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Post by LillaThrilla on Jun 17, 2010 21:49:48 GMT -5
Vince McMahon signed Hulk Hogan away from AWA to WWF in the early 1980s as part of his crushing of all competition and taking WWF national.
If Verne Gagne had given Hogan more money and a guaranteed main event spot with World Title reigns could he have been persuaded to stay in AWA?
If Hogan stays in AWA, how do things turn out differently?
Does Vince still succeed going national without the star power of Hogan?
How long does AWA survive with the draw of Hogan, a less powerful WWF, and a fewer better decisions by Gagne?
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Post by JoshiQ on Jun 17, 2010 21:57:04 GMT -5
I think the same thing happens, but it might have just taken a little bit longer. McMahon would have found somebody else to fit into that role. WrestleMania might have been delayed by a year or two, but McMahon wasn't going to be beat in the wrestling wars at that time.
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psz
Midcarder
Posts: 259
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Post by psz on Jun 18, 2010 7:12:26 GMT -5
I think Vince would have found SOMEone to be a main event player. Hogan fit his "vision" best: Big, Strong, Charasmatic.
And let's not forget, prior to the AWA run, Hogan was in the WWF in the late 70s.
Vince may have gone after Savage sooner (and thus pushed him sooner), or maybe he'd have just done the same thing: Find another territory's "best" guy (in terms of potential ticket sales) and stolen that person (Flair?)
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Post by LillaThrilla on Jun 18, 2010 7:48:26 GMT -5
I think Vince would have found SOMEone to be a main event player. Hogan fit his "vision" best: Big, Strong, Charasmatic. And let's not forget, prior to the AWA run, Hogan was in the WWF in the late 70s. Vince may have gone after Savage sooner (and thus pushed him sooner), or maybe he'd have just done the same thing: Find another territory's "best" guy (in terms of potential ticket sales) and stolen that person (Flair?) Savage I can see, but Flair is neither big nor strong plus he works better as a heel than a face.
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Post by magiccitydawg on Jun 18, 2010 11:28:16 GMT -5
I think the same thing happens, but it might have just taken a little bit longer. McMahon would have found somebody else to fit into that role. WrestleMania might have been delayed by a year or two, but McMahon wasn't going to be beat in the wrestling wars at that time. I think that the AWA would have survived and even been more of a national deal than the WWF. You have to look at the roster for the WWF the year before Hogan and see who the strongest face and the strongest heel was. Looking at the match history for 1982 (http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/82.htm) one of the more intriguing matches was Champion Bob Backlund vs Jimmy Snuka, so I would have gone with that and given the belt to Snuka. I do know that the NWA would have been intact and not gone through the WCW linage break. Looking through the history, I also found that Superstar billy Graham and Bob Backlund started a series of matches in the bigger markets on October 4, 1982 and went through the rest of the year. If Hogan was given a better deal from the AWA, either Snuka of Graham would be champion at the end of 1982, and there would be no need for Hogan to even go to the WWE.
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Post by LillaThrilla on Jun 18, 2010 12:45:43 GMT -5
Superstar Billy Graham was essentially the proto-Hogan wasn't he, especially with the shaved head and mustache in his early 80s WWF stint? He had the look but not the charisma I guess - or just too old by that point?
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Post by JoshiQ on Jun 18, 2010 13:20:42 GMT -5
What about Jim Duggan or Terry Gordy? '82 they were still only 3 years into their career, but I could see them headlining WWF by '84. Especially Duggan if they didn't saddle him with the 2x4 gimmick.
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