What if? Eddie G, 1996

[tiger_rick]

Bit of a different "What If?" question, I think In early 1996, during the early days of the Monday Night War, WCW considered having Eddie Guerrero upset Ric Flair to win the World Title on Nitro. Eddie was really popular at the time and did well in the audience surveys they'd take - especially for his position on the card and lack of push. Flair eventually lost the title to The Giant and then it went onto Hogan at the start of the nWo angle. It would have been out of nowhere but what would it have done for Eddie's career? Would he have held it for long? Straight back to Flair or does he drop it to Hogan (or The Giant)? Would his stature have been raised to a point where he's a bigger deal in the nWo story on the WCW side? Does he ever end up in that "Radicalz" position in 2000? Do his personal "demons" affect him more or less?

What do you think?

[Guest]

I’ve never heard that rumour before, where’s that come from? 

[SaitoRyo]

Never heard that before either, but you have to imagine any sort of reign would have been short and likely done more to create an unpredictable moment than as part of any long-term planning. 

Eddie was obviously a great talent and was always talked up on commentary by Bobby Heenan (who regularly called him one of the best in the world), but he hadn't put it all together in early 1996. It wasn't until the fall of '97, really, that he started to properly come into his own while working with Jericho and Mysterio as a heel. 

There's a lot of hypothetical 'What Ifs?' in your post that are interesting, but I don't think the personal demons thing relates at all. Eddie had been experimenting with pills for a while, but his issues got really bad after he wrecked his car (while high on a then legal form of GBH) on New Year's Eve 1998 and almost died. 

[WyattSheepMask]

Can’t say I’ve heard that rumour before either, but you just know that Hogan would’ve tried to get himself in on the act similar to how he tried to get Brian Pillman’s Loose Cannon angle integrated into his storyline with The Horsemen & Dungeon of Doom.

Assuming that Hall & Nash still come in in May, any push/reign that Eddie was having would’ve been quickly ended once the focus shifted to the nWo

[Tommy!]

29 minutes ago, Louch said:

I’ve never heard that rumour before, where’s that come from? 

It was in the observer at the time I believe, fairly sure I heard it in the observer notes on one of SCGs Monday night wars podcasts.

[BomberPat]

Eddie just wouldn't have had the political allies to stay anywhere near the top in a company with Hogan and his mates, and with Hall and Nash inbound, so I imagine it would have been a short-term thing. And Eddie in 1996 wasn't the well-rounded performer he became - he was a phenomenal talent already, but the unreal charisma and the swagger wasn't there yet, he wasn't someone that audiences could live vicariously through the way they could when he eventually won the WWE belt, nor had he become the great vindictive heel that he became around '98.

I think if he'd won the belt then, not only would it have been a short reign, but it would be one that did more harm than good - I think he'd have been seen as a failed champion, and probably not really given that opportunity again.

[Guest]

To go back to Rick’s post, I don’t think this wouldn’t have been even close to happening. He was tiny compared to what headliners where then. Even Flair had limits on who he’d put over, never mind for the main title. It would have had to be a fluke finish, with the belt immediately back in the next match. 

[Tommy!]

By Eddie's own admission he wasn't mature  enough for that spot in 2004, so there's no way he's ready in 96. 

And while he delivered in ring he was still finding his feet on the mic, his WW3 promo wouldn't be cutting the mustard as a champion.

[tiger_rick]

47 minutes ago, SaitoRyo said:

There's a lot of hypothetical 'What Ifs?' in your post that are interesting, but I don't think the personal demons thing relates at all. Eddie had been experimenting with pills for a while, but his issues got really bad after he wrecked his car (while high on a then legal form of GBH) on New Year's Eve 1998 and almost died. 

I'm not sure it relates anyway but thought I'd throw it out there. Others might have an opinion.

30 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

And Eddie in 1996 wasn't the well-rounded performer he became - he was a phenomenal talent already, but the unreal charisma and the swagger wasn't there yet

I don't think that's true. I'm always amazed when I go back how brilliant he was, as heel and face, and just how over he always was in any spot. I don't think it was "the guy" charisma but I think it was there. In ring anyway, it was a long time before he was a mic guy.

20 minutes ago, Tommy! said:

By Eddie's own admission he wasn't mature  enough for that spot in 2004, so there's no way he's ready in 96.

Not saying you're wrong but I think it was a completely different pressure in WCW, which was still small-time to the outside world and it wasn't a case of carrying the load because the champion was secondary to Hogan unless it was Hogan.

[Tommy!]

9 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

Not saying you're wrong but I think it was a completely different pressure in WCW, which was still small-time to the outside world and it wasn't a case of carrying the load because the champion was secondary to Hogan unless it was Hogan.

I'd imagine the pressure is worse in the WCW political minefield. It's a different kind of pressure, granted.

[tiger_rick]

18 minutes ago, Tommy! said:

I'd imagine the pressure is worse in the WCW political minefield. It's a different kind of pressure, granted.

That was pre-Outsiders arrival and any decision would have gone through their head booker, Hulk Hogan, so I'm still not sure it would have been the same as being the guy in WWE 2004 with their monopoly on the industry, a natural slide from their peak occurring and the shoes you felt you had to fill at that point.

[SaitoRyo]

29 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

I don't think that's true. I'm always amazed when I go back how brilliant he was, as heel and face, and just how over he always was in any spot. I don't think it was "the guy" charisma but I think it was there. In ring anyway, it was a long time before he was a mic guy.

Oh absolutely. Eddie Guerrero is my favourite wrestler of all-time. Even he would contend in later interviews that he wasn't yet able to show the necessary charisma and personality to be a top guy in the mainstream US scene at that time though.  

If you watch Eddie in 1996 and then see what he's doing six years later during his WWE return, the difference is incredible. He wrestled with a confidence and crispness that was unmatched.

He always had a ceiling in WCW, given how many heavy hitters were on the roster at that time. He still could and should have been utilised better, of course. 

[Guest]

He was cracking in ring in 96, but as Saito says he didn’t carry himself anywhere close to main eventer. This sounds like it should be in the 3rd man was Mabel Observer world of no chance. 

[Tommy!]

7 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

That was pre-Outsiders arrival and any decision would have gone through their head booker, Hulk Hogan

Even before hall and Nash turned up you had Hogan, flair, savage and Sullivan all getting into pissing contests. To say things only got complicated in the back after hall and Nash arrived is over simplifying things, in my opinion.

Also you make dealing with Hogan and his creative control sound like a dream and not the massive stressful arse ache it inevitably was. 

[Infinity Land]

I'm sure this was covered in 83 Weeks in a roundabout way. I remember something along these lines but that it was supposed to the US Title he was going to win from Flair in 1996. He would end up winning it after Flair vacated due to injury

Trying to hunt around there is this little clip that talks about possibly being WCW World Champion and it doesn't like it was on the cards at any point during that era.