101 Shocking Wrestling Plans You Won't Believe Almost Happened

13. SmackDown Is A ‘Divas Only Show’

Say what you will about Russo (and people have!), but he believed in the women's game long before WWE spoke of "revolution", "evolution" or anything of the sort. Not only did Vince fancy making Chyna the first female WWF Champion at SummerSlam 1999, but he also had another bold play before leaving for WCW between September-October.

SmackDown's 29 April '99 pilot had been considered a success, so it became a new 2-hour weekly starting on 26 August. In time, the show would become unmissable as another helping of federation mayhem and a neat accompaniment to flagship show Raw Is War, but Russo had totally different intentions for it before the blue brand properly kicked off.

He wanted it to be an all-Divas broadcast.

That doesn't sound like something any wrestling fan would sniff at nowadays. If WWE announced that they were turning Smackers into a showcase for the entire women's division, then it'd likely get cheers from some quarters. Back in 1999? You couldn't say the same. The company didn't really have a hot women's division to speak of.

The Divas were there to titillate, not inspire in fab matches or compelling storylines. Overall, the fed's women existed as eye candy and little else. If they could shift merch, like Sable, then cool - that wasn't the main reason they were on shows though.

Being real, there was just no way the Divas sector could've filled a 2 hour long weekly television show in 1999. There were only so many Ivory vs. Fabulous Moolah matches fans could take.