"And I'm really looking forward to the New Year. As Vince McMahon has said publicly, we expect to see the return of The Rock, and we certainly also hope to see the return of Stone Cold, in the early part of 2003. There certainly are no firm dates etched in stone. But it's our hope and belief that we'll have those two back with us at some point in the early part of next year. One would assume that if that were to occur, they'd be involved in the march to what we hope to be a hugely successful WrestleMania."
"This is Hard Harry reminding you to eat your cereal with a fork and do your homework in the dark." - Christian Slater, Pump Up the Volume
It wouldn't surprise me in the least. Stone Cold has to be back for the Rumble. He won't win it, but the WWF needs the man back. I don't care if he was sucking wind when he walked. Dude is mainstream. He is money, and so is Rocky. Here's to both of them returning sooner rather than later.
(edited by mountinman44 on 20.12.02 1439) "Ensign Kodos, set coordinates for the obscure, T-shirt producing planet of Earth. We are going to visit... MY DAUGHTER!" -- Kang
On the entertainment value side of things, it'll be cool to see Austin back.
On the "political" side of things, the Raw side could use someone of prominence to counteract you-know-who's influence...
(At least I hope he returns on the Raw side...though if you believe the insider rumor mill, everyone seems to want to be on the Smackdown side for whatever reason...)
As for Austin, I'm guessing his return will wreak havok on locker-room morale. I know I'm feel pretty un-easy about it if I was a WWE performer. I'm also curious to see what his attitude will be this time around. I mean, if it was bad enough before for him to walk out over, imagine now?
And in other news, I dont think I spelled "wreak" OR "havok" correctly.
JJBotter, I don't know why you'd call InVerse retarded over his own opinion. Believe it or not there are many people who can't stand Austin, and I also happen to be one of them. I'd be just as happy watching two goats have sex with a wet pile of rags than any new Stone Cold matches.
Treasure Planet ruled all kinds of ass. And yes, I do work for Disney but its good anyhoo.
Originally posted by HrdCoreJoeJJBotter, I don't know why you'd call InVerse retarded over his own opinion. Believe it or not there are many people who can't stand Austin, and I also happen to be one of them. I'd be just as happy watching two goats have sex with a wet pile of rags than any new Stone Cold matches.
Why did we have to bring Pat Patterson's video collection into this discussion?
I want you to know, I agree with everything I've just said.
I am not too keen on Austin's return (except for his Royal Rumble appearance, and that had better be the first time we see him..) But I am still kind of looking forward to that Eddie/Austin match...
"And I'm really looking forward to the New Year. As Vince McMahon has said publicly, we expect to see the return of The Rock, and we certainly also HOPE to see the return of Stone Cold, in the early part of 2003. There certainly are NO FIRM DATES ETCHED IN STONE. But it's our HOPE and BELIEF that we'll have those two back with us at some point in the early part of next year. One would assume that if that were to occur, they'd be involved in the march to what we hope to be a hugely successful WrestleMania."
They HOPE to have Stone Cold, nowhere does it say they will actually get him. Of course they HOPE to have him, their ratings are down the crapper. Pretty spineless of WWE to let him back now that they need him.
And "wreak" was spelled right, but "havok" is spelled "havoc"
Again, I will say this... Austin can go screw himself. I agree that WWE is spineless if they're truly desperate for Stone Cold. Stone Cold wasn't built up in a day. How about building up a new star, one whom the fans will be behind, rather than trying to get someone they've already spent way too much TV time on already?
It'd be worse if the rumors are correct and Austin goes to SmackDown (destroying all storyline logic, but that's something WWE's never been hesitant to do). SmackDown would become the Austin Show, RAW would still be the Triple H show, and after awhile Austin will be as universally hated as Triple H is. Actually, I'm surprised that Austin isn't, already. It's not as if he was anything resembling entertaining the past few months he was in WWE. And don't kid yourselves for a minute, people. Austin didn't request a feud with Guerrero to help Guerrero. He requested a feud with Guerrero to help himself, because Eddie would have carried him to a four-star match and made Austin look like a million bucks-- rather than the piece of shit (work-wise) that Austin had become. And of course, you all knew whose shoulders were going to get pinned to the mat. So Austin would once again have been booked to defeat a wrestler far better than he is.
If you think the feud would have helped Guerrero, then with all due respect you're deluding yourselves. Remember that this happened around the same time as Austin's flagrantly one-sided feud against Ric Flair and the nWo. Austin defeated the newest nWo member, Booker T, despite having 15 or so hostile lumberjacks surrounding the ring. He also defeated Ric Flair in one-on-one and handicap matches (with The Big Show), and pissed on Arn Anderson. He was being made to look like he could do no wrong, and everyone else looked useless. I breathed a huge sigh of relief for the future of WWE when he left.
Check CRZ's recaps; they'll bear me out.
