|
|
Post by cordless2016 on Dec 28, 2013 22:57:53 GMT -5
Who do you guys think was the biggest "what if" star in professional wrestling? Basically any star you felt that could have changed the wrestling land scape drastically had they received a push they may have deserved or because they left too soon.
For me its gotta be Brock Lesnar. Yeah in 2 years the guy was a 3x WWE Champ, KOTR, Royal Rumble winner, and main evented a WM as a rookie but the guy left before he even hit his prime IMO. Everything he has done has been followed by media and fan attention. Whether it be his failed NFL tryouts, his run in the UFC, or his return to the WWE, the guy has always drawn a big audience. During his first run in the WWE I felt he was being pushed as the face of the company during a time of major turnover. He was expected to carry the WWE during the company's decline following the Attitude Era and the departures of two of the biggest stars in wrestling history, Rock and Austin. Had Brock stayed with the WWE a few more years who knows how big he could have become. Granted other top guys like Cena, Batista, and Orton were on their way to the top of the card but I feel that Batista and Orton wouldn't have come close to Brock's popularity and that the one major part of the audience that hates Cena, teen and adult males, would easily chose Brock over John. I just feel that the WWE would look vastly different had Brock remained with the company.
Who do you guys think was the biggest "what if" star in wrestling history?
|
|
Deleted
Joined on: May 12, 2024 13:23:22 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2013 23:01:04 GMT -5
Brock Lesnar for me too. I really think WWE would look completely different if he stayed in the company.
|
|
|
|
Post by Next Man’s Knowing Rock on Dec 28, 2013 23:31:29 GMT -5
The Rock. Well, if we're counting guys who made it to the top, why not? If The Rock had stuck around for the last ten years instead of leaving to do movies, the WWE would look very different.
|
|
|
|
Post by Darkhawk on Dec 28, 2013 23:37:32 GMT -5
Brock Lesnar, Mr. Kennedy, and Jeff Hardy.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Yes Man on Dec 28, 2013 23:38:35 GMT -5
As far as guys in recent memory who didn't make it to the top but were close, Mr. Kennedy. If it weren't for that one little minor injury, the guy would have been World Heavyweight Champion.
|
|
Deleted
Joined on: May 12, 2024 13:23:22 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2013 23:41:17 GMT -5
I don't know if anything "groundbreaking" would have happened but I always wanted to know what we could have seen out of Bret Hart if he had stayed with the WWF in 1997. I think we only saw a small piece of what great things could have came out of his heel run.
Brock Lesnar is a good choice also as his "run" was so short lived.
|
|
|
|
Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Dec 29, 2013 0:05:40 GMT -5
Bret staying in the WWF definitely is a good choice.
Also, if Shawn Michaels never left after Wrestlemania 14 for 4 and a half years.
If The Kliq never did the MSG farewell and Triple H won the KOTR in 96.
If Owen never fell at Over The Edge 99.
If Benoit never did what he did that horrible weekend in June of 2007.
But the biggest 'what if' hasn't even happened yet!!
What is gonna happen when.... John Cena finally uses every colour ever made for his t-shirts?!?!
|
|
|
|
Post by johnnyb on Dec 29, 2013 0:25:30 GMT -5
My first thought for a "what if" guy is Buff Bagwell. He had everything you want in a top superstar. He was insanely over with the fans (as a face and heel), had a great look, was very charismatic, and had a finisher that got huge pops out of the crowd. WCW missed their chance to launch Bagwell into the stratosphere when they brought him back as a heel after his broken neck. They could have, and should have, brought him back as the biggest comeback babyface in their company's history, other than Sting, obviously. But when they had him turn heel on Rick Steiner as yet another lame WCW swerve, they might as well have just folded their tent. I say without much fear of exaggeration that Bagwell could have been that next complementary breakthrough star that could have at least helped keep the company alive for a while longer. I'm not sure that he could have been a guy that you could build shows around and sell pay-per-views with as a headliner, but he definitely could have done an odd main event here or there and at least been a pretty big upper mid-card draw.
