Top 8 "What Ifs" of The Attitude Era | Wrestling With Wregret

[@wishbone346]

J.R.'s "aw son of a bitch" at the reveal will always be one of my favorite wrestling moments. His delivery is just so perfectly hilarious. He doesn't sound truly angry, but instead sounds like a man who's had his heart set on extra crispy KFC only to arrive and find that they are out and only have original recipe.

[@WrestlingWithWregret]

Brilliant analogy.

[@kevinwhite3237]

wishbone346 ,I was laughing my ass off with that one. another one of Jr's gems include "NO, NO, THINK ABOUT YOUR FAMILY JEFF! THINK ABOUT YOUR CAREER! ",also royal rumble 2000 Dudley's Vs hardys

[@wishbone346]

Homedy .dos Nah, I'm a Popeye's Chicken kinda guy. :P

[@evilubuntu9001]

AS GAWD IS MY WITNESS I WANTED EXTRA CRISPY! EXTRA CRISPY! EXTRA CRISPY!

[@kevinwhite3237]

"in my opinion Kane, you're one sadistic son of a bitch "........of course Jr screaming while on fire afterwards was the icing on the cake

[@brandonleague3641]

Considering that the Million Dollar Man initially "discovered" The Undertaker, I think Ted would've made an interesting "Higher Power."

[@danielbridger7113]

and he was stone colds manager as the ringmaster

[@sethstrattan7380]

Ultimate warrior would be cool if he was the higher power but how would that work, same a Ted if he was the higher power

[@matthewlane518]

You mean hower power right?

[@kevincapps7694]

That would have been great for the Hood to come off and DiBiase come out with his famous laugh

[@sird2333]

I was hoping for Jake the Snake or Kevin Sullivan

[@FrontRowCentral]

What if WCW let DX into the building

[@Sitharos]

Mikey Mickendrow that would have been amazing!!! 😊

[@jimmymac12311]

Mikey Mickendrow I was expecting this to be number one the entire time

[@mjolden]

The Kliq reunion minus HBK.

[@jimmymac12311]

and with added New Age Outlaws

[@KingMaskoV2_HCTP]

holy fuck, if that actually happened I would have lost my shit

[@BurnoutInc]

As lame as it was having Vince be the Higher Power, I wouldn't give up the reveal with Vince saying "IT'S ME, AUSTIN!" followed by JR "Oh, son of a bitch!" for anything.

[@joey3627]

Agreed. JR had the best reaction

[@Darkcide1990]

third, JR's commentary was one of the best parts of the era.

[@jacobnfl5649]

BurnoutInc dam

[@marcusbarnes6032]

I remember Eric Bischoff saying on Nitro that the initals were VKM and I knew it then smh.

[@marcusbarnes6032]

Especially in the King of the Ring 98 Hell in a Cell. That made Jim Ross a legend

[@Top10Wrestling]

What if Naked Mideon won the World title?

[@jeffcarroll1990shock]

well then he wouldn't be naked, he would have a belt.

[@GamerSkinny]

are we going for the kenny vs spenny definition of naked?

[@bangingyourmom247]

Then if he lost it, he would look naked without it

[@t.v.rockwell4504]

Ratings would go through the roof and Vince would drown in his Scrooge McDuck pile of money

[@egpmh2891]

I think he would have made a great ECW World champ

[@Alex_DC413]

If they couldn't get Mike Tyson, do you think WWE would have gotten Mr. Dream?

[@NorikoSurge]

Alex Decourville ha i get it.

[@bruceaskew2107]

😂😂😂

[@Billeyjd]

Probably Ken Shamrock or Dan Severn instead.

[@matthewlane518]

They would have gotten Vodka Drunkinski

[@MrT571]

Soda Popinski is available.

[@mamalama7204]

A cool addition would have been "What if Triple H was never punished for the curtain call, or if it never happened to begin with, and he won the 1996 King of the Ring and got his big push instead of Austin?" That would have been VERY interesting, the famous Austin 3:16 promo would have never even happened, and I bet Austin would have simply been left to dwindle In the mid card.

[@HatterIsMad]

I've had constant debates about this between my friends. I always wondered if Austin would've ever gotten that push or not.

[@lalomontoyajr.9282]

@@HatterIsMadThis is a pivotal "what if", because the whole thing that turned it around for the WWF at the time was that Austin 3:16 promo, the t shirts and the attitude that came with it. Those t shirts then gave Austin the confidence to be meaner and tougher in turn he had great fueds with Bret, Taker, Foley etc..in turn help the WWF have great shows and destroy WCW in the process. If HHH would have won that years KOR that Austin 3:16 promo would not have happened. And no shirts would of been made. Steve Austin would not have been the same attitude wise.

[@bobbobs4851]

Cream always rises to the top.

[@davidlewis5312]

This is fascinating and to tack on, without the chip on his shoulder of that bullshit punishment would HHH have become the star he did and big enough one to lead the WWF forward

[@chrisbutler1668]

Except Bret Hart wanted to work with Austin, so their rivalry likely would have happened, which ultimately was a bigger push than the King of the Ring. But yes, there would be no Austin 3:16, so he wouldn't have been tops in merchandise.

[@Arbal3st]

I know it's bad to laugh...but "You wanna play 21? I got 22." Is one of the funniest promo lines I can remember.

[@2Sweeet]

I don't even think the line's bad, it's his mannerisms in the meantime.

[@mbrannon]

Did you see Jake the Snakes AEW promo as the host for one of their hype videos? He actually used this line and others from that infamous time but in a sober and chilling Jake the Snake way and it was fantastic.

[@CRob172]

What if stone cold never got a broken neck? (2021 edit: 316 likes OH HELL YEAHHHH)

[@JacksonOwex]

Maybe, his knees were pretty messed up

[@KingMaskoV2_HCTP]

he would retire in 2007

[@ericdennis9612]

+Soulless Steve I highly doubt he would still be wrestling today I think he would have retired around Wrestlemania 25

[@Boffo97]

That's what I was thinking. He wouldn't have had to change to a more brawling based style and probably would have stuck around longer. On the other hand, the roots of Austin-McMahon started with McMahon trying to tell Austin that he was hurt and couldn't compete and he needed to work within the system... and Austin being Austin.

