@@austinsmith7731 Oh, and here's where Simmons and KISS humiliate a South American reporter, who is trying to interview them.. why ? Because, he isn't wearing a KISS t-shirt ! Very very bizarre behavior
@@Matlcore876 during this video. There was a few lines from Gene Simmons book. I think they are very much from the mindset of someone in some kind of fantasy land. It’s probably the effects of all the drugs over the years. Sure WWF/E have had some outlandish storylines over the years. However there’s no way they would have entertained that idea. Especially at a time when the company was top of the wrestling world.
My number one "WCW Blunder" was.... Robocop showing up. And everyone acting as if Robocop was somehow real, and had stepped out of the movie to come to WCW. That one is hard to top.
Every promotion has goofy moments..but WCW did their fails at an epic level..because they were the #2 promotion..got hot w the NWO angle &an all time great undercard..became #1,and blew it!!Between upper management nonsense and Hogan's creative control,etc..they just time after time stunk out the joint.
It actually happened very quickly in early 1999 they still had pretty good shows but by summertime they went completely off the rails with no hope of coming back
I love reliving the war series but I’m loving the Blunder series especially about the not so known angle’s of wrestling and how it began. Love wrestling bios. Keep them coming.10/10
WCW was such a blur to me especially around 99 and 2000. I stopped flipping the channels late 98. WWF at the time was must watch TV. Good old days, thank you wrestling bios for your hard work 💯
I seriously hope if any of the members of Kiss run into Brad, they buy him a drink. The only man in wrestling who tirelessly tried to give their character credibility.
As a few others have pointed out, Kiss was still riding a wave of buzz from the "Psycho Circus" album and tour, along with a huge merchandizing blitz. I can see where it would have made sense in the pitch meeting, but it wasn't a very WCW-friendly idea and I think if the WWF had gotten it instead they might have actually done something good with it, even for a short time. I liked the idea of what the whole thing might have been more than what they actually did with it. I wasn't on the internet back then so I had no idea what was going on with the KISS Demon, but I definitely noticed that there was a ton of build for this guy who lost constantly, and that made no sense at all so I knew something weird was going on. Knowing the backstory doesn't do much to make any of it "better"; what a petty situation that whole thing was.
Kiss were riding a retro wave as they had recently reunited the original line up and had brought back the face paint/gear after a decade of not using it. Kiss were also decently big in America but had more success in Australia and Japan.
I’d say it’s the other way around; the WWE dominates the narrative for newer fans these days and so with their naturally anti-WCW position, a lot of these fans end up thinking WCW was mismanaged and behind WWF the whole time, which just isn’t true
@@azari8253 Oh I know that. Hell there was a time where WCW was top dog. WWE do a good job of strewing their own narrative on their documentaries though.
People forget??? To be real, WCW was doing mostly great things from the NWO debut in 1996 until around early 1999, but they were dire in the Hulk Hogan babyface/Dungeon of Doom era right before that, as well as most of 1999 - 2001. That's likely what they're most remembered for, along with the NWO great stuff.
Yeeees! Absolutely love not remembering that we get videos on Sunday. Every time i see the notification i get a big smile on my face and start planning how i want to relax while i enjoy watching. 😄👍
This would have been a better idea around '96-'97 when KISS reunited and had an upswing of attention. But by '99, KISS ran that renewed interest dry. They were close to announcing their "Farewell Tour", so it seems a bit too little, too late.
I will hand it to Gene Simmons. They did have a pretty successful late 90’s comeback and were featured in a lot of Media at this time. He marketed the hell out of that band
I used to watch Nitro with my dad back in the day and we both loved Norman! The Wiggle would have us cracking up with laughter and then the Screaming Norman gimmick was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in wrestling.
Norman Smiley a blast from WCW pasted.I hated him has a kid he reminded me of a Vanilla wrestler of the 70s.But has time went on he was good catch a True Legend these days
This is why I love your series. I saw all of this in real time as a kid but in the time since then, I've forgotten many details. Thanks for the shot of nostalgia
Thanks for doing this video. I remember the Crush Daemon debuting but didn't keep track of the character itself or what happened with it. As for KISS the band, recalling from memory, I believe it was around this time that the original four band members reunited which was a big deal for KISS fans. During the 80s they had another drum and bass player so if I remember right, KISS had some sort of resurgence during this time.
Yes indeed KISS were all over the place at the time. Comic books, McFarlane Toys, TV specials, guest spots on FOX's MAD TV and Millenium, concert tours, music videos, pro wrestling, all of it. It was a nostalgia trip because not only did the original four members reunite, but they put the costumes and makeup back on as well after several years without them.
