Regarding Booker, I agree. I was always a big fan of Booker T's stuff, particularly back in the tail end of WCW when he was main eventing. I was pretty annoyed it took so long for him to get the push in WWE though. His feud with the Rock was great, but could have been awesome. He's a great worker and looked like a star, but WWE kinda treated him a bit shitty for the first few years. He should have got a huge win at WMIX, but alas, Triple H just had to get yet another win

And yeah, Buff claims he was fired for being off sick or injured I think. Didn't he claim JR said his mum called in sick on his behalf or something? Which he denied. Although allegedly he got into an argument with Gregory Helms I think. I forget. I was actually kinda gutted back in 2001 when I was watching WWE and he disappeared after just one match. I always like the guy, I just never really saw him as a main eventer for the title. That was my only problem with that match I mentioned.
Scott Steiner's transformation really was bizarre. He was great as part of the Steiner brothers, but yeah, he took one too many steroids me thinks, regardless of what he claims... He went pretty crazy on the mic, with some terrible and unintentionally hilarious mic skills. It was pretty funny when he did a few shoots too where he blasted WCW. His in-ring work in late WCW was incredible compared to his WWE run though. Oh boy

I'm a huuuuuge Mankind fan. He was my absolute favourite wrestler (well him and all of Mick's personas) back in the 90s and early 00s. Remind me, what was he doing in 1997?
Kurt Angle is one of my favourites and he is a big reason why WWE was so awesome in 2000 and 2001. He made the Invasion angle so much better and was so over as a face in that period (although he was always an amazing heel of course).
Yeah 1998 WCW was when it all went down hill imo. You're right, that at the end of 1998 was when Nash became booker.
Regarding Bret Hart, he said he hated WCW. Like not just hated the company, but HATED it. I mean, I can see why he was bitter, he was booked like shit, had hardly any outstanding matches and his career was ended in that company. It wouldn't surprise me if Hart did go on autopilot a bit, because he was being put in some awful angles. And he was never treated with the respect he deserved. He should have been main eventing, not treated like an upper mid carder, which I think he was at times.
Lance Storm is legitimately awesome. He just doesn't have any charisma or mic skills at all

Finaaaally, yeah The Big Show / The Giant / Paul White sucks.