[@alissa6]

Guys like Austin wouldn't wrestle for long anyways, he doesn't have the sporty nature about him, neither is he a meathead, alcoholic but not a meathead. If he settles 100%, he'd quit the company ASAP, which to be honest, most of us would have. But some can't do anything for a living except for sports, and some care much about their legacy, these are the ones who usually stay over the age of 45.

[@aaronschmeda1891]

What if Triple H didn't tear his quad before the invasion angle?

[@thehouseofgozzie7691]

it would have been better

[@Illusionistical822]

They would've delayed the Invasion angle and Triple H would've been the first ever Undisputed Champion. But yeah, biggest "what if" of late Attitude Era. Ditto for Benoit.

[@madnomad3861]

+Roguemember yeah even Jericho said on his podcast that he thinks Triple H would've become the Undisputed champion if he didn't tear his quad

[@giogomez3657]

Wcw was already bought tho. So didn't make a difference.

[@michaelbandada9887]

I guess stephanie will try to recruit hhh for the alliance due to their...ahem...intimate relationship

[@michaelrivera8360]

What if the Montereal screw job had not happened?

[@jhinpotion9230]

WWF probably would've kept losing the Monday Night War for a lot longer than they did.

[@michaelrivera8360]

FridgeridooTV lol right and the iconic heel mr mcmahon never would've existed then denying ausin vs mcmahon

[@Fujisaur]

Michael Rivera the attitude era wouldn't have happened and they most likely would have lost the Monday night war.

[@michaelrivera8360]

Fujisaur that's true

[@ShellshockPrime]

The Attitude Era would've happened, but not in the way that we know it.

[@budsmoka3941]

hey Brian you should do the what ifs of WCW

[@CartoonsAndGameShows]

I'd like to see that.

[@ZeKRyeUm]

That's a great idea it'd be very interesting to see more of these what if videos.

[@johnnyeldiablo]

What if Dustin Rhodes didn't get fired from WCW in 1994? Would the lack of Goldust during the Attitude Era have taken away from its' edginess? Would Dustin have climbed the ranks of WCW?

[@mahiru20ten]

What if Fingerpoke of Doom never happened? What if Dustin Rhodes made his Goldust character in WCW instead of WWF?

[@Warhawk-kf9mx]

Bud Smoka what if Goldberg never worked with WCW what if WCW bought out ecw

[@RageManRegg]

What if Brian Pillman lived to see the Attitude Era

[@RageManRegg]

+Korrey Bourgeois I don't know about in his spot. He might have faced Austin after Wrestlemania though

[@eddiew.4650]

And if Pillman was alive, would he have stayed with Vince, or jumped ship to WCW after what happened at Montreal?

[@marie-uk3xk]

Unforgiven 1998 main event Stone Cold vs Brian Pillman w/Terri Runnels. (She was supposed to turn heel like Tori did in the X-Pac Kane feud but Pillman died)

[@salatieljyrustumanan4929]

Nope, they'd be in the same spot as Bret vs HBK.

[@savagemadness9705]

Salatiel Jyrus Tumanan The fuck are you talking about

[@y2killian]

What if Brian Pillman not only stayed alive, but stayed well into the company after the Screwjob? Honestly. I feel as if Pillman/Austin would have been seen as just as big a rivalry as Austin/McMahon. Hell, I think even think Pillman would have had at least two WWE title reigns

[@bink9797]

same here bud, other than being bigger than Austin/McMahon. That's where the $ came from..

[@marie-uk3xk]

What if Pillman not got into the Car accident? What if Pillman stayed in ECW in 1996?

[@joemurphy9881]

marie 90 lk

[@giogomez3657]

Killian Hackenschmidt if Pillman hadn't died, the Rock and Austin rival never happens. Pillman vs Austin would have taken over

[@kristopherruiz7644]

Killian Hackenschmidt I would have loved to see Brian Pillman and Austin reunite against Kane and Undertaker or Triple H and Shane or Edge and Christian, I think an Edge and Christian impersonation of the Hollywood blonds would have been amazing but for my money, the money match would be Kane and Taker at the height if their demonic powers ruling the roost, standing togther in the ring with Paul Bearer after weeks of screwing Pillman in the hunt, aftet they did the triple threat handicap against Austin, Pillman standing atop the ramp looks over his shoulder and you can tell he doesn't like it, but then the glass shatters, Austin Storms out cleaning stooges clocks as he goes, the typical attitude era crowd is orgasmic at this point, Kane does the pyro, Austin gives that intense stare at Pillman like "yeah?" Pillman nods and they storm the ring and raise hell! And you just let JR mark out for his favorite guys the whole time.

[@thebandit0256]

What if Stephanie McMahon wasn't wearing a bra when Stone Cold ripped her shirt off?

[@punkandalternativemusicarchive]

TheBandit025 asking the most important questions

[@brudderstyles3479]

I liked stone cold as a kid, But seeing him now makes me realize how much he sucked after the injury, what classic did he have afterwards. Str8 wrestling not a classic based on storyline

[@ryanm8527]

Brudder Styles Austin/HHH vs Benoit/Jericho on Raw, Austin vs Benoit on Smackdown. Basically all of 2001, except for when he wrestled Undertaker, he was great.

[@thebandit0256]

Who is Wah?

[@jasonw2942]

You named Jericho and Benoit, who could pretty much carry anyone to good matches

[@Tbonedoesfsx]

What is HBK never got hurt?

[@thehouseofgozzie7691]

he still would have lost at mania, then had a big program with Austin for a number of months, he also would have been in the DC invasion of wcw.

[@JRJigsawyer]

TbonePlays I was expecting this one on the list. Michaels was THE biggest star of the attitude era to totally disappear just as it was reachung escape velocity. He would've def lost the belt to Austin at Mania...but what then? What of DX? It would've changed so many things over the next few years

[@jayNicks10]

Word has it that HBK was healthy enough to return to wrestling 9 months after WM14, but he wasn't willing, right then and there is when he truly lost his smile. It wasn't the "you screwed Bret" chants that bugged him, but the heat within the locker room.

[@Nobody-br1rq]

Jay Nicks 9 months? No

[@2Sweeet]

TbonePlays He probably would've died of an OD.

[@DontBotherMate]

Can you do a top 8 what ifs for the Ruthless Aggression era.

[@syxodude91]

What if Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit didn't die?

