10 Forgotten WWE Experiments That Didn't Last
1. A Split WWF Logo
The above is a still screenshot taken from Sky Box Office hype for the then-upcoming No Mercy 1999 pay-per-view. Not the one in the US later that same year, but the UK exclusive one that fans elsewhere would only be able to get on VHS or DVD in the future. Arguably the only match worth seeing on it was the main event pitting Steve Austin vs. Triple H vs. Undertaker in an 'Anything Goes' Triple Threat.
They opened with a 60 second clash between Tiger Ali Singh and Gillberg. Yeah.
What do you notice first when scanning that promotional graphic above? Ken Shamrock's shadowy face even though he wasn't actually on the card? Or, is it that curious looking split WWF ('WW-F') logo which was only used this once? That sticks out as odd, because it'd never be seen anywhere else again.
Thinking about it, this could’ve been something to do with the World Wildlife Fund and the company's inability to openly promote the WWF acronym in the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, it’s fascinating to effectively see that WWE logo 3 years before it was a thing. There was an 'F' crudely sitting close by, but still.
Move the little red underline slightly to the left there, and you've pretty much got the logo they'd use from May 2002 until 2014 and a fresh, 'scratch-less' redesign. That was surely accidental, 'cause Vince McMahon didn't know for sure he'd have to rebrand completely in May '99.
What a bizarre bit of advertising all round - it showed a wrestler who wasn't on the show promoted, and it couldn't even use the WWF's proper symbolism.
What other forgotten experiments from WWE history can you think of? For more wrestling, check out 10 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: Necro Butcher vs. Samoa Joe and 101 Shocking Wrestling Plans You Won't Believe Almost Happened!