Home

WWE

Vince McMahon Used Michael Jordan to Counter WCW’s Meteoric Rise

Published 05/07/2022, 1:00 PM EDT

Follow Us

Vince McMahon deserves tremendous applause for making WWE the most monumental three words in pro-wrestling entertaining. A child gets familiarized with WWE even before learning what wrestling is. It’s magnificent how McMahon’s empire has put a lot of effort into staying at the top for so many years, adapting to various techniques to overcome challenges.

Speaking of challenges, it was not a very smooth era for WWE in the 90s. Not one, but two names were constantly heard in the street talks on wrestling, and they were WCW and ECW. Well, the major rival that put a lot of pressure on the World Wrestling Federation was media mogul Ted Turner’s brainchild, WCW.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

In order to compete, McMahon had to burn the midnight oil and gear up the promotions, until he bought WCW in 2001. However, here’s a throwback to when the NBA legend Michael Jordan helped WWE in 1995.

WWF magazine from 1995 features Michael Jordan and Lex Luger on the cover

The first half of the 1990s saw Michael Jordan rising to new levels as a global brand. The 6-time NBA champion is still, for all the reasons, at the top of the game’s history. However, Jordan first retired in 1993, as he felt like he lost the desire to play basketball. But in March 1995, Air Jordan landed back at his home, The Chicago Bulls.

Watch This Story: Michael Jordans Insane One-Handed Ball Flakes Will Shake You To The Core

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest WWE stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Shortly after his comeback, WWF did a cover with MJ for the magazine. Recently, the particular cover in which Jordan stands beside former WWE superstar Lex Luger popped up on Twitter. Also, the cover said,Talk about a dream team, Lex and Air Jordan join forces for a worthy cause.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Nevertheless, this was a tough time for WWE as their ratings were very low, and WCW was standing on its own. Clearly, McMahon would have even brought Jordan for a match, as it would have benefited them tremendously. Further, the Monday Night Wars that spanned from 1995 to 2001, was the most heated head-to-head competition between the two sports entertainment promotions.

Moreover, Lex Luger was considered one of the biggest names in pro wrestling in the 90s. Although many predicted that he would be the next Hulk Hogan, Luger did not last that long in the ring. One of his notable success stories involves his tag title championship alongside ‘The Hitman’ Bret Hart. Ironically, after this cover shoot, in 1995, Luger left WWE for WCW.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Is Vince McMahon Richer than WCW Founder Ted Turner? Mega Net Worth Comparison

But WWE ultimately had the last laugh. After Vince McMahon nailed the coffin of WCW by buying them in March 2001, WWE arose as a superpower that can not be beaten. Still, even with a growing competition against AEW, WWE is the billion-dollar giant to never be messed up with.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Sreeda U M

170Articles

One take at a time

Sreeda U M is a WWE writer at EssentiallySports. An enthusiastic journalist, Sreeda has earned her Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism. She has been zealously following WWE since her childhood, and her favorite wrestlers are The Four Horsewomen.
Show More>

Edited by:

Vibhanshu Kumar