That Time Vince McMahon ACTUALLY Stopped Booking WWE

Bill Watts
WWE

Almost.

Bill Watts - think Gran Torino, except he lives next door to all of the ethnicities - wasn't just a booking genius. He was a booking pioneer; at the helm of Mid-South Wrestling, he created the model for episodic wrestling television to which AEW's Tony Khan is indebted. 10 lashes of the whip was a fate shared by both Cody and Magnum TA (and Terry Taylor, whose earnest, loyal babyface courage is another trope borrowed by Khan).

WWE remains unmatched in its ability to craft video packages precision-calibrated to sell you on a match, even if the build towards it faltered at times, or was mid to begin with. That was a Watts innovation; with his finger on the pulse of fashion, his groundbreaking use of the music video fleshed out the personalities of his talent. His own training montage, set to 'Eye of the Tiger', edited to incorporate his glory days and create a striking tone of pathos and drama, was incredibly rousing stuff ahead of his 'Last Stampede' - an angle, incidentally, that has heavily inspired Dustin Rhodes' AEW run. 'One Last Ride', as his slogan goes.

That was the magic of Watts; more so than marketing and schlock, he was incredibly careful and savvy to emphasise relatable human characteristics and the connections forged across his roster, the effect of which created entry points to endless purposeful matches within a universe that proved immersive and realistic. These foundations, once established, enabled the deftest of quick manoeuvres - that being the legendary Ted DiBiase babyface turn, the overnight nature of which was made viable through his connection with Dick Murdoch. It is not at all unlike - yes - Khan's AEW, in which virtually every match is informed by that which came before.

CONT'D...(2 of 6)

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential 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 former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current 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!