What if Vince still kept kayfabe

[Guest mastermind]

I always wanted to talk about this, but just didn't feel compelled to waste my time. I'm bored now, so here it goes.  I actually think the wwf could have seen much more prosperity of the years if Vince took a different direction in 1989. What if Vince actually bit the bullet and kept kayfabe in 1989. This is all just fun.

Vince Mcmahon in 1989 should have stuck to the old carny promoter rules and actually pay the sports taxes and keep the "mystique". I will illustrate how the wwf could have kept a continuous streak of solid programming without damaging itself.

 

1989

Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage are without a doubt the biggest and hottest stars in the wrestling world with the exception of Ric Flair. I feel the wwf was doing pretty damn good all the way up to 1989 until they went the cartoon family entertainment crap with Red Rooster, Bushwhackers, Genius etc. Anyways, imagine an alternate wwf world.

 

Vince doesn't admit to the world that wrestling is only performance art. He actually sticks to his guns and tries to keep the facade that wrestling is pure sport. Heading into 1989 Hogan and Savage are pretty much hand in hand in popularity with Hogan ahead a little. The Mega-Powers explode because it's discovered that Hogan has his eyes on Elizabeth and wants to steal the "wife" of Randy Savage. Hogan becomes a womanizer and believes he's God gift to the world through his Hulkamania era that ended February 1988. Hogan who was coming out with his new "hit" movie No Holds Barred proclaims himself to be "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan. Let's face it the movie was going to bomb anyways and him turning heel wouldn't have hurt it THAT much. Savage of course turns into a mad man as he is the superface and Hogan becomes the super heel.

 

Randy Savage goes over "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania and Hogan "passes" the torch to Savage. The championship match ends with Savage winning with the "Macho Elbow" and with Liz upon his shoulders to end WrestleMania 5. This right away changes the predictable goody two shoes Hogan era and also changes up the "script" which many had predicted(megapowers explode) as Hogan turns heel and Savage stays champion. It would have worked if the two guys actually put effort into it. I have a tape where Hogan goes mad after Savage turned on him. He whips Hart and Michaels into the wall like he's swatting a fly. I say that Hollywood Hogan should have been born right there.

 

Anyways, "Ravishing" Rick Rude defeats Ultimate Warrior at WM 5. Using the sporting element for storylines Rude becomes the #1 contender(I-C champion) and you know exactly what the sports entertainment storyline would be with Rude and Savage. Another love triangle throughout the summer and the big champion vs. champion world title match at SummerSlam. Savage retains the title, but Liz actually hooks up with Rude after a shocked botched attempt to dethrone her husband.

 

Hogan/Warrior would be the other top storyline(main attraction) for the summer. So, we get "Hollywood" Hogan(coming off his "box office smash movie") vs. Ultimate Warrior at SummerSlam as the co-main event. Notice I make the "more legit" wrestlers have the top and secondary titles? Keeping the "sports" facade up. The BrainBusters would still be the world tag champs defending against the Hart Foundation. A lot more focus on the champs and titles.

 

Anyways, Savage comes from SummerSlam victorious, but loses his wife to Rude, so the battle continues to Survivor Series where they captain teams. Hogan would have been gaining a lot of heat as a heel(I bet it would surpass 1996) and go over Warrior by screwjob. This also sets us up for Survivor Series with these guys. The Heenan Family become very strong as the BrainBusters keep the tag title and captain a team at Survivor Series.

I just had to illustrate the major changes in 1989 before changing the course of history.

 

1990

Royal Rumble

The current stipulations occur as the winner goes to Mania.

The winner: Mr. Perfect

 

Steel Cage

WWF world title match

Savage vs. Rick Rude

*Rude loses the I-c title to Ultimate Warrior on a SNME

Savage wins after an elbow drop from the top of the cage

 

I-C title

Ultimate Warrior vs. Andre The Giant (with Hogan in his corner)

Warrior wins with set up for Warrior/Hogan at Mania for I-C

 

Tag title

BrainBusters vs. Rockers

Rockers win the tag titles

 

WrestleMania 6

WWF Title Match

Randy Savage vs. Mr. Perfect

Winner: Mr. Perfect

 

I-C title match

Hogan vs. Warrior(would keep the title in high profile)

Winner: Ultimate Warrior

 

Tag Title match

Rockers vs. Hart Foundation

winners: Hart Foundation

 

SummerSlam 1990

WWF title

Mr. Perfect(champ) vs. Dusty Rhodes

Perfect wins

 

I-C title

Ultimate Warrior vs. Ted Dibase

winner: Ted Dibase

 

WWF Tag Title

Hart Foundation vs. Demolition

*same real historical outcome with LOD

 

IronMAN match for Elizabeth *final match*

Randy Savage vs. Rick Rude

*Savage then dumps Liz with domestic violence we don't see Liz until the reunion at WM 7 causing him to turn heel.

