WCW’s $1M Mortal Kombat Ripoff: How Glacier Failed Spectacularly

The Extravagant Beginnings

I watched WCW throw away millions during the peak of the 1990s. You must understand that Ted Turner had very deep pockets. I saw a wrestler named Glacier who looked exactly like the hero Sub-Zero. The company spent a fortune on this one man. Originality always beats a cheap copy.

Costly Costume and Entrance

Eric Bischoff signed Ray Lloyd before he even watched a video of his work. Never give a contract to someone you have not met in person. I found out Lloyd was a karate expert who lived in Japan. The group of costumes were worth thirty-five thousand dollars. Each of the lasers costed ten thousand dollars per show. I believe they wasted four hundred thousand dollars on the blue lights. Their video clips were a direct theft from the Mortal Kombat film.

Legal Threats and Overhaul

Glacier finally debuted in 1996 right when the NWO started. You cannot expect a ninja to win when cool guys are on TV. A company named Midway sent a mean letter about the legal rights. I think the legal team was very worried about the cash. Bischoff changed the look to stop the big court case. There was many problems with the budget by the end of the year.

The Aftermath

WCW did not stop and they made a character named Mortis. You can see how these short matches do not pay for the lasers. Every one of the fans were bored by the icy story. Glacier moved to the middle of the card and then he quit. Ray Lloyd laughs about the whole thing between you and I.

Lesson Learned

Bad plans will always fail even if you have lots of cash. You should make your own ideas instead of stealing from others. I view this as a big lesson for every person in business. WCW lost a lot of money on a man who was a fake. Invest in your own brand before you spend a million dollars.