10 Hidden Masterminds Behind Wrestling's Biggest Ever Stars
3. Bill Watts
An inspirational booker at his peak, Bill Watts cutting something a dated cloth in the modern age does much to undermine a legacy that had previously looked very assured.
With a territory ageing better than any of his takes and tropes, Watts' Mid-South presented itself as a clear inspiration of Tony Khan during what many people consider AEW's peak period in early 2020. Beyond that, Watts is one of the biggest influences of longstanding lieutenant Jim Ross, who himself - as WWE Talent Relations tsar - was the under-appreciated architect of the Attitude Era's best and brightest new stars.
Long before McMahon was "retiring" in 2022, he was testing the waters stepping back from many of his creative responsibilities as early as 1995. The man he chose to step in for him back then? Bill Watts. It was doomed from the start following Watts' divisive and ultimately failed attempt to reverse WCW's fortunes years earlier, but even in a short spell he left some magic behind - Monday Night Raw's best heat angle and best television main event of the entire year can be found on the October 9th edition of the show.