Top Five Moments That Indirectly Changed The Trajectory of Professional Wrestling

Brian Damage

There is an old saying that goes, “All things happen for a reason.” It can be true in everyday life, but for the sake of this blog, we will keep it pro wrestling related. Sometimes things are done or happen that were simply meant to be…even if that was not the intention at first. Here are my top five moments that perhaps indirectly (or maybe directly) changed the wrestling business.

Honorable Mention: Teddy Hart was originally planned to debut under the Blue Blazer gimmick during the Attitude Era. If true, Owen Hart might be alive today…(if 100% accurate)

Kevin Sullivan Books His own Divorce

I’ll first get this one out of the way. ‘The Taskmaster’ Kevin Sullivan was head booker of WCW, when he decided to book his wife Nancy to pair up with Chris Benoit. According to reports, Sullivan insisted to keep kayfabe, that Nancy travel on the road with Benoit. One thing lead to another and Sullivan was on the outside looking in as Nancy and Chris became a real life couple. Of course, we all know the horrific circumstances that happened after that between Chris and Nancy that we do not need to re-hash. All of that began with an innocent booking decision.

Rocky Maivia Turns Heel Making Him a Movie Star

The wrestling career of Rocky Maivia was really going nowhere as a babyface. He was being booed and heckled in every arena that he appeared in. It was his heel turn and him joining the Nation of Domination faction that Maivia turned into ‘The Rock’ and allowed him to play the cocky, arrogant heel that spoke in the third person. That version of the character took off and eventually allowed him to appear on TV and the a small role in the movie ‘The Mummy 2’ as the Scorpion King. Soon, Dwayne Johnson was getting more and more roles in movies and eventually led him to become a huge movie star and entrepreneur in Hollywood.

Hulkamania is Born from a small role in a Movie

Hulk Hogan is offered and accepts the role of portraying ‘Thunderlips’ in the motion picture ‘Rocky III.’ Vince Sr forbids him to take the role, as McMahon felt that it would hurt the image of pro wrestling. Hogan takes the offer anyway, leading him to leave the WWF. The movie is a big hit and makes a bigger name out of Hulk Hogan. Rocky III becomes the catalyst that sets the wheels in motion for Hulkamania and his career skyrockets from that. Eventually returning to the WWF and helping launch the WWF into national expansion which killed all the territories.

Larry Nelson Gets a DUI and Starts the Wrestling Career of Eric Bischoff

A man named Larry Nelson was a longtime interviewer/ring announcer/interviewer for the American Wrestling Association in the 1980’s. One day before he was scheduled to appear at an AWA TV taping, Nelson was busted on a Driving Under the Influence charge. With Larry Nelson unavailable to appear at the taping, owner Verne Gagne had to scramble to find a quick replacement. He and his son Greg found that person in the form of an office worker named Eric Bischoff. Eric had zero experience as a wrestling announcer, but because he was already dressed in a suit and was good looking they convinced him to do the gig. A one shot deal turned into more and more opportunities in front of the camera and that ultimately led Bischoff to WCW. If not for that DUI arrest, Bischoff more than likely doesn’t become an announcer and then an executive for World Championship Wrestling and sets up the Monday Night Wars.

Vince McMahon Turns Cody Rhodes into Stardust and leads to Bigger things

When the decision was to create the ‘Stardust’ gimmick for Cody Rhodes in WWE, it was looked at by Cody as some sort of punishment. Despite being miserable being Stardust, he did the best e could with the character before finally snapping and requesting his release from the company. Cody went on to make himself one of the hottest free agents in pro wrestling appearing in various independent groups and wrestling in places like TNA, Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling. While in Japan, Cody became good friends with the Young Bucks and together put on an extremely successful indie show called All In. That led billionaire Tony Khan to eventually get involved as a financial backer and All Elite Wrestling was formed a year later.