“What if” is a statement so commonly used in the wrestling fandom that it’s almost impossible not to hear it within any five-minute conversation with a hardened wrestling fan. So much of wrestling history could easily be triggered by a long-lasting butterfly effect with any bit of change that it drives the minds of wrestling fans and wrestlers crazy with possibilities. That is the core origin of our Reimagined series and how simple missed opportunities could change the career trajectories of so many different talents.

The mid-to-late 1990s was not an easy place for young upcoming talent to get over in World Championship Wrestling. The promotion had struggled for years before getting a slight injection of the big-time when Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage joined the company in 1994. Unfortunately, fans were growing tired of the same old shtick, eventually turning on the Hulkster and his antics, especially following the disastrous Doomsday Cage match at Uncensored 1996. With the debuts of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, followed by the heel turn of Hogan forming the New World Order, WCW would finally become the hot ticket in town. While most credit only the NWO for the high ratings and defeat of the World Wrestling Federation in the ratings, that is simply unfair to the rest of the roster, especially the Cruiserweight division, whose young, hungry talent was usually captivating the fan’s attention and building the show’s wrestling credibility.

On the much-maligned WCW reboot that occurred on April 10th, 2000, the beginnings of the New Blood versus Millionaire’s Club would occur, and one of the most notable happenings would be young Billy Kidman, one of the foremost Cruiserweights in popularity, calling out the Immortal Hulk Hogan. As Vince Russo designed a lot of their interaction, their back-and-forth featured a lot of insider terms, talking about pushes and the like. Eagle-eyed viewers would notice Hogan coming to the ring in a non-characteristic white tee with only one wrist taped up, indicating a forthcoming bladejob. While Hogan would dominate Kidman physically, Kidman had an ace up his sleeve in the form of Hogan’s best friend, Eric Bischoff, who laid out Hogan with a chair before performing a visual three-count for Hogan. Later in the night, the mysterious white Hummer from the previous year would return and smash into a Hogan-occupied limo. Bischoff would be revealed as the driver, with Kidman riding shotgun. The following weeks would see the two battling back and forth, usually only seeing Kidman getting the upper hand when getting assistance from guys like Bischoff or Mike Awesome. At Slamboree 2000, a match was set to see a black jeans-clad Hulk Hogan face off against Kidman with Eric Bischoff as the special guest referee. Despite Bischoff having Kimberly at ringside and Torrie Wilson in Kidman’s corner, Bischoff would have Hogan’s second, his nephew Horace, removed from the ring area. Despite the styles clash between the two, the match would go back and forth, though it was still done so that Hogan would destroy Kidman until some shenanigans would give Kidman a chance to come back. Following a bunch of shenanigans, numerous tables and more, Hogan would win the match when Horace returned to grab Bischoff’s arm and make the three-count. The feud would continue and culminate at The Great American Bash, this time with newly turned Horace Hogan as the referee, in a match to determine the Number One Contender. However, it would not be Hulk Hogan in this match, but Hollywood Hogan. In addition to the Number One Contendership, Hogan put his career on the line, making the result slightly less dramatic. Of course, Hogan would win, going on to Bash At The Beach to face Jeff Jarrett in one of the most controversial matches in history. At the same time, Kidman would return to a mid-card position and face off against Shane Douglas, with Torrie Wilson at the center of their rivalry.

The biggest issue with their feud was that there was never a point where Kidman got to look like he could compete with Hogan. Hogan has said in years since that he did it to show he could be a team player but didn’t believe it would work. While Kidman never stood out on the microphone, his in-ring abilities permitted him to push toward the top of the card. Had he been able to get the upper hand on Hogan without shenanigans or help, it may have turned out differently, so why not take a gander at what could have been?

Reimagined

In our Reimagining, we will leave the first night of the feud, the Nitro reboot on April 10th, 2000, as is. Despite how the rest of the angle played out, it did lay the groundwork decently enough. However, it could have used less insider jargon from both Kidman, Hogan and especially the announce team, discussing if what Bischoff was doing was a work or a shoot. With Hogan now laid out for a few weeks due to the Hummer attack on his limousine, Kidman starts getting to Hogan in different ways.

