Post by sungod2020 on Apr 26, 2022 7:53:56 GMT -5
As we know, the Heartbreak Kid was one of WWF's biggest names in the mid-90s. Putting on showstopping performances, it won the admiration of the WWF universe, or as he called them - The Clique. While he was one of the top babyfaces in 1996 headed into 1997, backstage he was a terror to deal with.
Faking injuries and forfeiting titles just to get out of jobbing, as well as going off-script mid-match, it's safe to say he wasn't the easiest to work with, especially when he had his clique buddies around(Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, HHH, and 1-2-3 Kid/Sean Waltman). Even though three out of the four of those men left for greener pastures to WCW, he still had close ties to them, so you can say he had influence over both major companies without being in one of them.
Anytime he didn't get his way, he'd threatened to take his bags and go to WCW to join his friends. At the time, that threat was very potent considering the future of the F was unknown at the time given their financial state. Well, lets just say Vince McMahon and co had enough and said to him "fine, leave," how would that affect the pro wrestling landscape? Here's how I look at it based on what we've seen....
In WWF:No Montreal Screwjob - Since there wasn't room for both Michaels and "The Hitman" Bret Hart, one of them had to go since Vince couldn't afford both of them. With Michaels gone, that gives Bret a little more time with the company. A popular theory amongst the IWC would be "Stone Cold" Steve Austin winning the Royal Rumble as he did IRL, and then beating The Excellence of Executioner to win his first WWF championship at Wrestlemania XIV, ending the feud and officially kicking off The Attitude Era.
I can see history staying the same as it did with the McMahon feud, while Bret takes much needed time off. I know somebody is probably going to point out if there's no MSJ, then the Mr. McMahon character may not be born, but bare in mind, there were subtle signs of it happening way before the Screwjob such as Bret Hart snapping at him several times headed into Wrestlemania 13 and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin stunning him in September 1997, so I don't think it's a stretch to say Vince McMahon as the (original) evil authority figure wouldn't happen one way or another.
Side note:with Bret Hart's 20 year WWF contract still in effect, he should have enough influence to talk management out of the stunt Owen Hart took as the Blue Blazer, or even butterfly the whole storyline away, thus he would continue living. Where the youngest Hart would go is another story, but he'd likely still be with us today which is far more important than any booking milestone.
No D-Generation X-With Michaels gone, that just leaves rising mid-carder Triple H and his bodyguard Chyna, and maybe Rick Rude depending on where the butterfly effect takes him. He/they(as in him and Chyna) can either piggyback off of his friend and go to WCW with him or stick around long enough to get an even bigger push to the main event. Though that might not happen without Shawn's influence, who knows.
No Casket Bump:With Michaels not working for "the other company," he wouldn't take that casket bump that he did at the 1998 Royal Rumble in his match against The Undertaker. Injuring his back in the process and put out of action for two months until losing the belt to Austin at Wrestlemania. This put him on the sidelines for 4 years and in the time, had a drug addiction.
Assuming he doesn't have any career-ending injuries similar to that in WCW(though that can still happen), he wouldn't need to be addicted to painkillers. That would give him freedom to run around and wreak havoc on and (maybe) off screen in WCW.
In WCW:So now where would that leave The Showstopper as far as how he's handled on and off screen in WCW goes. Would he be an NWO flunkie, or would he politic his way into getting his own push given his new sorroundings?
Given Master Politician Hulk Hogan would be running the show, I can't picture Shawn having as much of a say on how things would go for him. I can picture him being treated as a big star jumping shift like Bret Hart was, and maybe a US title reign, but even though he had name value and support in the back, I can't picture him having as much of a say in how things go with Hogan around.
He might even throw a tantrum and tell them "I'll just take my bags and go back to WWF"......if they even want/need him back given WWF would've been profitable without him at that point. I can't picture him going to ECW if they refuse him since it's not his style and he would be above it anyway. Would he retire like he did and open up his own wrestling school just to make some money/give him something to do?
If WWF hired him back at all, I'd say give him a part-time commissioner role like he did during the Attitude Era, and if that's not good enough for him, oh well, he'll need to fend for himself.
