Who would have taken the title from Steiner if WCW survived?

[Jindrak Mark]

I doubt they were planning on his dominant run ending on a random Nitro. I think that was just a case of after the buy-out WWE deciding Booker would be easier to do business with and making that call on short notice.

If they survived and the Bischoff/Fusient deal went through they were going to go on hiatus for a month or so and return with a PPV titled The Big Bang on May 6 with all the top faces who had been written off TV like Goldberg/Nash/Sting/DDP returning. I think there was even talk of Hogan returning if Russo was out of the picture.

Steiner and the Magnificent Seven group had taken out a bunch of babyfaces in the previous few months so there was storyline reason for most of them to want revenge. Who do you think is the one who takes the title from him though?

I feel like Goldberg would be the best choice to make it clear that okay, this is a new era and we're not going to continue misusing him. This is our guy and we're going to book him as such like we should have been the past 2 years.

[Feyrhausen]

Could they even have really afforded any of those big names? If so Goldberg probably would have been the best option.

If not Booker T. Rumors say Sean O Haire was up for a big push. Maybe give him a big victory and see how people react.

[Cry Me a Wiggle]

No matter who had the book, it always felt like the plan was for Goldberg to have a fall from grace and chase the dominant heel champion who screwed him. The reunited nWo tased him and Hogan fingerpoked the belt back so Goldberg could chase him for a year, but then WCW lost the plot and turned Flair heel and Hogan face. Then another reunited nWo kept the belt from him via Bret Hart, but then Bret got concussed info retirement and Goldberg punched a limo. It felt like the plan was always for Goldberg to dethrone Steiner as well, but the Fusient deal fell through and his kayfabe last match in WCW worked itself into a shoot, brother.

[CMWaters]

Now I'm not saying he should have, even if he had come close to winning the title before on one of the spring break Nitros against Flair...

...but I wonder if fans would have bought into 2001 unmasked Rey Mysterio beating Steiner for the title in a surprise fluke. WWF had bumped up former WCW Cruiserweight staples Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho to high mid if not main status, so would WCW have taken that risk and would fans have bought it?

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

They were definitely building to a Goldberg return and they had a few names left for Steiner to go through. By the end, the booking at least made some sense and that would've been the direction to go.

[Mozenrath]

Goldberg was probably the top choice, but barring him, it'd be Booker T. Maybe that'd have helped him out, but man, WWE did Booker T dirty in some respects, but frankly, they treated him more credibly as a main eventer than WCW did. Had Booker beaten Steiner and not just on the final Nitro, I do wonder if it'd have turned things around for his credibility and washed some of the Russo stench off.

[hassanchop]

Chuck Palumbo

Only to get screwed over similar to his “victory” over Booker T except as a face

m.youtube.com/watch?v=Intsq40Km_M

[Wieners=$$$]

I fantasy booked the survival of WCW, and had RVD sign where he went on to a long heavyweight reign. For fun, I'll say him.

[GodzillaIsMyMonster]

Jul 15, 2022 9:23:10 GMT -5 Wieners=$$$ said:

I fantasy booked the survival of WCW, and had RVD sign where he went on to a long heavyweight reign. For fun, I'll say him.

Didn't Bischoff want RVD to be a cornerstone of his new WCW?

[Wieners=$$$]

Jul 15, 2022 15:31:51 GMT -5 GodzillaIsMyMonster said:

Jul 15, 2022 9:23:10 GMT -5 Wieners=$$$ said:

I fantasy booked the survival of WCW, and had RVD sign where he went on to a long heavyweight reign. For fun, I'll say him.

Didn't Bischoff want RVD to be a cornerstone of his new WCW?

I also heard that rumor. Anyone know anything more about it?

[wrestlingrecap]

Goldberg makes a lot of sense. And, I think a second reign for him would have been good. To some extent, the mystique of Goldberg and dominate persona was kind of gone. So, there's the chance of more competitive matches with the likes of Steiner, Booker, Sting and whomever else upon his eventual return.

[bob]

I think it was building to Goldberg eventually

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

Jul 13, 2022 15:42:36 GMT -5 Feyrhausen said:

Could they even have really afforded any of those big names? If so Goldberg probably would have been the best option.

If not Booker T. Rumors say Sean O Haire was up for a big push. Maybe give him a big victory and see how people react.

They didn't need to afford them, they were contracted until 2002.

What they did need to do is convince them it was worth coming to work

[Sephiroth]

Mike Awesome

[tirtefaa]

It probably should have been Goldberg, leading to a lengthier reign. The question is, who takes the title off him? I'd probably have Goldberg beat Steiner at the Great American Bash, and hold it till Superbrawl in 2002.

At that point it's hard to say who you go with, but I'd try to really push Lance Storm in a main event role leading up to this and he can get a gimmick win over Goldberg, maybe dropping the title back to him at Slamboree. Bam Bam Bigelow beats Goldberg at Halloween Havoc. Rey Mysterio beats Bigelow at Starcade. Booker T then beats Rey at the next Superbrawl. After that, Goldberg eventually gets the belt again.

You know, maybe it's just faux optimism, but had WCW survived 2001, the chances of any kind of turn around (if WWF stuck to their guns of keeping Austin heel) may have allowed for them to at least keep going, that is...as long as the booking didn't fall off again. It wasn't great in 2001, but it was significantly better than what we had gotten the year and a half prior.

[koreycaskets]

A returning Vince Russo.