I just have trouble imagining Flair in that spot. I know he could do it but I can't picture it.
Dibiase going full heel would be fine. He (and none of them) are Piper, but part of it was a heel who could talk shit well. Dibiase could've done it, but the shelf-life is much smaller. Piper was so beyond all these guys for that spot that it's kinda crazy. Dibiase definitely means better matches, too, but that's secondary.
My main thing with Tully is that I think he could do similar things with Hogan that he did with Magnum, just bigger and more cartoony. He only needs to be bought as a chickenshit who will do anything to win or to at least not lose. He could no way physically stand up to Hogan but he's scumbag Tully who wouldn't want it to come down to that anyway while having good matches at the same time. Again the shelf-life is significantly smaller.
Orndorff wasn't the guy for the Piper spot. It just wasn't time yet. He couldn've have carried the promos and ultimately his trajectory worked out much better.
I think Lawler works because he was already known for the Kaufman stuff and had a measure of cache. Promos would've been fun. He maybe makes Mr. T look better than anyone else. He also might've been much easier to talk into putting Hogan over, which is key. But I can see him insulting Cyndi Lauper and it being hilarious. He's also just uncool enough to want to see him get killed on MTV while cool enough to make you want to pay to see him get killed on MTV.
If you bring in Savage earlier, he's absolutely the best answer across the board. He was already a top guy when he debuted after WM anyway despite not being a well known name before, and with the MTV push before the show? Legend out the gate. He also would be willing to put Hogan over and be willing to play ball in a lot of things. Besides the following Savage/Orndorff matches would've ruled.
Terry Funk would've been fantastic but I don't think he'd have gotten the high highs Piper did. That said just let him be insane and wreck people and say the craziest shit with a branding iron and he's going to get over anywhere with anyone. He's also the only one who had a comparable mainstream career to Piper as well, so who knows. This universe gets Funk in They Live on top of a Wrestlemania main event or two with Hogan.
If Eddie Gilbert weren't so short, he'd have worked.
