Taking advantage of the "Montreal Screwjob" made sense.....the vast majority of wrestling fans already knew what had happened and WWE even acknowledged as much in Vince's interview on RAW, having the NWO (who already had a long running stortline about Ref Nick Patrick being sympathetic to them) try to swerve Sting only to have Har (Used earlier in the night in a guest ref role) come out and reverse the decision was smart. Now the execution was sloppy, Patrick's 3 count should have been clearly fast and Sting's win afterwards should have been clear & decisive but the decision here was very smart, even if the execution was poor.
Unfortunately it all falls apart here. Supposedly the long term plan was for Starrcade 98 to be fan fave Brett vs Hollywood Hogan but Hogan wouldn't work a full program with Hart. In the interim Bischoff at first tried his previous formula of making money by revisiting Ric Flair's WWE storylines like he did with Hogan and Savage, but Flair was so over with fans that no matter what he did Hart couldn't get cheered. If the plan was to establish Hart as a major hero (which it was, and that is what Hart wanted, he didn't like playing the heel) then why match him vs Flair, a guy who was almost bullet proof in his popularity ?? It was dumb and while we got some of the best promo segments Hart ever did and a very good PPV match no one was happy because half the crowd was booing Hart and no one seemed jazzed to watch him win.
You could have dealt with Hogan over the course of the year. As it was Hogan ended up taking one of his sabbaticals and skipping Starracde altogether that year (in the storylines he was "running for president" and Scott Stiener was elevated to "Leader" of the NWO). Amazingly, a card that didn't have Hart, Sting, Luger (all MIA with injuries), or Hogan, built exclusively around just two matches did extremely well ratings wise, nearly equaling the previous year's huge success and topping nearly everything WWE did that year except for W-Mania (which had Autsin's title win and Mike Tyson).
So, Sting is champ, NWO is reeling, WCW should have continued Hogan vs Sting for the early months of 1998, along with Savage's dissatisfaction and eventual turn. Hogan should have stayed away from Hart but other NWO characters (at Bischoff's behest) should have been dispatched. Sting could have remained the "lone wolf" type character but still a fa fave, Hart could have teamed with Flair and Luger and brought in his friends slowly in the early months of 1998 as a way of protecting himself from being buried by the NWO, plus the rub from being friendly with Sting and teaming with Flair would have helped get Hart over with die hard WCW fans.
During those early months of 1998 Hart could have feuded with the likes of Scott Hall and Scott Norton, two legit names that could lose to Hart but give him good matches, Konan as well (who was NWO at the time, remember the NWO in early 1998 was filled with 2nd & 3rd teamers boasting the Hogan-Nash-Hall Trio). I would have had Hart end up helping Savage in his eventual turn on the NWO and set up another round of Hogan-Savage matches, this time with Hogan as the clear heel and Savage as the clear hero, a complete 360 from all their previous battles. I would have Savage steal the title from Sting here, maybe taking a title shot that was meant for Hogan under controversial circumstances after an NWO beatdown leaves Sting injured and not at full strength. Hogan (with help from Nash & Friends) steals the title from Savage and put him in his place and we head to summer.
Savage would be gone at this point and I'd have Hart feuding with Nash, eventually setting up a Great American Bash/Bash At The Beach PPV combo of matches, maybe give Nash the 1st win, Hart the second. Notice there is no NWO split, no Red & Black vs Black & White, keep the corps together and keep them evil. Assuming Goldberg is still gaining momentum as he was I'm fine with him beating Hogan that summer for the belt, but Hogan should have moved down the card a bit instead of continuing to main event while Goldberg got 2nd tier matches. Let Bischoff be furious Goldberg won the title and send NWO guys after him (everyone except Nash), all failing, with some sort of schedule set up where Sting manages to get a title shot for Halloween Havoc with the idea Hart gets the title match at Starrcade.
I'd have Sting put over Goldberg clean, setting up Hart vs Goldberg for the title, infuriating the NWO. Hogan would "boycott" the event. The NWO would feud with both men through the fall into winter. At Starrcade I would have kept the "David vs Goliath" match between DDP & Big Show, maybe adding some match stipulations to make DDP more of an under dog. I would have had Bischoff force Flair to "run the gauntlet" to get reinstated (remember he missed most of the spring & summer in a nasty contract dispute with Bischoff and lawsuit) where he wrestles 3 matches against NWO characters (two second teamers like Norton & Bagwwell plus someone with some heft like Hall) forcing him to win all 3 to get his "Win & Be Preisdent or Retire" Match one on one with Bichofff for the next night's Nitro, and in the main event I would have had Hart beat Goldberg in a very close and competitive match to become champ, ending with Hogan's return to beat the %$#^ out of Hart (and Goldberg) at the end of the show with the rest of the NWO.
This would set up a scenario as 1998 draws to a close of a unified NWO on the outside without the World Title & The Presidency, WCW having the momentum for the 1st time in the long running feud, with the idea that Pres Flair (after he wins vs Bischoff on the following Nitro) forces Hogan to face Hart at SuperBrawl 99. Goldberg would be unhappy that he didn't get the prime title shot setting up essentially a 3 way feud (remember we haven't actually had Goldberg-Hogan II yet) which could go on for months. Lost of potential directions for Nash, Steiner, DDP, Flair, Sting, Luger as well carrying us to Spring of 99. Ultimately I would have Goldberg regain the title and the NWO turn on Hogan and kick him to the curb (essentially for failing to get the title from either Goldberg or Hart while everyone fought all his battles vs the rest of the company).
Thus moving into summer 99 Hogan would be a fan fave......with no friends who trust him operating as stand alone loner with the NWO trying to destroy him, the big question being what WCW fan fave would actually help him.....I would also have Nash win the title around this time, maybe late summer, to add to the intrigue
