“What If” Scenarios That Would Have Transformed WWE History

WWE history has been forever changed by a number of shocking, unexpected, or controversial moments over the decades.

Surprising exits, game-changing arrivals, and booking decisions that not a single soul ever imagined would happen have all shaped not just careers, but the sports entertainment landscape as a whole.

But what if some of those monumental occurrences never happened, eh?

Or certain important and hugely influential events turned out quite differently to how they ultimately did in this reality?

Would the stars fans currently class as some of the greatest of all time ever have been given the opportunity to rise to the top of the card?

If specific things within this crazy business didn't go down in the way they eventually did, perhaps folks wouldn't currently be living through one of the strongest and most successful eras in WWE history at this current moment in time.

So, it's time to hop into the wrestling multiverse and explore the different events that could have unfolded, had future megastars opted to keep their mouths shut on buses, icons not been toppled at massive events, or things worked out differently for WWE's competition.

WWE history wasn't just permanently altered by the formation of a certain Elite promotion; the entire wrestling business changed for the better.

Had this alternative never been unleashed, there's a strong chance WWE would have simply continued churning out the sort of lazy, half-arsed content that had made much of the last decade or so one of the bleakest eras sports entertainment has ever known.

Outside of the unexpected rise of 'The Man' Becky Lynch and Kofi Kingston, fans weren't exactly spoiled for choice when it came to captivating storylines, must-see PPVs, or even half-decent contests in-between the ropes pre-AEW.

WWE were in soul-crushing auto-pilot mode. And with no competition forcing them to pull their finger out, or at least make a still routinely baffling Vince McMahon-booked product occasionally sensational, the biggest wrestling organisation on the planet would have no doubt continued doing the bare minimum as folks gradually continued to be turned off the stale product.

Without a successful alternative to hop over to, some of the company's hottest stars likely wouldn't have been as happy to let their contracts run down or quick to ask for their release, either.

Current AEW stars like Adam Cole, Bryan Danielson, Toni Storm, Adam Copeland, and so many more may still be under WWE contract, were it not for those Elite lads and Tony Khan getting their heads together all those years ago.