What if The Iron Sheik would listen to Verne Gagne and Hulkamania wouldnt been born?

[Martyn]

Hallo PWO! In this shoot interview, The Iron Sheik discusses the details of how Verne Gagne tried to pay him for not dropping the WWF belt to Hogan and injuring him in the same process:

 

 

Just think about it - he couldve not only take the WWF title to AWA, but also quite possibly injure the mega star WWFs rise to the global phenomenom had been built around.

 

What if the birth of Hulkamania wouldve happen a few months/yearls later? Would it still be as big as the original one? or what would it mean to WWF if it would never happen, because Hogan would never be able to compete again?

 

Would Hulk Hogan or WWF sue AWA?

 

Could Vince and WWF reach their global status by hiring Randy Savage and making him someone, Hulk Hogan was supposed to be (with Machomania and all of that)?

 

Could AWA became the number one player worldvide, because of it or would theyve stayed in ther terrytory and the whole territorial system would be around even today?

 

It seems like a completely new history could have been written, if the WWF would be stopped at the right moment. Those circumstances made it the most important match ever, way more influental than the Montreal Screwjob or the nWo vs. Savage, Sting and Luger.

[Log]

Im not sure about all the other stuff, but I think its safe to say that the AWA would NOT have become the number one promotion. Verne was way too out-of-touch to pull that off.

[BruiserBrody]

The tape is buried, Sheik doesn't make it out of the Garden with the title, Verne is sued/arrested since Sheik would rat him out, Vince would have picked up even more of Verne's talent out of spite, Hogan would be back by summer - still huge and full of charisma and Sheik enjoys financial ruin after he is black balled by most promoters for being untrustworthy in the hands of their talent.

 

WWF @ New York City, NY - Madison Square Garden - January 23, 1984 (26,292 which included 4,000 at Felt Forum)
Televised on the MSG Network - included Gorilla Monsoon & Pat Patterson on commentary; a young Chris Kanyon was in attendance; featured Gene Okerlund conducting a backstage interview with the new WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan regarding his title win, during which Andre the Giant appeared to celebrate and poured champagne over Hogan's head, with Ivan Putski and WWF Tag Team Champion Rocky Johnson appearing moments later; included Okerlund conducting a backstage interview with Hogan's parents Ruth and Pete about Hogan's title win:
Tony Garea pinned Jose Luis Rivera at 6:46 by reversing a crossbody into a cover
The Invaders fought Mr. Fuji & Tiger Chung Lee to a 20-minute time-limit draw at 20:23
The Masked Superstar pinned Chief Jay Strongbow at 7:26 with a clothesline
Sgt. Slaughter defeated Ivan Putski via count-out at 11:29 when Putski knocked Slaughter back in the ring as both men were brawling on the floor; after the bout, Putski continued to attack Slaughter, not realizing the match was over
Paul Orndorff (w/ Roddy Piper) pinned Salvatore Bellomo with a powerslam and the piledriver at 14:06 (Orndorff's MSG debut) (Piper's MSG return after nearly a 5-year absence) (The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the 80s)
WWF IC Champion Don Muraco (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) fought Tito Santana to a double disqualification at 16:03 when both men continually ignored the referee's instructions
The Haiti Kid & Tiger Jackson defeated Dana Carpenter & Pancho Boy in a Best 2 out of 3 falls bout, 2-0; fall #1: Jackson pinned Pancho with a sunset flip at 5:18; fall #2: Haiti pinned Carpenter at 1:35, with the referee seemingly not realizing it was the finish as he hesitated during the pinfall
Hulk Hogan (sub. for Bob Backlund) pinned WWF World Champion the Iron Sheik

[NintendoLogic]

I don't think Verne would have faced any legal repercussions. I think folks in the business in 1984 would have still been too carny to admit under oath that wrestling matches were fixed.

 

Also, the rise of cable TV would have destroyed the territory system eventually even without McMahon or Hogan.

[Dooley]

Yeah the one thing this scenario doesn't take into account is that Sheik still had to make it out of the building.

[Victator]

I don't think Sheik was going to have as easy time with Hogan as he thought. But if he did it would not matter if the WWF took the belt, Sheik would still be thought of as champion. He would have no reason to snitch on Verne since its not like he would be arrested. If they could get charges to stick (they couldn't), it would do the WWF no favors to press the issue.

The only thing the WWF could do is a phantom title switch and hope for the best.

[Dylan Waco]

Was the WWF in a dispute with the Apter mags at that point? Because that honestly could have had a HUGE effect in such a scenario

[Loss]

That started a few months later when Vince banned their photographers so he could launch his own in-house magazine, but I suspect if he needed to be in their good graces in this type of scenario, he would have simply avoided that step. LOL at PWI billing the WWF title as a "regional championship" for two years in response.

[joeg]

A few things to consider- some that have already been said.

 

Does Shiek make it out of the building in one piece? Probably not. I'd imagine it to be something like Butch's story in Pulp Fiction.

 

Vince's national expansion would still happen. Would it be 6 more months until Hogan was anointed that top guy or would he go get somebody else to fill that spot is really the only question. I would half expect Vince to go sign Bock, Hennig, and the Road Warriors out of spite. Hypothetically, if Hogan were done for, would he go get Savage, Dibiase, and Flair in 84 to fill that gap?

[khawk20]

Sheik breaks his leg during the match but to make it look like an accident he finds a way for Hogan to pin him and still win the title.

 

Hogan is the champ but can't defend the title or promote himself and the Hogan experience live for the first three months, which gives Verne and the NWA and the rest time to assess what Vince is doing and trying to do. It doesn't change much at the end of the day.

 

Likely it delays the inevitable and maybe enough so WrestleMania I is in 1986, not 1985.

[Martyn]

If Verne, Crockett and most importantly, The Sheik, would have the guts to do it, then they could set it up in a way, where The Sheik would leave the arena with the title. All they would have to do is to plant "their" people in the crowd (to help The Sheik, if there would be some riot) and a car with the engine turned on, waiting outside. I know that it sounds like some action movie, but if Vince wouldnt expect anything, then they would be able to pull it off. Just imagine, having The Iron Sheik with the WWF title doing jobs to the AWA and NWA champions.

 

If Hogan would get injured for good and would have to leave the buisness, Vince McMahon would really struggle with building his empire. Maybe, if used right, Randy Savage could accomplish as much as Hogan did, but that would certainly take much more time.

 

 

I don't think Verne would have faced any legal repercussions. I think folks in the business in 1984 would have still been too carny to admit under oath that wrestling matches were fixed.

 

Also, the rise of cable TV would have destroyed the territory system eventually even without McMahon or Hogan.

 

If they would be smart enough to work as an unity within the territories plus they would be backed up with some strong TV and PPV deals, then they could easly survive. The history would be different, WWF might have never been as big as it really was and who knows what Ted Turner would do, if the territories were much stronger back then.

[Al]

Given the failure of Pro Wrestling USA, I doubt the territories could've worked together to stop Vince in any concerted effort.

[Victator]

That started a few months later when Vince banned their photographers so he could launch his own in-house magazine, but I suspect if he needed to be in their good graces in this type of scenario, he would have simply avoided that step. LOL at PWI billing the WWF title as a "regional championship" for two years in response.

They actually took World title status away from Backlund. Backlund was routinely being ranked near the bottom of the top ten. This continued with Hogan as champion briefly, but I think near the first Mania, PWI realized they were looking silly.