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

321 first place votes
295 second place votes
289 third place votes

 32 28 15  274   WCW lets big names go (Chris Jericho/Raven/Giant)
 30 26 23  274   WCW signing too many musicians (Chad Brock/Megadeth/KISS)
 18 30 13  206   WCW forms major angle around Master P, No Limit Soldiers
 29  5 11  182   WCW signs Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara
 29  7  6  178   WWF continues pay-per-view after Owen Hart's death
 20  6 15  148   WCW books Eric Bischoff over Ric Flair
 13 11 16  130   WCW brings back Hulkamania
 14  8  4  102   Vince McMahon engages in public debate with Martha Hart
 12 10  5  100   WWF loses Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara
 10 10 10  100   WWF converts to almost all "sports entertainment"
  8 11 13   99   WCW lets wrestlers book themselves
  7 12 12   95   WCW pushes old guys ahead of young talent
  8  4 10   72   ECW lets Dudley Boyz and Taz go
  3 13  8   70   WCW removes Lenny & Lodi from television
  4 11  6   65   WCW brings back Dennis Rodman...again
  5  2  8   47   WrestleLine absorbs WrestleManiacs
  5  3  5   44   WCW plays Konnan's rap videos repeatedly
  5  2  4   39   Overabundance of man vs. woman matches
  2  5  7   39   WWF gives light heavyweight title to Duane Gill
  4  5  0   35   Vince McMahon wins the Royal Rumble
  3  6  1   35   WCW jobs out Flair
  2  5  5   35   WWF gives the title to Vince McMahon
  2  4  5   32   WCW turns Sting heel
  4  1  3   29   WCW gives Hulk Hogan the title
  2  3  4   27   WCW books first loss for Goldberg
  3  1  2   22   WCW breaks up Four Horsemen
  2  3  1   21   WWF pushes Triple H
  2  3  1   21   WCW lets Kevin Nash book
  2  0  5   20   WWF brings back Mabel
  1  1  6   20   WWF airs "This is Your Life" skit
  2  2  0   16   WCW announces million dollar giveaway
  0  3  3   15   WWF turns Hardcore division into comedy matches
  2  0  2   14   WCW gives Rick Steiner TV title
  0  3  2   13   WWF pairs Chris Jericho with Curtis Hughes
  0  2  3   12   WWF lets Jeff Jarrett go
  1  2  0   11   WWF bends to the PTC
  2  0  0   10   WWF gives intercontinental title to Chyna
  2  0  0   10   Oklahoma
  1  1  1   10   WCW fires Eric Bischoff
  0  3  0    9   WCW promotes women as T&A
  1  1  0    8   WWF signs Public Enemy
  0  0  4    8   WCW culminates Hardcore division with lame junkyard battle royal
  1  0  1    7   WWF breaks up D-Generation X
  0  1  2    7   WWF starts producing SmackDown!
  0  1  2    7   WCW signs Sid Vicious
  0  2  0    6   WWF gives title to Big Show
  0  2  0    6   WCW books celebrities in wrestling matches
  1  0  0    5   Warrior wrestles
  1  0  0    5   WWF's losing Russo and Ferrara as head writers
  1  0  0    5   WWF unites Ministry of Darkness and Corporation
  1  0  0    5   WWF signs Paul Wight
  1  0  0    5   WWF re-signs Mideon
  1  0  0    5   WWF loses sponsors
  1  0  0    5   WWF does not have its creative team under long-term contract
  1  0  0    5   WWF buries D'Lo Brown
  1  0  0    5   WWF books Big Show cancer angle
  1  0  0    5   WWF & WCW & FMW de-emphasizing in ring product in lieu of soap opera
  1  0  0    5   WCW/WWF loses Terry Taylor
  1  0  0    5   WCW turns Hulk Hogan face
  1  0  0    5   WCW re-signs Hulk Hogan
  1  0  0    5   WCW pushes Cat
  1  0  0    5   WCW lets Nitro Girls act
  1  0  0    5   WCW hires celebrities to wrestle and announce
  1  0  0    5   WCW drops the NWO
  1  0  0    5   WCW brings in ARLI$$
  1  0  0    5   WCW books Bret Hart in a match with Will Sasso
  1  0  0    5   WCW becomes more like the WWF
  1  0  0    5   Vince McMahon continues Over the Edge after Owen's death
  1  0  0    5   Too many title changes
  1  0  0    5   Tanaka's roaring elbow
  1  0  0    5   Hyping Hogan v Warrior
  1  0  0    5   Hulk Hogan not really fired
  1  0  0    5   ECW doesn't push young wrestlers
  1  0  0    5   Chad Brock on Nitro
  1  0  0    5   "Beyond the Mat" not getting nationwide release this year
  0  1  1    5   WCW gives United States title to Sid Vicious