Again, this is all speculation and with hindsight, but I figure with how things went in our Universe, it's not a stretch to say something like that can/would happen.
Thoughts?
Faking injuries and forfeiting titles just to get out of jobbing, as well as going off-script mid-match, it's safe to say he wasn't the easiest to work with, especially when he had his clique buddies around(Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, HHH, and 1-2-3 Kid/Sean Waltman). Even though three out of the four of those men left for greener pastures to WCW, he still had close ties to them, so you can say he had influence over both major companies without being in one of them.
Anytime he didn't get his way, he'd threatened to take his bags and go to WCW to join his friends. At the time, that threat was very potent considering the future of the F was unknown at the time given their financial state. Well, lets just say Vince McMahon and co had enough and said to him "fine, leave," how would that affect the pro wrestling landscape? Here's how I look at it based on what we've seen....
In WWF:No Montreal Screwjob - Since there wasn't room for both Michaels and "The Hitman" Bret Hart, one of them had to go since Vince couldn't afford both of them. With Michaels gone, that gives Bret a little more time with the company. A popular theory amongst the IWC would be "Stone Cold" Steve Austin winning the Royal Rumble as he did IRL, and then beating The Excellence of Executioner to win his first WWF championship at Wrestlemania XIV, ending the feud and officially kicking off The Attitude Era.
I can see history staying the same as it did with the McMahon feud, while Bret takes much needed time off. I know somebody is probably going to point out if there's no MSJ, then the Mr. McMahon character may not be born, but bare in mind, there were subtle signs of it happening way before the Screwjob such as Bret Hart snapping at him several times headed into Wrestlemania 13 and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin stunning him in September 1997, so I don't think it's a stretch to say Vince McMahon as the (original) evil authority figure wouldn't happen one way or another.
Side note:with Bret Hart's 20 year WWF contract still in effect, he should have enough influence to talk management out of the stunt Owen Hart took as the Blue Blazer, or even butterfly the whole storyline away, thus he would continue living. Where the youngest Hart would go is another story, but he'd likely still be with us today which is far more important than any booking milestone.
No D-Generation X-With Michaels gone, that just leaves rising mid-carder Triple H and his bodyguard Chyna, and maybe Rick Rude depending on where the butterfly effect takes him. He/they(as in him and Chyna) can either piggyback off of his friend and go to WCW with him or stick around long enough to get an even bigger push to the main event. Though that might not happen without Shawn's influence, who knows.
No Casket Bump:With Michaels not working for "the other company," he wouldn't take that casket bump that he did at the 1998 Royal Rumble in his match against The Undertaker. Injuring his back in the process and put out of action for two months until losing the belt to Austin at Wrestlemania. This put him on the sidelines for 4 years and in the time, had a drug addiction.
Assuming he doesn't have any career-ending injuries similar to that in WCW(though that can still happen), he wouldn't need to be addicted to painkillers. That would give him freedom to run around and wreak havoc on and (maybe) off screen in WCW.
In WCW:So now where would that leave The Showstopper as far as how he's handled on and off screen in WCW goes. Would he be an NWO flunkie, or would he politic his way into getting his own push given his new sorroundings?
Given Master Politician Hulk Hogan would be running the show, I can't picture Shawn having as much of a say on how things would go for him. I can picture him being treated as a big star jumping shift like Bret Hart was, and maybe a US title reign, but even though he had name value and support in the back, I can't picture him having as much of a say in how things go with Hogan around.
He might even throw a tantrum and tell them "I'll just take my bags and go back to WWF"......if they even want/need him back given WWF would've been profitable without him at that point. I can't picture him going to ECW if they refuse him since it's not his style and he would be above it anyway. Would he retire like he did and open up his own wrestling school just to make some money/give him something to do?
If WWF hired him back at all, I'd say give him a part-time commissioner role like he did during the Attitude Era, and if that's not good enough for him, oh well, he'll need to fend for himself.
Again, this is all speculation and with hindsight, but I figure with how things went in our Universe, it's not a stretch to say something like that can/would happen.
Thoughts?