My Top 5 Favourite Moments From The Monday Night Wars That Caused Controversy In Retrospect.

Intro.

TV Networks are a funny thing aren't they, whether it's over here in the UK, or in the land of the free. WWE, and WCW created great memories, and worrying times for parents. I have fond memories of these times, but when it comes to what has held up well, and what hasn't, you could make the argument that we now live in a very different world.

5. DX Imitate The Nation.

When this took place in the Summer of 1998, it went by with no consequences, but as time goes on attitudes change, so when Peacock got the rights to the WWE Network in January of 2021, this segment was cut out altogether due to it racist theme, as all members of DX donned Blackface. This went unnoticed in the UK, but if this aired today, then the WWE would have to work around stricter guidlines.

4. Ric Flair Is Sent To A Mental Home.

I'm just going to get this out of the way. Making fun of those with Disabilities is just plain low, and at the time this didn't get any attention at in the UK in the mainstream media, but amongst those that cover Pro Wrestling, it was widely condemned. I struggle to get why anyone would think that this was a great idea. It's was never edited out of the WWE Network version.

3. UK Coverage Was Cartoonish.

I feel that this needs to brought up. Over here in the UK if you lived an area where you can get good aerial signal, or if your parents could budget in a satellite dish into their yearly spends, then you were spoilt for choice, when it came to how you consumed your favourite Pro Wrestling shows. WCW used to be a standard bearer on ITV back in the early 1990's taking up a Saturday evening, and afternoon slots, which was awesome, not so awesome was when the WWF moved to sky in the early part of this decade, and just a few years later WCW would start airing Worldwide on the new kid in town Network Channel 5. As much as it was great to get access to this show if you could. If you couldn't then you were left in the wilderness, and even if you had Channel 5, you were treated to the violence being toned down, in the most childish of ways. Case and point the 5th of March 1999 edition of the show, chair shots were viewed like an episode of the 1960's Adam West Batman, say it with me. Pow. Shazam, and. Bop, I mean us fans have had our intelligence insulted enough, for loving this past time, but this was just plain pointless. Why is this so controversial. Well it was due to industry insiders wanting shows to be seen by larger audiences at this time.

2. WWE And Sky Sports.

When I watched the WWE back in 1998 I had to go round to my friends house, because My family couldn't afford Sky at the time, so imagine my horror when I told my mum about the shenigans of Stone Cold Steve Austin, or the time when I told her to SUCK IT. I'm aware of how questionable that sounds given todays context. This came at a time when the network took aim at the direction that the company was going in. In late 1997 the WWE experimented by creating new stars, that pushed the envelope, you had The Undertaker bloodying up HBK, and DX's continued sexualised images and innuendo becoming a major concern. This was when DX flipped the script, complete with F-bombs, and keeping the Presidential Secretary up all night, and just like that USA networks were on board, whilst the UK had it's own issues with the product during this time. 

1. Channel 4 Are The Reason Why I Couldn't Have Nice Things.

In January 2000, us UK fans got to see the fed on Channel with Sunday Night Heat. With the added extra of four PPV's becoming free to air for the first time on terrestrial TV. That was until Mae Young tried to strip off in the ring, and. Cactus Jack and HHH had a bloodbath. Many people took offence to this, and as a result of complaints Channel 4 would air PPV's on a 50 minute delay, so if anything did strike a cut, then it cut be taken out easily. I'm not the biggest fan of Channel 4 these days.