WWE Hall of Famer “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson recently took to an episode of his ARN podcast, where he talked about a number of topics including WCW’s separation from the NWA in 1993.
Anderson said, “It was confusing. Yeah. The only way I can put it is from what I remember — okay, this is the new company. They can call it whatever they want. But there’s such a strong background in history with the NWA and the style, everything WCW has patterned itself, you know, a lot of the talent that was with Jim Crockett Promotions moved over. It was, I guess the only way I can put it is confusing.”
The glory days of Jim Crockett Promotions:
“There was the WWF, a distinct product with a distinct way of doing business. It had a distinct look. It was cartoon-based. The talents were all characters. It was — you know, in many ways, it was part kid show and part spectacle and just like a three-ring circus. But it was a ten-ring circus. And then you had the NWA, which was blood and guts and, you know, fistfighting and brutal and physical, and all those things and easy to understand. It was, ‘Hey, you got something I want,’ or ‘I don’t like you and you don’t like me. Let’s fight about it.’ It was pretty clearly two distinct.”
The feeling that authorities were out to get wrestlers from both the WWE and WCW:
“There was just a feeling that for whatever reason, they were out to get us, all of us. Whoever they are, they were out to get us. And it was both companies for different things. You know, there was no bleeding with WCW. Though bleeding, you know, and if you got your nose busted and it wouldn’t quit bleeding. The referee stopped the match.”
The drug testing protocols at the time and if it may have been changed:
“I don’t think so. Because well, I mean by and large, our crew — you look like athletes, but normal. They had some guys, you know, make sense? Every guy there had an incredible look. We got a look from the WWF because that’s what they were selling, and they would figure out if he could wrestle later, you know what I mean?”
You can check out the complete podcast in the video below.
(H/T to 411Mania for transcribing the above quotes)