@@ChrisDogg2k6 and Psycho Circus debuted at #1 in like 20 countries the previous year, and KISS had a movie coming to theaters in 99 as well, honestly 1999 was probably the last year the KISS brand was white hot.
I discovered Kiss through this character and watched WCW more regularly because of him. I suppose I was one of the only viewers that WCW gained through this gimmick and I wasn't even a Kiss fan at the time...
I’m absolutely certain that there is an alternative universe somewhere where not only did the Kiss Demon character succeed, but actually became a main event attraction that led to WCW winning the Monday Night War and buying out the WWE.
KISS & wrestling make perfect sense together. Not in the main event, but there's certainly room on a 3 hour show for their involvement. This deal happened right near the peak of my KISS fandom as a teenager, so I was stoked about it. But like most WCW projects, it was debuted in a massive way, and quickly petered out in the following weeks as interest in the new toy waned. We saw it happen with so many other things in the company as well.
I’m by no means a major Kiss fan but, around 98/99 they had a major comeback with the original Band line up and there Psycho Circus album was a big deal…Around this same time Kiss was everywhere in North America promoting there brand from tv shows to various Live MTV events (TNT & WCW dropped the ball not promoting there appearance live on there network) The Kiss Demon on the other hand was a bizarre concept it was doomed to fail (The only winner in this was Gene Simmons & Kiss they got a great payday to do one live gig and license out there IP for a set time period win/win for them! Gene is also a flaming narcissist The pro wrestling industry ripped-off Kiss? The truth is Kiss ripped-off the many elements of both the New York Dolls & The Stooges
I actually liked the idea of the KISS Demon, but yeah, it basically turned out to be a result of backstage politics. Kind of reminded me of Oz, where they just thought of merchandising over the actual character.
KISS was actually experiencing somewhat of a revival at this time. Late in 98 they released the Psycho Circus album and it was the first time all four original band members had been back together in quite some time. They had a tour that was huge. McFarlane Toys released a bunch of figures, old albums were being re-released with new covers, they were on MadTV, and miscellaneous KISS merch was EVERYWHERE. I'm not the biggest KISS fan, but I lived through those days and remember. Kind of shocking Bios didn't feel like doing the research on why they might be sought after at the time.
I was basically gonna say the same thing (except for the last sentence, maybe). But yeah, there was still a substantial buzz around KISS at that exact moment so from a marketing point of view it definitely made sense on paper. I think they just botched the execution and over-estimated just how much of the WCW audience would have cared. I was much more a WCW fan, but the KISS angle seems like it would have played better in the WWF at that time. Over-the-top gimmicks with celebrity involvement has always been more of a WWF thing. Even back then, whenever WCW tried it they tended to half-commit and fumble it.
@@RikkiRoxxNWS I didn't mean anything by the last sentence. It's just that this guy is usually so thorough in his videos I found it kind of disappointing when he basically said, "I don't care why they thought KISS was a good idea", or, "A band whose popularity ended long ago..." Mind you those examples are paraphrasing as I watched the video yesterday and don't remember the exact words, but he eluded to those sentiments several times in the video and it just kinda felt odd for someone who usually goes in depth in their research.
@@MrDrokkul True enough, but I kinda forgive it. It was one of those things a person had to be there for in order to fully grasp or appreciate, I think.
I remember they were topical because of their comeback as well But still seen as not really cool, and a lot of younger people didn’t care about them either (I’m assuming wcw was geared toward teens or younger) It was basically just as cringe now as then. Same thing with ICP, they were “popular” back then but not really I think his overall point was still valid. If this was kiss in 1980 it might have been worth it to wed the two brands. In 99, there’s no upside.
But its a different market. Wrestling appeals to young people not older kiss fans. It was never going to work. Its like saying the Rolling Stones are having a revival and a new album now in 2023 so WWE should sign them and make a Rolling Stone wrestler - it would not work in a million years.
15:35 - The Demon and Aja, huh? I know it's a coincidence, but what a fusion of 70s rock references they accidentally had right there; KISS and Steely Dan respectively. Heh, maybe they should've gotten "That 70s Guy" Mike Awesome in on it too, rename him "The Crimson King" or something...
I don’t know how old you are, but you may not remember that Kiss had a strong resurgence in the mid to late 90’s. There was the tribute album Kiss My Ass, the first appearance of the original lineup since the late 70’s on MTV’s Unplugged, the new album Psycho Circus and the Kiss In Makeup tour supporting it. While it didn’t turn out the way they wanted, WCW was spot on for getting one of the most legendary and popular bands making a comeback. They didn’t just pluck them out of the gutter.