The next week on Nitro, the show begins with a medical update on Hogan provided by none other than the “Mouth Of The South” Jimmy Hart. He lets the whole world know that Hogan may be down and out for the time being, but he has already promised to come back with a brand new intensity to show Kidman exactly why he has remained at the top for so long. This brings out Kidman, accompanied by Torrie Wilson and Eric Bischoff. Kidman says he wants to see how much of a “Real American” Hogan is. He knows he can’t attack him in the wallet because he has an iron-clad contract, and he knows he can’t hurt him physically since he’s at home in Tampa, but he can see how much empathy the Immortal one has for his friends….then brutally attacks Jimmy Hart. He throws Jimmy into the ring post, busting him open before Torrie and Bischoff hold him in place on the mat as Kidman delivers a Shooting Star Press on his prone body. The trio walks off laughing as agents and medics tend to Hart in the ring, writing him back off the show to resume his backstage duties.

Kidman cuts a promo in the ring that week on Thunder, informing the world that Eric Bischoff has officially signed a match between Kidman and Hogan at Slamboree. If Hogan cannot be medically cleared or is too scared to show up, he will officially forfeit the match, and the record books will show that Kidman beat the Red and Yellow hero of the 80s, who was past his prime ten years ago, let alone today. He tells Hogan to watch Nitro as he has another surprise in store for him.

As the 9 PM hour rolled around on Nitro, Kidman would make his way to the ring with his entourage, once again taunting Hogan on the mic, before introducing his opponent for the night, the former Brutus ‘The F’n Barber’ Beefcake, Ed Leslie. Leslie would come to the ring, still using his garb from when he was known as The Disciple. Leslie would stand up for Hogan and come hard at Kidman, but Kidman’s speed would allow him to keep escaping Leslie before tearing and beating him from pillar to post. As the match draws to a close, he again takes one of Hogan’s friends and smashes him face-first into the ring post, bloodying him up before delivering a Shooting Star Press. Instead of going for the pin, he begins cupping his ear to the crowd a la Hogan before delivering Hogan’s patented leg drop for the pinfall victory. Once again, one of Hogan’s closest allies is carried off on a stretcher, bloodied and unconscious.

This leads us to Slamboree, which has a thread running through the show if Hogan will be there or not, with Mike Tenay giving backstage updates throughout the show. Finally, in the penultimate match of the night, Kidman comes out to the stage, this time alone. He makes his way into the ring and takes a microphone. Just as he is about to speak, Hogan’s “American Made” music hits, and Kidman drops the mic and stares in awe before it is revealed that the Hogan coming to the ring is just Eric Bischoff in disguise. As Kidman begins laughing and clapping, from the side of the stage comes a black-jeans-clad Hogan, wearing the same garb with the “FUNB” on his vest that he did in our reality. He attacks and throws Bischoff off the stage before making his way to the ring but is still noticeably limping. He immediately goes on the attack and throws Kidman all around the ring. The beating goes for several minutes before Kidman can perform a chop block to the back of Hogan’s bad knee, crumpling him to the mat. Kidman viciously attacks the leg, using submission holds such as the Figure Four and the Indian Death Lock, all as Hogan screams in pain. Kidman can wrap Hogan’s leg around the ring post, smashing it relentlessly over and over. Hogan cannot stand at this point, as Kidman kicks him out of the ring. He picks up Hogan’s nearly lifeless corpse and smashes his face into the ring post, busting him open as he did to Hart and Leslie. With Hogan drenched in blood, Kidman hits the Shooting Star Press, followed by the Leg Drop, getting the three count. This pinfall, though not exactly clean, is one that Kidman could accomplish on his own, with no outside interference, solidifying his status amongst an elite few who can claim the same. Hogan is stretchered out as Kidman celebrates with Torrie Wilson, who emerged after the match and checked on Bischoff.

The next night on Nitro, Kidman is again accompanied by Torrie Wilson and Eric Bischoff as he makes his way to the ring, wearing Hogan’s red and yellow feather boas and a Hulkamania shirt. Torrie is carrying a trash can to the ring, and Kidman mocks Hogan’s signature entrance before grabbing a mic. Billy claims he did what no one else could do; he killed Hulkamania. The last time the fans will ever see Hulk Hogan was bloodied and being carried away on a stretcher. He takes all the red and yellow stuff and throws it into the trash can. He says Hogan always refused to pass the torch to the younger talent, so he will symbolically make the red and yellow torch he ripped from Hogan’s blood-drenched hands. Torrie throws a lit match into the trash can, and as the fire emerges, so does Hogan’s nephew Horace with a microphone. He says he may not have always agreed with Hogan or his methods, but in the end, blood is thicker than water, and he can not stand to see his family have their bloodshed. He challenges Kidman to a match the following week on Nitro. If Kidman wins, the Red and Yellow will never be seen again in WCW, but if Horace wins, there will be a tag team match between Kidman and Bischoff against Horace and Hulk Hogan when he returns. Kidman initially laughs off the challenge, but the allure of killing off the Red and Yellow forever is too much for him to resist.

