Kuce89
Superstar
The Champ is here!!!!!!!!
Joined on: Dec 2, 2006 0:16:51 GMT -5
Posts: 749
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Post by Kuce89 on Nov 22, 2015 19:15:53 GMT -5
I'm watching 2002 Raws on the network and it got me thinking I'm aware they had lesnar vs Austin planned and he quit but my question is was there any rumored plans for Austin going forward in 2002
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Post by theoutlaw1999 on Nov 22, 2015 19:36:23 GMT -5
I was over Austin by 2002. I was his biggest fan from 1997/1999 from after that I wanted to see some new blood reach the main event.
As for him in 2002 he just felt he didn't fit in. After his long heel run it was hard for me to accept him as the old Austin from 1999 again and with the roster so stacked aswell he stuck out but maybe if he fought Hogan at WM18 it would've been different.
Now to answer your question I don't know if true or not but I heard he was suppose to fight Lesnar in a KOTR qualifying match and Eddie Guerrero was meant to run in and cost Austin the victory which would set up a feud between the two. |
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Post by HHH316 on Nov 22, 2015 20:23:57 GMT -5
He was kinda floating at this time. I know Benoit & Guerrero blamed Flair for walking out, so I assumed he'd be doing something with them.
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Post by sitruC on Nov 22, 2015 23:02:11 GMT -5
Meant to feud with Guerrero and have a match at KOTR but Flair took his place I think.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2015 6:25:58 GMT -5
Yeah, it was weird. His matches against Flair/Big Show and ABA 'Taker were nothing to write home about...
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Post by cmiller79 on Nov 23, 2015 6:45:09 GMT -5
I really couldnt imagine him sticking around much longer anyways
I will admit tho I would have loved to see him and eddie fued since they are two of my favorite wrestlers
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Nov 23, 2015 13:51:52 GMT -5
I personally think that even in 2002 that Austin was aware he was going to have to retire soon.
Part of me wonders too if he left just to prolong his career to make it to Wrestlemania 19 to face The Rock there. I think if he stuck it out and faced Lesnar, and then feuded with Eddie and Benoit, that by Survivor Series he would have had to call it quits. His neck and body would just be too far gone.
But if he was 100% healthy and stuck it out still, his whole gimmick would need a change. He couldn't be the attitude era Stone Cold in the ruthless aggression era. Just wouldn't fly.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2015 6:17:26 GMT -5
He should've faced Hogan at WM X8. When they put him with Hall, that was the beginning of the end for him really.
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Post by ¡Twist Of Cinnamon! on Nov 24, 2015 6:37:03 GMT -5
He should've faced Hogan at WM X8. When they put him with Hall, that was the beginning of the end for him really. He chose to face Hall instead. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2015 6:39:48 GMT -5
He should've faced Hogan at WM X8. When they put him with Hall, that was the beginning of the end for him really. He chose to face Hall instead. Really? Wow. His passion for the business must have been at an all-time low there. Hall was a shell of himself in 2002, so he wasn't much of an opponent, was he? |
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Post by ¡Twist Of Cinnamon! on Nov 24, 2015 6:57:00 GMT -5
He chose to face Hall instead. Really? Wow. His passion for the business must have been at an all-time low there. Hall was a shell of himself in 2002, so he wasn't much of an opponent, was he? If I remember correctly, they couldn't come to an agreement on who'd win and even though Hogan was a heel, Austin knew Hogan would manage to get the crowd to cheer for him. And thats exactly what happened in Hogan and Rock's match. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2015 11:55:37 GMT -5
Despite still being the most over guy on the roster Austin was pushed into 2nd place as Vince vainly tried to make HHH the top face.
But the novelty of HHH as a face wore off very quickly during the Jericho feud but Vince still seemed reluctant to put Austin near the top again.
But as others have pointed out? Austin was practically done in 2002.....he was in chronic pain since 2001 with his neck and if he had continued? I reckon he would have been lucky to compete at Summerslam to be honest.
Even with the rest period of 8+ months a couple of matches finished him off in 2003.
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Post by ricflair4ever on Nov 24, 2015 12:32:36 GMT -5
I don't know if they had any real plans going forward for Austin outside of Guerrero and maybe Benoit at that point. You would assume a real program with Lesnar would have been an eventual destination, but its hard to say when that would have taken place. As others have said ,its doubtful his neck would have allowed for much to come out of an 02 Austin run. He may have made it to Mania and had a publically announced retirement match. Thats about the only difference that may have came about. But realistically, his days in 02 were pretty much numbered one way or another post Mania 18.
