz
  0  1  0    3   ECW pushes Scotty Anton
  0  1  0    3   ECW passes on first national tv deal available
  0  1  0    3   ECW doesn't show Dreamer pinning Tazz
  0  0  1    2   WWF signs Tazz
  0  0  1    2   WWF resigns Steven Regal
  0  0  1    2   WWF makes everyone dance with Too Cool
  0  0  1    2   WWF gets rid of the comedic genius that is Mae Young
  0  0  1    2   WWF doesn't sign Mike Awesome
  0  0  1    2   WWF doesn't push Test
  0  0  1    2   WWF does not buy WCW
  0  0  1    2   WWF deck shuffling of Chris Jericho,Kane,Eddie
  0  0  1    2   WWF brings back Steve Austin
  0  0  1    2   WWF and WCW fail to promote Light Heavy/Cruiserweight divisions
  0  0  1    2   WWF (allegedly) gives Stephanie McMahon the book
  0  0  1    2   WCW still is run by "anti-wrestling fan" people
  0  0  1    2   WCW signs Tank Abbott
  0  0  1    2   WCW schedules James Brown appearance at SuperBrawl
  0  0  1    2   WCW puts the band back together
  0  0  1    2   WCW puts Oklahoma on TV
  0  0  1    2   WCW misuses Kanyon
  0  0  1    2   WCW has lays off more than 50% of its talent roster
  0  0  1    2   WCW keeps Lex Luger and Buff Bagwell
  0  0  1    2   WCW goes to Australia
  0  0  1    2   WCW gives world title to Sid Vicious
  0  0  1    2   WCW fires Vince Russo
  0  0  1    2   WCW doesn't bring back Randy Savage
  0  0  1    2   WCW continues to tread water because they refuse to get rid of dead weight (like bookers)
  0  0  1    2   WCW buries Lance Storm
  0  0  1    2   WCW brings up Jindrak & O'Haire from Power Plant
  0  0  1    2   Vince Russo opens himself up in interview with Wrestleline.com's Ben Miller
  0  0  1    2   Vince McMahon takes himself off TV
  0  0  1    2   Somebody (help me out here) on WCW does "The Worm" in a match (?)
  0  0  1    2   Nobody comes to SEATTLE!
  0  0  1    2   NWA gives world title to Mike Rapada
  0  0  1    2   NWA attempts to form WNWA
  0  0  1    2   ECW uses indy workers and doesnt really repackage them
  0  0  1    2   ECW not having a plan "B" for television
  0  0  1    2   Diamond Dallas Page writes "Positively Page"

REJECTED - didn't take place between 11/02/99 and 11/01/00

  3  4  0        WCW cross-promotes with "BattleDome"
  1  1  0        WCW releases Chris Jericho
  1  0  1        "Anything..." votes
  1  0  0        WCW having Hogan return to the Red and Gold
  1  0  0        WCW gives world title to Scott Steiner
  0  1  1        ECW signs Scott Hall
  1  0  0        Jarrett to WWF (?)
  0  1  0        XFL hires Jesse Ventura to call games
  0  1  0        "Tie" votes
  0  0  1        WCW releases Big Show
  0  0  1        WCW having KISS on television
  0  0  1        Master P

PAUL ZOROVICH: Oh, there are SO MANY bad promotional moves...how does one
even begin to choose?

DON DEL GRANDE: Not telling your wrestlers (although in this case I think
it was a "non-wrestler wrestler") to use moves made famous by a competing
organization is a "promotional move" in my book

HIRO: A non-wrestler, especially someone who isn't even involved in the
wrestling industry should NEVER participate in a wrestling match, much
less being crowned World Champion. I know WCW just wanted to salvage their
failed investment in the Ready to Rumble movie, but this is not the way.
Politics and Wrestling should never mix, what was Vince trying to
accomplish here? WWF is also taking T&A too seriously, that was the worse
thing that I saw on a TV.

DEAN RASMUSSEN: Big Japan works with CZW. Will this shit EVER end? Big
Japan was on the way to something really great for a minute there and then
they got sidetracked by this collection of yahoos.