The main event is set on Nitro the next week, Billy Kidman versus Horace Hogan. Not only is it a big match for Kidman in the main event slot. Horace uses his power to start strong, but his lack of overall ability begins to show as Kidman starts wrestling circles around him. Kidman wins the match with a Shooting Star Press, ensuring that the Red and Yellow is gone forever as far as WCW is concerned. He goes to continue the attack on Horace when the familiar NWO music hits and out comes Hollywood Hogan, clad in black and white. He hits the ring and saves Horace from a further beating as the show goes off the air.

The following week on Nitro, with less than two weeks to go until The Great American Bash, Hogan opens the show with Horace at his side. He gets on the mic and says that while Kidman may have rid WCW of the Red and Yellow, he reawakened the Hollywood beast lying dormant and is ready to be more vicious than ever. Kidman comes out to the stage sans Torrie but with Bischoff. Bischoff gets on the mic and announces the match will be Kidman versus Hollywood Hogan at The Great American Bash. The winner will become the Number One Contender for the WCW World Championship, a match they will receive at Bash At The Beach. Hogan smiles but says that isn’t enough. When this started, it was a professional thing, but Kidman made it personal, going after his friends and family. He’s spilt many pints of blood, and it’s time he wore his crimson mask. He challenges Kidman to a First Blood match at the Bash. Kidman laughs off the challenge and asks, what’s in it for me? We need to up the ante if you want me to risk my career in a First Blood match. Hogan says that Kidman has gotten rid of Hulk Hogan in WCW, but if he wins the match at the Bash, he will eliminate WCW of Hollywood Hogan and Terry Bollea. With this, Kidman accepts, and the match is official. Bischoff then announces that there will be no physical interactions between Kidman and anyone named Hogan until the match; otherwise, Hogan will forfeit the match and be barred from WCW for life.

The next week on the go-home show for the Bash, it is announced that Hollywood and Horace Hogan will be in tag-team action, but their opponents remain a mystery. Halfway through the show, the Hogans come to the ring, and Hollywood gets on the mic. He says he doesn’t want to wait until the main event and wants to get his hands dirty now. Kidman and Bischoff emerge, with Kidman cutting jokes on Hogan’s age and feigning surprise that the almighty Hollywood Hogan doesn’t want to be in the main event. He then introduces their opponents, KroniK. The two big men emerge from the crowd and attack the Hogans from behind. The match goes for a few minutes before Hogan gets the upper hand and can layout Brian Adams with a Big Boot and the Leg Drop for the win while Clarke and Horace battle on the outside. As Hogan celebrates, Kidman jumps on the apron and taunts him, trying to get him to hit him. This allows KroniK to attack once again, and per the instruction of Kidman, they hit the High Time Double Chokeslam on Hollywood through a table. Kidman then gets in the ring, standing over the fallen Hogan while cupping his ear to the crowd and doing Hogan’s signature poses.

Finally, The Great American Bash is here, and the two appear in the penultimate match of the night. Unlike their previous matches, Kidman begins in charge, attacking Hogan like a rabid dog attacks a raw steak. Eventually, Hogan’s power becomes too much for the young Cruiserweight and the two battle all around ringside. After about 11 minutes of back-and-forth action, Kidman can lay Hogan out on a table on the floor. He heads to the top rope, attempting to do a Shooting Star Press to the prone legend on the table, but Hogan can roll off in time, leaving Kidman to smash through the table. Hogan picks him up with a handful of hair, talking trash before launching Kidman face-first into the ring post, busting him open. Referee Nick Patrick calls for the bell, putting an end to the match, and leaving both men to move on to the same feuds we had in our reality.

This is, of course, only one way that things could have gone with the feud between Kidman and Hogan. The biggest misstep, in reality, was that even though Kidman defeated Hogan three times in a row, none of them were convincing enough to make it seem like it mattered. Everyone knows that Hogan was very protective of his character and how he would lose on the rare occasion he did. However, with this reimagining, in the end, he still gets to stand tall, bringing back the more vicious Hollywood Hogan. In contrast, Kidman does look good in his victories, especially with the one clean pinfall that matters more than most assume it does.

How would you have Reimagined this controversial feud? There are so many variations that could have been, but in the end, we always have our imaginations running wild…just like Hulkamania.