[@cgsoldier4196]

syxodude91 If Benoit didn't die, we might not have went PG. That's assuming that Linda McMahon doesn't run for senate.

[@KingTerrell]

Would Brock be bigger than Cena if he never left?

[@marie-uk3xk]

What if Raven was able to do his 7 deadly sins storyline? Most likely a Main Event push on Raw and Raven's Flock/Nest type stable in the WWE.

[@jasonw2942]

He would of. Brock at the time was a freak of nature

[@drgfromnyc]

1) What if The Rock had actually feuded with HBK? 2) What if HBK never got injured? 3) What if WCW won the Monday Night Wars? 4) What if the Monday Night Wars never happened? There are a lot more of these that I have, though

[@metagross9092]

1. Backstage political shenanigans would get in the way regardless 2. R.I.P Shawn Michaels 3. The same complaints that get hurled at WWE today only for WCW instead 4. There's no escaping the Monday Night Wars

[@allencollins1617]

@@metagross9092 WCW Would've Never Had The Indy Wrestling Era With Most Cruiserweights/Indy Vanilla Midgets On The Roster Nor Any In The Main Event. Sports Entertainment Would've Been Better Off & It Would Still Be Better. Sports Entertainment Can Survive Without Curse Words & T&A.

[@transylvani600]

What if the ShockMaster succeeded and his first introduction

[@Sitharos]

transylvanai 5600 what if he didn't bash his head when he made his intro when he crashed through the wall?

[@anonym58063]

He wouldn't be in Botchamania intro

[@transylvani600]

Yes would he have gone on to be remembered for something other than his crash through the wall 

[@rabasi8330]

He would have been remembered and respected as a legend rather than being in one of the most iconic botches

[@jaredengland1764]

He would have been a 100 time WCW, ECW, TNA, and WWE champion. (Plus NXT)

[@t.v.rockwell4504]

IT'S ME AUSTIN! IT WAS ME ALL ALONG!

[@jcdlRayas]

Jamal Cooper You're a fool, JR!

[@futuregohan4837]

Undertaker: Bro Goldberg: I Say That's Ridiculous

[@thealjohnsonshow2188]

+TVR24 As stupid as the reveal was, still is to this day, that line (along with J.R.) was iconic.

[@HereForAStorm]

What if HBK and/or Undertaker went to WCW in 1997.

[@oN3xShOtxkilL]

ronjon83 Shawn contemplated going to WCW in 95 or 96 when Nash, hall and x-PAC were there, Vince wouldn't let him out of his contract and convinced him staying in wwf was the better move

[@MrDJmarkyspider]

Undertaker was never going to go to WCW that's why vince loved and still loves him so much

[@David_Larkin]

Unerdtaker never even considered going to WCW, that's why Vince gave him power in the locker room

[@Alexisahottie]

Undertaker was already in WCW and I don't think he would have gone far with the Mean Mark gimmick. Could he have been good with being The Undertaker there? Maybe.

[@undertakernumberone1]

he couldnt have been the undertaker there... the gimmick most likely was and most likely even is still owned by WWE... and considering that WCW originally said that the Taker would never draw a dime...

[@Illusionistical822]

What if Austin and Undertaker didn't have to take time off for injuries in late 1999? What would've Wrestlemania 2000's card looked like?

[@lonewolfmcquade1873]

Good question

[@dannyhargreaves1326]

I think that’s a little mean spirited. How about if they weren’t injured in late 1999?

[@chrisbutler1668]

I think it would have been Austin vs. Rock 2.

[@matthewhenningervonada9914]

Undertaker vs Austin. Taker wins to become the toughest BA in the business. I don't care if it wouldn't make sense. Also, Taker would have run over him.

[@jamiee1201]

What if Austin didnt turn heel at Mania 17

[@mjolden]

That's a good question. McMahon would have come to help him, 1-2-3, Austin wins, then Austin goes for the Stunner lol. It would've been one big fake-out.

[@Ryusuta]

That is a fantastic one.

[@SamNieztsche]

I could have seen it going like this. This is provided that Triple H doesn't tear his quad. - Austin wins with the help of Vince. - Austin shakes hands with Vince. - Austin calls an audible and pulls Vince into a Stunner. - Austin comes out on Raw and states he used Vince to get the title from The Rock - The Rock wants his rematch and Vince, who is furious over being used by Austin, puts them in the cage. - Triple H interrupts the match and lays both men out. - The Rock leaves to make movies, Austin's feud with Triple H is reignited because the last person to beat him before his title win was Triple H. - Austin feuds with Triple H for the next few months and wins the feud.

[@KiddsWorldEntertainment]

He probably would've turned heel later anyways for the invasion angle

[@marie-uk3xk]

What if HHH never tore his Quad in 2001?

[@Weadfreek]

What if Vince didn't bury every ECW and WCW wrestler that came into the company?

[@mike04574]

not jericho and booker

[@tyrkun1624]

@@mike04574 I don't think you remember WrestleMania 19 very well

[@mike04574]

@@tyrkun1624 that was one event

[@tyrkun1624]

@@mike04574 Booker never really got a proper main event push since tho, aside from a short feud with Batista which he lost 3 years later.

[@ElonRich]

"What if" Austin never went and got neck surgery in 1999? Would Triple H and The Rock ever truly reach the popularity that they did in 2000?

[@bronxmade8710]

Elante Entertainment Good question My opinion I think they would've eventually reach they popularity the fact that they were the big 3 main eventers at the time.Triple H popularity probably would've been as big Without Stone Cold getting injured.That Injury to Stone Cold boosted his popularity because he filled that void in for stone cold Witch lead to that great feud with Triple H and The Rock.Storyline would've been a little different but guarantee 100% there was no stopping The Rock rise to the top...

[@KiddsWorldEntertainment]

They would've still reached the heights they did, just with Austin more so in the picture, the one person that probably would've suffered was Mick Foley

[@theeternalsith9702]

“Enter Undertaker and his taped fists.” A very true and terrifying quote indeed.

[@adamdomo8936]

the "its me austin, it was me all along" is still worth it

[@silenceenigma587]

I heard somewhere that Owen was originally supposed to be "The Game"

[@KAKnyght]

I've read stories suggesting he was either going to get "The Game" or "The Cerebral Assassin" nickname.

