There are many reasons why Eric Bischoff was canned as the creative mind behind WCW. Declining PPV buyrates, ratings, and increasingly bad product all led to his demise. But it may have been his insistence on hiring overpriced musical talent that was the final nail in his coffin. From Master P to Megadeth, Bischoff was well known for his “music=ratings” line of thinking.
It was with this logic that KISS and WCW decided that a KISS wrestler would be a great idea. KISS even played on the Nitro when The Demon was introduced.
Decked out in an outfit from Gene Simmons’ closet (although one that obviously Gene couldn’t fit into in many, many years) and sporting Simmons’ own face paint design, The Demon was quite the menacing sight.
The problem is, no one cared. Except for KISS, of course, who are obviously laughing all the way to the bank. After all, these are the guys who made “KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park”, one of the worst movies of all time. They don’t care what they slap the KISS name on, as long as it makes a buck.
At some point it looked as though WCW was trying to get out of the deal. However, KISS pressed the issue and The Demon lives (although now it is Dale Torborg playing the part instead of Brian Adams).
The latest wrinkle in The Demon saga is WCW stating that perhaps one day Simmons himself will be out as The Demon. Here’s Tony Schiavone to tell you more…