One MIND-BLOWING Secret From EVERY WWE WrestleMania

15. WrestleMania 27 | WCW WrestleMania

WrestleMania 27 emanated from WCW country: Atlanta, Georgia, in the stadium, the Georgia Dome, that symbolised WCW Nitro as a TV powerhouse. For a stark insight into how quickly that power was cut, the ‘Finger Poke of Doom’ Nitro took place on January 4, 1999. By October 11, just 280 days later, the WWF had stormed this enemy territory and drew 33,375 paying fans. 

It was precisely this sort of humiliating, emphatic victory that shaped Vince McMahon’s thoughts during the Invasion angle (well, that and an intense, obsessive loathing of Ted Turner). How could those WCW yahoos even dream of beating the WWF? 

We’re the recognised leader in global sports entertainment, pal! 

It’s bizarre, then, to learn that WWE briefly considered running a location-specific WCW theme for - of all shows! - WrestleMania. 

Deep into an on-off “we might as well bring him back in at some point, it’s not as if we have many other stars” process, WWE sought the services of Goldberg. That was the rumour, anyway, per the January 3, 2011 Observer. Additionally, WWE had plans on inducting Lex Luger, Ron Simmons, and Arn Anderson into the Hall of Fame to further build the tie-in. This seems altogether too nice, doesn’t it? 

Of course it was: Goldberg didn’t return until 2016, and it took a video game publisher to remind WWE of his enduring popularity. Also, inductees into the 2011 WWE Hall of Fame class were Shawn Michaels, Jim Duggan, Bob Armstrong, Sunny, and Abdullah the Butcher. 

Who can forget all those classic Nitro moments involving those guys.