If WWE had gone out of business.

[Nr1Humanoid]

If Vince had lost his company at some point, what do you think he would have done?

Seems to me he'd go back to the drawing board and start all over again.

[Free Hat]

I don't know, I could see him trying to start a television production company or something. He's always wanted to be seen as part of the broader entertainment business, and this would give him an excuse to get away from "rasslin'."

[celticjobber]

He definitely would've went and tried his hand at something else, either tv shows or movies.

[Professor Chaos]

WCW would've still went belly up and either Vince would bring back WWF or TNA would be the flagship rasslin company.

[BigWill]

I think Vince would have made a great Hollywood actor, if he got into the business early.

[BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps]

Mar 16, 2013 20:00:05 GMT -5 BigWill said:

I think Vince would have made a great Hollywood actor, if he got into the business early.

He could be a good hammy villain in a b-action movie right now.

[Gerard Gerard]

I'd agree with the assessment that WCW would've sunk anyways. WCW alienated its own fanbase, and whatever for WWF beating them, which is mostly true, but if you look at the kind of fan the 'F were drawing in at the time, a lot of it's due to its pop-culture crossover appeal, and not necessarily from draining away all WCW's base.

Anyways, given McMahon's personal fortune, regardless of the WWF's fate; he could've still flat-out bought WCW in 2001.

Mind, I'd imagine he'd have invested a bit more of his own worth, lest he'd be dependent on Bagwell/Booker carrying a new company.

[mrjl]

WCW might have survived in some way since they'd have had other guys besides Vince Russo to pluck from WWF. Austin may not have come back, but I bet the Rock and Mankind and The Undertaker would have jumped to WCW.

That number of people watching, I think it would have been difficult for the new people in charge of TimeWarner-AOL to justify getting rid of the programming.

[Deleted]

WCW being the sole major wrestling company could very well have permanently killed wrestling in the US.

[molson5]

It depends when. If wrestlemania 1 didn't work out and the company went under then, he probably would have stayed a promoter, maybe going into boxing. Or maybe he would have even been an MMA promoting pioneer.

If it was in the early days of the Monday Night Wars, he might have just laid low for a while. Despite the company going under, by then he had enough personal assets to where he didn't necessarily have to work. After a while, he'd dabble in the entertainment industry again and be an executive producer, maybe some reality shows ("up net, Vince McMahon's American Gladiators!"), game shows, he'd be a more successful version of Eric Bischoff after WCW went under.

[Deleted]

He would enter the UFC as a minority owner and take it over eventually.

[The Dark Order Inferno]

He'd be doing what Eric Bischoff has been doing over the past decade or so, running a TV production company specializing in reality TV, and arranging tours for workers he was close to like Hogan. I doubt he'd ever allow himself to become a producer at someone else's wrestling company, however,

[thecrusherwi]

Mar 16, 2013 22:40:54 GMT -5 @bootytime said:

WCW being the sole major wrestling company could very well have permanently killed wrestling in the US.

This. It would have roller derby status.

If he would have gone out of business in 1996 or 1997, then WCW likely still would've closed in 2001 (the network didn't want it and with no Vince in 1998, there is probably no wrestling boom). And watching Ted Turner go belly up and Vince McMahon's huge 80s company free fall into bankruptcy only a decade later, no one would touch wrestling with a 50 foot pole. It might never be seen on TV in the US ever again.