What if Hogan never came to WCW?

[Guest Risk]

A while ago in 2001 this topic was made.  I took an intrest in it because if he had not come things would have been completly differant.  I remember one guy coming up with an idea involving Heyman and WCW, anyone remember that idea?  Anyways, post your ideas on what would have happened, be as descriptive as you like.

[Guest Tony149]

IMO, WCW would of became #1 in 1994 without Hogan. Vince had the steroids trail still going on, the WWF product was slipping, while WCW started 1994 with a red hot product. Flair was going strong as WCW Champ, with Steve Austin being groomed to take the belt away. Hogan comes in and all that goes down the toilet. Don't know how successful the nWo would of been without Hogan.

[Guest RedDiesel]

The nWo wouldn't have been as much of an impact.

 

Hogan's career would've died in 1995.

 

Main Event matches in WCW 96-99 would've improved vastly.

 

WCW might still be in business.

 

We never would've had to have dealt with Ed Leslie, oWn, Warrior's return, Davey Boy nearly getting crippled, the Millionaire's Club, the nWo tonight show, Jay Leno, and countless other pieces of crap.

[Guest AM The Kid]

I think that WCW would still be around but the #2 promotion forever...nd they would have had no nWo.

[Guest Risk]

Anyone think Heyman would have a shot in upper WCW managment if Hogan never came?

[Guest Tony149]

I think WCW would of made a run for Heyman. They probably would of offered him a lot of money and/or a merger with ECW.

[Guest Flair5000]

I think WCW would definetly still be in business, probably not the no 1 though. Hogan would have held down the upcoming WWF talent, so we'd probably have no HHH or Rock as we know them today.

 

Whether this is a bad thing or not i won't go into.

[Guest Tony149]

The WWF would probably still be in their "cartoon" stage with gimmicks like Who, The Goon, etc. Hogan would of been long gone in the WWF.

[Guest Risk]

Hogan SHOULD have retired after a match with Bret Hart, in which he submits to the Sharpshooter.  Yokozuna also should have never came to the WWF.  When do you think they would have offered Heyman a merger if Terry Taylor was put in charge in 93?  Remember, Taylor liked ECW.

[Guest Tony149]

If Terry was the top guy in WCW, I would say WCW & Turner officials would probably a couple of million dollars to Heyman to merge. Of course, they would of done an invasion. They wouldn't try to get Heyman and/or ECW until late 1994.

[Guest mastermind]

WCW would still be around MAYBE. WWF MAY have been around. Wrestling was on life support in 1995 with 2.0 ratings. The wwf wouldn't have become attitude. We would have never seen the NWO. We would probably have never seen wrestling come into the new era either. I think things turned out much better to be honest. I can't see Stone Cold becoming arguably the most popular superstar in wrestling history. We wouldn't have Mike Tyson's interjection. I think things would probably have been worse because Vince was behind the times and need competition.

[Guest TheHulkster]

Hulk Hogan made WCW a lot of money, like it or not. I still think wcw wouldve went out of business because of poor management. Besides, hogan coming in has nothing really to do with AOL and time warner merging, putting new people in power who see no future potential in pro wrestling.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

Most important:

 

If Hogan never went to WCW...Austin would have never gone to the WWF.

 

If Hall and Nash still left for the WCW...perhaps Bret would have been the third man in the NWO (seeing as Hogan would likely have taken his spot in the WWF eventually...and that would have pissed him off)

 

The NWO would have made WCW #1 without Hogan.

 

Without Hogan in WCW...the quality of wrestling would have been better...and they wouldn't have signed "big name talent" like Savage...Warrior...

 

More importantly...Stone Cold Steve Austin would not have been there to pull WWF back on top.

 

So who knows if the WWF could have overtaken them.

 

We could have had Ric Flair, Bret Hart and Steve Austin on top of WCW.

[Guest goodhelmet]

It's also interesting to think of the persona Steve Austin would have taken. I don't think he would be the foul mouthed redneck we all ove so much. He may have been the champion, but that bitterness that drives Stone Cold probably would not have been there.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

I always preferred  Stunning Steve anyway.

 

He could have fit in perfectly as a top heel in WCW...if Hogan never came.

 

There may have never been a Stone Cold...but Austin was built as a WCW style wrestler before his injuries.  

 

And if he still got the injuries somehow...Maybe he would have been Stone Cold...he came up with the idea.  After all those years of playing heel...perhaps the NWO coming in would have turned him into a monster face.

 

Austin, Sting, Flair...maybe Bret for reasons above.

 

WCW would have been my favorite.

[Guest goodhelmet]

"I always preferred  Stunning Steve anyway."

 

me too, but in retrospect and after this what!? fiasco.