[@ericsmusic5927]

jack deez The Game

[@luketory4684]

Then Owen would’ve been the man to create NXT and HHH would’ve stayed a midcarder and Owen would’ve married the bosses order

[@EmmaBonn96]

Imagine this Owen as the higher power

[@TherealRNOwwfpooh]

@@EmmaBonn96No chance. Owen HATED the Attitude Era direction the Federation was...well...undertaking, so it wouldn't have made sense to make family man Owen, who LOATHED the more risque aspects of the promotion on the whole, as the man behind the hot mess that was the Corporate Ministry merger, since he would've dested the inverted Christian/pagan Satanism the Ministry exuded, nor would he have wanted to be a McMahon family pawn (which is what The Corporation/McMahon-Helmsley Faction aka The Regime/The Authority have ALL been, essentially) like his Hart Foundation relations before him prior to "that incident in Montreal" at 1997's Survivor Series (and inaugural Grand Slam winner HBK's "screwing the pooch" at One Night Only at Bulldog's expense - right in front of his ailing sister no less, who was quite literally dying from her cancer, yet was granted a ringside seat as Bulldog dedicated his originally-planned retention over HBK to her, completely unaware until an hour ahead of time that DX had tampered with the feel-good moment to garner nuclear heat by convincing McMahon to alter course due to Bulldog's known substance abuse addiction & DX, like its earlier KLIQ incarnation, wanting to sabotage Bulldog, just like they ended up doing with Bret "The Hitman" Hart via the aforementioned Montreal Screwjob & what they later decided to do with Owen himself by forcing his eventual slip down the card, courtesy of HBK refusing to put the younger Hart over & the entire 1997 DX contingent causing Owen's failure to avenge his brother-in-law's shitty loss, with Owen's misfortunes further punctuated by the Attitude Era's rebellious kingpin "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's personal glass house stone throw aversion to work with "The Black Hart" after getting his neck severely injured from the Sit-Out Tombstone spot at SummerSlam that same year, although Austin had done the EXACT SAME THING himself to decorated Japanese star Masahino Chono in Japan the year previous during a very short-lived inter-promotional relationship between the Federation & NJPW, making him a massive hypocrite). In truth, Owen wanted out of the company to either skip off to WCW & end up likely getting ruined like the rest of his kin sans already-deceased Brian Pillman had all turned out, so there was that small saving grace stemming from Vince McMahon rewriting his contract that prohibited him from leaving, however since both HBK & Austin had politicked to nix his purported main event push, Owen was permanently stuck in mid-card hell being treated like a fart-in-church comedic buffoon to be mocked. All of this mistreatment purely & simply because Owen's good-natured, family man values weren't in line with what the money-grubbing Vince duo wanted & Owen had standards both men named Vince either never had at all as they were blatantly lying through their teeth about their superficial niceties (which exist even now via its well-known corrosive environment behind gorilla position that tells its "Anti-Bullying Initiative" Be-A-Star to sod off or make like the famous "Speak/Hear/See NO Evil" concept in league with the government's former "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" campaign against those active in the LGBTQI Community by ignoring the festering bubble of discontent among key WWE roster members against higher-ups who refuse to see them for the way they have organically gotten over with the IWC's smart mark crowds, not to mention the whole Hall of Fame Warrior Award controversy surrounding the entire concept of naming an award praising charitable sponsors like Susan G. Koman/Conner's Cure or the Special Olympics after an unhinged roid junkie whose only attribute was the spastic entrance he was immediately gassed upon finishing whilst his promos were composed of rambling unintelligible gibberish that mirrored IRL former Jim Helwig's racist & homophobic tirades that the Internet Archive has permanently stored in its memory banks, regardless of Dana Warrior using her late husband's fame to try & make people forget what a straight up asshole she married by glossing over his shortcomings with the same vibrantness as the bright tassels adorning the Ulimate one's ring gear) or else, they just gave it up like a bad habit or they otherwise lost it, which would be no surprise, seeing as the Titan Sports ship that was the then-WWF nearly capsized, courtesy of a 2-year, 84-week sodomization from WCW, on top of bingo hall 3rd promotion ECW - heralded by its bloodlusty Philadelphia faithful fanbase - ironically acquiring a TV deal with TNN (later rechristened Spike TV during Ruthless Aggression & very briefly The Fight Network during UFC's sudden rise in popularity with the same 18-35 male audience pro wrestling as an industry was targeting, with the latter actually achieving what its rivals couldn't by luring jaded, cynical fans put off by the inevitable return of PG, family-oriented content from the rebranded WWE after the dissolving of its primary competition...until recently with the birth of AEW & its potential working partnership with NJPW to force WWE to, once again, do something to up its "GAME" - and I don't mean _aahhh_ a Triple H _aahhh_ promo boring the "WWE Universe" _aahhh_ for 20 minutes _aahhh__ in reference to the moniker rumored to be Owen's own after ditching the insepid Blue Blazer silliness had Owen lived & naturally, the huge WHAT-IF as to whether he'd shockingly get a corrective career reboot as a "make good" for shitcanning his top-level spot & unsurprisingly playing him for the fool [which IS a pipe dream, as McMahon's personal grudge against the Hart family still showcased today through Natalya Neidhart's post-Hart Dynasty/Divas of Doom flop of a career has ensured that, hindsight or not, this would have NEVER happened, even IF Owen had somehow miraculously survived his fall OVER THE EDGE ~pelted with rotten fruit for the tastelessly terrible pun usage of the P.P.V name~], instead of looking like a sad afterthought, considering how HHH had stolen that nickname from the fallen "Kings of Harts" after tragic fate ushered in by Russo's stupid booking that McMahon had approved, essentially failing once more to live up to false promises he had no intent on staying true to except on a worse scale, cost Owen dearly that fatal night, with both head writer Russo & board chairman McMahon being legitimately found GUILTY OF Wrongful Death/RESPONSIBLE FOR Owen's tragic demise & unfortunately for Owen supporters, the mattered settled out of court, with the lowballed Hart family never fully recovering from then on as a direct result spawned from problems with the very business that destroyed them through various dubious circumstances combined with their own personal internal struggles after Bret's selfish ego cost the family the earnings which McMahon begrudgingly felt they were owed to the point that they recieved less than half of the initially proposed amount & of course, widow Martha taking children Osage & Athena away from an occupation she blames soley for Owen's knowingly preventable death that affected the kids' formative years upon the loss of their beloved father, whilst likely raising them to be just as bitterly distrusting of "the sport of kings" as she herself was, having never really been a fan of it from the get-go, let alone not fully understanding the hidden cruelty of the political/business worlds in conjunction with the acted stage peformances that has, for better or worse, always comprised the industry in general - before Nickelodeon parent Viacom changed it to The Paramount Network upon acquiring it following the company's expansion by way of dividing its assets between CBS Productions aka the original Viacom & its younger branch retaining the Viacom name), even though it was McMahon's own expansive back pocket that was covertly backfunding Paul E.'s violent venture as a side project, which explains ECW "invading" RAW in 1997 as well as giving McMahon the impetus to basically Frankenstein's Monster its Attitude Era's hardcore edge from cobbled-together ECW elements.

