What If: Owen/Pillman/Benoit/Guerrero

[The Man That Sanity Forgot]

I'm sure these questions have been answered countless times, but I'm watching 'The Life and Death of Owen Hart' from the Wrestling With Shadows 10th Anniversary DVD and it got me thinking.

What would have happened if Owen didn't fall? What would have become of him? What would he have accomplished? Where would he be now?

And then I thought about other wrestlers that died DURING their WWE tenure. Pillman, Benoit, Guerrero. Putting every aspect of their deaths aside, because this isn't about how or what happened to them, this is about what would have happened if they nothing happened to them.

Discuss positions on the card. How long would they have wrestled for? Where would they have ended up? All those questions.

Also, if I've missed any people, please point them out. But remember, this is for those who died DURING their WWE tenures. And of course, keep the thread respectful.

[Citizen Snips]

Pillman probably would have retired shortly any way, unless we're saying he never got in that car wreck. His ankle just wasn't going to hold up.

The rest would have remained as upper mid-carders with occasional boosts into the main event when needed before retiring. Owen definitely would have been quietly retired, based on accounts of his wanting to leave the business and become a fireman before his death.

[The Man That Sanity Forgot]

Mar 29, 2013 21:44:24 GMT -5 Citizen Snips said:

Pillman probably would have retired shortly any way, unless we're saying he never got in that car wreck. His ankle just wasn't going to hold up.

The rest would have remained as upper mid-carders with occasional boosts into the main event when needed before retiring. Owen definitely would have been quietly retired, based on accounts of his wanting to leave the business and become a fireman before his death.

Pillman, retired or not, would have had a place in my opinion. He could have easily transitioned into a manager role or something similar.

[Citizen Snips]

On Pillman's DVD, several people mentioned that he disliked doing commentary because he couldn't stand to be so close to the action without being in it. Sort of like how Heenan retired from managing when his neck got too bad to participate physically. Being a manager might have driven him nuts in a similar vein.

He was more than gifted enough to keep going as a manager or commentator, but apparently his need to actually be in the ring might have driven him away completely if he couldn't do it.

[The Man That Sanity Forgot]

Kind of relevant, but do you think Pillman will ever be in the Hall of Fame? Perhaps if they can ever sort the whole thing with Martha out, he could go in the same class as Owen. Perhaps with both being inducted by Bret?

[ricardob]

I don't know why Pillman isn't in the HOF already. Maybe with a Hart Foundation induction. Back on topic, I think all of them would have remained very serviceable midcarders until the end of their runs, with the exception of Eddie. He was just too charismatic to keep out of the main event.

[Citizen Grimm]

Benoit and Eddie would probably still be wrestling in the upper card now, but more special attractions than anything. Both of them would be too beat up to wrestle regularly. We also probably would have never gotten Vickie.

Like others have said, Owen would have quietly bowed out of the WWE and retired. He might have had another 1-2 years in the company before he left.

Pillman, I honestly don't know.

[Deleted]

My god. I've never thought of how awesome Eddie vs. Owen would have been.

I'd rather have not thought of the awesomeness we missed out on.

[fw91]

Even though it sad to think this way , and been said many a time, ff Eddie didn't die, than Chris, Nancy and Daniel would all be alive too. However it seems that Chris was a bit off even when Eddie was alive

[TGM]

I think by 2000, there wouldn't have been much of a place for Owen. I could see them pairing him up with Kurt Angle but I think he'd retire before the invasion.

[Gus Richlen: Ruffian]

Honestly, considering what Triple H said about him on the King Of Kings DVD set, I'd have been surprised if Owen wasn't on the shortlist of future WWE Champions at the time. And I really think he could have become champion.

[Deleted]

Owen, Pillman and Eddie would be long retired. Pillman and Eddie's bodies were breaking down and from most accounts Owen wanted out to spend more time with his family.

Benoit would have been released from the E after his body started breaking down but he would still be toiling around over in Japan and maybe TNA or something.

