Hey Scott.
If you could look in your crystal ball, what would it be like if Vince had to step away (like he just did recently) during different eras? In this case, there's still a scandal, Vince is completely gone, but you have different variables to contend with (who worked with him at the time, NWA/WCW, TV ratings, etc). Who would take over? Would the company flounder or prosper?
What if left during….
Peak Hulkamania (87-89)
New Generation Era (93/94-96)
2000- WM17 (the time where they could do no wrong)
Thank you!
If he left in 87 then probably would have happened is that the company would have continued doing good business with Hogan, but would have ceased the rapid expansion under a rehired George Scott or Pat Patterson or whoever. Likely we would have had a stalemate with Ted Turner and WCW for a long time and the AWA might have been even lasted for a few more years as well.
With the New Gen it almost did happen, and we know that the backup plan was Jerry Jarrett taking over operations while he was in jail. Given the combination of that happening and Nitro launching while the WWF shrinking back to high school gyms, it likely would have killed the company.
By the Attitude era, they were largely unkillable with or without Vince. Some combination of Jim Ross and Bruce Prichard would have run day to day ops with Pat Patterson booking I'm sure, and they probably could have kept the lights on with existing TV deals for years.