Fans found out that Liz was forced against her will with Rick Rude when she was with him.

 

Survivor Series 1990

The same historical show basically

 

1991

Royal Rumble winner: The Dragon returns and wins.

Randy Savage with Scary Sherri with a cheap throw out of Hogan who has "found his roots" during the Gulf War and is a face again as Real American. Bret Hart is the other final four competitor.

*reversing the 1989 trend now*

 

WWF Title Match

Mr. Perfect vs. Ultimate Warrior

*winner: Mr. Perfect

 

I-C title match

Ted Dibase vs. Dusty Rhodes

winner: Dibase retains

 

WWF Tag title:

LOD vs. Demolition(who regained titles on SNME from HF sometime)

winner: LOD

 

WrestleMania 7

would be what they planned inside the LA Coliseum

WWF Title Match

Mr. Perfect vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

winner: Ricky Steamboat

 

Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage

*same historical outcome storyline included

 

Casket Match

Hulk Hogan vs. The Undertaker

winner: Taker with the upset and Hogan "retires" thinking his worth to the wwf isn't needed anymore*more ways to get him babyface heat for *THE MATCH*

 

I-C title

Roddy Piper vs. Ted Dibase(still keeps the secondary title high)

winner: Dibase retains by dq by Virgil

 

WWF Tag Title

LOD vs. Hart Foundation vs. Rockers

winners: Rockers

LOD turn heel for future storyline

 

SummerSlam 91

WWF Title Match

Ric "Freaking" Flair vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

winner: Ric Flair unifies both titles

**whoooooo*

In Madison Square Garden and cuts a wicked anti-wwf promo

*This depends if Flair could have wrestled although I think he couldn't until September *Heenan does the MSG promo then*

*If so change to Ted Dibase vs. Steamboat with Steamboat retaining

 

I-C Title Match

Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect

*same historical match, but Bret walks in champion

 

WWF Tag Title

LOD vs. Rockers

*LOD regain the wwf tag title

They cut an awesome anti-wwf promo to coincide with Flair

 

Casket Match

Ultimate Warrior vs. Undertaker

Taker "retires" another icon

 

Survivor Series

WWF Title Tourney Final

Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat

winner: Ric Flair

He cuts a sort of invasion angle like Hogan did for the NWO

Part 2 begins with 1992!

[Guest Tony149]

That's actually very cool. Kayfabe would of died anyway with the fans becoming more "smarter" through newsletters, etc., but that would of been a cool way to see the WWF go in.

[Guest Sting Fanatic]

Back on the old Old School forum, I wrote a lengthy "What If?" about 1989 and 1990 for NWA-WCW (through the transition) under my Liger the Champ screen name.  It spawned a huge thread of responses, which suprised me.  Although, I commend you for keeping track of how the three major titles were handled in the WWF through your entire period.  I focused mainly on Sting, Flair, Muta, Luger et al.

 

As for your ideas, I think they are pretty darn good.  A very interesting twist on things that look so good in hindsight.  I really have to wonder why Vince never turned Hogan heel considering he was a very successful heel prior to Hulkamania (especially considering Vince turns everybody from heel to face or face to heel at some point in their careers).  Also, I think you really overplayed the "somebody tries to steal Savage's wife" angle in your what if.  I mean, I can understand the success it had with Flair in '92 but had it been done as many times as you had it done (Hogan in '89, Rude in '90, and again with Flair and HBK in '92) I think the whole basis of it would have gotten stale.

 

NWA Invasion of the WWF?  I love that idea.  However, I have to wonder what the odds of that happening REALLY were.  In my opinion, the base idea surrounding the NWO was to make WCW fans believe that "the WWF was trying to take over WCW"  simply because Bischoff felt the WWF was better at that time (although both Nitro and Raw trade ratings victories week to week).  Therefore, the invading idea probably would NEVER have entered Vince's mind (he felt superior to the NWA and WCW, therefore he didn't even credit them as existing [even if he did what he could to sabotage their early PPV efforts]).

 

Nice job though.  I love what if's.