[jayabidi]

Mar 30, 2013 6:02:25 GMT -5 TGM said:

I think by 2000, there wouldn't have been much of a place for Owen. I could see them pairing him up with Kurt Angle but I think he'd retire before the invasion.

I could have seen him begging to get out of his contract during that year or 2000 and going to WCW because the money being too good to turn down. After WCW went out he probably would have retired and pop up rarely in the same way Lance Storm does

[blackmegaman]

If Eddie and Benoit didn't die would that mean a lot of the drug testing policy wouldn't have come into play ?

[Razor Gives It A 4/10]

I honestly think that if none of the stuff that happened to Pillman happened, he would have feuded with Austin in '98 over the title, possibly replacing Dude Love.

Owen would have became "The Game" and would have had a couple of WWF Title reigns, and HHH would be portrayed in some other manner, and probably wouldn't have gotten a title reign until the 2000s.

I think Benoit would have been retired by now and would probably be a road agent. He was pretty beat up when he died. He definitely would have had Matt Hardy's role in ECW, and might have had one last run at a title before retiring.

Eddie is a odd scenario. He might have retired as well, but he could have still been going. He definitely would have won a few more world titles, and probably would have main evented a Wrestlemania, possibly facing Undertaker once. He might have taken a route like Edge and retired around WM 27 or 28 and went out on top. Plus Vickie would have never had an on-screen role.

[Dat Dude]

Hart would've retired from wrestling after a year or so longer. He was only sticking around so he could save his money retire and build his dream home for his wife and kids. He was a family man first and tried to leave wrestling for while but couldn't find any other jobs that could pay as well as wrestling could. So I don't think Owen was going to accomplish much else in wrestling because his priorities (and rightly so) were elsewhere.

Eddie would've won another world title, wrestled for a couple or more years and probably retire with his family.

Benoit would have won the ECW belt, and probably be forced to retire due to injury (considering he never toned down his style as he got older) and most likely working as head trainer in developmental. Considering he was brought up both in the Hart dungeon and as a "young boy" in New Japan, Benoit training kids how to wrestle would have made DeMott's style seem like a day at the spa.

Pillman would have probably bounced back and forth between WCW and WWF for a bit (and in the process probably have burned some bridges) until the Vince bought the competition. He'd probably wrestle on the Indies for a short while until being forced to retire also due the injuries and probably working in a office position in TNA.

[Andrew is Good]

Owen: Apparently, Owen was retiring in 2000? I may not be sure with that. It would have put him in his mid 30s, but that's when Ray Rougeau retired.

Pillman: He would have been out of wrestling eventually. His car accident was the start of his major problems, and if he got help, he may've stuck around as a commentator or something.

Benoit: Fired, eventually jailed for something. Benoit's brain was a complete mess, and if he didn't kill his wife and kid, he would have killed himself anyway, or he would have become a menace to society. There were interviews talking about Benoit not being the same about 6 months before he died. Due to all the abuse he took, he would have been f***ed no matter what. He wasn't going to be a functioning member of society.

Eddie: This too is tough and I'm not sure of. I love Eddie, but he was gassed beyond all recognition. A lot of people probably didn't want to think that Eddie Guerrero, this beloved talent, would be on steroids, but he looked insane compared to how he looked previously. So, if his heart were able to survive everything, maybe he would have stayed in the upper mid card to main event picture before retiring. I still would have probably died young though.

[Deleted]

It's been said (from people who knew him, shortly after the screwjob) that Owen would've just worked 'til his contract was up (which was circa mid-late 2000) and then retire to be with his family.

Pillman would've left the business I'm sure, possibly not under good circumstances (the intensity could've been too much for him). Guerrero would've retired too at some point, probably by now.

Benoit.....hard to think about him, considering how he went.

[SkullTrauma]

Mar 30, 2013 17:39:26 GMT -5 Razor Gives It A 4/10 said:

Owen would have became "The Game" and would have had a couple of WWF Title reigns, and HHH would be portrayed in some other manner, and probably wouldn't have gotten a title reign until the 2000s.

omfg stop with this. most ridiculous internet myth i've ever heard.

[Throwback]

We possibly wouldn't have Wellness