Nice surprise from Wrestling Bios for this Sundays upload...i was expecting a Video game review...which i was anticipating as i kept checking my phone for the WBios upload notification...but this is even better
To be fair, there was "Kisstolgia" in the 90s. Many of WCW's adult fans grew up in the 70's and it also explains why Disco Inferno was so over. However, wrestling fans watched Nitro for...wrestling, not concerts.
I was about 18 or 19 back then and my friends and I would get together on Monday nights and watch RAW and Nitro. My friend had seen KISS in concert recently and we were all rock and metal fans. We were THE demographic for this. We HATED this. We were NOT made for lovin' the WCW KISS Demon.
It feels more like Bischoff was a big fan of Kiss and put that over what was actually best for business. Kinda like him making that motorcycle PPV because he liked bikes.
I watched the damn concert as a kid. I remember being really curious about the unveiling of the kiss demon lol pretty sure I changed the channel right after
I love these WCW blunders. Another bkunder though was having the demon with ICP. ICP doesn't like KISS at all. As a hardcore ICP fan back then i always questioned that decision. Looking back i realize that not everyone was a teenage me loving ICP.
1:10 by 1999 the Reunion Era of KISS was starting to lose it’s luster so they decided to do a Farewell Tour in 2000…they’re still playing this year (albeit with two guys in Peter and Ace’s makeup)
Why? Was my fist reaction to the Kiss daemon and the performance from the band. I Mist most of the run so this was interesting to look back at. Although I couldn't have cared less about it back in the day this was still a interesting. Nice work.
After Wcw demise Dale became a coach with the Florida Marlins in 2002 there was even a segment on Sportscenter on ESPN where they interviewed him about his time as the Kiss Demon and helped transform a few Marlins players into Kiss Demons 😂
I'm a huge KISS fan and even I shook my head on that one. You're incorrect about one thing. KISS had a huge resurgence at this time beginning with the reunion tour in 1996.
Kiss was still popular then with older generations and this was the 1st time nostalgia was used to grab in viewers. Eric was right, Gene Simmons knows how to sell,sell,sell & sue,sue,sue. I was always a fan of Jeff Torborg. As a minor league C who couldn't hit a slider, my low level dream was to be a backup C and later a coach and manager like Torborg.
I know it’s not important in the long run, but Kiss actually were quite popular in the late 90s. I don’t know if it was due to the release of a live album or if the song was used in a movie…but “Rock and Roll All Nite” had a bit of a resurgence. Heavy radio play, big tv presence, etc.
Way back in 2003, I was in Atlantic City, & ended up on a hotel bus with the Kiss Demon in full makeup. It was a bit weird, but everyone rolled with it.
I remember seeing KISS on WCW. I was like 7 lol they played God Of Thunder, and then… some guy who looked like Gene walked out. Even 7 year old me was like “wtf is this” 🤣
The most interesting thing about these stories is the fact the wrestlers probably the their best to make it a success only for other factors basically derailing any form of success
Kiss had only reformed in 97 and released the Album psycho circus. They were a commodity at the time because of the "reunion" so thats why wcw used them.
This was a blunder for sure for many reasons. In regards to Kiss in this period though, actually incredibly successful. They were on an all time high between 1996 and 2002, so I can see why in theory people backed this idea. Was never going to work in practice though, just Gene going too far as he often did in this era.
Lol what, it wasn't Gene's fault. Did u watch the part where when KISS was on TV, the ratings actually went down? Lol KISS just wasn't a draw that justified the pay they got
Torborg got two World Series rings as a strength and conditioning coach for The Florida Marlins and Chicago White Sox. One of the funnier stories was when he joined the Marlins right after WCW was sold, and he asked an overweight pitcher (Antonio Alfonseca) to get on the scales, as part of the pitcher's rehab. Alfonseca was pretty salty that day, and told Torborg to "F- himself" in Spanish and English. Torborg went after him, causing Alfonseca (a big dude himself at 6'5" and over 250) to lock himself in the trainer's room. My folks lived in South Florida in the early 00s, and recalled seeing Torborg on the field before games. Huge dude.
Kiss was back on the public radar from 96 to 2000ish., the original line up reformed. Toured and put the make up back on.From 83 to 95 Kiss had different members in and out the band. And no make up
I was a kid when I first saw the Kiss Demon, it got me into the band and I've loved them since. The same thing happened with Vampiro and the Misfits and Sting using Metallica's Seek and Destroy.
