The demise of WCW is currently a hot topic of conversation among wrestling fans online, thanks to the Vine docuseries “Who Killed WCW?” taking fans back to the turbulent days of the now-defunct promotion. This has seen many of the biggest names in the industry at the time blamed, including Eric Bischoff, Vince Russo, and Hulk Hogan.
However, many hold former Turner Broadcasting executive Jamie Kellner ultimately responsible as he canceled the programming. Yet before the series concludes and hopefully definitively answers the long-asked question, Variety has sadly reported that Kellner passed away at his home in Montecito, California, on Friday aged 77. He is survived by his wife, Julie, and two children from separate marriages.
It has long been claimed that Kellner was anti-pro wrestling and couldn’t wait for the opportunity to get rid of WCW. Yet it has since been revealed in more recent years that that wasn’t the case, and he actually grew up as a fan and even negotiated with Vince McMahon about bringing WWF to another network.
Apparently, the issue Kellner had with WCW was that Fusient, the company looking to purchase the floundering brand from Turner, was asking for a guarantee that they would always have 5% of Turner’s primetime schedule regardless of ratings. Kellner felt he couldn’t sign this off, which opened the door for McMahon to swoop in and buy the assets.
- Former WWE Presenter Was Backstage At Forbidden Door - July 1, 2024
- Wrestler Injured During Forbidden Door Ladder Match - July 1, 2024
- Former WWE Talent Reveals He Was Backstage At Forbidden Door - July 1, 2024