[@Jon_the_Wizard]

What if Shawn went to WCW after The Montreal Screwjob instead of Bret?

[@L1am21]

he would of kicked holgan out of the nwo and took over it.

[@ericthomas917]

Austin vs Bret at WrestleMania

[@johnthomas5314]

@@L1am21 lol not a chance

[@kmversion1]

Hogan would be out of the NWO, X Pac doesn't jump ship to wwe, and the NWO becomes the Kliq but with no Triple H

[@ImmortalRimas]

Chyna should have @ least won the 1999 King of the Ring to become it's first Queen. I never got why "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn won it especially since no one really wanted him to be crowned King

[@esmokez95]

The Rimas they wanted to make him a star

[@ImmortalRimas]

An odd choice

[@mgb4692]

But on the other hand, it led to The Rock's killer promo on Sunday Night Heat two weeks later and sent him over the rubicon--although didn't work so well when Edge tried it in 2001. And since that whole PPV was the epitome of why Vince Russo didn't belong in wrestling might as well stick Gunn as KOTR so all the crap's out of the way when it gets good again.

[@ImmortalRimas]

It wouldn't have really mattered if Billy Gunn was KOTR or not either way they could just had him interfere and cost The Rock his number 1 contendership for SummerSlam 1999 to ignite the fued that would get The Great One getting super over. I think making Chyna Queen of the Ring back in 1999 would have been something unique not to mention giving Chyna a massive push and WWF another point over WCW

[@SunsetDiner]

How was there not a "What if Stone Cold Steve Austin never cut the Austin 3:16 promo"??

[@wwemonkey619]

Stanley Pines but it still effected it

[@Deadgod91]

It happened during New Generation Era which ran from 1993 around the time Hogan left, to Survivor Series 1997. Also 3: 16 promo didn't immediately turned Austin into a star. He was on pre-show match a month later on Summerslam. His feud with Bret Hart was the thing turned him into an actual star.

[@EmmaBonn96]

My what if for that was, what if the curtain call wasn’t caught Remember Austin won king of the ring that year because Hunter was being punished for the curtain call If that wasn’t caught, maybe hunter would’ve still had that spot

[@princeofstrongstyle6683]

Kind of a surprise we haven't gotten more videos like this. Another Top "What Ifs" for each era. Or even a single videos on individual moments. Some interesting ones to ponder from the A.E. Notably the WM 14 stuff, Brawl for All & Chyna as WWF Champ.

[@namerofdummies3709]

The higher power should have been Shane mcmahon taking a run at his fathers company!. Think of it, he promises the undertaker the world if he gets control of the wwe and he wants his sister scared into leaving the business all together!.

[@johnnieriot13]

Gareth Thomas that's a good idea

[@quentinkaasa47]

Wouldn't have worked. Shane took over the Corporation and merged it with the Ministry to begin with. He was already a leader in the group so it would have been a bigger letdown.

[@namerofdummies3709]

+Mike Keller ooooooohhhhh yeah, dig it!.

[@TherealRNOwwfpooh]

@Mike KellerNo. Considering Don Callis was always yearning to form a cult to overtake the Federation & was the one who initially united Bradshaw & Faarooq together, the man known as The Jackyl could've easily slimed his way into the very role almost tailored for him had he not been released a year prior to become ECW's eeriely similar Cyrus the Virus.

[@allencollins1617]

@Mike Keller Macho Man Was The Top Heel In WCW At The Time. There Was No Way He Was Leaving WCW. Well, The Top Heels Were President Ric Flair & Randy Savage & Then At The Great American Bash, Roddy Piper Turned Heel & Sid Vicious Returned & Was A Heel.

[@Neetaku86_vt]

What if Kane was never unmasked?

[@georgeblangfordjr.1771]

I think Kane's Unmasking in 2003 would be in the top 8 of the WWE Ruthless Aggression Era what if countdown,it might be number 6 or number 5 on the list

[@IDidItSIDEWAYS83]

According to Bruce Prichard, the Higher Power was supposed to be a way to introduce "The Fallen Angel", Christopher Daniels, but Vince took one look at him and canned that idea.

[@steveforprez03]

The Jackyl would have made a good higher power What if Shawn Michaels didn't take four years off/didn't hurt his back

[@stephencatchdudeknight4623]

now thats a question!

[@Dreammaster695]

Love the quote "it's me Austin it was me Austin it was me all along!"

[@DrunkenCoward1]

"Number 2: What if Vince Russo had never left the WWF?" *Mozart's Dies Irae plays loudly as the world burns around us, the archangles are reaping the souls of the sinners and Satan himself is rising from the crevices of hell to take that which belongs to him*

[@allencollins1617]

There Are Positives To That, But For WCW. David Arquette & Vince Russo Never Becomes WCW World Heavyweight Champion & Most Of The Top WCW Stars Would've Still Been On Television. You Can't Just Get Rid Of Wrestlers Fans Watched All Those Years & Expect To Easily Replace Them. Vince Russo Listened To The Smarks, When The Smarks Were Talking About Most Of The Top WCW Stars Were Too Old & In 2001, All The Big Babyfaces Were Slowly Taken Off Television Through Injuries And/Or Having To Retire After Getting Screwed Out Of Retirement Matches-Scott Steiner Injured Them & Vince Russo Fired Hulk Hogan. Without Vince Russo In WCW, Most Likely, WCW Would've Still Made New Stars Like They Did & Most Of The Established Top Stars Wouldn't Have Been Buried/Slowly Taken Off Television.