“Where are you from?” “Earth, and we're not at war with anyone except each other.” --Grig and Alex Rogan, The Last Starfighter
Two-Time, Two-Time Randomly Selected Wiener of the Day, 5/27/02 and 7/3/02
Certified RFMC Member-- Ask To See My Credentials!
I'm absolutely astonished. Truly. All I see is people constantly shitting on Austin "Because he sucked earlier in the year".
I remember the Austin of 2001 tearing it up in the ring. I remember him having great matches and great backstage segments. Now we're supposed to hate him because he couldn't carry an unmotivated Scott Hall? We're supposed to hate him because he walked out on a shitty business decision?
I can understand people hating him for hitting his wife. Say that instead.
And the reason of the Austin-Guerrero feud was to build up to a Austin-Benoit feud, BTW. And if you want someone to blame for Austin being put over, look at the McMahons and Brian Gerwitz. After all, they booked the damn things.
Well, in that case I am truly astonished that everybody rags on Triple H! I remember the great year he had in 2000, we should worship him for that alone, no matter how bad he's got! And while we're at it, let's push Ric Flair to the moon for all the years of great matches HE had, too!
Poor reasoning. Austin sucked the high hard one earlier this year; his whole act-not just his wrestling-had become tired and annoying. Unless he totally changes his character-which I'd say is highly unlikely-then I have no desire to see him back Stunning his way through Eddie, Benoit, Brock, Angle, Edge, Booker, Jericho, Kane, RVD, Hell, even Big Show. And I don't think I need to point out the hypocrisy of so many folks kvetching about them not building any future stars then wetting their pants when the prospect of an Austin return comes up.
Oh, and ther eis no proof whatsoever that the plan with the Guerrero/Austin feud was to lead to Benoit/Austin. And even if that were the case, it'd probably end up like Eddie/Austin was scheduled to-Stone Cold going over.
Originally posted by ekedolphinAgain, I will say this... Austin can go screw himself. I agree that WWE is spineless if they're truly desperate for Stone Cold. Stone Cold wasn't built up in a day. How about building up a new star, one whom the fans will be behind, rather than trying to get someone they've already spent way too much TV time on already?
It'd be worse if the rumors are correct and Austin goes to SmackDown (destroying all storyline logic, but that's something WWE's never been hesitant to do). SmackDown would become the Austin Show, RAW would still be the Triple H show, and after awhile Austin will be as universally hated as Triple H is. Actually, I'm surprised that Austin isn't, already. It's not as if he was anything resembling entertaining the past few months he was in WWE. And don't kid yourselves for a minute, people. Austin didn't request a feud with Guerrero to help Guerrero. He requested a feud with Guerrero to help himself, because Eddie would have carried him to a four-star match and made Austin look like a million bucks-- rather than the piece of shit (work-wise) that Austin had become. And of course, you all knew whose shoulders were going to get pinned to the mat. So Austin would once again have been booked to defeat a wrestler far better than he is.
If you think the feud would have helped Guerrero, then with all due respect you're deluding yourselves. Remember that this happened around the same time as Austin's flagrantly one-sided feud against Ric Flair and the nWo. Austin defeated the newest nWo member, Booker T, despite having 15 or so hostile lumberjacks surrounding the ring. He also defeated Ric Flair in one-on-one and handicap matches (with The Big Show), and pissed on Arn Anderson. He was being made to look like he could do no wrong, and everyone else looked useless. I breathed a huge sigh of relief for the future of WWE when he left.
Check CRZ's recaps; they'll bear me out.
Austin wouldn't let ANYONE get heat on him, that's what everyone was bitching about backstage.
Eddie would've wrestled himself for 30 minutes, done all sorts of cool reversals, bumped like a fucking freak, only to be kicked in the gut and stunnered. Stone Cold goes over, on to the next victim.
Austin has never been one to do a lot of jobs, but who did he put over during his last run? He tapped to the Anklelock, but didn't do it cleanly EVEN AS A HEEL (sound familiar?), he jobbed to Jericho, but that was after interference, and he jobbed to Rock at SS, but, again, after interference. And when it came time for him to do a job to put a younger guy over (Brock), he walked out.
Yeah, he can still draw and yeah, he'll get a big pop when he walks out at Royal Rumble, or whatever RAW they've got him scheduled for. But he's also a confirmed wife-beater. And if his past indicator is any indicator, he doesn't want to help anyone except for himself. You think he would've put Brock over clean like Rock did at Summerslam? I don't.
As many problems as I have with the current direction of the show, I don't think that Austin is the answer.
"My brother saw the Undertaker walking through an airport." - Rex "Was he no-selling?" - Me
I heard that Austin fed drugs to Pat Patterson's love Donkey, then beat Debrah with a shovel, then went on a huge coke binge, and used voodoo to ressurrect the corpse of Brian Pillman to carry him to ***** matches.