  0  1  1    5   Shinya Hashimoto buried
  0  0  2    4   WWF suspends Luna
  0  0  2    4   WWF goes public
  0  0  2    4   WWF brings back Fabulous Moolah
  0  0  2    4   WCW loses Chris Jericho
  0  0  2    4   Sherri Martel wins and defends the AWA Superstars Of Wrestling Women's title against men in "drag queen" clothing
  0  0  2    4   Overabundance of matches featuring non-wrestlers
  0  0  2    4   Jingyu Stadium Show
  0  1  0    3   WWF trains fans to ignore wrestling
  0  1  0    3   WWF slows Chris Jericho's push
  0  1  0    3   WWF reforms D-Generation X
  0  1  0    3   WWF pushes Mr. Ass
  0  1  0    3   WWF pushes Mae Young
  0  1  0    3   WWF not pushing Edge/Christian to the moon
  0  1  0    3   WWF encourages voting Mankind for Time's Man of the Year
  0  1  0    3   WWF doesn't deliver Austin at Survivor Series
  0  1  0    3   WWF continues to push Big Bossman
  0  1  0    3   WWF breaks up New Age Outlaws
  0  1  0    3   WWF books wedding angle
  0  1  0    3   WWF airs footage from Big Show's father's funeral
  0  1  0    3   WCW signs Tank Abbott
  0  1  0    3   WCW releases reformed NWO merchandise
  0  1  0    3   WCW lets Russo & Incest Boy run wild
  0  1  0    3   WCW lets NWO angle linger
  0  1  0    3   WCW let wrestlers book themselves
  0  1  0    3   WCW leaves Bischoff in charge for as long as they did
  0  1  0    3   WCW keeps Ric Flair off TV
  0  1  0    3   WCW ignores luchadores
  0  1  0    3   WCW hotshots ideal main events for Starrcade on Nitro
  0  1  0    3   WCW gives David Flair the US title for a long time
  0  1  0    3   WCW doesn't let Ric Flair go
  0  1  0    3   Steve Austin's Thesz Press
  0  1  0    3   Russo/Ferrara jump made so public
  0  1  0    3   Misawa fights Vader 4 times
  0  1  0    3   Ken Shamrock injured
  0  1  0    3   Jim Ross getting mocked by Ferarra and Dr. Death
  0  1  0    3   Eric Bischoff allows any wrestler unhappy with WCW to leave
  0  1  0    3   ECW rehires Sandman
  0  1  0    3   ECW puts on crappy show on TNN
  0  1  0    3   ECW keeps the same midcard angles for years
  0  1  0    3   ECW keeps same format for TV when they get national
  0  1  0    3   Big Show vs. Bossman Headlines pay-per-view
  0  0  1    2   Women beating trends for all
  0  0  1    2   WWF turns Heat into clip show
  0  0  1    2   WWF signs British Bulldog
  0  0  1    2   WWF releases Oddities
  0  0  1    2   WWF loses Acclaim as game makers
  0  0  1    2   WWF hires Taz
  0  0  1    2   WWF forces employees to sign one-year no-compete contracts
  0  0  1    2   WWF cheapens ten bell salute
  0  0  1    2   WWF cancels Los SuperAstros
  0  0  1    2   WCW retains Hogan, Piper, Savage etc
  0  0  1    2   WCW releases Scott Norton
  0  0  1    2   WCW not Firing Bishoff Sooner
  0  0  1    2   WCW makes Road Wild free
  0  0  1    2   WCW frequently mentions the WWF
  0  0  1    2   WCW books one-day World title reign for Randy Savage
  0  0  1    2   WCW books Goldberg vs. Sid
  0  0  1    2   WCW books Bret Hart "retirement"
  0  0  1    2   WCW allows Hulk Hogan to continue wrestling
  0  0  1    2   WCW & WWF treats foreign wrestlers badly
  0  0  1    2   Vince McMahon's TV hiatus shortened
  0  0  1    2   Steve Austin re-injured
  0  0  1    2   Stampede returns to television
  0  0  1    2   Rena Mero sues WWF
  0  0  1    2   Rena Mero gets a front row seat to Nitro
  0  0  1    2   New Japan brings in Atsushi Onita
  0  0  1    2   Kane's fist off top ropes
  0  0  1    2   ECW gives the World title to Mike Awesome
  0  0  1    2   ECW falls into "sports entertainment"
  0  0  1    2   Beaver Cleavage

JEREMY MORAN: Yes, I voted for the signing of Russo & Ferrara as best and
worst promotional moves.  When it happened, it was one of the biggest
things that had happened to WCW.  Finally, they had people who could write
coherent storylines.  Unfortunately, since then we've had to deal with the
Fucking Powers That Be, who've not only booked themselves into the lead
angle, they're booking the whole damn federation around themselves.