I have this weird head canon that all the music-related antics on death's door era WCW was at least partially due to the influence of Bob Mould from Husker Du, who was on WCW's booking committee around the time. 😆
When it comes to Kiss' relevance in the late 90's you're 100 percent wrong. They just had their reunion in 96 and were one of the biggest live acts during that time. As a matter of fact watching nitro and raw a small majority of people went to those shows in Kiss 96-97 reunion shirts.
The Demon is with Impact Wrestling now. Before that he was with the XWF. But that wrestling company really had a tuff time getting started. The Demon got a action figure made by The Figure Toy Co. It's Legends of Professional Wrestling action figures. You can buy them already autographed by The Demon.
There's one thing to be said: in 1998, KISS were having a minor resurgence. The KISS Demon idea could have been relatively interesting (it would have never been in the main event, but since Dale Torborg was committed, maybe he could have been a cult midcarder) if WCW didn't get petty over Bischoff. Maybe he could have had a mini-program with Sting (hence the excuse for a main event) and then he could have been a fixture of the midcard. Still, the contractually obligated main event was just stupid.
![KAYTRANADA - Witchy (feat. Childish Gambino) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jGK3YVmGZ3Y/mqdefault.jpg)
It did have one positive outcome: Dale met his wife (who was Asya in WCW) during all this who he's still with
I never knew that before watching this video. That's awesome
Fantastic
Gene Simmons taking credit for wrestling having pyro and face paint is a level of self importance and unawareness i didnt think was possible
The funny thing is that's barely a level one on the "Gene Simmons self-importance and unawareness" scale.
this reads like someone who is hearing about Gene Simmons for the first time
@@FHRiley-yk9by never looked into his bs before, never cared
@@austinsmith7731 Oh, and here's where Simmons and KISS humiliate a South American reporter, who is trying to interview them.. why ? Because, he isn't wearing a KISS t-shirt ! Very very bizarre behavior
To be fair, nobody used Pyro before KISS
Have to respect Dale Torborg for wanting to do the character and having the dedication to stick with it
Yes, because Kiss invented pyro and makeup and i"m sure they invented Rock n Roll as well.
Well Gene Simmons has went on record to say he invented this 🤘
Lol gene is emo maniac... I like kiss but he's always talking out his ass
@@martynodonnell8467 Really? Everyone knows that it was Ronnie James Dio who first used that and it was something he got from his grandmother.
@@martynodonnell8467 Gene Simmons invented EVERYTHING. He is (at least in his own eyes) a living god.
@@Matlcore876 during this video. There was a few lines from Gene Simmons book. I think they are very much from the mindset of someone in some kind of fantasy land. It’s probably the effects of all the drugs over the years. Sure WWF/E have had some outlandish storylines over the years. However there’s no way they would have entertained that idea. Especially at a time when the company was top of the wrestling world.
My number one "WCW Blunder" was.... Robocop showing up. And everyone acting as if Robocop was somehow real, and had stepped out of the movie to come to WCW. That one is hard to top.
The costume started to fall apart during that bit.
Zeus from No Holds Barred fighting Hulk Hogan at Summer Slam
I never watched WCW much, but accounts of the 1999 - 2001 period always strike me as a Trainwreck in slow motion.
It was more like a train wreck in fast forward that you thought would never end
Every promotion has goofy moments..but WCW did their fails at an epic level..because they were the #2 promotion..got hot w the NWO angle &an all time great undercard..became #1,and blew it!!Between upper management nonsense and Hogan's creative control,etc..they just time after time stunk out the joint.
It actually happened very quickly in early 1999 they still had pretty good shows but by summertime they went completely off the rails with no hope of coming back
The downfall of WCW has always fascinated me.
They literally went from WWE standard, to a bunch of twats in your mates mums garden. It was mental
I love reliving the war series but I’m loving the Blunder series especially about the not so known angle’s of wrestling and how it began. Love wrestling bios. Keep them coming.10/10
I always loved that WCW were trying new and outrageous things. Even when they failed they were often entertaining.
This is a fantastic summary of why when WCW worked it REALLY worked, as well as why I always liked them more! Well said.
lol yep! se7en
Seeing Norman Smiley dressed in KISS gear is the gift I never knew I wanted!
"I'll knock u out" Smiley had said that to the KISS people
Can't wait for WWE Flaw is War series from Wrestling Bios.
Flaw is Poor
🤣, that’s perfect…
😥😥😥😥😥😥😥😥
@@ianl4743 Raw is pur
GOAT response, love it.
WCW was such a blur to me especially around 99 and 2000. I stopped flipping the channels late 98. WWF at the time was must watch TV. Good old days, thank you wrestling bios for your hard work 💯
Love the Blunder series, can't wait for whenever the next one is.
