Rodman and Malone: From NBA Finals to WCW, the epic wrestling crossover

The NBA Rivalry That Transferred to the Ring: Rodman vs. Malone

In the world of sports, rivalries transcend courts and stadiums. An iconic example of this transition is the story of Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone, two NBA legends who took their intense competition to the wrestling rings of World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

It all began in the 1998 NBA Finals, where Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls faced Malone’s Utah Jazz. In Game 6, with the championship on the line, Rodman and Malone starred in an incident that would foreshadow their future in wrestling. After a struggle, both fell to the ground on multiple occasions, a preview of what was to come.

“We compromised the NBA Finals”

Mark Madden, wrestling journalist

The connection with WCW strengthened when Diamond Dallas Page, a wrestling fan, met Malone at a Houston Rockets game. Malone, a big wrestling fan, recognized Page, which surprised everyone. After the meeting, they exchanged numbers and began talking regularly. Eric Bischoff, WCW executive, saw an opportunity and recruited Malone to join Rodman in the world of wrestling. The idea was to pit Rodman and Hogan against Malone and Page, capitalizing on the fame of both basketball players. Rodman made his return to WCW on June 8, 1998, on an episode of Nitro. There, alongside Hogan and Bischoff, he starred in a segment that generated great expectation. However, the most relevant thing was what happened outside the ring.

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Description: Basketball Hall of Famers Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone went from playing against each other in the NBA Finals to fighting each other in the summer of 1998.

Rodman, in the middle of the NBA Finals, showed up at Nitro, which earned him a fine from the NBA and the Bulls for missing a practice. For WCW, this was a publicity stunt, as it generated coverage in the major sports media. Bischoff, with the idea of promoting the match at the “Bash at the Beach” event, asked Rodman and Malone to take advantage of any opportunity in the game to show their rivalry, without affecting the outcome of the match. The strategy worked, and the tension between both players became evident. The sports commentator Bob Costas criticized Rodman and Malone’s participation in wrestling, but it was already inevitable. Wrestling had become intertwined with a game that included Michael Jordan, one of the most important figures of the 1990s.