Test Should Have Been WWE Champion In 1999 Instead Of Big Show

The WWE Championship win for Big Show towards the end of 1999 felt like a huge flop when watching it play out. Big Show replaced Steve Austin in a triple threat match against Triple H and The Rock at Survivor Series 1999 with the top title on the line. WWE wanted Big Show to step into that top role they expected him to seize his opportunity, but it just didn’t work out.The overall idea to have someone new enter the main event picture and win the title for the first time was a good idea, but Big Show was the wrong choice. Instead of Show, Test had momentum and WWE still viewed him as a future main eventer around this time. The scenario was there for Test to have a better title reign than Big Show in 1999 and beyond.

Why Was Big Show's Reign Disappointing?

The first year of Big Show’s stint in WWE was viewed as a disappointment since he struggled to fit into the new promotion. WWE even had Big Show become the sidekick tag partner of The Undertaker during the summer of 1999 to learn from a better big man worker. Vince McMahon still felt it was worth rushing Big Show into the top spot before the year ended.

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Big Show replacing Steve Austin in the Survivor Series 1999 main event after Austin was run over by a car saw him defeating Triple H and The Rock. The new push as WWE Champion featured a bigger pressure that Big Show couldn’t live up to. A horrible feud with The Big Boss Man focused around his kayfabe father passing away hurt any momentum the new champ had.

Triple H’s feud with Vince McMahon was more important than Big Show’s WWE Championship reign. WWE would end his title run in under two months during an episode of Raw at the start of 2000. Triple H defeated Big Show with the help of a new D-Generation X to put the title on a more worthy wrestler that fans viewed as a credible top star.

This Was Test's Best Chance At Success

WWE tried pushing Test on a few occasions since he was everything they wanted on paper. Test had a great look with charisma and athleticism to become a huge prospect of the Attitude Era. Stephanie McMahon’s first long-term storyline on WWE television featured Test becoming her love interest throughout the latter half of 1999.

Test even defeated Shane McMahon in an impressive SummerSlam match to earn the blessing of the McMahon family. The end game would see Stephanie and Test’s wedding interrupted by Triple H, who revealed he married a drugged Stephanie during her bachelorette party. However, it became later discovered that Stephanie was in on it and wanted to torture her father Vince.

The career of Test ended up suffering from not getting more of an opportunity from this huge storyline. Test being the one to get slotted into the match and winning the WWE Championship would have been fitting. WWE was trying to sell him as a bigger star during the feud with Shane and his relationship with Stephanie. A shocking upset title win would have been more suitable for Test’s character than Big Show with the Survivor Series 1999 timing.

Test Winning The World Title Would Have Been A Better Story

WWE could have tied multiple stories together if Test was the one to end 1999 as the WWE Champion. The eventual heel turn by Stephanie McMahon to align with Triple H could have still played out with Test ready to feud with Triple H. WWE never even gave him a big match against Triple H despite the heel ruining his wedding and stealing his fiancé. Test holding the top prize could have given them a bigger rivalry with both the personal issues and WWE Championship on the line.

Big Show dropping the title to Triple H felt rushed and just made him come off as a failed champ. Test losing it to Triple H would have at least served a storyline purpose. The heartbreak of losing Stephanie and the title would have also given Test a better future at either rallying fans behind him or snapping to embrace his heel side.

There were a few more pushes for Test as a heel in the Invasion storyline and The Un-Americans faction that didn’t pan out for more. The run with Stacy Keibler managing him as a face also missed the boat. Test’s one chance at a top spot would have been winning the WWE Championship instead of Big Show and having it fit into the bigger picture feud with Triple H afterward.