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Post by man on Dec 10, 2008 12:17:41 GMT -5
I know that I’ll likely catch heat for this, but I when I really think about, Stone Cold was really nothing special. Wait, wait... hear me out. Let’s start from the beginning.
Before Hogan, wrestling didn’t have much in terms of characters. The Hulkamania era is where a lot of true CHARACTERS were born. Instead of a “Mean Mark Callaway” you got “The Undertaker”, you know what I mean? In the 80’s wrestling was popular because they had these bright, colorful, and over-the-top CHARACTERS.
Moving forward towards the mid 90’s, the viewers changed. The cartoony characters no longer had appeal. Enter the NWO. That is truly where the business changed. Why did it become so popular? The NWO was backstage, it was “random”, it was “realistic”. And the viewers ate it up! They didn’t want an Orange Sting, or a Yellow Hogan, or a Purple Undertaker... they wanted “real guys” getting into trouble. That’s the trend the NWO started in 1996 and the WWF soon followed.
So this brings me to Austin. This guy, plain and simple, got lucky. EVER SO LUCKY! Some say that about Hogan, but he was a mainstream star after Rocky III, and that hand nothing to do with Vince or the WWF. Austin was a mass failure when he tried to be a character. Nobody gave a damn about the Fabulous Steve Austin or the Ringmaster. NOBODY! As a character Steve was a massive failure. So then he was “himself” and that go over. Well gee, a trend was already established that had the fans craving a “regular guy” instead of a character. So instead of “suck it” gestures or spay paint he drank beer and flipped everyone off. And that worked in the late 90’s?! Go figure!
And that, to me, is what truly sucks about Steve. He has a massive reputation as a legend, but the guy basically got lucky on shoulders of other trend setters. Look at the Rock! Perfect example! The guy had that 90’s attitude, but still managed to be a character. Look at Hall and Nash! Even Hogan managed to recreate himself into a perfect 90’s character. Steve did nothing. His “character” of Stone Cold required no effort, no creativity, and had the audience giftwrapped by the NWO change.
I truly do not see Austin as a trend setter or a legend. He was simply the first one to really take the NWO “90’s attitude” mentality in the WWF, at least successfully.
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Post by Lennon on Dec 10, 2008 12:26:53 GMT -5
Oh Christ......I don't think you understand what you just created. It's gonna get UGLY....
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Post by addam on Dec 10, 2008 12:27:06 GMT -5
well, in my humble opinion, stone cold is the single greatest professional wrestler in history....and that's all i really have to say about that.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2008 12:27:48 GMT -5
No, not at all.
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Post by Mike Bockwinkel on Dec 10, 2008 12:29:01 GMT -5
I agree that Austin got lucky. If HHH didn't  up at MSG, he would've been king of the ring and thus postponing/canceling Austin 3:16. But to say he's over rated? No. Being overrated is having so many championships because you're able to book yourself that way, and having an ego for winning said championships (Ric Flair). Thruth be told, Austin WASN'T being himself. Out of the ring, both then and now, Steve was/is a great guy. Shown by the death of Brian Pillman for one. If he was the Stone Cold character in real life he would've said something along the lines of " Well, I'm glad that peice of trash is dead." As radical as that is to be said, Attitude Era & Vince Russo's bookig, something might've been said. |
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Post by AdamBomb on Dec 10, 2008 12:33:48 GMT -5
Your argument of, 'lucky' can be said for anyone who gets success period. Everyone, especially in the wrestling world has a predecessor, someone who lays a foundation - for a guy like the Rock, you could say some of his crap was ripped off of Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, or Billy Graham, what with him being a "pie eating, jabroni beating, whatever else blah blah blah."
I don't know how old you are, or when you started watching, but if you were there for Austin's rise to popularity, and actually saw the reactions this guy got, as well as the matches he put on and the way he had crowds in the palms of his hands, you wouldn't be questioning him being 'overrated'.
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Post by Slay on Dec 10, 2008 12:36:01 GMT -5
He was a great talent in his time, hogan....not so much. I think Austin is NOT overrated.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2008 12:36:19 GMT -5
Well technically Austin started the whole 3:16/badass gig a month before the NWO even debuted.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2008 12:41:37 GMT -5
Only in 2008 would you read something like this. Good God...
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Post by man on Dec 10, 2008 12:44:29 GMT -5
Started watching in 1995. Was there from start to finish for the NWO "saga".