So glad this series is back
I seriously hope if any of the members of Kiss run into Brad, they buy him a drink. The only man in wrestling who tirelessly tried to give their character credibility.
As a few others have pointed out, Kiss was still riding a wave of buzz from the "Psycho Circus" album and tour, along with a huge merchandizing blitz. I can see where it would have made sense in the pitch meeting, but it wasn't a very WCW-friendly idea and I think if the WWF had gotten it instead they might have actually done something good with it, even for a short time.
I liked the idea of what the whole thing might have been more than what they actually did with it. I wasn't on the internet back then so I had no idea what was going on with the KISS Demon, but I definitely noticed that there was a ton of build for this guy who lost constantly, and that made no sense at all so I knew something weird was going on. Knowing the backstory doesn't do much to make any of it "better"; what a petty situation that whole thing was.
Kiss were riding a retro wave as they had recently reunited the original line up and had brought back the face paint/gear after a decade of not using it. Kiss were also decently big in America but had more success in Australia and Japan.
Glad to see WCW Blunder back. It’s amazing people forget, for all the good WCW did, they had a lot of garbage 🤣
I’d say it’s the other way around; the WWE dominates the narrative for newer fans these days and so with their naturally anti-WCW position, a lot of these fans end up thinking WCW was mismanaged and behind WWF the whole time, which just isn’t true
@@azari8253 Oh I know that. Hell there was a time where WCW was top dog. WWE do a good job of strewing their own narrative on their documentaries though.
@@azari8253 WCW was mismanaged
People forget??? To be real, WCW was doing mostly great things from the NWO debut in 1996 until around early 1999, but they were dire in the Hulk Hogan babyface/Dungeon of Doom era right before that, as well as most of 1999 - 2001. That's likely what they're most remembered for, along with the NWO great stuff.
Yeah but even most of the garbage had some entertainment value.
Yeeees!
Absolutely love not remembering that we get videos on Sunday. Every time i see the notification i get a big smile on my face and start planning how i want to relax while i enjoy watching.
😄👍
This would have been a better idea around '96-'97 when KISS reunited and had an upswing of attention. But by '99, KISS ran that renewed interest dry. They were close to announcing their "Farewell Tour", so it seems a bit too little, too late.
Yep, although they are still doing farewell tours!
I will hand it to Gene Simmons. They did have a pretty successful late 90’s comeback and were featured in a lot of Media at this time. He marketed the hell out of that band
God of Blunder/ and rock'n roll 🤟
The blunder you’re under
Wrestling bios to your wrestling core 🤘
Norman Smiley is a legend.
I used to watch Nitro with my dad back in the day and we both loved Norman! The Wiggle would have us cracking up with laughter and then the Screaming Norman gimmick was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in wrestling.
Norman Smiley a blast from WCW pasted.I hated him has a kid he reminded me of a Vanilla wrestler of the 70s.But has time went on he was good catch a True Legend these days
Wrestling Bios completely skipped over Norman and the Demon's tag team!
The Screaming Demons could have gone places
WCW Blunder may only have 5 episodes, but it’s already my favorite mini-series
Wcw trying to capitalize on the movie: Detroit Rock City!🤪🤪🤪
TBF that concert at the end of Detroit Rock City did have better lip synching 😶
More or less that and the psycho circus album was like a whole era of random kiss appearances
The Dark Carnival feat. ICP, Vampiro, Muta and the Kiss Demon was dope as hell. So fresh!
Love this series!
This is why I love your series. I saw all of this in real time as a kid but in the time since then, I've forgotten many details. Thanks for the shot of nostalgia
Thanks for doing this video. I remember the Crush Daemon debuting but didn't keep track of the character itself or what happened with it. As for KISS the band, recalling from memory, I believe it was around this time that the original four band members reunited which was a big deal for KISS fans. During the 80s they had another drum and bass player so if I remember right, KISS had some sort of resurgence during this time.
Yes indeed KISS were all over the place at the time. Comic books, McFarlane Toys, TV specials, guest spots on FOX's MAD TV and Millenium, concert tours, music videos, pro wrestling, all of it. It was a nostalgia trip because not only did the original four members reunite, but they put the costumes and makeup back on as well after several years without them.
@@ChrisDogg2k6 and Psycho Circus debuted at #1 in like 20 countries the previous year, and KISS had a movie coming to theaters in 99 as well, honestly 1999 was probably the last year the KISS brand was white hot.
I discovered Kiss through this character and watched WCW more regularly because of him. I suppose I was one of the only viewers that WCW gained through this gimmick and I wasn't even a Kiss fan at the time...
Love this series all with all the other content you do. Can't wait to see you cover the Nitro that contained an entire hour without wrestling.
