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Post by Kill Em' All on Apr 24, 2019 18:36:58 GMT -5
I think Steve Austin's career is worth discussing from 2001-2002. How would you book Austin staying face in 2001, and how would this effect Austin going forth. As well as Could things for Austin have played out differently in 2002?
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Post by LA Times on Apr 24, 2019 18:40:09 GMT -5
Stone Cold was on his way out in 2002 no matter what. His neck was bothering him and he didnt really fit in with the product.
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Apr 25, 2019 9:45:32 GMT -5
I think even Austin knew his time was up when Jericho was the man to become the Undisputed Champion at Vengeance.
After that, Austin was lost in the shuffle.
Think bank to what caused Austin in leaving.... being booked to job to Lesnar in a KOTR qualifying match on Raw. I don't blame the guy for walking out. You don't book Steve Austin to lose a qualifying match. If he's gonna lose, it should be in the finals.
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Post by HandsomeHollywood on Apr 25, 2019 14:41:45 GMT -5
Stone Cold was on his way out in 2002 no matter what. His neck was bothering him and he didnt really fit in with the product.This is the second time I've seen this claim here and I honestly don't understand it. The product didn't switch to PG yet (and wouldn't for another 7 years or so) and he was still very over. He fit in so well that as the co-GM of Raw he was the most over and entertaining part of the show. Had he not ran into his health issues I could have seen him taking a lighter schedule and being a sort of part-timer. He would not have needed to go for the belt though. If I were to re-do Austin's turn at the end of Mania X-Seven I might have had him accept McMahon's help but then stun Vince too anyway. It would be in line with his character and the story of the match and would have allowed the crowd to properly turn on Austin in the coming weeks. Austin parading around as champion, acting the same as always but pretending he didn't accept Vince's help would've had crowds chanting "you sold out" at him easily. |
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Post by k5 on Apr 25, 2019 15:47:56 GMT -5
Stone Cold was on his way out in 2002 no matter what. His neck was bothering him and he didnt really fit in with the product.This is the second time I've seen this claim here and I don't honestly understand it. The product didn't switch to PG yet (and wouldn't for another 7 years or so) and he was still very over. He fit in so well that as the co-GM of Raw he was the most over and entertaining part of the show. Had he not ran into his health issues I could have seen him taking a lighter schedule and being a sort of part-timer. He would not have needed to go for the belt though. If I were to re-do Austin's turn at the end of Mania X-Seven I might have had him accept McMahon's help but then stun Vince too anyway. It would be in line with his character and the story of the match and would have allowed the crowd to properly turn on Austin in the coming weeks. Austin parading around as champion, acting the same as always but pretending he didn't accept Vince's help would've had crowds chanting "you sold out" at him easily. i like that direction a whole lot more than the one we got. |
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Post by keegandimitrijevic01 on Apr 25, 2019 16:43:12 GMT -5
I thought he had some AWESOME matches in 2001! I would've kept him on Team WWF the entire time
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Post by theoutlaw1999 on Apr 25, 2019 17:37:18 GMT -5
When Austin returned from injury in 2000 he felt out of place. The company had moved on from him and you had Angle, Rock, Jericho, Taker, Kane, HHH as top stars so there was really no room for a character like Austin.
97/99 were Austins greatest years because he could be the main man and that's what suited him best. I could never have imagined him in a non title feud or being shifted to the upper/mid card and if he had stayed in 2002 that would've happened.
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Post by HandsomeHollywood on Apr 25, 2019 18:26:25 GMT -5
When Austin returned from injury in 2000 he felt out of place. The company had moved on from him and you had Angle, Rock, Jericho, Taker, Kane, HHH as top stars so there was really no room for a character like Austin. 97/99 were Austins greatest years because he could be the main man and that's what suited him best. I could never have imagined him in a non title feud or being shifted to the upper/mid card and if he had stayed in 2002 that would've happened. In 2000 you had Rock and Triple H. Angle wasn't in the main event until later on. Kane, Jericho and Taker were mostly away from the main event, especially the former two. Not only that but Austin was still getting bigger reactions than everyone else you mentioned. Perhaps what was out of place was Austin feuding with Rikishi for a bit but that quickly morphed into Triple H. I don't think anyone was pleased when Tri went over Austin in the 3 Stages of Hell match. My point is, a good chunk of the group you mentioned weren't made or bonafide stars yet. The company also certainly did not move on from him as him being out and his eventual return was the main story around the company. Again, I'm not buying this whole thing about the biggest star in the company being out of place from 2000 on. Austin was top draw or a top guy from 1998 until his retirement. He was the main event before and after his injury. Saying this also discredits him and Rock at Mania 17 and I doubt the guy on top when WWE had done it's best business ever, at the time, was out of place or that they didn't have room for him. |
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Post by Kill Em' All on Apr 25, 2019 23:29:56 GMT -5
I think Austin remaining face in 2001, would present a lot of booking issues. I always try to rebook it and back myself into a wall. A program with Jericho or Angle would be the two only fresh routes.Although his in ring work in 2001, fantastic. I think booking him in 2002, would be such a hard route to follow. I think as others mentioned he'd have to go to a mid card role. I think no matter what I'd write Austin off as in ring character in 2003, at the most 2004. The only way to make the concept of Steve Austin not feel weird in 2002, would be a Real WCW Invasion.
