Would there be any WWE today if Buddy Rogers never defended his title against Lou

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WeaverOfNightmare™

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Thesz? This got me thinking, if Buddy Rogers never defended his NWA title to Lou Thesz where would WWE be today?

You remember back in 1963, Buddy Rogers became the NWA World Heavyweight Champion even tho he was from CWC. This was not appreciated by Joseph Mondt and Vincent McMahon (both founders of CWC.) Mcmahon and Mondt wanted Rogers to hold on to his title. Although as a title-holder, Buddy Rogers (under contract) was obligated to either defend his title or pay back a penalty amount of $25,000 as a violation of contracted terms. Rogers decided to defend his title--thereby loosing his title. Both McMahon and Mondt were very agitated and decided to quit NWA. This was all the the birth of WWWF.

What if Buddy Rogers decided to NOT defend his title? Then WWWF wouldn't excist, right?--- which means no WWF nor WWE.
Sorry guys, my bad! I ment Rod McMahon was the founder not Vincent---- Vincent took over for Rod later.
meant*
 
Allow me to "fine tune" your facts, please.

McMahon's (and Mondt's) territory WAS part of the NWA, with both of them on the NWA Board of Governors. Rogers was the long-time NWA World Champ. Rogers loved working in New York (McMahon's territory) and for Vince Senior (who took VERY good care of him because Rogers was a tremendous draw for McMahon). Rogers was making a LOT of money working for McMahon and his travel schedule was very light; he wasn't concerned about defending the NWA World Title anywhere else. The other NWA promoters complained and protested. They WANTED the NWA Champ in their territories as much as possible; the World Champ on the card virtually guaranteed a sell-out and a lot of money to the promoter hosting the event. They weren't getting that; McMahon was. So they complained and protested. Sam Muchnick (the president of the NWA) and a majority of the NWA Board (made up of various NWA promoters from North America and Japan) agreed that McMahon was unfairly monopolizing Rogers and shutting out the other promoters. They voted to oust Rogers as Champ. Rogers certainly didn't want to lose the NWA World Title and the fame and fortune that went with it. But it wasn't Rogers' call. The story goes that Thesz told him "we can do this the easy way, or the hard way". Rogers chose to drop the title to Thesz rather than take the chance that Thesz might tear him apart for real (Rogers, although quite skilled, was a showman, a worker. Thesz was the real deal).

Out of protest (but not ill will) McMahon and Mondt withdrew their territory from the NWA, but kept their seats on the NWA Board. They renamed their territory "World Wide Wrestling Federation" and created their own World Title, naming Buddy Rogers their first WWWF World Champ. The NWA and the WWWF peacefully coexisted for two decades, respecting each other's boundaries, and recognizing each other's World Champs.

The NWA was created, in part, to ensure every NWA territory got their share of the World Champ's appearances. The $25,000 "security deposit" was to ensure that no NWA World Champ would "go into business for himself", that is, no show, duck challengers, refuse to lose the title when so ordered by the Board. Rogers could have refused to wrestle Thesz after being booked by the Board (The NWA Board, specifically the NWA President, booked the World Champ, not any one particular promoter) and he would have been stripped of the designation "NWA World Champion", and been ordered to return the actual title belt. If he refused, he would have given up the 25 Grand, and the Courts would have made him return it should the NWA want to go that route.

In any case, it was McMahon monopolizing Roger's time and appearances (and Rogers' willing participation in that) that brought about the complaints and protests from other NWA promoters, that ultimately cost Rogers the World Title, and McMahon the NWA World Championship in his territory.

Whether or not Rogers actually dropped the NWA World Title to Lou Thesz in the ring, Rogers was voted to no longer be the NWA World Champ by the NWA Board of Governors. That was a done deal. Had Rogers taken the title and stayed in McMahon's territory, a legal battle would have sent the title belt back to the NWA; they owned it, Rogers and McMahon did not. The NWA owned the championship itself and had sole and exclusive rights to it. Nothing McMahon could have done to change that.

The WWWF would have been formed anyway. McMahon had lost the monopoly he had created on the NWA World Championship and it's current champion was legally obligated to give up the title. McMahon's cash cow was gone; his TV ratings draw was gone. So he did the next best thing, create his own "Federation" and World Title, and put the title on that cash cow.

The only thing that would have delayed the formation of the WWWF (until Vince Junior took over) was for the NWA Board to allow McMahon to continue monopolizing Rogers (as NWA World Champ) and the title. Too much protest and complaint from the other NWA promoters for that to happen, though.
 
Yeah, Rod McMahon was the founder, not Vincent.. but we get your point, no problem:P

It's true what you say tho. If Rogers decided to pay the amount of $25,000 instead of defending his title there would probably be no WWE today. The NWA would've continued and WWWF would never been born.
 
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