WCW's Shooter Tournament (WCW Buys WWF)

The Shooter Tournament is a professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by WCW. The tournament's semifinals and the final is held at WCW's October pay-per-view Halloween Havoc (Other then the inaugural tournament which finals were held at WCW's Mayhem.)

Traditionally the first two matches of the 32 rounds are held at Falls Brawl, and the following matches take place over the next few weeks on Nitro, Thunder, and occasionally at House Shows. The Quarterfinals are held at the final Nitro and Thunder before the PPV.

The Shooter Tournament Winner is traditionally awarded a title match for WCW's top championship at Starrcade pay-per-view in December. Presently, there are two top championships, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on Nitro and the WCW North American Heavyweight Championship on Thunder for which the winner can challenge for. The Shooter Tournament's 32 entrants normally consist of 16 wrestlers from both the Nitro and Thunder brands. Occasionally "Free Agents" (often returning or debuting wrestlers) are apart of the tournament.

The Shooter Tournament is one of the few exceptions for wrestlers from one brand to show up on the other.

The Shooter Tournament has lead to some of the most memorials returns, debuts, rivals, heal turns, and pushes for wrestlers over the years.

Origin
Fallowing the buy out of WWF, WCW creative wanted to attempt to make a event similar to the WWF's Royal Rumble, with the winner going on to face the World Champion at their Starrcade. Eric Bischoff did not want to have complete rip off of a failed company's event. Glenn Gilbertti (known better by his ring name Disco Inferno) suggested to follow the success of the 16-man unification world title tournament during 2001, but instead a annual 32 man tournament. This would lead to the creation of the Shooter Tournament.