Final Report Cards for North American Promotions

With 1999 in the books, it is time to evaluate the WWF, WCW, and ECW, and access final cards.

WWF

Mid Year Grades
Television: A
Pay-per-view: B-
Overall: A -

Second Half Grades
Television: C -- Overall: C+ -- Overall: B
Pay-per-view: C+
Overall: C+

1999 Final grades
Television: B
Pay-per-view: B-
Overall: B

On August 26, “Smackdown” became a regular weekly series on UPN. The show is easily the network’s top rated show, averaging a 4.4 rating for the year. With four hours on prime time television to produce, the WWF deluded its one time exciting “Sunday Night Heat” program. Since the departures of Vince Russo and Ed Ferrera, “Raw” has been both hot and cold.

The WWF delivered two hot pay-per-views in the second half of the year, “Fully Loaded” and “Summerslam,” and two dude shows, “Unforgiven” and the “Survivor Series.” The federation returned to the elimination style matches for its annual November pay-per-view offering, over exposing its rather thin roster.

WCW

Mid Year Grades
Television: D
Pay-per-view: C-
Overall:D+

Second Half Grades
Television: D+
Pay-per-view: D+
Overall: D+

1999 Final grades
Television: D+
Pay-per-view: C-
Overall: D+

World Championship Wrestling fired President Eric Bischoff in the second half of 1999, and hired a virtual unknown in the business Bill Busch to be his successor. Busch made the bold decision to hire the WWF’s top writers, which will eventually pay dividends for the company.

With the arrival of the “Power’s that be,” the company has promoted twelve match pay-per-view cards, a decision that hinders the performance time of some of their top stars.

ECW

Mid Year Grades
Television: B+
Pay-per-view: B
Overall: B+

Second Half Grades
Television: B-
Pay-per-view: B+
Overall: B

1999 Final grades
Television: B
Pay-per-view: B+
Overall: B+

1999 was a successful year for Extreme Championship Wrestling. The company survived a financial set back that threatened to close the promotion. ECW landed a national television contract with TNN, and signed a lucrative contract with Acclaim to produce its first video game.

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