Damn, people make a lot of assumptions around here. But I guess that we all have secret listening devices in Vince's office.
I would like to congatulate Al Snow on his contact with La-Z-Boy. Because we all know Al doesn't sell chairs. - Mick Foley
Originally posted by ekedolphinIt'd be worse if the rumors are correct and Austin goes to SmackDown (destroying all storyline logic, but that's something WWE's never been hesitant to do). SmackDown would become the Austin Show, RAW would still be the Triple H show, and after awhile Austin will be as universally hated as Triple H is. Actually, I'm surprised that Austin isn't, already. It's not as if he was anything resembling entertaining the past few months he was in WWE. And don't kid yourselves for a minute, people. Austin didn't request a feud with Guerrero to help Guerrero. He requested a feud with Guerrero to help himself, because Eddie would have carried him to a four-star match and made Austin look like a million bucks-- rather than the piece of shit (work-wise) that Austin had become. And of course, you all knew whose shoulders were going to get pinned to the mat. So Austin would once again have been booked to defeat a wrestler far better than he is.
If you think the feud would have helped Guerrero, then with all due respect you're deluding yourselves.
Don't know about that, because I can see Austin moving to Smackdown! and feuding with Rocky, Taker, Show, and Hogan(if he ever returns). Plenty of old guard feuds to be had without ever having to engage the SD6 until Vince decides to either move Austin to RAW or cuts the rosters back and merges everybody again.
Remember that this happened around the same time as Austin's flagrantly one-sided feud against Ric Flair and the nWo. Austin defeated the newest nWo member, Booker T, despite having 15 or so hostile lumberjacks surrounding the ring. He also defeated Ric Flair in one-on-one and handicap matches (with The Big Show), and pissed on Arn Anderson. He was being made to look like he could do no wrong, and everyone else looked useless. I breathed a huge sigh of relief for the future of WWE when he left.
Check CRZ's recaps; they'll bear me out.
I'll agree to with your analysis to a point; I think Austin was reacting to the crappy storylines Gerwitz and Vince were giving him. It seemed everybody was singing his praises about being the comeback wrestler in 2001 when that ex-talk show writer(whose name escapes me) was writing the scripts. A rested, motivated Austin could be just the ticket to jumpstart the lugubrious WWE.
"Since I look forward to the Workrate Reports like Tammy Sytch looks forward to Half-Off-For-Crack-Whores Night at the local IHOP, rest assured that had I read his sucker punch joke first, I would have skipped my own, for Dean rules."
What I'd like anyone here to tell me is what evidence there is that Austin will draw. He was one of the biggest problems with RAW the last few months he was there, folks. No one on this board was praising him, and everyone almost universally was saying they hated 'what' and wanted Austin to go away.
I'd go on, but Ekedolphin and Asteroidboy expressed my exact sentiments.
So all I'm asking why anyone should think 'Taker, Show, and Rocky can have money-drawing feuds with Austin. It's going to seem like a re-hash of years ago. If Austin would feud with Eddy, Benoit, Rey Jr., and Brock or Booker and RVD, that would only make sense if he puts them over. I'm sorry, but Austin on top won't draw for longer than a month, not unless he's against all new superstar opponents. Since there are no superstars in this current climate; Austin's role would no longer be to work with superstars, but rather to help create new ones. And creating a new superstar without jobbing to him, as Austin did with Rock, is like catching lightning in a bottle. So his role, as Hogan's was, would be to job to new guys. And really, can we honestly say Austin's said or done one thing that indicates he'd be willing to do this?
(edited by Hogan's My Dad on 21.12.02 1934) Best Quote from Dec. 8 Smackdown recap: "Um, yeah. So you’re telling me all Torrie had to do to save us this crappy TV is please the cheese? Christ…If that’s all it took - I’d eat out LINDA McMAHON to save myself this garbage TV - Hell I’d toss Vince’s salad after a visit from Pat Patterson - uh - maybe not."
He hasn't said or done anything since he left so there's no indication he won't.
The evidence that Austin will draw is that more people turned up to see him at a Circuit City then go to see most WWE shows at this point.
My stance is that if he comes back, it's only because he wants to come back and therefore, he'd be motivated unlike February-June of this year.
And if he is going to come back and not put anyone over ever, which I doubt, but if that's the case I'd rather see the Austin on top show then the HHH on top show.
I don't think he should be putting everyone and their mother over because he's got a couple years left in the tank and it doesn't hurt people that lose to him like it hurt people who jobbed to 50+ year old Hogan, who can barely walk to the ring.
If he's motivated, we get back one of the best and most versatile wrestlers in the world. And WWE gets back their biggest drawing card ever.
So, apropos of nothing, I've been working my way through 1995 ECW Hardcore TV on the Network, and just by sheer coincidence, the episode I watched just before tonight's NXT was the one with the Eddie Guerrero/Dean Malenko 2/3 falls match.