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Post by The Sexy Psychotic on Nov 24, 2015 16:09:01 GMT -5
Austin should have been the guy to face Hogan; the reason it didn't happen, well you really knows?
Some say its because they couldn't come to an agreement, some say its because Vince thought Rock/Hogan would draw more - who's to say what it was, either way when Austin was stuck with Hall, no matter how good that match was and how good Hall is, that whole angle was the start of Austin's really drastic fall from his spot.
2002 in general was weird for the first 6 months or so until Taker amped up and Lesnar started to get traction - you had Triple H being this character that was so forced, you had the NWO coming back only to fizzle within 5/6 weeks, Rock was really pushed as THE main guy only to leave every now and then, they also had so much talent they had signed in 2001 just there and returning guys again, just there.
I dont feel 2002 really got it together till like King Of The Ring; but Austin was lost in the shuffle (for some reason), and was just devalued and would have been even more if he had faced and lost to Lesnar in the KOTR match.
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859approved
Mid-Carder
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Post by 859approved on Nov 25, 2015 10:08:20 GMT -5
I went to my first live event in June of 2002, and Austin took on Eddie in the main event, so I guess that adds to the fact that he was going on to have a program with him after the planned Lesnar match?
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Nov 25, 2015 13:37:37 GMT -5
I really don't think Austin vs. Hogan would be that good of a match, compared to the one we got with Rock vs. Hogan.
Also, by 2002, The Rock (at least in my eyes) was a bigger draw than Austin was. Rock was already a Hollywood star then, and was juggling WWE and making movies all the time. So what better guy to face Hollywood Hogan than a Hollywood star in the WWE??
It also seemed like once Austin lost the WWE Title to Jericho at Vengeance 2001, that he just gave up caring. He just didn't seem to have a lot of passion in him for his matches after that. Until No Way Out 2003 when he came back and destroyed Bischoff.
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Post by cordless2016 on Nov 26, 2015 9:19:45 GMT -5
Austin was pissed with his booking as we all know and requested a feud with Eddie Guerrero since creative literally had nothing else for him except to try to recreate Austin/McMahon as Austin/Flair. They then shot a few promos together before Austin left, ultimately leaving Eddie high and dry. I've always been on Austin's side that he did the right thing by walking out but there is no denying that Eddie got the short end of that stick.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2015 10:28:52 GMT -5
I really don't think Austin vs. Hogan would be that good of a match, compared to the one we got with Rock vs. Hogan. Also, by 2002, The Rock (at least in my eyes) was a bigger draw than Austin was. Rock was already a Hollywood star then, and was juggling WWE and making movies all the time. So what better guy to face Hollywood Hogan than a Hollywood star in the WWE?? It also seemed like once Austin lost the WWE Title to Jericho at Vengeance 2001, that he just gave up caring. He just didn't seem to have a lot of passion in him for his matches after that. Until No Way Out 2003 when he came back and destroyed Bischoff. Ive always been a huge Austin guy but I agree that I don't(and never have) thought that Austin vs Hogan would be that good......Rock just seemed like a better fit for Hogan. He was a hell of a seller and his style was more suited for Hogans limited moveset. However I disagree Austin lost his passion after dropping to Jericho. He turned in a hell of a performance in the 2002 RR and was the clear crowd favourite to win that one.....when he was eliminated the crowd stopped caring and that was the first sign to many that HHHs run as a face was doomed. |
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Post by ThugSuperstar on Nov 26, 2015 10:35:04 GMT -5
They really had no idea what to do with him in 2002. He had turned into an upper-mid carder, which is why I always thought Austin walking out in 2002 was for the best. He was banged up and in bad physical shape, and that time off allowed him to refresh and come back in better health for one final run. If he stayed around he would've just continued to do nothing worthwhile.
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Post by marino13 on Nov 27, 2015 11:16:28 GMT -5
I think all the years of Austin's injuries were catching up to him. He was slower and seemed less interested to be there. I think that is why WWE was trying to move others into his spot.
Had he stuck around, a feud with Eddie & Chris would have been entertaining. And it would have helped solidify both of them. But I think the days of being WWE champion were probably over.
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