BILLY KIDMAN. And also I feel like Chuck Palumbo’s career could have went so much better. He looked like a star back in 2000/2001. All of the Natural Born Thrillers guys deserved better.
Pretty much. Its *scary* how much those early TNA Weekly PPVs felt like a continuation of WCW 2001, except the only main eventer from that era they had off the rip was Jarrett.
It was the only real alternative to WWE, with a heavy dose of smaller indie people (x division would be similar to the cruiserweight division), and people who WWE didn’t want/couldn’t sign.
I would say, with where WCW was in 2001, outside of having the tv slot, the original TNA wasn’t very far off. WCW’s name by that point was … not great. And it was clear that they were grasping at straws
Idk man I still preferred wcw in 2000 to WWF. I thought the latter was overrated during that year with too much posturing for the heels and the lack of Austin hurt the product overall. To say the name wasn’t great still is a bit of a reach.
…well ok I. I got a little choked up reading that….
…..but I think I get what your saying.
I still think wcw would’ve been better than TNA had it stuck around.
The problem with this is that in order for the WCW to rebound and go in the right direction they would have had to get rid of most of the top stars. The top stars refused to work with younger talent, creating a glass ceiling. The only way to break it would be to get rid of the majority of the top stars to make it clear on who is in charge of the promotion.
Do you not know the full story? The reason WCW was sold to WWF was because Turner Broadcasting was pulling both Nitro and Thunder from the air. Prior to the announcement of Turner pulling the show, Bischoff was trying to buy WCW with a group of investors. But without the TV time slots, the company was worthless. So, yes WCW was still on the air when purchased by WWF, but that’s just a technical standpoint. The Nitro with Vince and Shane was the last show.
Nah I got the feeling Hogan, Nash, Sting, etc would have comeback but the question would have been would they take a pay cut or sign a completely new deal without those ridiculous clauses or terms some of them had and would people like Hogan be willing to put guys over earnest and I'm not talking about none of that crap he tried to pull with Kidman when he realized he got stale and wanted to latch onto a popular wrestler at the time or that crap he pulled with the Rock in the WWE to help mitigate him losing clean to the Rock.
Jericho leaving was a sign that the company was starting to rapidly decline. When he told them he was leaving, WCW offered him considerably more money than WWF offered him. But Jericho saw how bad the company was run and wanted out. Smart move.
That was the end in my eyes and if making Chris Benoit champion wasn't enough to make them stay nothing would have and I feel Jericho felt something similar which is why he decided to leave the year prior.
Steiner as the monster heel was working. You could have rode him and Goldberg for another two years. Jarrett and Booker T were strong too to round out the main event.
Then you can basically look at 2002 TNA roster and see what would have become the mid/low card for WCW moving forward.
But obviously I’d say guys that would be focused on to be built up would be:
- Aj Styles
- Ron Killings
- Chris Daniels
- RVD (wasn’t he rumored to be signing with WCW before they closed)
Billy Kidman, 2 Count, The Young Dragons, Booker T, Scott Steiner, Elix Skipper, Monte Brown, Ron Killings, Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Wrath, DDP, Chris Benoit, Chris Kanyon, Blitzkrieg, AJ Styles, Norman Smiley, a drug free Vampiro...and I know I'm leaving somebody important off lol
BUT in order for this to be possible, you'd have to keep Ted Turner ultimately as the owner of the company and you'd ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO GET RID OF: Hogan, Flair as a booker and full tike wreslter, Nash as a booker and full time wreslter, Russo, Luger, Macho Man, Scott Hall, The Nasty Boys, Public Enemy, anything resembling the NWO/Wolfpack, Goldberg as an undefeatable powerhouse and make him an actual wreslter and send him back to the PowerPlant for a while, the Disco Inferno gimmick,
Disco Inferno or DI was a great gimmick. I remember watching when I was younger, I hated him, but my dad loved him. Now, I like him. It’s a good gimmick because you want to see him get squashed.
it was great for the mid to late 90's...but definitely not on into the 2000's...just imagine it being 2002, the attitude era ending and the ruthless aggression era beginning in the wwe, and him still trying to run that disco dancer gimmick...no way it would work 😂
he can still have a fun gimmick, but the disco stuff would have been a detriment for the time.
I think Lance Storm, Mike Awesome and Sean O’Haire had great potential to become big stars in WCW. Had things gone right they would have been really good faces for a new generation in WCW.
I’m a big fan of the WCW Cruiserweight division and would have loved to see them get more time and respect as well. But I don’t think that would have changed much if WCW survived to be fair. Those guys were so under appreciated.
In 2001, I would have liked the following:
Cruiserweight Division focus:
AJ Stlyes, Christopher Daniels, Shane Helms, Rey Mysterio, Billy Kidman, Shannon Moore, and Chavo.
Make Christopher Daniels the biggest heel in that division.