Listening to this while mowing my lawn
I’m absolutely certain that there is an alternative universe somewhere where not only did the Kiss Demon character succeed, but actually became a main event attraction that led to WCW winning the Monday Night War and buying out the WWE.
The New Undertaker you can say...
I was just watching ur first wcw blunder video when I got the notification for this video
Quality sh*t, ain't it.
KISS & wrestling make perfect sense together. Not in the main event, but there's certainly room on a 3 hour show for their involvement. This deal happened right near the peak of my KISS fandom as a teenager, so I was stoked about it. But like most WCW projects, it was debuted in a massive way, and quickly petered out in the following weeks as interest in the new toy waned. We saw it happen with so many other things in the company as well.
I’m by no means a major Kiss fan but, around 98/99 they had a major comeback with the original Band line up and there Psycho Circus album was a big deal…Around this same time Kiss was everywhere in North America promoting there brand from tv shows to various Live MTV events (TNT & WCW dropped the ball not promoting there appearance live on there network) The Kiss Demon on the other hand was a bizarre concept it was doomed to fail (The only winner in this was Gene Simmons & Kiss they got a great payday to do one live gig and license out there IP for a set time period win/win for them! Gene is also a flaming narcissist The pro wrestling industry ripped-off Kiss? The truth is Kiss ripped-off the many elements of both the New York Dolls & The Stooges
No they didn’t! NY Dolls dresses like Trans . Learn Facts clown
Yes! More from Wresslin' Bios. Happy Sunday!
I actually liked the idea of the KISS Demon, but yeah, it basically turned out to be a result of backstage politics. Kind of reminded me of Oz, where they just thought of merchandising over the actual character.
Norman Smiley in Kiss attire made my day lol
KISS was actually experiencing somewhat of a revival at this time. Late in 98 they released the Psycho Circus album and it was the first time all four original band members had been back together in quite some time. They had a tour that was huge. McFarlane Toys released a bunch of figures, old albums were being re-released with new covers, they were on MadTV, and miscellaneous KISS merch was EVERYWHERE. I'm not the biggest KISS fan, but I lived through those days and remember. Kind of shocking Bios didn't feel like doing the research on why they might be sought after at the time.
I was basically gonna say the same thing (except for the last sentence, maybe). But yeah, there was still a substantial buzz around KISS at that exact moment so from a marketing point of view it definitely made sense on paper. I think they just botched the execution and over-estimated just how much of the WCW audience would have cared. I was much more a WCW fan, but the KISS angle seems like it would have played better in the WWF at that time. Over-the-top gimmicks with celebrity involvement has always been more of a WWF thing. Even back then, whenever WCW tried it they tended to half-commit and fumble it.
@@RikkiRoxxNWS I didn't mean anything by the last sentence. It's just that this guy is usually so thorough in his videos I found it kind of disappointing when he basically said, "I don't care why they thought KISS was a good idea", or, "A band whose popularity ended long ago..."
Mind you those examples are paraphrasing as I watched the video yesterday and don't remember the exact words, but he eluded to those sentiments several times in the video and it just kinda felt odd for someone who usually goes in depth in their research.
@@MrDrokkul True enough, but I kinda forgive it. It was one of those things a person had to be there for in order to fully grasp or appreciate, I think.
I remember they were topical because of their comeback as well
But still seen as not really cool, and a lot of younger people didn’t care about them either (I’m assuming wcw was geared toward teens or younger)
It was basically just as cringe now as then. Same thing with ICP, they were “popular” back then but not really
I think his overall point was still valid. If this was kiss in 1980 it might have been worth it to wed the two brands. In 99, there’s no upside.
But its a different market. Wrestling appeals to young people not older kiss fans. It was never going to work. Its like saying the Rolling Stones are having a revival and a new album now in 2023 so WWE should sign them and make a Rolling Stone wrestler - it would not work in a million years.
WWF dodged a bullet
Still remember RoboCop coming to save Sting from that plastic cage
Ahhh yes the best part of my youtube experience, when wrestling bios uploads ^_^. Great stuff Ryan!
15:35 - The Demon and Aja, huh? I know it's a coincidence, but what a fusion of 70s rock references they accidentally had right there; KISS and Steely Dan respectively. Heh, maybe they should've gotten "That 70s Guy" Mike Awesome in on it too, rename him "The Crimson King" or something...
I don’t know how old you are, but you may not remember that Kiss had a strong resurgence in the mid to late 90’s. There was the tribute album Kiss My Ass, the first appearance of the original lineup since the late 70’s on MTV’s Unplugged, the new album Psycho Circus and the Kiss In Makeup tour supporting it. While it didn’t turn out the way they wanted, WCW was spot on for getting one of the most legendary and popular bands making a comeback. They didn’t just pluck them out of the gutter.
