When A Pizza Hut Manager Almost Destroyed WCW | Cornette Side of the Ring

What happens when a former Pizza Hut executive takes control of one of the biggest professional wrestling promotions in the world? According to Jim Cornette, disastrous gimmicks, declining audiences, and one of the most chaotic periods in WCW history. Jim Cornette revisits the controversial reign of Jim Herd, the former regional Pizza Hut manager who was hired to run World Championship Wrestling after Turner Broadcasting purchased Jim Crockett Promotions in 1988. With WCW competing against Vince McMahon's WWF, Herd attempted to transform the company's gritty wrestling product into a more family-friendly spectacle. From the infamous Ding Dongs tag team and the never-realized Hunchbacks gimmick to Arachniman's Spider-Man-inspired character and RoboCop's bizarre appearance alongside Sting, Cornette breaks down some of the most ridiculous creative decisions in WCW history. Cornette also revisits the Black Scorpion storyline, a mysterious masked villain introduced to challenge Sting in 1990. After months of elaborate magic tricks, changing identities, and increasingly bizarre television segments, the storyline culminated at Starrcade 1990 with Ric Flair revealed as the man behind the mask. As WCW's television ratings and ticket sales declined, tensions between Herd and the company's biggest stars continued to grow. Cornette explains how Ric Flair's eventual departure for the WWF in 1991 became a defining moment in the rivalry between wrestling's two biggest promotions. From backstage power struggles to failed wrestling gimmicks and corporate interference, Cornette shares his unfiltered perspective on how Jim Herd's leadership changed WCW and what happens when executives try to reinvent a business they don't understand. About Cornette Side of the Ring: Legendary wrestling manager and historian Jim Cornette pulls back the curtain on outrageous, infamous, and unforgettable moments in pro wrestling, offering his unfiltered perspective and opinions in a companion series to Dark Side of the Ring. #sports #wrestling #wcw Chapters: 00:00 How a Pizza Hut executive took over WCW 00:37 Jim Cornette on WCW vs. WWF 01:04 Turner Broadcasting hires Jim Herd 01:54 Jim Herd's plan to reinvent WCW 02:56 The infamous Ding Dongs tag team 04:10 The Hunchbacks and Big Josh gimmicks 04:54 Arachniman and the Spider-Man controversy 05:22 RoboCop makes his bizarre WCW debut 06:06 WCW's declining ratings and ticket sales 06:45 Sting and the Black Scorpion storyline 07:24 The Black Scorpion's magic tricks 08:14 Starrcade 1990: Who is the Black Scorpion? 08:53 Ric Flair is revealed as the Black Scorpion 09:43 Why Ric Flair left WCW for the WWF 09:57 Jim Herd's departure from WCW 10:08 Jim Cornette on Jim Herd's legacy Subscribe to Jim Cornette here: ‪@OfficialJimCornette‬ Listen to Jim Cornette's podcasts here: www.jimcornette.com/podcasts.html https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://open.spotify.com/show/0az4PZG... https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/af2... Follow Jim Cornette on X: x.com/thejimcornette Subscribe to VICE Sports here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-Sports Follow VICE Sports: Facebook: https://facebook.com/VICESports Twitter: https://twitter.com/VICESports Instagram: http://instagram.com/vicesports TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vicesports Follow VICE TV: Website: https://www.vicetv.com Channel Finder: https://www.vicetv.com/en_us/channel-finder Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vicetv Twitter: https://x.com/vicetv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vicetv