[@danielbridger7113]

my no.1 what if about the attitude era is what if the original heel doink made it to the attitude era (edit: i found on wrestlingforum.com that bruce prichard was talking about the conception of beaver cleavage on the smackdown premiere episode of STWW, and also mentioned that glenn ruth (thrasher) was supposed to return as doink The klown in a new dark, sadistic incarnation. bruce prichard was going to return as doink's manager under "DTK Enterprises", an acronym of doink the klown. not the original matt borne but still an AWESOME concept)

[@jonahhollister2834]

I would love to see more of these "what if's" Awesome stuff!!

[@mad87645]

"aw sunuvabitch" I choose to believe JR didn't know who was under the hood beforehand and this was his actual reaction.

[@oldandbitter]

Brilliant topic, Brian! You can revisit this topic again and again. Here are some that I would love to see examined: *What if Jim Cornette's NWA invasion wasn't set up to fail? *What if Survivor Series 1997 went as Bret Hart believed it would? *What if Shawn Michaels didn't injure his back as severely on the casket at Royal Rumble 1998? *What if the fans didn't accept DX with HHH as the leader? *What if the fans embraced Rocky Maivia during his rookie year? *What if the Austin vs McMahon storyline was a bust? *What if Vince McMahon did show up at Slamboree 1998 to confront Eric Bischoff? *What if Owen Hart didn't botch the reverse piledriver at SummerSlam 97? *What if the original Kane angle was a complete flop? *What if the Billy Gunn singles push in 1999 was a success? *What if HHH and Stephanie McMahon never crossed paths in storyline? *What if Brian Pillman didn't die? Would Mick Foley's career had taken off since he was the main beneficiary? And, not to get too morbid but... *What if Mick Foley died from either Hell in a Cell bump at King of the Ring 1998?

[@madnomad3861]

what if Triple H won KOTR 96 instead of Stone Cold. i know Attitude era began in 97 but it would've affected it for sure

[@heyitsthatguy1604]

What if Undertaker never left his Lord of Darkness persona to become American Badass?

[@futuregohan4837]

Or Undertaker Remained The Deadman Throughout The 90 Decade

[@SatoshiKong]

Well, at the very least, we wouldn't have had to hear Limp Bizkit every fucking week for a year straight.

[@pendafen7405]

If I could erase Biker!Taker from history I'd do it in a second, no hesitation.

[@cenasux]

Have you considered similar videos for WCW, ECW, or even TNA? I'd be interesting to know your whit ifs. Good vid!

[@thejahni]

You should do a "What If" Top 8 for the Ruthless Aggression era, I think that would be interesting!

[@gboni66]

Please do a "What if" for the Hulkamania/New Generation era. I've always thought how different/great wrestling would've been if the WWF actually went through with Hulk Hogan vs. Jake Roberts, or if Rickie Steamboat stayed with the company and was pushed as the number 2 baby face behind Hogan, eventually challenging him at Mania

[@03Alexmartin]

What if Austin never bladed in WM 13? What if Vince had gone to WCW to fight Bischoff?

[@josewmeldondo]

I'm binge watching this channel!

[@adampezo4637]

What if Triple H won the king of the ring instead of Austin

[@me865]

Adam Pezo there would pretty much be no Attitude Era

[@me865]

Adam Pezo no austin 3:16=no austin/mcmahon feud=no attitude era

[@futuregohan4837]

Or Undertaker won King Of The Ring I Think Undertaker 3:16 Might've Happened

[@jesterking27]

Ted Dibese would’ve been a call back to Austin's Ringmaster days.

[@j_obaymaac2886]

what if Mcmahon would have picked Cornette over Russo

[@Hyde_Hill]

Ty for the Chris Kreski shout out. Dude doesn't get enough love and is probably one of the best writers/bookers of all time.

[@benalexander7423]

What if DX actually made it in WCW during the invasion? What if Shane Mcmahon actually owned wcw and continued to run it as a separate industry? What if ECW bought out WCW?

[@labbaby189]

The meme worthy amount of sarcasm in JR's "sunuvahbitch" after Vince revealed himself is on some god tier shit.

[@Jimboola]

What if... Barrett & the Nexus had NOT been jobbed out to Cena at the height of their hype, killing the Nexus takeover angle stone dead! Still bugs me to this day as a HUGE waste!

[@bangingyourmom247]

Then I guess you'll have to wait until Top 8 "What Ifs" of The PG Era to find out what could of been

[@tomasestay7154]

bangingyourmom247 and ruthless aggression era.

[@bangingyourmom247]

Tomás Estay Yeah that too

[@82not_Chris]

Barrett was planned to break the streak at wm 27 but he wasn't approached because... you know

[@somegx]

Chris Jericho, Edge and even Cena himself thought it was a bad idea. Don't blame Cena on that one.

[@parakeet8157]

Reveal-"It was me,Austin." JR- "Aww,SOB."😅😂😅😂

[@greatesteverbulls9680]

What if HBK never injured his back

[@3.2187_Kilometres]

He dies of a overdose.

[@RocketRicky]

What if we could actually see Cena?

[@matta6991]

This will be the number 1 spot for top RA era what ifs

[@jliller]

If Shawn Michaels had refused to lose to Steve Austin would we have seen a Wrestlemania Screwjob?

[@discostu6045]

jliller taker would of whooped his ass simple lol

[@TheWyattandjoey]

What If WWE Gave Bluedust the World Title?

[@AverageGamerJB]

What if Jeff Jarrett never left WWE to form TNA and became the 2nd largest promotion in North America?

[@briancarpenter1357]

What If triple H was fired after the Curtain Call? What If Stone Cold had never gotten his neck injured? What If Fake Diesel and Razor had taken off?

[@vinicinfodexota5083]

God damn I was in love with Chyna back in the day

[@GrimBiggyBenny]

Even after years since this was uploaded, I still admire the Baltimore Colts analogy!

