Give it up for Chris Wallace. In all of human history, there have been many bad timing decisions. The worst bad timing of all time belongs to Archduke Franz Ferdinand stopping his car in front of his assassinator. Right after him, Chris Wallace leaving his $7 million dollar salary a year at FoxNews for CNN+ only for it to go under a month later.
I can give a wrestling one for horrible timing.
My favorite pro wrestler - Sid Vicious (aka Psycho Sid) was offered a large guaranteed contract in April 1991 by then WCW Vice President Jim Herd to resign with the company. Sid loved WCW and the "family atmosphere" in the company and accepted verbally. The deal also included a run with the World Championship, then held by Ric Flair. He would have become one of the future pillars of the company, along with Sting and former UM player Lex Luger. However Vince McMahon was also after Sid, and called him saying that he was making a big mistake. He asked Sid what he wanted, and Sid shot for the moon. He said "I want Hogan's spot".
Vince agreed.
So at the end of April 1991, Sid reversed course and announced his intent to leave WCW. In May 1991 Sid signed with the WWF for a non-guaranteed deal, and the company intended that he - not Ultimate Warrior - would be the successor to Hulk Hogan.
And within days of his signing, former WWF doctor George Zahorian was convicted on steroid distribution charges. Thus came media scrutiny on WWF wrestlers and their physiques, and ultimately a federal investigation. In June 1991 the WWF announced it would be introducing a comprehensive steroid testing policy. Within months the ability of the WWF to promote over the top, giant hulking wrestlers to be their cornerstone was taken away, and young Sid - who gave up a large guaranteed contract to "have Hogan's spot" was no longer a contender to be the next Hulk Hogan. Because there could be no "next Hulk Hogan" while the company was under investigation. So Sid found himself in a rapidly collapsing company, barely making what he had been promised in the smaller WCW while working now as a main event heel, surrounded by a poisonous political atmosphere in the locker room.
Less than a year after rejecting WCW's offer and joining the WWF to be its lead babyface, Sid found himself working as the heel opponent for the man he was supposed to replace - Ultimate Warrior. Warrior proved difficult to work with behind the scenes, leading Sid to quit. And he would be forced to sit out until May 1993. He's said in podcasts since that he regrets the decision and wishes he had just stayed with WCW.
www.cnn.com