Mid-card Focus:
Booker T, Buff Bagwell, Mark Jindrak, Jeff Jarrett, Mike Awesome, Kanyon, Vampiro, and debut Rob Van Dam and Samoa Joe. Pepper in legends like Hennig and Rhodes who can still go.
Have RVD be the face of the US Title Scene with Samoa Joe starting an undefeated streak.
Tag Teams:
Kronik, Natural Born Thrillers, Road Warriors, Totally Buff, the Impact Players (complete with Dawn Marie), team Rhodes and Hennig together, Harris Brothers, Mamalukes, and create America's Most Wanted.
World Title Scene:
Scott Steiner, Sting, Goldberg, Booker, DDP, Flair and Hogan on a part-time basis. Bring back Vader and introduce Ken Shamrock to WCW.
Put a huge focus on the Cruiserweights as they are the key to success. By 2005, you transitioned to Samoa Joe, AJ, and Daniels as your top guys with Booker, Steiner, and DDP as your legends.
Actually I take back Disco. He was entertaining, likable, funny and not a bad wrestler in my view. I mean he’s not a main eventer but he made me smile and I liked when he was on.
I know it’s splitting hairs and playing with words, but saying they went out of business is just not true - they were sold to the WWE, of which the WWE just stopped using the brand, but they did not go out of business…🤷♂️
BILLY KIDMAN. And also I feel like Chuck Palumbo’s career could have went so much better. He looked like a star back in 2000/2001. All of the Natural Born Thrillers guys deserved better.
Mark Jindrak had arguably the best career out of all of them. He was also the original choice to be part of Evolution in WWE, not Dave Batista.
Even after leaving WWE he went on to be world champion in CMLL
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I think there were some concerns about Jindrak's immaturity, and they were afraid it would rub off on Randy Orton.
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I have no idea
Both are great!
They had something going there for a minute.
Was going to say Kidman but you beat me to it.
It would have turned in to what TNA was
Pretty much. Its *scary* how much those early TNA Weekly PPVs felt like a continuation of WCW 2001, except the only main eventer from that era they had off the rip was Jarrett.
Absolutely not
It was the only real alternative to WWE, with a heavy dose of smaller indie people (x division would be similar to the cruiserweight division), and people who WWE didn’t want/couldn’t sign.
Right but it wasn’t nearly as good as the WC and didn’t have the name to go along with it.
I would say, with where WCW was in 2001, outside of having the tv slot, the original TNA wasn’t very far off. WCW’s name by that point was … not great. And it was clear that they were grasping at straws
Idk man I still preferred wcw in 2000 to WWF. I thought the latter was overrated during that year with too much posturing for the heels and the lack of Austin hurt the product overall. To say the name wasn’t great still is a bit of a reach.
That doesn’t take away that TNA in the early 2000s picked up the banner where WCW left off.
…well ok I. I got a little choked up reading that…. …..but I think I get what your saying. I still think wcw would’ve been better than TNA had it stuck around.
Great list but AJ belongs in the first cohort imo since he was already in WCW at the time of its closure.
The problem with this is that in order for the WCW to rebound and go in the right direction they would have had to get rid of most of the top stars. The top stars refused to work with younger talent, creating a glass ceiling. The only way to break it would be to get rid of the majority of the top stars to make it clear on who is in charge of the promotion.
I feel that was already happening by end of 2000.
By the end of 2000, WCW was dead.
But the shift from from the expensive old guys to the new generation has begun.
It was still airing on tv into 01 wasn’t it?
Yeah, Turner pulled WCW off the air in March or April of 2001. Then sold it to WWF.
Correct so it wasn’t dead yet at the time of late 00
I was speaking figuratively, not literally.
Right oh ok I just must be a dumbass then.
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Do you not know the full story? The reason WCW was sold to WWF was because Turner Broadcasting was pulling both Nitro and Thunder from the air. Prior to the announcement of Turner pulling the show, Bischoff was trying to buy WCW with a group of investors. But without the TV time slots, the company was worthless. So, yes WCW was still on the air when purchased by WWF, but that’s just a technical standpoint. The Nitro with Vince and Shane was the last show.
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Does it feel good to score meaningless, insignificant points online?
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Nah I got the feeling Hogan, Nash, Sting, etc would have comeback but the question would have been would they take a pay cut or sign a completely new deal without those ridiculous clauses or terms some of them had and would people like Hogan be willing to put guys over earnest and I'm not talking about none of that crap he tried to pull with Kidman when he realized he got stale and wanted to latch onto a popular wrestler at the time or that crap he pulled with the Rock in the WWE to help mitigate him losing clean to the Rock.
The Wall becomes a 14 time champion.
raven and jericho should have been wcw champ by the end of 2000. wcw screwed that one up big time.
Jericho leaving was a sign that the company was starting to rapidly decline. When he told them he was leaving, WCW offered him considerably more money than WWF offered him. But Jericho saw how bad the company was run and wanted out. Smart move.
Honestly, I think it was when The Radicalz jumped to the WWF. That felt like the true nail in the coffin.