[@ronaldsprowal9978]

Jake the snake as the higher power I really really like that idea

[@youngche8226]

What ifs 1-Undertaker Jumped Ship 2-Screwjob never happened 3-If Stone Cold never did the 3:16 promo 4-HHH married Chyna/Never got with Steph 5-The Rock never did movies 6-HBK never got back injury 7-Austin Didn’t Join Vince at WM17 8-Vince never came in as a character 9-What if Heyman never joined up with Lesnar 10-What if they had mainevented Test/Billy Gunn/Ken Shamrock/

[@youngche8226]

Yes some of these are non attitude era questions just questions about wwe attitude/ruthless timeline

[@markgiallo3129]

I heard that in 1998 Hulk Hogan was in talks with wwf for a possible return

[@andrewbuckley5136]

What about what if Stone Cold had had to retire after his neck injury in '97? Now that's a BIG what if...

[@kingjaz7708]

"As he did the Revolution" You mean the Rev-o-lushe-uuuuunn

[@painreliever83]

I love videos like this, I basically stopped watching wrestling between 1995 and 2010 so missed the entire attitude era. Interesting to see all the crazy s**t I missed!

[@mjhardin1354]

If hbk and hhh would've joined the rest of the kliq in wcw in '97

[@thehouseofgozzie7691]

it would be the 1000th episode of wcw nitro instead of raw

[@selfiekroos1777]

Michaels would have been nothing in dub.

[@dang2592]

He would of been pushed to the top like every other main eventer they got from WWF

[@TherealRNOwwfpooh]

@@selfiekroos1777 Considering his buddies Hall & Nash were bookers (who had contractual clauses that dictated if anyone came in to earn more than what they were currently getting on par with Hogan & Savage, their own pay raises would jump up in response), he'd have a comfy position, actually.

[@kevynhansyn2902]

Thanks for mentioning the Baltimore Screw Job with the Colts. It still haunts old timers to this day.

[@transylvani600]

What if Higher power was the papa shango or The sinister MinisterJames Mitchell instead of Vince McMahon

[@jackmackakaheavyguyhaiku545]

Thanks for mentioning the one about CHYNA. To combine 2 of your entries, it was Russo's idea to put the WWF World belt on CHYNA. And it was hhh's ego that kept the strap off her. I think that things could've been much more different than what you said. 1) McMahon probably wouldn't have fired her because she would be bank. 2) Her career would've been much better. 3) She might have had enough power to keep the women's belt off her waist (she never wanted it). 4) Women's wrestling would've started developing and rising even earlier. 5) CHYNA could've been as big or bigger than the Rock in Hollywood, or at least huge in sitcoms. 6) More women viewers, more girls into it, mo money mo money mo money.

[@TheBmb2jn]

What if Triple H didn't tear his quad in 2001. As Adam said in his how WWE should have booked the Invasion review, it was the only betrayal that would've made sense. But The Game was out with injury. Would it have made the Invasion more interesting if Triple H joined the Alliance instead of Stone Cold.

[@pendafen7405]

Jericho couldn't have cosied up to Steph for more job security, for a start.

[@ricancira]

"What if Vince was one of us?.. just a slob like one of us?.. just a stranger on a bus, tryin' to make his way home?"

[@SMAXZO]

If Russo never left, we never got the genius of Chris Kreski.

[@mgb4692]

RIP, co-authored David Wells' book too.

[@seanwjones07]

99' was a crazy year in general.....one of the most memorable years for so many things in wrestling, movies, pop culture and life.

[@jamel7781]

you know Holyfield fully admits to repeatedly headbutting Tyson prior to Tyson losing it? Holyfield was a dirty boxer that led with his head.

[@WrestlingWithWregret]

Sure, but the question isn't, "What if Holyfield didn't headbutt Tyson?", it's "What if Tyson hadn't retaliated?".

[@mjolden]

+Wrestling With Wregret What if Bret never got screwed? It's been 19 years as of yesterday since the Montreal Screwjob, so I wanna get your opinion on it.

[@jamel7781]

What if the ref did a better job protecting the fighters? Ultimately Tyson has himself to blame, yes, but to discount a couple key factors that went on in that fight is a bit unfair in Tyson regard. Not your fault, just certain aspects of the boxing game that need to be more widely known to the public. Great video and thanks for replying.

[@calamaty9963]

jamel7781 I knew it. How else could Tyson reach his ear? It's obvious.

[@jamel7781]

She has also recanted.

[@sulfuricdumbass389]

I thought of the idea of raven being the higher power last night and it blew my mind on how cool it would be

[@sulfuricdumbass389]

He had no reason to hate Austin but he did have his cult which would’ve tied in with the ministry

[@zach346]

The real question is What if the Undertaker was under that egg at survivor series

[@ronaldsprowal9978]

I forgot who it was suppose to be the higher power. But the Guy bailed on the last-minute ....So Vince stepped into the Role

[@NoelCheco]

Got one question. What if the Montreal Screwjob NEVER happened

[@WrestlingWithWregret]

Been done to death, didn't want to touch it.

[@bking6378]

Wrestling With Wregret Should of been "What if Shawn Michaels was not injured"

[@MichaelTaylor-qp2xf]

Wrestling With Wregret What about if we took a larger look at it and ask what if Bret Hart never left WWF at all?

[@fluffhead7046]

He would of found another reason to take 4 YEARS off

[@johnnydelgado8527]

Bret hart would lose the title to shawn the next month n then hbk would drop the belt to bret in feb 98 n then bret would lose it to austin at wrestlemania

[@saltinesavior8229]

I was almost certain that number 1 would've been "What if the curtain call never happened and Triple H won KOTR 1996?" I know that was technically before the Attitude Era, but the ripple effects that it would've had on said era would've been MASSIVE.

[@jb112011]

the women's matches were pretty bad back then

[@YOUROXJACK]

The Blue Standard understatement

[@vcom741]

It's the Einstien thing of judging a fish by it's ability to climb a tree. The purpose of these matches weren't to tell a story or show athletisism of the competitors, it was titilation (for the most part)

[@MikeJr9284]

The Blue Standard Divas matches during the Attitude Era was basically used to show off how hot the women were, rather than telling a story.

[@adoptedaiden7382]

+Meth Ballinz meh

[@alissa6]

They still do. I mean seriously why do men care about female wrestling, oh wait, the bojangles...

[@martyhogsed5172]

You should do a “what if” for every era! I could watch you for hours so longer videos would be nice. I’m getting to the point of rewatching your videos since I’m already watched everything you done pretty much

[@christianmurphy7445]

1 = How WWE Should have booked the Higher Power

[@rkokalap4899]

Christian Murphy Go to WhatCulture.