EDC: I truely think that Russo and Ferrera are Wrestling's equivlant to
the Anti-Christs. Everything they do is too glamourized, too main stream.
And as everybody knows, too Mainstream really sucks;)

K. CANZANELLA: WCW hiring Master P is even worse of a move when you
consider they blew all that money on a guy who wasn't over instead of on
keeping Chris Jericho. Misawa fighting Vader 4 times was a huge mistake
because of the fact that Vader, who should have been pushed as an
unstoppable monster, jobbed in almost all of the big singles matches
between them. Things can only get worse in WCW with Russo and Ferrera
around...

SCOTT GRIFFITH:  Another category with a plethora of choices.

SVEN MASCARENHAS: Goldberg's first loss being anything less than an epic,
last stand defense of his title against insurmountable odds and a greater
power (or, better still, Bret Hart) was an insult to fans everywhere, and
pretty much killed the Goldberg mystique. Master P I've already screamed
about, and the removal of Lenny and Lodi due to political pressure is an
example of why WCW will never be up to the WWF's standards: they just
aren't willing to take any chances.

AARON: Wrestlemaniacs became unreadable after they sold out. Bringing back
Curtis Hughes was a huge mistake on the part of the WWF, and set Jericho
back a couple months in the process. Stampede makes me vomit in terror.

DON BECKER: Vince McMahon's verbal sparring with a grieving widow is
pretty low, even for Vinnie Mac.  Continuing the Over The Edge PPV was
also not what I would've done, though I do have to give credit to the guys
for at least continuing the PPV at a difficult time.  As for WrestleLine
and Wrestlemaniacs, the big problem with it is that they ended up spaying
and neutering the WM staff - Online Onslaught, while still a good opinion
piece, just doesn't have the bite it used to (sorry, Rick.)

SHAWN MULLIN: I don't know what I would have done in Vince's place, but
continuing the PPV got him more bad press, and negative vibes than
anything he's done in a while, so in retrospect it wasn't a good PR move.

MAX CHITTISTER: Burying guys who get over, resigning guys who were pains
in the ass to begin with, and booking the wrong talent to win... welcome
to WCW.

JBELL55146: Ya can't really have a Young Vs. Old fued when the old doesn't
want to lose, now can ya?  WCW letting Jericho, Wright and Raven go will
come back to haunt them for a long time. And since when did Nitro become
American Bandstand anyway?

BLOB: The WCW signing of Russo and Ferrera completely made it sports
entertainment and cut the wrestling completely out. ECW's loss of the
Dudley Boyz and Taz was hard for the organization because these 3
wrestlers have been around ECW for a long time and are misused/will be
misused in WWF. The hardcore division of WCW was pitiful with the only
good matches involving ECW greats Bam Bam Bigelow, Raven and the Sandman.

GEORGE CARTER:  All three of my choices are somehow related to each other.
My top ope was WCW letting go of Jericho/Giant/Raven. Instead of paying
those guys more money (or giving them more of a spotlight), Eric chose
give that money and spotlight to Master P & friends (KISS and the great
Chad Brock).

JOHN C.:WCW booking musicians on a wrestling show every week pissed me off
more than anything this year. It's not something I want to see when I
watch a wrestling OR sports entertainment company. WCW bringing back
Rodman is the second worst because he was nowhere near the $1 million he
got paid. There were way too many matches involving men vs. women so that
turned out to be my third choice.

MIKE SCHIRO:  The state of American wrestling absolutely sucks.  I had
such a hard time picking from this list of nominees because there were not
many things done right this year.

JON RICHARDSON: WCW signing Vince Russo and Ed Ferrera will most certainly
come back to haunt them.  While there has been a short term jump in the
ratings for now, as they move further and further away from anything
resembling wrestling they will turn off all of the core WCW audience.  
They aren't drawing new fans into wrestling like they were able to in the
WWF, and the WWF is still doing "Russo and Ferrera" better than Russo and
Fererra.  WCW also obviously hasn't learned anything from repeatedly
giving Dusty Rhodes booking power as Kevin Nash was given control of the
federation.  We were then treated to months of the laziest man in
wrestling putting himself over everybody else.  Finally, I hate to dwell
on this point, but the whole Master P thing will go down in history as one
of the worst ideas ever.

