10 WWE Nightmares That Thankfully Never Came True
2. Austin. Tyson. Warrior?
Just days before his untimely passing, the Ultimate Warrior was pictured tightly embracing Vince McMahon, signifying yet another hatchet buried on what would turn out to be the final weekend of his life.
Hindsight rapidly presented the 1996 re-signing of the former star as a major creative and financial blunder. McMahon himself even alluded to it in online interviews at the time, tacitly criticising Warrior's dated persona and unprofessional conduct, effectively confirming what many fans had felt before he'd even made his ill-advised WrestleMania XII return.
By late 1997, Warrior had been gone again 18 months, and WWE itself had changed irreversibly. Stone Cold Steve Austin was nailed on to be the next breakout act, with his ascension timing out perfectly with the controversial exit of Bret Hart and physical and mental unravelling of Shawn Michaels.
Absolutely unthinkable until it was leaked in 2014 though, was that McMahon still believed Warrior would be a better fit to lead his organisation than Austin and the host of competitive and exciting new talents at his disposal.
In a contract offer dated 17 December 1997, Vince offered Warrior a 5-year deal at $750,000 per annum guaranteed, only two months removed from telling Bret Hart he couldn't afford his $1million p/a contract. Working only 14 days a month for that wage with a very lucrative merchandise agreement and promise of a fresh run on top, the prospect of Warrior steamrolling over Austin, Michaels, The Rock, Triple H (again), Mankind, and numerous other megastars of the era must have seemed ludicrous to most then as it still does now. 'The Rattlesnake' and Warrior main eventing three WrestleManias against one another seems even sillier.