One MIND-BLOWING Secret From EVERY Month Of The WWE Attitude Era

3. February 2001 | The Last Rumoured Jump

Road Dogg Billy Gunn 1999
WWE.com

Across the Monday Night Wars era, talents jumped between promotions rather a lot. It was one of the coolest aspects of the time period, something that went virtually missing from mainstream U.S. wrestling between 2001 and 2019. 

The second a wrestler made the jump, it was often the most interesting they were ever going to be. Wrestling fans get accused of being cynical, but if a wrestler jumps from one promotion to another, they can become World champion now that the booker isn’t gonna hold them back any longer.  With the vultures looming over whatever remained of WCW’s dying body, there was time for just one more jump rumour. It wasn’t a very good one.

Billy Gunn, according to the February 19 Observer, hopped on a radio show and announced that his New Age Outlawz tag team partner Road Dogg was set to sign for WCW. He was in a position to do it, having been indefinitely suspended and subsequently released from his WWF contract in January 2001 as a result of ongoing personal issues. Eric Bischoff denied any knowledge of an apparent deal. 

Road Dogg purportedly tried to force the issue, but discovered that the process was far from smooth af. He is said to have turned up to the March 26, 2001 WCW Nitro taping in Panama City, Florida. He had no idea that it would be the promotion’s last.

If nobody from WCW said to him “Oh, you didn’t know?”, that would be a huge opportunity missed.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!