DONALD SEMACK:  Why didn't the WWF reschedule later in the week and offer
refunds.  Is it really that hard to show some respect?

RUTGERSGYM: When the "powers that be" signed with WCW, I remember Vince
Russo saying that talent such as Chris Benoit would finally get a chance
to get over.  Unfortunately, he seems to fail to get that wrestlers like
Benoit can be entertaining by being great workers who wrestle great
matches.  The Filthy Animals and the Revolution have been wasted in this
manner as well IMO.  Since the WWF's talent pool is a little thinner, I
excused their reliance on sports entertainment from being second, but
placed it third because there were a lot of matches I wish got more time
(Jericho vs. D-Lo comes to mind) .  The middle spot is held by the WWF not
quite following up the awesome debut Chris Jericho got (though the worst
of course came after the voting period)

SEAN FLYNN:  ECW could have used Taz very well now as they go national.  
WCW let go the biggest superstar of the next 10 years.  In returns they
ended up with Jeff "slapnuts" Jarrett, and the Wonder Twins.  Mark my
words, Russo will kill WCW to a point where rating go under 2.5 every
week.

LUCAS HARRIS: In a year this crappy, it's hard to choose JUST 3.

MARK SMITH:  I really thought WCW would take all the spots this year.  
The first one went to them for letting all the big names go, but second
went to the WWF for letting Russo and Ferrara get away.  I was really
shocked when I read that at work one day.  Also, Master P was truly the
low point for WCW this year.

B. SZPAKOWICZ: Losing two of your main writers is *never* a good thing.
The WWF may have come out of Russo and Ferrara's defection unscathed, but
it could have been disastrous. Note to WCW, re: Sting: Turning your second
biggest babyface heel just to pop a cheep rating is just plain *dumb*.
Especially when you don't give the fans any concrete reason to boo him, as
the WWF did with Rock after Survivor Series. Oh and, guys, I know that I
for one never, ever, e-e-e-ever needed to see Hulk fucking Hogan again.
Especially when the Hollywood gimmick was far more palatable.

SIMON ROBERTS: Killed the potentially good light-heavyweight division for
the sake of a bad joke

SEZ OF SEED: Hmmm, who'd have thunk it.  Russo screwed up WCW.  No one
really...  No wait.  I did.

THERION: Special honorable mention for WrestleLine absorbs WrestleManiacs

SUGAR RAY: Vince continuing the pay per view after Owen's death shows just
how much of a heartless jackass he really is. As for WCW giving the US
title to David Flair, that shows how stupid WCW can be. So many others
would have benefited from such a long push.

COLIN MACKINNON: Signing Russo/Ferrera is going to seriously hurt WCW in
the long run, if things don't quite go the way they planned.  Announcing a
million dollar contest and never following up on it is a fantastic way to
get some PR, as well.  Finally, you can't deny the fact that Duane Gill
pretty much killed off the WWF Light Heavyweight Division for the time
being, and humiliated people like Taka Michinoku, Christian, etc. during
the process.  Horrible move by the WWF, in terms of match quality, etc.

JUSTIN JONES: Continuing the "Over the Edge" PPV after Owen's death was
the wrong decision, and it made Vince look even slimier than usual. And
only Eric Bischoff would have the hubris to book himself over the greatest
performer in the history of "our sport".

SELENA KYTE:  A lot of items on this list are probably complaints of those
who don't like the growing emphasis on outside the ring, very adult themed
storylines.  Others may see these things as being good for the industry,
and good for their short attention spans.  It's probably all based on a
person's perspective.

OTTO "HACK-MAN" HEUER: Worst Promotional Move was another that was hard to
limit.  If I ignore the WCW musician votes and decide against the write-in
for Rey being mini-Konnan, I'm left with: 1. WWF continues pay-per-view
after Owen Hart's death 2. Vince McMahon engages in public debate with
Martha Hart 3. WCW lets big names go (Jericho/Raven/Giant)  4. WWF hires
Taz 5. WCW pushes old guys ahead of young talent. 6. WCW removes Lenny &
Lodi from television 7. WWF converts to almost all "sports entertainment"
8. WWF loses Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara 9. WCW signs Shane Douglas 10. WWF
gives Vince McMahon the title 11. WWF gives light heavyweight title to
Duane Gill 12. WWF pairs Chris Jericho with Curtis Hughes 13. WWF pushes
Triple H as monster heel, gives him world title 14. WWF signs British
Bulldog 15. WWF turns hardcore division into comedy matches