>From a locker room standpoint.
>
>Further, I struggle thinking of a guy who was that universally
>well liked within the industry, whom fans nearly universally
>liked as well, who wasn't a top guy.
>
>The only guy I can think of is Taker, and he broke the "top
>guy" mold in a way that makes it damn near impossible for us
>to see ever again.
>
>Hogan, Flair, Austin, Rock, Cena. There's a Mt Rushmore's
>worth of guys like that. Taker broke that mold in a way those
>guys can't touch, even while being bigger marquees.
>
>I'm getting off topic here, but looking at how universally
>liked Jon Huber was backstage, how deeply so many fans were
>still behind him despite the way WWE booked him, I don't know
>that that that's common.
>
>I think it's pretty clear that Vince missed a significant boat
>there, because that man knew how to get over on all sides.
>
>Vince can suck a thousand dicks, for all the careers he toys
>with.

Taker is a curious case. I’m of the opinion that he had been booked like a voodoo hogan in a bad way for years and was about to be screwed before Hell in a Cell placed him in a dramatically different light and, in my opinion, saved his career and put him on a different trajectory. Then, the streak became a thing and the days of Taker/Giant Gonzalez were over with. Then the Mania matches with HBK cemented it and everything else was various icing and other cake toppings. Some loved. Some not.

As for Vince fucking up and underachieving with hella dudes, of course and yes. So many of these dudes were signed to mess up the company they left more than help the guy. And also, all of these old dude podcasts yell out to me in no uncertain terms that Vince, NWA/WCW, and the other Murrican feds were stumbling, bumbling, and falling into great shit on a regular. And so many of the successes are riddled with screwed pooches too. Or crossroad moments where someone barely stopped silliness from happening. Or other forces intervened (ie: HBK’s back being fucked up changed wrestling history. Imagine if he was healthy in the late 90s!? How much stuff could he have ruined?).