My Favorite Blunder! I think Bischoff thought this was going to strike absolute GOLD like Wright and Disco
*Norman 'Screamin Demon' Smiley was amazing haha*
Lol I like how wrestling bios sounds like he's smiling and trying to stifle those laughs
To think today any of these wresting companies would kill to have a 2.2 rating.
Nice surprise from Wrestling Bios for this Sundays upload...i was expecting a Video game review...which i was anticipating as i kept checking my phone for the WBios upload notification...but this is even better
This mans sarcasm in this one is absolute GOLD. He really nailed the sentiment most fans had for this, big time. My stomach hurts from laughter rn! 🤣
Thank you so much Wrestling Bios!
I’ve been really looking forward to a
vid about the KISS Demon!!!
Now I’m trying to imagine an alternate reality with the KISS Demon main eventing a WWF PPV. XD
There is a reality where this happened. Probably one where Russo stayed with wwe
Probably would have been a multi-person tag.
Well judging who played on RAW at the time, it would've been the Kid Rock Demon.
Demon joins the minestry of darkness…then turns on the undertaker and there’s your main event.
I love this series you're doing!
Thanks for making my week!
To be fair, there was "Kisstolgia" in the 90s. Many of WCW's adult fans grew up in the 70's and it also explains why Disco Inferno was so over.
However, wrestling fans watched Nitro for...wrestling, not concerts.
I was about 18 or 19 back then and my friends and I would get together on Monday nights and watch RAW and Nitro. My friend had seen KISS in concert recently and we were all rock and metal fans. We were THE demographic for this. We HATED this. We were NOT made for lovin' the WCW KISS Demon.
Nobody cares about your sorry life memories.
It feels more like Bischoff was a big fan of Kiss and put that over what was actually best for business. Kinda like him making that motorcycle PPV because he liked bikes.
I watched the damn concert as a kid. I remember being really curious about the unveiling of the kiss demon lol pretty sure I changed the channel right after
Keep up the good work man I watch your videos every chance I get.
Despite still bleeding for WCW to this day, I will admit I very much am enjoying the Blunder series.
I love these WCW blunders. Another bkunder though was having the demon with ICP. ICP doesn't like KISS at all. As a hardcore ICP fan back then i always questioned that decision. Looking back i realize that not everyone was a teenage me loving ICP.
Whoop Whoop
honestly I really really like the pitched StarBoy character idea.
So do I. It would have been an interesting twist on the "pretty-boy" character.
'I have no idea if this was ever contested by the way and don't care enough to find out either' - A sentiment shared by many haha
15:26 lol we need an entire video on that match alone. The first "Cinematic" match.
1:10 by 1999 the Reunion Era of KISS was starting to lose it’s luster so they decided to do a Farewell Tour in 2000…they’re still playing this year (albeit with two guys in Peter and Ace’s makeup)
I want to see a WCW Blunder on Goldberg's heel run and his theme music by Megadeth
How can anyone defend this like its such a weird idea to begin with and sounds like a idea that shouldn't of gotten out of the concept idea
Why? Was my fist reaction to the Kiss daemon and the performance from the band. I Mist most of the run so this was interesting to look back at. Although I couldn't have cared less about it back in the day this was still a interesting. Nice work.
Can't believe never had a hall and Oates inspired wrestler
When approached with the idea, Vince McMahon reportedly said, "I can't go for that. Oh, no. No can do."
Now's time for something...Bischoffriffic?... o.O
This is Bischoff (he’s a big fan of KISS)
After Wcw demise Dale became a coach with the Florida Marlins in 2002 there was even a segment on Sportscenter on ESPN where they interviewed him about his time as the Kiss Demon and helped transform a few Marlins players into Kiss Demons 😂
WCW Blunder is back with a new episode!
“When Dale realized he was the same height as Hogan and Savage. . .” They were fuckin half a foot different in height! 😂
Is funny how The Kiss Demon gimmick work better in Impact Wrestling last year that the WCW run.
I'm a huge KISS fan and even I shook my head on that one. You're incorrect about one thing. KISS had a huge resurgence at this time beginning with the reunion tour in 1996.
I remember seeing it one evening....they were Crazy nights
Kiss was still popular then with older generations and this was the 1st time nostalgia was used to grab in viewers. Eric was right, Gene Simmons knows how to sell,sell,sell & sue,sue,sue. I was always a fan of Jeff Torborg. As a minor league C who couldn't hit a slider, my low level dream was to be a backup C and later a coach and manager like Torborg.