MARK POLISHUK: If there was any doubt that Vince Russo wasn't qualified to
book a major wrestling promotion (hell, any wrestling promotion) this year
proved it.

ADAM FROM TORONTO: After seeing Mae Young's rack, I'm still not able to
look my grandmother in the face (or anywhere else, for that matter.)
Yeech.

BEN WEINER: I don't think WCW lost $60 million as a promotional move...

DAN LONEY: For as big a year as the WWF had, I didn't think they'd make
that list twice.

CHRIS OSTER:  Well, if the best promotional move was WWF picking up the
Radicals, what do you suppose the WORST move is?  That one move messed WCW
up for years to come.  Second goes to the Dewey reign again, and, quite
frankly, no jury in the world could convict Arn Anderson for choking the
life out of Eric Bischoff for never giving him a World title, but letting
a third-rate actor carry it around for a week.  Speaking of, WCW's
worthless titles gets third.

EDC: Not only is WCW stupid enough to HIRE vince Russo, they were Dumb
enough to bring him Back! WTF~!??

SCOTT W.: WCW allowing the Radicalz to leave was the worst.  Hey I know,
lets give up our midcard/ Also, catering to us smarts, what a joke.  
Actually, it's us smarks.  Vince Russo's title reign is the undisputed #1
boner though.  Dave Arquette gets honorable mention, but the other 3
earned the vote more.

MARCUS SPARKS: Vince starting the XFL is disturbing because it means Vince
isn't feeling any competition anymore.  He's getting complacent and as a
result of directing his energies elsewhere, the WWF has started to
stagnate and suffer.  Saturday Night was the one WCW show I liked watching
because I could see new talent there.  Then here comes Russo and makes it
a clip show, which is the death knell.  Mae Young's prosthetics were
almost as bad as Mideon's authentic ass.

PETE GOODRICH: Yeah.  great idea.  Give the lower midcard WWF guy the
frickin ECW World title...that sounds great Paul E...what's that?  Have
Tommy Dreamer do the most ineffectual run-in in the history of wrestling?  
Oooohhh..can you smell the heat?  Me neither.

JOSEPH MICELI: Did anyone care?

REISMARK: The minute Benoit, Saturn, Guerrero and Malenko showed up at the
side of Cactus Jack, YOU KNEW that the WCW crap machine was just
beginning.

MOSES GATES: As soon as WCW (or someone else) brings back Hulk Hogan,
there will be a new #1 on my list.

CHRIS BURKE: Jobbing Tazz to Lawler killed Tazz this year.  They played
that feud all wrong.  Fine, let Lawler get in a few licks on Raw and
Smackdown, but when the PPV came around, the WWF needed to have Tazz just
destroy Lawler, and put him out via the stretcher.  Wouldn’t have hurt for
him to punk out JR in the process too.  Tazz could have been a real
disrespectful, badass heel, but instead is lost in hopeless feuds with
ex-ECW washouts.

EZE4DA3747: Muther Fuckers go to Florida and California like 2,865 times a
year, but they only come to Seattle which is a definite sell out, once
every two years.  Just go to ticketmaster.com and look how many times you
see Ca. or TX. or FL.  or especially NY.

MARKUS: Turnie Goldie heel was as assinine as trying the same thing with
Sting. It killed him, and he's still not recovered from it. I'm Canadian,
so I didn't give two shits about whether you voted or not ;-p And a
promotion that once did really well losing this amount of money is just
sad.

KEN YOST: So many bad promotional movesthis year, definately the hardest
to pick the top 3...  This of course is why everyone is seeing a wrestling
slump on the horizon.