 

It's also interesting to think about the business the WWF was doing. Would Owen have eventually made his way to WCW if Bret jumped? Would HBK and the Kliq have still run roughshod over everybody? Would the Rock have ever emerged as a major player. Would Mick Foley have ever been world champion?

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

The answer to all those questions is...only during prolonged Hogan vacations.

 

The WWF would have turned Hogan heel eventually.  Out of necessity.  Maybe that could have done some business for them.

[Guest goodhelmet]

Well, it depends what we are considering here. If WCW saw Hogan as an old steroid abusing has-been (which he was) then he would have no effect on WCW. The WWF would not take him back after the steroids scandal.

 

And I also think American wrestling would have evolved since the Japanese were already building a modern style and the juniors were taking off around this time. Guys like Benoit and malenko would have been incorporated this style into U.S. wrestling at some point.

 

And can't forget the luchadors!!!!

[Guest Seth Monroe]

It's hard to play the what if game as anything COULD have happened. However I think some of you are seriously wrong when saying Hogan not coming to WCW would not have made that much of an impact.

 

Hogan turning to the dark side is what sold the whole thing on a mega scale and rocketed WCW's profit margin. Remember all the marks crying that night? When was the last time other than someones death when you saw marks weeping openly.

 

Just wanted to bring up that point as I tire of people disrespecting the man who made wrestling. The one who sold out that first Wrestlemania. The guy who took two seperate companies to the top and made other wrestlers more wealth.

 

Guess what? He's doing it again. Profits according to Linda McMahon are heading north and the prime teen market is starting to tune in bigtime.

 

Just wanted to bring up that point. WCW would never have beaten the WWF in ratings were it not for Hulk Hogan.

 

What happened that destroyed that company was simply that they couldn't follow up a masterpiece. Hard to do and even harder when you resort to pushing actors (Arquette) and Rappers (Rough Ryders) down our throats to promote movies and CD's.

 

Hear that Vince? (Maven).

 

Later.

[Guest razazteca]

If Hogan never came to WCW, would he have retired from the business?  If that was the case then I think that both WWF and WCW would be slighty different today, maybe WCW would still be around.

[Guest Tony149]

Disrespecting Hogan? C'mon, I'm sure everybody here respects Hogan for what he did for wrestling. Some just want him retired, while some just plain out hate the man. I still think Hall & Nash go to WCW. The nWo still forms with either Bret Hart, Flair or Austin as leader. Nitro still debuts, the crusierweights make an impact. While 50+ year old Vince McMahon still pushes "cartoon" gimmicks in the mid-1990s.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

I agree with Tony.

 

And if Hogan went back to the WWF (cause you know he can't stay away from wrestling for too long) Bret Hart would have left.  No doubt.

[Guest goodhelmet]

I don't know if the cartoon gimmicks would still be around. Shane McMahon would have been coming of age and ECW would have been right there setting up a template for the Attitude era. He just might not have the charismatic playas (Austin, Rock) to pull off the major boom!

[Guest Tony149]

Shane & Russo probably do come out with the "Attitude" idea. Vince was still pushing the "cartoons" in 1995. So Vince would of kept doing the same to about 1997.

 

 

I think bps21 is right about Hart & Hogan. Hogan probably takes Warrior's role of making the comeback at WM 12 and beats a leaving Kevin Nash. While Bret jobs to HBK and leaves for WCW.

[Guest Risk]

Here is another dynamic, WHAT IF HOGAN RETIRED IN 93 AFTER LOSING HIS FINAL MATCH TO BRET HART.  What do you think would have happened then?

[Guest Lil Naitch]

WCW would still be in business. Hogan would have retired for good after being turfed out of the WWF in 94. MAybe Hart wouldn't have left in 97, or maybe he would have left earlier and been the 3rd man. That's my opinion

[Guest Tony149]

Here is another dynamic, WHAT IF HOGAN RETIRED IN 93 AFTER LOSING HIS FINAL MATCH TO BRET HART.  What do you think would have happened then?

Lex Luger never turns faces and becomes the main WWF heel. Hart gets a good run with the title, loses it to Luger, but gets it back at WM. Hogan goes off to Hollywood, makes more crappy movies, the fans and media make fun of his movies.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

If Hogan retired?

 

hmm...that is a good question.

 

WCW would still be in business. (funny how that keeps happening without Hogan)

 

Austin would still be WCW (and the number 1 heel...no doubt).  I thikn that WCW would have remained #2.  But would be comfortable and in business.

[Guest Tony149]

I think WCW & the WWf get in a real ratings war, as Saturday Night & Monday Night Raw do good ratings. WCW then creates Nitro. And overtakes the WWF.

[Guest Risk]

Maybe The Triple Threat from ECW should have invaded instead of the nWo.  It could have invaded the WWF too, giving us a full scale promotional war.