Attitude Era Randomness

Been skimming through old 1997-1998 Raws & PPVs. Led to some random thoughts/questions:

1) If Shamrock never exists in pro wrestling, if/when do you think the tap-out makes its way to wrestling? And do you think Kurt Angle ever goes with the Ankle Lock without Shamrock doing it first?

2) If Taka Michinoku had the opportunity in WCW instead of WWF, do you think he would’ve been better off there? He was the centerpiece for the Lightweight Division, but it was an awkward fit on the roster. He seems like he would fit better in WCW Cruiserweight Division & maybe ends up in WWF later, when they’re more workrare focused?

3) If injuries weren’t an issue, do you think Ahmed Johnson succeeds in his new Nation of Domination role, and how far could he have gone? He was a scary motherf**ker with that persona & looked way more legit in the role than the rest of the stable…

​1. Guys were doing the anklelock before Shamrock, so it would probably find its way to Angle. Obviously he popularized it as a finisher, but it was around. Bringing the tap-out to wrestling was pretty big, but I think ECW (who was also a factor in migrating some of the UFC stuff) would have done so without him as well.

2. Yeah, I think Taka would have excelled in WCW, definitely.

3. Even without injuries, he was still a dangerous worker who couldn’t talk. Vince might have taken a shot with him on top, but there’s a ceiling on what he could have done before he pissed off Undertaker or injured Austin, and that would be it for him. ​