[Guest mastermind]

Sting fanatic I see your point with the Savage angle. It could be twisted around though. With Hogan I would have it that Hogan tried to get down with Elizabeth and she doesn't go for it. This causing tension with the team and leading to the split.

 

With Rick Rude I would have done the Pillman angle where she was doing things against her will. Rude is the best damn person for this role. No doubt I would make Rude have her.

 

As for HBK he doesn't actually want Liz and can say she is an old battle ax or something. Just something to rile Savage up. As for Flair I think that angle was pretty damn good as it was. I agree Vince would have never done the NWA invasion. I actually think that would have worked better than the NWO one. Remember for the wwf to even acknowledge Flair as NWA champion was taboo back then. Add the LOD turning on fans and going Road Warriors would have given the angle heat as well. Sid Justice coming in and then turning and showing his true intent would have also given common sense shock booking.

 

I did wwf because I have the video library and know the history pretty damn good. Imagine Flair unifying the titles in 1992. It would have been way more effective because the NWA was separate from the wwf and wcw(which was the bastard stepchild).

[Guest nWoScorpion]

Im sorry, but I can't really see any of that kind of stuf fhappening. I think the whole world knew Wrestling isa work, even before vince, Ted, or whoever said it. The matches sound REALLY good, but thier wouldnt be a chance in hell any of that would have happend. Triple Threat MAtches werent around for another 6 years in WWF also. Plus, Ironman Matches were very not common, and I never saw one (or heard of one, til late 1992). plus, 2 casket matches with 2 different guys in 1991 with a span of maybe 7 months is a little too much. I dont see any of this happening in 1991. Or even 1995. Well maybe a few in 1995. Also, as i read, Tully & Arn were long gone from the federation in late 1989. Sorry for all the ribbing, but some of this stuff is really................too early, considring most of the stuff was years away and you basically have just main event calibe rmatches. Like REAL bookers, a push of the same guys over and ove rkills the lower card-mid card guys like that (snaps fingers).

[Guest mastermind]

nWoscorpion the point I'm making is not whether the world knew it was a work or not. The point is if Vince Mcmahon actually kept to the old school law of keeping kayfabe which means to be a fake backwards. In turn meaning being a fake sport. The wwf was infinitely better.

 

When Vince admitted its performance art he got this weird idea of creating a family entertainment disney world. The wwf started to tank. The wwf was doing just fine protraying itself as a sport and the fans stayed tuned to the product. Not necessarily because everyone thought it was real, but because the wwf took all precautions to make the show seem as realistic as possible. This created details for matches(like time limits and tag ropes etc) and storylines because the wwf watched everything as a hawk to keep kayfabe.

 

Once 1990 came which was a few months after the admission the wwf started to lose viewers. Something similar what happened in late 1999 and early 2000 when people like Rock fully went on shows and said things were predetermined. There was a short burst in viewership, but months later ratings started to slide (post SummerSlam 2000). I know the writing had something to do with it, but that just made people turn off because basically matches mean nothing with the current thinking. The viewership started to go downhill.

 

The wwf went to crappy cartoon gimmicks like the BushWhackers, Macho King, Red Rooster, Rhythm and Blues, etc. Vince threw out the rules which worked basically for the last 50 years for a few months spurt in ratings. By post WM 6 the wwf was a horrible Bugs Bunny show.

 

Ironman matches weren't common? I guess you never knew why they called Flair the 60 minute man in the NWA. The casket matches are done for the simple reason to make Undertaker look like the legend killer and give him the gimmick that he buries the careers of the all-time greats.

 

I don't even have any triple threat matches because there was no need for it. The wwf had a pretty good roster and people didn't face each other over and over which warranted adding a third party.

 

I only have main event caliber matches because it would take forever writing the whole damn undercard for the big shows. I wrote the main angles and top matches that would have draw. You got me on the BrainBusters, but you can easily just put the titles on the Rockers on the SNME 2 out of 3 falls match from fall 1989.

 

I'm not pushing the same guys over and over. It just seems that way because I they got the most important matches. I am actually using the #1 and #2 guys(mostly with exception) and building everyone against them as contenders. Look at HTM's contenders in 1987/1988. Steamboat, Savage, Beefcake, Warrior and Jake which all got elevated even though they weren't the champions. You don't see that though when people talK about his reign. His reign was successful because of the contenders he fended off. That is what I based the champions on. Build the champion and the challengers throw themselves at him. Both get over in the process, but swithcing the titles often creates 1999's dud session reigns.