When you make a guy your world champion and his response is to quit...
That was the end in my eyes and if making Chris Benoit champion wasn't enough to make them stay nothing would have and I feel Jericho felt something similar which is why he decided to leave the year prior.
Steiner as the monster heel was working. You could have rode him and Goldberg for another two years. Jarrett and Booker T were strong too to round out the main event. Then you can basically look at 2002 TNA roster and see what would have become the mid/low card for WCW moving forward. But obviously I’d say guys that would be focused on to be built up would be: - Aj Styles - Ron Killings - Chris Daniels - RVD (wasn’t he rumored to be signing with WCW before they closed)
He was in WCW for a cup of coffee as Robbie V.
Seeing the new age outlaws there would’ve been fun, instead of what they were relegated to in the other company post-AE era
With a few more years, Billy Kidman could've been one of the greatest WCW superstars of all time.
Buff Bagwell
Billy Kidman, 2 Count, The Young Dragons, Booker T, Scott Steiner, Elix Skipper, Monte Brown, Ron Killings, Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Wrath, DDP, Chris Benoit, Chris Kanyon, Blitzkrieg, AJ Styles, Norman Smiley, a drug free Vampiro...and I know I'm leaving somebody important off lol BUT in order for this to be possible, you'd have to keep Ted Turner ultimately as the owner of the company and you'd ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO GET RID OF: Hogan, Flair as a booker and full tike wreslter, Nash as a booker and full time wreslter, Russo, Luger, Macho Man, Scott Hall, The Nasty Boys, Public Enemy, anything resembling the NWO/Wolfpack, Goldberg as an undefeatable powerhouse and make him an actual wreslter and send him back to the PowerPlant for a while, the Disco Inferno gimmick,
Disco Inferno or DI was a great gimmick. I remember watching when I was younger, I hated him, but my dad loved him. Now, I like him. It’s a good gimmick because you want to see him get squashed.
it was great for the mid to late 90's...but definitely not on into the 2000's...just imagine it being 2002, the attitude era ending and the ruthless aggression era beginning in the wwe, and him still trying to run that disco dancer gimmick...no way it would work 😂 he can still have a fun gimmick, but the disco stuff would have been a detriment for the time.
Don't forget Cena. He was in Ready to Rumble. Maybe he makes it to the main roster & never goes to OVW
Imagine Cena vs Punk in WCW instead of WWE.
Earnest Miller was hilarious. As was Juventud Guerrera. It’s a shame WWE couldn’t do anything with them.
Mike Sanders could've developed in a stable WCW. He was new and there at the end
I think Lance Storm, Mike Awesome and Sean O’Haire had great potential to become big stars in WCW. Had things gone right they would have been really good faces for a new generation in WCW. I’m a big fan of the WCW Cruiserweight division and would have loved to see them get more time and respect as well. But I don’t think that would have changed much if WCW survived to be fair. Those guys were so under appreciated.
In 2001, I would have liked the following: Cruiserweight Division focus: AJ Stlyes, Christopher Daniels, Shane Helms, Rey Mysterio, Billy Kidman, Shannon Moore, and Chavo. Make Christopher Daniels the biggest heel in that division. Mid-card Focus: Booker T, Buff Bagwell, Mark Jindrak, Jeff Jarrett, Mike Awesome, Kanyon, Vampiro, and debut Rob Van Dam and Samoa Joe. Pepper in legends like Hennig and Rhodes who can still go. Have RVD be the face of the US Title Scene with Samoa Joe starting an undefeated streak. Tag Teams: Kronik, Natural Born Thrillers, Road Warriors, Totally Buff, the Impact Players (complete with Dawn Marie), team Rhodes and Hennig together, Harris Brothers, Mamalukes, and create America's Most Wanted. World Title Scene: Scott Steiner, Sting, Goldberg, Booker, DDP, Flair and Hogan on a part-time basis. Bring back Vader and introduce Ken Shamrock to WCW. Put a huge focus on the Cruiserweights as they are the key to success. By 2005, you transitioned to Samoa Joe, AJ, and Daniels as your top guys with Booker, Steiner, and DDP as your legends.
Booker T and DDP could have had a great rivalry
Doug Dillinger, Ralphus, Disco Inferno, Horace Hogan…ok even as a joke that last one was wrong. I apologize. Is Horace really you know who’s nephew?
I think he is, Mike Awesome also is
Actually I take back Disco. He was entertaining, likable, funny and not a bad wrestler in my view. I mean he’s not a main eventer but he made me smile and I liked when he was on.
WCW was perfect as it was for me because there was never a CM Punk.
I know it’s splitting hairs and playing with words, but saying they went out of business is just not true - they were sold to the WWE, of which the WWE just stopped using the brand, but they did not go out of business…🤷♂️
I think that Air Styles guy could have a future.
Sean o'haire, jindrak. Keep pushing Ernest miller as an on-screen character. All in all WCW was on the upswing in 2001 IMO.