Austin did nothing to be a character, at least nothing that was revolutionary. He was not the start of the Attitude era, the NWO was. That's where the business changed. The bright colors, the cartoony characters... it all faded into the background.
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Post by lancewiget on Dec 10, 2008 12:48:37 GMT -5
Steve Austin was possibly the best superstar in the Attitude Era.
And that's the bottom line... because WF's Resident intellectually- disabled person said so.
Why the hell has nobody ended a post with that yet?
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madness1
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Post by madness1 on Dec 10, 2008 12:51:15 GMT -5
overrated? no but now there's the debate about who was the biggest star Hogan or Austin and while it's close if you just count wwe years but there was this other company where a group called the NWO almost put Vince out of buisness. Hogan is not only the most famous face he's also the most famous heal. Sure Ric is awesome heel and a better one but at no point and time was Flair ever as big as the NWO not by a longshot
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Post by AdamBomb on Dec 10, 2008 12:56:22 GMT -5
Started watching in 1995. Was there from start to finish for the NWO "saga". Austin did nothing to be a character, at least nothing that was revolutionary. He was not the start of the Attitude era, the NWO was. That's where the business changed. The bright colors, the cartoony characters... it all faded into the background. I disagree, HBK and Triple H were the start of the Attitude Era. And if Austin wasn't the definition of a character back then, I don't know is. |
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Post by pronetokill on Dec 10, 2008 12:59:10 GMT -5
WHAT?!! (no pun intended)
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Post by v/\v on Dec 10, 2008 13:27:19 GMT -5
off. |
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Post by addam on Dec 10, 2008 13:34:02 GMT -5
Steve Austin was possibly the best superstar in the Attitude Era. And that's the bottom line... because WF's Resident intellectually- disabled person said so. Why the hell has nobody ended a post with that yet? i was going to, but it seemed too obvious  hey, at least someone did it  |
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Eskimo Joe
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Post by Eskimo Joe on Dec 10, 2008 13:47:10 GMT -5
Stone Cold revolutionized the industry, single handedly saved the WWF, was great in the ring, and did things that were unexpected and entertaining every single week. Without Stone Cold it is very possible that we would all be watching Nitro right now.
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The Highwayman
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Post by The Highwayman on Dec 10, 2008 14:05:17 GMT -5
you can trace so many things back to someone f---ing up and inturn, giving someone else a chance. saying triple h messing up is the only reason austin became king of the ring may be true. but, imo, austin was getting over and getting to be himself more and more, after years and years of getting f---ed over by people in wcw and some in wwf too. so, if austin 3:16 wasnt born at the kotr, it would've happened eventually.
and, to say nwo started the attitude era would be technically wrong. austin became stone cold in june of '96. the same month hogan joined the outsiders. and i may be wrong but i believe the nwo didnt official start until a bit after that.
and austin is a great wrestler, who became the most iconic character of the attitude era by being himself. doesnt that give him more credit than someone who would have to recreate themself to keep up with the times(hogan, talk about overrated, one of the worst wrestlers in history)...
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The Highwayman
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Post by The Highwayman on Dec 10, 2008 14:07:14 GMT -5
Stone Cold revolutionized the industry, single handedly saved the WWF, was great in the ring, and did things that were unexpected and entertaining every single week. Without Stone Cold it is very possible that we would all be watching Nitro right now. austin definitely did save wwf, but also save wrestling in general. and no we would not be watching nitro, we would probably be watching football or baseball. there would be no wrestling. even at its prime, nitro---and wcw was at a downward spiral imo... |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2008 14:16:36 GMT -5
Christ on a cracker........some of the things you hear on the net defies effin all holy effin belief.
overrated?No.
Lucky.....a little.but I think we all know that worked out WAY better for EVERY wrestling fan on the planet that HHH didnt get it.I also dont blame him for being jealous of Austin-in every respect of Pro Wrestlin Austin would leave him in the effin dust
Im a huge Austin mark but I wont argue over this.just simply state the facts.
Austin was an effin machine in the ring.
his charisma was second to none.
his only other equal working the crowd was The Rock.
and anyone that put on one quality match after another(with many talentless fools)from June 96 through December 2001 couldnt be stated as overrated
did you hear the reaction for Austin the night Foley won the title in MSG?were all those people wrong?crowd reaction after deafening crowd reaction and mind blowing merchandise sale aside Austin WAS THE MAN.
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