WCW World War 3
World War 3 was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Championship Wrestling. The pay-per-view's title also was the name of its signature match, a three-ring, sixty-man battle royal. The event took place every November from 1995 until 1998. Like the Royal Rumble, the World War 3 match was held at the event that shared its name. The first two World War 3 events were held at the Norfolk Scope and the last two were held at The Palace of Auburn Hills. In 1999, it was replaced by Mayhem.
WWE owns the rights of World War 3 since the sale of WCW and its trademarks in 2001. In February 2014, all WCW pay-per-views were made available on the WWE Network.
Rules
The rules for a World War 3 match were similar to the rules for a traditional battle royal match:- All sixty men were randomly assigned a specific ring before the match began.
- The match began with all sixty men, in three rings, when the bell rings. Each ring was assigned a number. From left-to-right on the TV screen ring #1 was on the left, ring #2 was the center ring and ring #3 was on the right.
- *Originally, in order to be eliminated from the match a wrestler had to be thrown over the top rope and have both feet touch the floor. This rule was amended in 1997 to allow for eliminations if a person leaves the ring in any way. In 1998 the rule was amended again to allow the counting of pinfalls and submissions for eliminations.
- When 10 men remained in ring #1 or ring #3 they moved to ring #2 and the match continued.
- *This rule was amended in 1997 so that the competitors had to move to the central ring once forty men had been eliminated.
- The last man standing in the ring was declared the winner.
Dates, venues, winners, and main events
Championship match for winner
| Winner | Event | Year | Championship match | |
| The Giant | Souled Out | 1996 | Giant received his title shot against Hollywood Hogan at Souled Out, where Hogan retained the WCW World Heavyweight Championship after the match ended in a no contest. | |
| Scott Hall | Uncensored | 1997 | Hall lost to Sting for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. | |
| Kevin Nash | Starrcade | 1998 | Nash defeated Goldberg for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. |