Currently, the largest professional wrestling company worldwide is the United States-based World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ), which bought over many smaller regional companies in the late twentieth century, as well as its primary competitors in early 2001, World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) and Extreme Championship Wrestling ( ECW ).

He helped reinvent interest in professional wrestling when he owned one of the most popular wrestling companies of the middle to late 1990s known as World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ).

TNT used World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) to attract a broader audience.

In 1988, Turner purchased Jim Crockett Promotions which he renamed World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) which became the main competitor to Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ).

This helped drive many WWF wrestlers to its only major competition, World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ), between 1994 and 1997.

The two programs would trade wins in the ensuing ratings competition until mid-1996, when WCW began a nearly two-year domination that was largely fueled by the introduction of the New World Order, a stable led by former WWF performers Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash.

Starting in 1995, TNT was also the home of WCW Monday Nitro, the flagship show of the now defunct World Championship Wrestling, once regularly the highest rated weekly program on cable.

* Sid Eudy aka Sid Vicious or Sid Justice – former four-time World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion ( WWE, WCW )

* Buff Bagwell-Professional wrestler, five-time WCW World Tag Team Champion

He wrestled there under the ring names 1 – 2 – 3 Kid and X-Pac off and on from 1993 – 2002, World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) under the ring name Syxx, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( TNA ) under the ring name Syxx-Pac and also under his real name.

He continued using the 1 – 2 – 3 Kid name until his departure for World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) in 1996.

During the fall of 1997, the nWo invoked " Wolfpac Rules " and named Syxx as a replacement for the injured Kevin Nash as part of the Outsiders with Scott Hall in defending the WCW World Tag Team Championship.

*" Mr. Perfect " Curt Hennig ( 1958 – 2003 )-Former professional wrestling champion with American Wrestling Association ( AWA ), National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( TNA ), World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ), and World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ).

* Eric Bischoff-Wrestling personality and former President of WCW ( World Championship Wrestling )

This included nine World Heavyweight Championships ( the WWF / E Championship seven times and the WCW / World Championship ( 2 times )< sup > 1 </ sup >

World Championship Wrestling, Inc. ( WCW Inc .) was a privately held American professional wrestling promotion currently owned by World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) as a subsidiary.

Turner, and later Time-Warner, owned WCW until 2001 when it was purchased by its primary competitor, the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ), now known as WWE.

From 1995 onwards, WCW began to become more economically stable, largely due to the promotion of Eric Bischoff to Executive Producer, the hiring of Hulk Hogan, the introduction of Nitro and the resultant Monday Night Wars, the New World Order and other innovative concepts.

Once Bischoff was relieved of his duties in 1999, Vince Russo, a former writer for World Wrestling Federation, came on board to become the lead writer of WCW.

In the meantime, the World Wrestling Federation began speaking to the new AOL Time Warner about acquiring the WCW brand.

Among other accolades in professional wrestling, Luger is a three-time world champion, having held the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice and the WWA World Heavyweight Championship once ; a record-tying five-time NWA / WCW United States Heavyweight Champion who owns the records for consecutive days and total days as champion ; and the 1994 WWF Royal Rumble winner ( with Bret Hart ).

He is a 12-time world champion being a six-time WWF / WWE Champion, six-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and a former WWE World Tag Team Champion with Edge.

He is the second longest-reigning WWF Champion of all time ( after Bruno Sammartino ) and the longest-reigning of the 1980s, having held the title for 1, 474 days from 1984-1988, as well as the longest-reigning WCW World Heavyweight Champion of all time, with a 469 day reign from 1994-1995.

Her team " the Alliance " consisting of her brother Shane, former WCW Champion Booker T., Rob Van Dam, Kurt Angle and Steve Austin was defeated by " Team WWF " consisting of The Undertaker, Kane, Big Show, Chris Jericho & The Rock at the Survivor Series in a five-on-five, Winner Takes All elimination match.

As one of the most popular independent promotions of the early 1990s, they hosted a tournament to crown a new NWA World Heavyweight Champion after WCW had withdrawn from the NWA.

He also held the WCW United States Championship once, and is the record holder for most reigns as WWE Hardcore Champion with 26 reigns.

Flair is officially recognized by WWE, TNA and PWI as a 16-time World Heavyweight Champion ( eight-time NWA Champion, six-time WCW Champion and two-time WWF Champion ) although his actual tally of World Championship reigns varies by source — Flair considers himself a 21-time world champion.

Flair was the first WCW World Champion, having been awarded the title following WCW's secession from the NWA in 1991.

With that, he also became the first WCW Triple Crown Champion upon being awarded the title, having already held the United States and World Tag Team titles.

Prior to this reign, WCW split their recognition of a World Heavyweight Champion from the NWA, and Flair was subsequently recognized as the first WCW World Heavyweight Champion, while still being recognized as NWA World Champion.

As on-air President, Flair began abusing his power much like Bischoff had, favoring villains over fan favorites and even awarding the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship to his son David and resorting to whatever means necessary to keep David U. S. Champion.

This has been done by Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII, by Sting many times in WCW and TNA, and has gained major controversy over its role in the death of wrestler Owen Hart at Over the Edge.

In January 1991, WCW officially began to recognize a WCW World champion, with Ric Flair, who had just defeated Sting to regain the NWA World championship, as the first title holder.

Flair then kicked Sting out of the Horsemen upon his challenge for the NWA Championship, resulting in a revived feud between the two which had to be delayed due to Sting injuring his knee, forcing WCW to slot Lex Luger as Flair's main challenger until Sting returned.

In June 1994, Flair defeated Sting in a unification match, merging the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship with the WCW World Championship.

Flair's reign as president came to an end on the July 19 episode of Nitro, facing Sting for the WCW presidency.

During the final episode of Nitro on March 26, 2001, he gave an emotional speech regarding the company's greatness and his best matches and opponents in WCW throughout the years, including Sting.

During that time, Sting and Lex Luger had won the WCW World Tag Team Championship and the Warriors challenged them, to no success.

Sting defeated Ric Flair to win his first NWA World Championship at 1990 The Great American Bash, and Ron Simmons upset Vader in 1992 for the WCW title, becoming the first African-American to hold a major world title.

Nash warned the Angles about how dangerous Sting can be based on Nash's experience feuding with Sting in WCW.

He fought against the nWo along with Sting and Lex Luger, winning the WCW World Tag Team Championship twice.

The featured matches on the one-hour broadcast were Brian Pillman versus Jushin Liger, Ric Flair versus WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Sting, and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan taking on Big Bubba Rogers.

On January 11, 1991, Ric Flair defeated Sting to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and was recognized as the WCW World Heavyweight Champion.

WCW decided to unify the WCW World Heavyweight Championship ( represented by the new belt ) and International Championship ( represented by the " Big Gold Belt "), by having Flair wrestle Sting in June 1994.

The headline match saw the WCW World Heavyweight Championship change hands as Sting captured the title from Big Van Vader.

Steve Borden ( born March 20, 1959 ), better known by his ring name Sting, is an American professional wrestler, signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( TNA ) and best known for his time spent with World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ).

Sting is a 15-time world heavyweight champion, having held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship twice, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship six times, the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship twice, the TNA World Heavyweight Championship four times and the WWA World Heavyweight Championship once.

Owing to his loyalty to the now-defunct promotion, Sting came to be known as " The Franchise of WCW " during the 1990s.