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07-16-2011, 08:39 PM
Stardust Wrote:^ Great post. If Hogan does not leave WWE, would there ever have been an attitude era? Monday night wars never turned in WCW's favor until the Hogan turn, which prompted the rise of the NWO. I don't believe that WCW could have booked the Outsiders any further had it not been for the hatred that Hogan received for them.
So, where would WCW have gone without Hogan? Let's face it, Flair was still the centerpiece of WCW at the top. He controlled his booking until Hogan came on board and threw his weight around in for booking. Flair still has been keeping his face in the ring well into his 60's, thus there is no reason for me to believe that he would not have influenced the booking of WCW product.
Had Hogan stayed in WWE, Vince would still have relied on the instant pops that Hogan got when times were bad. I'm not sure that WWE would have ever been forced into the booking of charecters such as Stone Cold and Rock had it not been for Hogan's departure.
Interesting point Stardust. That is one thing that is often thought about when it comes to WCW. Where would they have gone without Hogan?
Signing Hulk Hogan in 1994 changed WCW and the style of the company completely. Before Hulk Hogan, WCW in the 80's and early 90's consisted of a lot of pure technical wrestling, and long, classic matches. It wasn't uncommon in WCW to see a 60 minute main event match or a match go close to that time (ex: Flair vs. Steamboat). When Hogan came that changed, since he was the big star and a lot of his matches typically didn't go over 20 minutes.
Even without Hogan coming to WCW I believe they would have made a gain on the WWE in the mid-90's, despite some good talent (Diesel, Razor Ramon, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, etc.). Signing guys like the Macho Man, Lex Luger, Earthquake, and a young (and much skinnier) Paul Wight, they would have been able to be a threat to WWE, but I don't think they would have provided the big threat to Vince McMahon that they did when the NWO formed and the ratings went through the roof. Like Stardust mentioned, the Outsiders wouldn't have been able to draw the heat that they did had it not been for Hogan. I do think WCW would have stayed afloat simply because the style of wrestling they had (assuming it remained the long, classic matches) and that it would have attracted a solid fanbase, but I think they would have always been second to WWE.
I would like to go further on this (fun stuff to talk about!) but I would like to hear a couple more replies before I do. There are SO many factors that could play into this. For instance, if Hogan doesn't leave WWE, would WCW have signed the Macho Man? Lex Luger? The Outsiders? That remains up for debate.
Messages In This Thread
WHAT IF: Hogan did NOT leave the WWE in the Mid-90's? - by Stardust - 07-14-2011, 10:25 AM
WHAT IF: Hogan did NOT leave the WWE in the Mid-90's? - by LWC - 07-14-2011, 10:34 AM
WHAT IF: Hogan did NOT leave the WWE in the Mid-90's? - by I Am The Genius - 07-14-2011, 07:23 PM
WHAT IF: Hogan did NOT leave the WWE in the Mid-90's? - by LWC - 07-15-2011, 11:14 AM
WHAT IF: Hogan did NOT leave the WWE in the Mid-90's? - by I Am The Genius - 07-16-2011, 08:39 PM
WHAT IF: Hogan did NOT leave the WWE in the Mid-90's? - by zaga_fan - 07-17-2011, 02:49 AM
WHAT IF: Hogan did NOT leave the WWE in the Mid-90's? - by Stardust - 07-18-2011, 09:58 AM
WHAT IF: Hogan did NOT leave the WWE in the Mid-90's? - by zaga_fan - 07-18-2011, 02:14 PM
WHAT IF: Hogan did NOT leave the WWE in the Mid-90's? - by Stardust - 07-18-2011, 04:47 PM
WHAT IF: Hogan did NOT leave the WWE in the Mid-90's? - by Stardust - 07-15-2011, 10:47 AM
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