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Post by HandsomeHollywood on Apr 26, 2019 10:24:06 GMT -5
I still don't understand this sentiment that Austin was out of place. I certainly don't understand why he'd have to move down the card.
In 2002, after Austin's feud with Hall you had Triple H/Hogan/Undertaker on SmackDown. On Raw you had Rock and Lesnar in a feud, plus the beginning of the unending Triple H/Michaels program. I can't see why that makes it so there's no room for Austin. You'd have Booker, Benoit, Van Dam, Christian and others all who could benefit from a program from Austin. You also have freshly returned Michaels, Eddie Guerrero and Scott Steiner who all could work with Austin and be fresh. Could even do a proper program with Lesnar. This also still includes the fact that Austin was still the most over thing on Raw even when not wrestling. After 2002 the main event of Raw is even thinner with Triple H feuding with the likes of Scott Steiner and Kevin Nash. Austin certainly would have been a welcomed addition to the regular roster then. He was clearly bigger than the title at that point and I can't imagine why that would dictate someone moving down the card.
Saying Austin was out of place in 2001 is nothing short of obtuse. It's like saying Tony Soprano felt out of place on The Sopranos. The company was built around Austin for the entirety of 2001 and you can just go watch it and see.
Maybe it's the lack of elaboration as to how he felt out of place or how there was no room for him but I struggle to find an argument that says the company that was built around him somehow simultaneously moved on from him.
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Post by theoutlaw1999 on Apr 26, 2019 15:43:44 GMT -5
I still don't understand this sentiment that Austin was out of place. I certainly don't understand why he'd have to move down the card. In 2002, after Austin's feud with Hall you had Triple H/Hogan/Undertaker on SmackDown. On Raw you had Rock and Lesnar in a feud, plus the beginning of the unending Triple H/Michaels program. I can't see why that makes it so there's no room for Austin. You'd have Booker, Benoit, Van Dam, Christian and others all who could benefit from a program from Austin. You also have freshly returned Michaels, Eddie Guerrero and Scott Steiner who all could work with Austin and be fresh. Could even do a proper program with Lesnar. This also still includes the fact that Austin was still the most over thing on Raw even when not wrestling. After 2002 the main event of Raw is even thinner with Triple H feuding with the likes of Scott Steiner and Kevin Nash. Austin certainly would have been a welcomed addition to the regular roster then. He was clearly bigger than the title at that point and I can't imagine why that would dictate someone moving down the card. Saying Austin was out of place in 2001 is nothing short of obtuse. It's like saying Tony Soprano felt out of place on The Sopranos. The company was built around Austin for the entirety of 2001 and you can just go watch it and see. Maybe it's the lack of elaboration as to how he felt out of place or how there was no room for him but I struggle to find an argument that says the company that was built around him somehow simultaneously moved on from him. This is my view on Austin. From 97/99 he was the main event, in fact he was the WWE. However when he returned in 2000 I felt that his aura of awesomeness was gone. We nearly had a year without him and to be truthful he wasn't missed. The Rock stepped into his place perfectly as the flagship star and you then had talent like The Radicalz, Angle, Jericho etc so basically Austin walked into a more evolved WWE than the one he left. Basically I could easily imagine 2001/2002 without Austin on the roster. |
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Post by Kill Em' All on Apr 26, 2019 16:07:04 GMT -5
I don't think any resumed programs with HHH and Taker would be any interesting. Austin-Michaels could work. Austin/Lesnar would work. Austin/Rock still plays out, maybe Goldberg? Other then that, personally I don't see much else. Maybe putting over a rookie Randy Orton.
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Post by LA Times on Apr 27, 2019 14:40:16 GMT -5
I still don't understand this sentiment that Austin was out of place. I certainly don't understand why he'd have to move down the card. In 2002, after Austin's feud with Hall you had Triple H/Hogan/Undertaker on SmackDown. On Raw you had Rock and Lesnar in a feud, plus the beginning of the unending Triple H/Michaels program. I can't see why that makes it so there's no room for Austin. You'd have Booker, Benoit, Van Dam, Christian and others all who could benefit from a program from Austin. You also have freshly returned Michaels, Eddie Guerrero and Scott Steiner who all could work with Austin and be fresh. Could even do a proper program with Lesnar. This also still includes the fact that Austin was still the most over thing on Raw even when not wrestling. After 2002 the main event of Raw is even thinner with Triple H feuding with the likes of Scott Steiner and Kevin Nash. Austin certainly would have been a welcomed addition to the regular roster then. He was clearly bigger than the title at that point and I can't imagine why that would dictate someone moving down the card. Saying Austin was out of place in 2001 is nothing short of obtuse. It's like saying Tony Soprano felt out of place on The Sopranos. The company was built around Austin for the entirety of 2001 and you can just go watch it and see. Maybe it's the lack of elaboration as to how he felt out of place or how there was no room for him but I struggle to find an argument that says the company that was built around him somehow simultaneously moved on from him. Every wrestling act runs its course sooner or later, unless they leave in the midst of their popularity like Ultimate Warrior in 1991 or The Rock in 2001, but they wouldve gotten stale if they had stayed longer. |
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