After WWE had purchased WCW, it seemed only natural that many top names would follow and become WWE employees. In retrospect, it clearly would have been incredible for wrestling fans to have the company fill up with many top stars from Atlanta, including the likes of Goldberg, Ric Flair and Sting, but none of these guys would come over straight away. WWE did hold talks with some about buying out their contracts, and performers such as DDP and Booker T agreed to make the jump. For others, such as Flair, Goldberg and Sting, it made far more sense to see out their contracts with AOL/Time Warner, sitting at home and collecting vast sums of money. One of the premier names in WCW's history, Sting has noted that whilst he did eventually discuss terms with McMahon in 2002, he never even talked about joining the then-WWF after WCW went bust in 2001, as it was never an option for him. It's maddening to imagine that WWE wouldn't want Sting to lead the invasion angle, and that 2014 was the first time the man ever let the ink dry on a WWE contract.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