By the time they realized that Bagwell was potentially a great babyface, they already missed their shot and were hopelessly behind in the ratings war. I wonder sometimes if they could have held on a little while longer if the Bagwell return would have been handled properly.
|
|
|
|
Post by Danger10 on Dec 29, 2013 0:31:58 GMT -5
Mine would be if Bret stayed with WWF
|
|
jakksking1
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 2, 2011 14:45:41 GMT -5
Posts: 2,843
|
Post by jakksking1 on Dec 29, 2013 3:47:08 GMT -5
Magnum TA
|
|
|
|
Post by Mike Bockwinkel on Dec 29, 2013 3:51:46 GMT -5
Came in to say exactly that. |
|
TheHotshot
Superstar
Joined on: Jun 4, 2013 12:01:46 GMT -5
Posts: 775 
|
Post by TheHotshot on Dec 29, 2013 6:43:53 GMT -5
IMO Randy Orton. The guy was so over when he became the youngest ever WHC. He was pretty damn awesome on the mic and in the ring, but I don't know what happened and he lost a lot of his talent. I'm a huge RKO fan but I can't ignore what I see.
|
|
Deleted
Joined on: May 12, 2024 13:23:22 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2013 8:06:32 GMT -5
If we're talking about top stars staying around longer, 3 people instantly come to mind:
Bret not leaving for WCW, and leading the HF into the AE.
Shawn not being injured at RR98 and staying on for the AE.
Kevin Nash never leaving for WCW.
If we're talking about guys who never had the trigger pulled on them, it's GOT to be Luger.
|
|
TheXtremisT
Main Eventer
10 Year Member
This is the way
Joined on: May 3, 2008 8:03:15 GMT -5
Posts: 3,880
|
Post by TheXtremisT on Dec 29, 2013 9:13:08 GMT -5
Brock Lesnar would have been immense. He could easily done everything needed by 2005, and I think the crowd would still have been into him. He would have solidified his legacy faster than Angle. He just so much aura, I loved how dominant he was, but hated him in the way WWE intended the fans to. He was the total package minus mic skills, but he doesn't need them as much if that makes sense?
I'd have liked to seen Brian Christopher/GM Sexay stay on. He could have been what Billy Gunn had been in 99 imo.
Matt Hardy should have been a main eventer following 2003 imo as well. His V1 gimmick could have gone somewhere. But thank God Bradshaw became JBL. Brilliant character development.
Loads of others to choose from but those are the 3 off the top of my head.
|
|
Deleted
Joined on: May 12, 2024 13:23:22 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2013 9:53:25 GMT -5
Owen and Benoit definitely. Lesnar could have been huge.
|
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Dec 29, 2013 10:05:19 GMT -5
Mark Jindrak- putting him in evolution
Sean O'Haire- Not ruining his gimmick with Piper and Mr America
|
|
|
|
Post by Prophet of Ash on Dec 29, 2013 10:18:37 GMT -5
Sean O'Haire- Not ruining his gimmick with Piper and Mr America but I'm not telling you anything you don't already know |
|
Deleted
Joined on: May 12, 2024 13:23:22 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2013 11:52:14 GMT -5
Brock Lesnar would have been immense. He could easily done everything needed by 2005, and I think the crowd would still have been into him. He would have solidified his legacy faster than Angle. He just so much aura, I loved how dominant he was, but hated him in the way WWE intended the fans to. He was the total package minus mic skills, but he doesn't need them as much if that makes sense? I'd have liked to seen Brian Christopher/GM Sexay stay on. He could have been what Billy Gunn had been in 99 imo. Matt Hardy should have been a main eventer following 2003 imo as well. His V1 gimmick could have gone somewhere. But thank God Bradshaw became JBL. Brilliant character development. Loads of others to choose from but those are the 3 off the top of my head. Matt Hardy V1 is a wonderful choice and probably my second pick behind Bret staying in 1997 as one of wrestlings best "what ifs". I loved the V1 character and Matt was blowing away his brother and 80% of the roster with his charisma and comedic moments at that time. I really wish they had pushed Matt past the Cruiserweight title during his initial V1 heel run as it was excellent and usually gets overlooked/forgotten in place of whatever color Jeff's hair or bong water was that year. |
|
HalfBlackRazorback
Superstar
Im calling it tonight Bray Wyatt beats Bryan and the IWC explodes
Joined on: Dec 28, 2013 8:43:18 GMT -5
Posts: 710
|
Post by HalfBlackRazorback on Dec 29, 2013 12:18:15 GMT -5
Without a doubt. Ken Kennedy he kept getting injured and HHH didn't like him personally and made sure he didnt get to the top. Honorable mention Chris Masters came in in2005 looked like lock to challenge Cena the master lock was over huge and then nothing.
|
|
Deleted
Joined on: May 12, 2024 13:23:23 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2013 12:41:17 GMT -5
Owen
Mr perfect
|
|
