What if Hulk Hogan had refused to join the nWo?

2. Sting never goes to TNA

If Sting had headed up the nWo he may have made his way to WWE sooner after the buyout.

There were a variety of reasons why Sting didn’t sign with WWE until the very last stretch of his career. He’s claimed in interviews that he wasn’t confident WWE would use him appropriately, or in himself returning to the brightest of spotlights. Had Sting headed up the nWo, though, and if the group were anywhere near as hot as it turned out to be under Hogan, Sting probably would have gotten even more pressure to sign with WWE with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash did in 2002. In this scenario, maybe The Icon never winds up working for TNA.

A shift like this would fundamentally shift Sting’s legacy for sure. Moreover, it might change TNA’s fortunes, as Sting was not only a main event wrestler for them, but a famous star used to shore up TV and advertising deals. Thus, by indirect means, if Hulk Hogan hadn’t joined the nWo, it may have ultimately led to TNA going out of business, or at least staying small in its early years.