LANE DENSON: WCW's numerous "restarts"

JAMES HOWARD: Yow. *Not* the best year the WCW World Title's ever had, is
it? ^_^;;

JUST JEFF: My picks for Worst Promotional Move are simply spelled as
W-C-W.  No surprise then that they also get Worst Promotion honors in my
book.  There's so many things that went horribly, horribly wrong for them
these last twelve months.  While the WWF has its share of screw-ups, they
weren't of the magnitude of WCW's...the WWF's mistakes certainly haven't
been bad enough to hurt its profit-margins, unlike what has befallen WCW.  
The mistakes WCW made have not only damaged itself, but also pro wrestling
as a whole.

GEORGE JOHNSON: It's amazing how much four midcarders could mean to one
promotion.

JOE GAGNE: Very little good came out of WCW rehiring Vince Russo.  For
example, David Arquette winning the world title, which turned WCW into a
complete joke.  And then there was the "big surprise" of turning Goldberg,
something that no one wanted to see, and not surprisingly, quickly tanked.

BOB MORRIS: When WCW released the Radicals, it showed the company at the
time just didn't seem to care what was happening to its younger talent.
Hence why I believe it to be the worst promotional move of the year. It's
also worth noting it was one of a series of promotional mistakes WCW made
this year, so given that it started a series of bad moves on the company's
part, I think that's another reason why it ranks up at the top.

SCOTT ZUCKER: It's upsetting to see all of WCW's titles going down the
crapper. Sure, they weren't doing that great before this year, yet all of
the vacated titles didn't help. In addition, a lot of unproven and green
champions reigned over the voting period. Some of these guys were not
championship material and just not ready.

RICK SCAIA: WCW's decision to retain high priced older stars and highly
paid writers, all while dismissing talented performers stands as 2000's
dumbest promotional move.  Some of them (like the Radicalz) wanted very
badly to leave the company, and WCW can't be totally blamed for letting
them go (though they should be blamed for creating an environment that
people wanted to get out of).  But moronic roster moves abounded:  just as
one example, what was WCW thinking when they released a quality worker
like Mona (now Molly Holly) while retaining countless Nitro Girls and
valets who won't draw any money for the company?  After that, WCW's
decision to give the title belt to David Arquette stands out as
mind-numbingly retarded, and gets #2 on this list.  And the WWF has yet to
reap any substantial benefits from their big jump to Viacom networks; in
fact, the ratings drop that has resulted from RAW's jump to the
less-prestigious TNN forces me to consider the move to Viacom as the final
item on this list of poor promotional decisions.

DOMINIC SEIBERT: Worst Promotional Move (con't.) 1st: WCW systematically
devalues all of its titles -- It began with the NWO and, as I knew it
would, spiraled the company downward into the commode. Again, all of these
made me wretch so, if possible, please consider all these as a tie for
second place.  If not then use my votes from above. They are in no
particular order: * Mae Young goes topless at Royal Rumble -- I spent 3
minutes trying to think of a reason to put here, but my neural functions
shut down, so I think I'll just say, 'nuff said. * WCW cancels Saturday
Night -- What the... why?  It shows you REALLY don't care any more.  * WCW
cancels house shows -- What the... why?  It shows you REALLY don't care
any more. * WCW retires TV title -- A result of the aforementioned
devaluation and also shows you REALLY don't care any more. * Rock asks
Benoit if he'll attack him from the rafters -- Even the Rock occasionally
has to remove his foot from his mouth.  This, however, was both feet, both
hands, and his shlong.  * WCW caters to "smarks" -- You cater to the core
audience and throw a bone to the smarks.  That's one thing about the biz
that hasn't changed over time. * WCW gives Kevin Sullivan the book --
Let's see.  We lose four of our best guys because of him... let's hire him
back! * WCW gives world title to David Arquette/Vince Russo -- Again, I've
said plenty on this already. * WCW has Sting drop from Kemper Arena
rafters -- You can take shots at the other guys, but this went too far. *
WCW lays off almost all the luchadores -- Any wonder why the prelims have
sucked since then? * WCW lets Radicalz leave -- The straw that broke the
company's back. * WCW loses $80 million -- That'll draw in the new
sponsors and investors. * WCW saves money by dropping good wrestlers,
keeping bad booker -- 'Nuff said. * WCW's "surprise" is Goldberg heel turn
-- If your surprise is that predictable (I even saw it coming), either
make it work, or stick with it longer. * WWF jobs Tazz to Jerry Lawler
repeatedly -- Once is okay, twice is a problem. * (write-in) Vince McMahon
leaves WWF programming to become "genetic jackhammer" -- Could've had a
little more class (or at least better verbiage based on his superior
mental acumen) with this announcement.  Your industry takes enough crap as
it is.