Never knew there was a baseball fury gimmick. Love it. I’m a HUGE warriors fan.
You got to do WWF’s disastrous gimmick wrestlers!
I know it’s not important in the long run, but Kiss actually were quite popular in the late 90s. I don’t know if it was due to the release of a live album or if the song was used in a movie…but “Rock and Roll All Nite” had a bit of a resurgence. Heavy radio play, big tv presence, etc.
Way back in 2003, I was in Atlantic City, & ended up on a hotel bus with the Kiss Demon in full makeup. It was a bit weird, but everyone rolled with it.
I remember seeing KISS on WCW. I was like 7 lol they played God Of Thunder, and then… some guy who looked like Gene walked out. Even 7 year old me was like “wtf is this” 🤣
Disco beating the best wrestler ever, Alex Wright, for the championship last Monday was the worst thing ever to happen in history.
That's the real reason he chose Raw over Nitro that week.
Lmao, yes, & it was Glen Gilbertti's only title reign. It probably was some kind of reward for re-signing with WCW, lol.
The most interesting thing about these stories is the fact the wrestlers probably the their best to make it a success only for other factors basically derailing any form of success
Kiss had only reformed in 97 and released the Album psycho circus. They were a commodity at the time because of the "reunion" so thats why wcw used them.
This was a blunder for sure for many reasons. In regards to Kiss in this period though, actually incredibly successful. They were on an all time high between 1996 and 2002, so I can see why in theory people backed this idea. Was never going to work in practice though, just Gene going too far as he often did in this era.
Lol what, it wasn't Gene's fault. Did u watch the part where when KISS was on TV, the ratings actually went down? Lol KISS just wasn't a draw that justified the pay they got
Kiss is the most overated band in the history of music
Torborg got two World Series rings as a strength and conditioning coach for The Florida Marlins and Chicago White Sox. One of the funnier stories was when he joined the Marlins right after WCW was sold, and he asked an overweight pitcher (Antonio Alfonseca) to get on the scales, as part of the pitcher's rehab. Alfonseca was pretty salty that day, and told Torborg to "F- himself" in Spanish and English. Torborg went after him, causing Alfonseca (a big dude himself at 6'5" and over 250) to lock himself in the trainer's room. My folks lived in South Florida in the early 00s, and recalled seeing Torborg on the field before games. Huge dude.
Kiss was back on the public radar from 96 to 2000ish., the original line up reformed. Toured and put the make up back on.From 83 to 95 Kiss had different members in and out the band. And no make up
Tried to get Kiss fans to watch wrestling. Ended up just forcing wrestling fans to watch Kiss. Kiss sucks!
I was a kid when I first saw the Kiss Demon, it got me into the band and I've loved them since. The same thing happened with Vampiro and the Misfits and Sting using Metallica's Seek and Destroy.
I’m pretty sure kiss was really popular in 99. They had just relaunched the original line up and went on a huge tour
And then The Demon went on to have a child, that child's name...Danhausen
I have this weird head canon that all the music-related antics on death's door era WCW was at least partially due to the influence of Bob Mould from Husker Du, who was on WCW's booking committee around the time. 😆
6:00 this 1974 Gene Simmons interview on the Mike Douglas show is so awkward that it’s hilarious
Bro, had WCW & KISS put Jericho in the paint/band, we might still know what both were today! 👺👹🤬😅😭
If Wayne "Honky Tonk Man" Farris couldn't get over as The Kisser in GCW, no one was ever gonna get it over.
When it comes to Kiss' relevance in the late 90's you're 100 percent wrong. They just had their reunion in 96 and were one of the biggest live acts during that time. As a matter of fact watching nitro and raw a small majority of people went to those shows in Kiss 96-97 reunion shirts.
Best Wrestling channel on RUclips hands down mo question about it.
The Baseball Furies idea is pretty cool. The Warriors is my favourite movie
The Demon is with Impact Wrestling now. Before that he was with the XWF. But that wrestling company really had a tuff time getting started. The Demon got a action figure made by The Figure Toy Co. It's Legends of Professional Wrestling action figures. You can buy them already autographed by The Demon.
I love your videos man I've been learning a lot about WCW
There's one thing to be said: in 1998, KISS were having a minor resurgence. The KISS Demon idea could have been relatively interesting (it would have never been in the main event, but since Dale Torborg was committed, maybe he could have been a cult midcarder) if WCW didn't get petty over Bischoff. Maybe he could have had a mini-program with Sting (hence the excuse for a main event) and then he could have been a fixture of the midcard. Still, the contractually obligated main event was just stupid.