There's the narrative that after the fingerpoke of doom WCW creatively was a steady downward trajectory, that Vince Russo killed the product altogether, and it led to their demise. Having come across some reviews of PPVs from that era the last few days, I'm going to put out this hot take: From October 1999 to January 2000, WCW was creatively on the upswing. His booking went south after he returned with Bischoff in April and went completely batshit crazy after the Bash at the Beach incident and Bischoff walking out leaving no checks and balances for him. But that first 3-month run booking wasn't that bad.
I hate to be a Russo apologist, and to make it clear it wasn't perfect booking on par with WWF in 1997 or early 1999, but I think it had good direction and TBQH I remember the WCW of that period more clearly than the WWF programming over the same time.
It was a little clunky how they vacated the belt in the first place at Halloween Havoc, but the ensuing world championship tournament was really good, elevated some guys, intertwined storylines. It gave us the amazing Norman Smiley hardcore gimmick.
The nWo 2000 angle may have been a reductive idea but I think a stable with those 4 guys in it led by a heel champ in Hart to fend off Goldberg had some legs to it, but right at the exact time they were getting it off the ground, Hart had to retire due to his concussion, Goldberg sliced his wrist open on the limo window, and Jarrett also got hurt and had to drop the US Title. The plan for early 2000 was completely screwed over there and internal politics pushed Russo out after he proposed Tank Abbott win a battle royal for the belt when trying to make up something on the fly.
I think January 2000 was an understated turning point for both companies as WCW went into a creative spiral and Kevin Sullivan being given the book is probably what pushed the Radicalz right into the WWF's arms.
