'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
As the legend goes, World Championship Wrestling bested the World Wrestling Federation for 83 straight weeks, winning what was called "the Monday night wars." Why this happened is up for debate, as professional wrestling is a very subjective form of entertainment.
However, one thing that cannot be debated is that WCW -- under the leadership of Eric Bischoff -- regularly utilized celebrities and notable non-wrestling performers in an attempt to get non-wrestling fans to tune into WCW programming.
Among the recognizable people that appeared on WCW broadcasts and pay-per-views were musicians. Some of these musicians were integrated into WCW creative as actual in-ring performers, while others simply played music their way with WCW performers integrated into their art.
Not all of these appearances yielded the expected results at the time, but many of them are hilarious, offering laughs all these years later. And that is without this list even including whatever you want to call James Brown's WCW cameo.
#1 KISS
In the late 1990s, KISS was riding high from a commercial perspective. The band's original lineup of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss had regrouped for a world tour in 1996 that was well-received from fans and critics alike.
The contributions to WCW are especially unique. First, the quartet performed a lip-synced version of the song "God Of Thunder" on-air during an episode of Nitro and was rumoured to have paid close to a million dollars for that. Second, KISS -- or most likely Simmons specifically -- created a KISS-themed wrestler known as The Demon.
Rumours exist that KISS was set to work further with WCW. One, as corroborated by Eric Bischoff, is that WCW was set to do a joint New Year's Eve pay-per-view with KISS. Another is that The Demon was set to have partners or a stable featuring other wrestlers wearing KISS makeup.
Regardless of what is true and what is just a rumour, KISS received a lot of exposure to the WCW audience, yet the wrestling company did not get much in return. The aforementioned Nitro segment featuring KISS drew one of its lowest quarter-hour ratings in WCW -- in the midst of the company's highest wave of popularity -- and the Demon character never advanced beyond lower-card status, quickly fading away.
#2 The Misfits
If you are a long-time fan of metal or punk rock, odds are that you are very familiar with the band known as The Misfits. Among the artists that have covered songs by The Misfits are Metallica, Guns N' Roses, AFI, NOFX, and the Dropkick Murphys.
Original lead singer Glenn Danzig, after The Misfits disbanded in the early 1980s, also has had a successful career fronting Samhain and then his solo band known as Danzig.
In the 1990s, The Misfits regrouped without Danzig -- who had previously been the band's primary songwriter -- with bassist Jerry Only taking leadership. Only, a savvy businessman ultimately got The Misfits into WCW towards the end of the company. He and his Misfits bandmates -- singer Michale Graves, guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein and drummer Dr Chud -- were part of a stable alongside Vampiro.
They not only contributed a theme song and accompanied Vampiro to the ring, but would get involved in matches via interference. Ultimately Only would have a match against "Dr Death" Steve Williams on an episode of Nitro in 1999.
Interestingly, Danzig is also a proven fan of wrestling, and recently backstage photos of him were released alongside members of the WWE's Riott Squad.
#3 Master P
In the late 1990s, few rappers were at a commercial level that was comparable to Master P. Not only was the New Orleans native selling at a lot of albums as a performer, but he was at the centre of a scene as a label executive behind No Limit Records. If that were not enough, Master P's brothers Silkk The Shocker and C-Murder were also successful rappers in this era.
Believing that millions of albums would equate to millions of new viewers, WCW brought in Master P and friends under the moniker of the No Limit Soldiers. The stable launched in 1999 as part of a segment with Curt Hennig. The No Limit Soldiers were intended to be a group of babyface wrestlers, yet the questionable-creative and the unreceptive crowd actually led to the opposite sort of reaction.
The group's feud with The West Texas Rednecks -- which included Hennig, Barry Windham, Kendall Windham and Bobby Duncum Jr. -- found the Rednecks and their song "Rap Is Crap" being received favourably. The angle and stable both lasted last three months.
Interestingly, both Konnan and Rey Mysterio -- who continue to have long careers in the wrestling business -- were both parts of the No Limit Soldiers stable.
#4 Insane Clown Posse
The Misfits is not the only musical artist that had the pleasure of working alongside Vampiro in WCW. That honour also belongs to the Detroit, Michigan-based hip-hop duo known as The Insane Clown Posse.
Following a run with the WWF in 1998 as part of The Oddities, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope came to WCW in 1999. ICP was the first part of The Dead Pool alongside Vampiro and Raven. Next, ICP was part of The Dark Carnival with Vampiro, The Great Muta and the aforementioned KISS-endorsed Demon. The rappers actually wrestled on weekly television and pay-per-views and stayed with WCW deep into the year 2000.
Strangely, the Insane Clown Posse has had a long run in professional wrestling than the majority of wrestlers. After leaving WCW, Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope went back to the indies and eventually did a run in TNA, also really getting their own promotion -- Juggalo Championship Wrestling -- off the ground. JCW continues to thrive and has hired many former WCW champions to participate in its live events.
#5 Megadeth
Fronted by former Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine, Megadeth is one of the best-selling metal bands of all time. The late 1990s were a strange time for Megadeth as the group was having success with movie soundtrack placements, but Mustaine was feeling the need to experiment with different sounds and genres, which led to the surprising studio album Risk.
Around this time -- which was a few years before Megadeth went on a hiatus -- one of WCW's then-top talents, Bill Goldberg, heard the Megadeth song "Crush 'Em" while filming the movie Universal Soldier: The Return. Goldberg was a big fan of Megadeth and pushed WCW to use "Crush 'Em" for his entrance music. That same version would appear on a commercially-available WCW music compilation album, and at Goldberg's urging, Megadeth went on to perform on-air during a July 1999 edition of Nitro.
A wrestling aside, Marty Friedman -- the former Megadeth lead guitarist who co-wrote "Crush 'Em" with Mustaine -- played Hiroshi Tanahashi to the ring at a New Japan Pro Wrestling event a few years ago.
#6 Stuck Mojo
If you are a long-time fan of Chris Jericho, then you ought to be aware of his rock band Fozzy. The two creative forces behind Fozzy are known to be Jericho and guitarist/producer Rich Ward. Jericho and Ward met during Jericho's WCW run when Ward was in the band Stuck Mojo.
Considered to be innovators within the rap-rock genre, Stuck Mojo tied in heavily with WCW for its 1998 album Rising. The title track, "Rising," opens with a cameo from multi-time WCW champion Diamond Dallas Page.
The band's performance within the video has them playing within a WCW-branded ring and includes in-ring action from Raven and members of The Flock. The album cover of Rising includes a WCW title belt.
Whether or not Rising moved the needle for WCW, one has to imagine that this tie-in changed the path of the career of Rich Ward -- a known user and endorser of DDP Yoga -- in a very positive way. Fozzy will be resuming its Judas Rising Tour in August with five weeks of concerts alongside Adelita's Way, Stone Broken and The Stir.
Send us new tips at [email protected]
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