[@christianmurphy7445]

RKO Kalap I know that's the joke

[@flclfan85]

no, he's serious, WhatCulture already did it

[@macabre_delights]

Imagine the push a rookie could've gotten off being the higher power?

[@sheepdavis]

Steve Austin's real name was Steve Williams in 1999. Can you imagine a fight between those two?

[@tafua_a]

What if Bret refused WCW's offrr before Survivor Series 1997

[@t1mel1ne-42]

he'd have probably just sort of bumbled about for bit, at the time he had basically aligned himself so much against America that it would've taken a herculean effort to make him baby face, and heel Bret would've been OK but I don't think it's where he excelled. certainly not as he was and always would be a baby face in Canada.

[@undertakernumberone1]

ahm... he took the offer because Vince urged him too because WWF couldnt afford the 20 Years contract anymore....

[@t1mel1ne-42]

That's what Vince reckoned. If you watch Wrestling with Shadows you see a different side. Looking past the possible 'Bret just moans' for what is actually in there.

[@discostu6045]

aiooty19 but ted Turner made him a offer he could not refuse

[@thesplendor8654]

+Wrestling With Wregret When you mentioned that Vince McMahon shouldn't have been the "higher power", I unconsciously hoped that Jake Roberts was. And then you said him, which makes so much sense, since he and the Undertaker have a history together! More of those mesmerizing and chilling promos from somone in black robes with a snake (or more subtle snake furniture) wouldn't have hurt anybody... Thank you for such an awesome idea!

[@thesplendor8654]

+Pascal Sol I did. When Jake did his promo, it wasn't the worst, but when he came down to the ring, I had to close the screen down, it was so sad.

[@kenthegamer]

I have a What if but not for the attitude era. What if Hulk Hogan was not the third man?

[@thehouseofgozzie7691]

it wasn't supposed to be actually. if they had went with sting I could see it kinda working but not the same way. also I believe that wcw would likely have either lasted longer or still be here, and I think they would have just been getting 3.0 ratings on average.

[@mgb4692]

Hogan fit in the context of Former WWF megastar who never really was accepted in WCW, but other than that yeah. Having Sting/Luger/Savage, who'd been Team Hogan just ten months before, made it obvious that it was going to be him, whereas Hogan/Flair/Giant, as they'd hinted at, as Team WCW would have been a great wrinkle and a better play.

[@tonywilliams12]

Feed Me Morons What if Bret Hart was the third man

[@ElectricheadPt1]

The Jackyl should have been the higher power. He was already associated with the ministry through the acolytes, and he was a cult leader who could cut a great promo.

[@Ryusuta]

The most obvious, most blatant #1 possible: "What if the screwjob hadn't happened?"

[@WrestlingWithWregret]

Been done to death, didn't want to touch it.

[@charliedodds8270]

Wrestling With Wregret What if Austin had chose a shitty name?

[@benwarner2940]

Wrestling With Wregret can yo u please answer these, either here or in a part 2 1. What if Kane never debuts (or is mentioned)? 2. What if Hulk Hogan never left WWF (I know he left before it happened, but hypothetically speaking)? 3. What if The Rock never turned heel (and stayed as Rocky Miavia)? 4. What if the Shades of Gray promo never happened (him basically calling wrestling fake in the late 90s in case I botched spelling)? 5. What if McMahon tried to put somebody besides himself against Austin (also who, excluding HBK since he left after WM14)? 6. What if DX never debuts? 7.What if The Undertaker never debuts? 8. What if The Undertaker goes to the American Bad Ass at the beginning of the attitude era? Thank you and keep up the great work on WWW

[@marcusbarnes6032]

1. What if Bret Hart left in 1996 and was the original leader of the nWo? I believe that was the plan but Hart resigned with wwf. 2. What if Shawn Michaels didn't get injured in 1998? 3. What if X-Pac was never fired from WCW? 4. What if Ahmed Johnson didn't get injured" Basically the Rock replaced him in the Nation and the rest is history.

[@marcusbarnes6032]

5. What if Brian Pillman didn't die? 6. What if Shawn Michaels didn't lose his smile? 7. What if the WWF and ECW had continued to cross brand late into 97 and into 98? 8. What if Mankind vs Undertaker King of the Ring 1998 match was stopped after Undertaker chokeslam him through the cage? That in my opinion would have made Mankind less of a character. 9. What if Mankind didn't beat the Rock on Jan 4. 1999. Or what if Tony in WCW didn't announce that Mankind was going to win the title?

[@JRGomez81]

I had heard somewhere that the Higher Power was supposed to be Mankind, but Foley backed out because he was worried he couldn't do another high profile, high impact feud like his one with the Rock so Vince McMahon took his place in the end. That might have worked too, given Mankind's history with Undertaker and Paul Bearer, and while, not the same kind of Promo man Jake Roberts was Mankind did have his own talents on the mic that can not be ignored...

[@EmperorNero]

"Donald Trump at 23" Excuse me Brian that is President Donald Trump at 23.

[@thesprock5270]

+Alec Romero Respect your president boy!

[@EmperorNero]

***** Considering Hillary was the one who wanted to start war in the first place no Trump I don't know where you get this Trump is a warhawk from.

[@MrCubFan415]

He wasn’t president yet

[@kaylynowens2981]

What if The Alliance had won the invasion forcing everyone to work for Shane and Stephanie? I can't see that storyline lasting very long, but it'd still be kinda interesting.

[@MichaelWilson-eh1os]

what if Hulk Hogan jumped back to the WWF in 1999?

[@thehouseofgozzie7691]

wcw would have been alive longer.

[@reddhead2948]

What if Owen hadn't of messed up the pildriver on Scsa Summerslam 97

[@dukes1993724]

What if Owen didn't break Steve's neck in 97?

[@DontBotherMate]

Kush MasterB If Owen never broke Austin's neck, he would have never retired in 2003 and probably be able to wrestle as of right now

[@futuregohan4837]

@@DontBotherMate And Owen Might've Had A Back Injury Due To A Undertaker Botch

[@randomnerdery6511]

I believe recently it came out that someone on creative wanted Christopher Daniels to be the higher power, but Vinnie Mac shot it down because Daniels isn't roided up, and was actually even smaller at the time.