If you were watching wrestling in the summer of 2000, you probably remember the feeling of absolute, head-scratching confusion. WCW was in a tailspin. Ratings were tanking, the backstage atmosphere was toxic, and Vince Russo was in the driver’s seat with a bottle of "worked shoot" nitro and no brakes.
Enter new blood rising wcw.
This wasn't just a pay-per-view. It was a fever dream. Held on August 13, 2000, at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, it remains one of the most polarizing and, frankly, bizarre nights in the history of professional wrestling. Honestly, if you want to understand why WCW went out of business just a few months later, this show is the perfect case study.
The Chaos Behind New Blood Rising WCW
The whole concept of the "New Blood" was supposed to be a revolution. It was the young guys—Billy Kidman, Booker T, Mike Awesome, and the Natural Born Thrillers—taking on the "Millionaire’s Club," the established legends like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Kevin Nash. On paper? Great idea. Everyone wanted to see the fresh talent finally get their due.
But by the time we got to the new blood rising wcw event, the wheels hadn't just fallen off; the entire car was on fire.
Vince Russo’s booking style was "crash TV" on steroids. He wanted everything to feel "real," which meant constantly breaking the fourth wall. You've heard the term "kayfabe," right? The idea that wrestling is presented as a legitimate sport? Russo hated it. He wanted you to know it was scripted, just so he could surprise you with things that were "actually" real.
The problem is, when you tell the audience the show is fake, they eventually stop caring about who wins or loses.
Goldberg and the "Refusal to Follow the Script"
The most infamous moment of the night happened during the Triple Threat match between Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner, and Goldberg. About halfway through, Nash went for his finisher, the Jackknife Powerbomb. Goldberg basically said "nope," slipped out of the ring, and just walked away.
The commentators—Tony Schiavone, Mark Madden, and Scott Hudson—started panicking. Or at least, they acted like it.
They told the audience that Goldberg was "refusing to follow the script." They even showed Russo backstage screaming at Goldberg to get back in the ring. Goldberg just looked at the camera, dropped an f-bomb, and kept walking.
Was it real? No. It was a "worked shoot." WCW actually tried to convince their paying audience that their biggest star was unprofessional and didn't want to lose. It made everyone look bad. Nash and Steiner were left in the ring to "improvise" a finish, which the announcers praised them for like they were heroes for finishing a fake fight. It was a mess.
Judy Bagwell on a... Forklift?
Yeah. You read that right.
One of the matches featured Buff Bagwell taking on Chris Kanyon. The stipulation? Judy Bagwell on a Forklift. Buff’s actual mother was perched on a pallet, raised high above the entrance ramp.
Why? Because Kanyon claimed there wasn't a pole strong enough to hold her. It was a mean-spirited, weird, and totally unnecessary gimmick that had nothing to do with the wrestling itself. David Arquette even showed up, because apparently, his run as World Champion wasn't enough of a headache for the fans.
The Good, The Bad, and The Truly Ugly
It wasn't all garbage, though. If you look past the Russo-isms, there were a few bright spots at new blood rising wcw.
- The Jung Dragons vs. 3 Count: This was a ladder match for a recording contract and a gold record. It was high-flying, dangerous, and genuinely exciting. These guys were busting their backs for a crowd that was mostly there to see the train wreck.
- Lance Storm vs. Mike Awesome: This was for the United States Title (which Storm had renamed the Canadian Heavyweight Title). It was a "Canadian Rules" match, which meant you needed a five-count to win and then the opponent had to stay down for ten. It was convoluted, sure, but both guys were incredible athletes who tried their best to make it work.
- Booker T vs. Jeff Jarrett: The main event. Booker T was the hero WCW desperately needed. He and Jarrett actually put on a decent wrestling match despite the overbooking. Booker retaining the title was one of the few things that made sense that night.
The Miscarriage Angle
We have to talk about it because it’s one of the most tasteless things ever aired. Miss Hancock (Stacy Keibler) was in a "Mud Rip off the Clothes" match against Major Gunns. During the match, Hancock started clutching her stomach, implying she was having a miscarriage.
The announcers went silent. David Flair rushed out to help her. It was designed to look like a real-life medical emergency. Using a fake pregnancy loss to get "heat" is widely considered one of the lowest points in the history of the business. It didn't make people want to watch more; it made them want to turn off the TV.
Why This Event Still Matters Today
You might wonder why anyone still talks about a C-tier pay-per-view from 26 years ago.
It's because new blood rising wcw represents the "End of Days." It was the moment the company stopped being a wrestling promotion and started being a parody of itself.
When you look at modern wrestling—like WWE or AEW—you can see the lessons they learned from this era. They still do "shoots," and they still have crazy stipulations, but they rarely tell the audience "the rest of this show is fake, but this part is real." They realized that if the fans don't believe in the stakes, the matches don't matter.
WCW’s "New Blood" was supposed to be the future. Instead, it was the beginning of the end. By March 2001, the company was sold to Vince McMahon for pennies on the dollar.
How to Revisit This Era Without Losing Your Mind
If you’re a glutton for punishment and want to watch new blood rising wcw for yourself, here is how to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the Opener First: Seriously, the Jung Dragons and 3 Count match is legitimately great. Watch it to see what those guys could do before the show goes off the rails.
- Listen to the Commentary: Mark Madden is an acquired taste (to put it mildly), but listening to the announcers try to explain the "worked shoots" is a masterclass in unintentional comedy.
- Pay Attention to Booker T: He was the one bright spot of credibility in a sea of nonsense. You can see why he was the one who went on to have a Hall of Fame career in WWE.
- Skip the Mud Match: Just don't. It’s not worth the cringe.
The best way to understand the downfall of WCW is to see it in action. You can find the full event on the WWE Network (or Peacock). It’s a fascinating, frustrating, and occasionally hilarious look at what happens when a wrestling company loses its identity.
To dive deeper into the fallout of this event, you should check out the "Death of WCW" book by Bryan Alvarez and RD Reynolds. It breaks down the financial and creative ruin that followed this specific period of the company's history. Or, if you prefer audio, the "83 Weeks" podcast with Eric Bischoff gives a fascinating (if sometimes defensive) look at the backstage politics that led to the New Blood disaster.