JEREMY DELINE: Despite all the horrible things done by WCW, this one sums
it up: 80 million dollars lost in 2000. More than anything else, that
simple concrete fact illustrates all that's wrong with the company.

NATHAN LONEY: See my reponse to the "Worst Angle" category.  Mae Young
flashing her... well, I guess you would call them breasts... at the Royal
Rumble almost killed the entire card.  Ridiculous, disgusting, pathetic,
out-of-order, stupid.  The WWF deserved every bit of heat that they
brought down on themselves.  Next on the list is WCW rehiring Vince Russo.  
Did anybody think that his second go-round would be any better?  A pox on
Brad Siegel for rehiring this pinhead.  Finally, Vince McMahon attempts to
make PTC battle personal... don't do it Vince.  It doesn't matter.  Let
the braying jackasses talk all they want, don't sink to their level.  
Well, I guess it's too late now.  Hey, anyone else remember Irwin R.
Shyster?  That wasn't RTC bad, but it was still a ridiculous gimmick.  
THE RTC GIMMICK SUCKS ASS, Vince!

BILL LEHECKA: Russo: "Hey guys!  I have a GREAT IDEA!  Let's give the
World Title to David Arquette!  Yeah, he'll draw.  I'm talking Hogan
Numbers from the 80s.  First we'll build up Arquette against quality
opponents like Eric Bischoff, then we'll have him go over schmucks like
Diamond Dallas Page. I mean, Arquette deserves our title.  He's working in
Hollywood for years.  He'll give the title credibility and make it the
crown jewel of sports entertainment!  We'll book the Pontiac Silverdome,
and put David Arquette against, oh, I don't know, MYSELF! Arquette is the
future!  Wait, how come I don't see any money literally rolling in..."

NATE PATRIN: Almost all the other promotional moves on the list could be
tied for 4th.

MATT SPAULDING: When the history books are written detailing the eventual
demise of WCW, "World Champion" David Arquette will be the watershed
moment.  It was a completely unnecessary risk by a company with no margin
for error that was about as welcome as a bullet to the head.  The same
could be said of Goldberg's heel turn, which never should have happened.

BLAZEJ SZPAKOWICZ: Guess what, Mr. Arquette, you win again. No further
comment on *that*. WCW rehiring Russo simply reeks of idiocy. He screwed
up completely the first time, so why the hell would anyone expect anything
better from him the second time around? The last vote goes to feuding
Chris Jericho with X Pac. What a complete and utter waste of Jericho's
enormous talent.

LAWRENCE BENEDETTO: Again, quite possibly the worst angle/promotional move
EVER.

JEFF "FRO" WAHLMAN: You couldn't run a worse organization than WCW if you
did it on purpose.  Every move they made some be in a tie for worst.

ROB "R2K" EVANS:  Worst Promotional Move - So hard to choose from all of
WCW's mistakes this year.  Lets make it easy:  Radicalz first, devalued
titles second.  I refuse to acknowledge Courtney Cox's husband as WCW
Champ anywhere in my ballot.

THE CUBS FAN: Benoit and Eddie and Saturn and Dean leaving kinda killed
all chance of WCW ever 'recovering' in the near future.  Even if they had
sane people booking, they still kinda got gutted.

JBELL55146: How WCW screwed up the whole radicalz mess is beyond me and
whole story I don't think will ever be told. But how they let arguably 4
of their best workers, hell, one was world champion at the time, walk out
of their Atlanta Office, and 3 weeks later walk into and start wrestling
on Raw is beyond me. That was an all-time classic F-Up that will haunt WCW
for many, many years to come