I think a big part of this is how the ratings have been lately. Even without Austin on the show, the ratings have stayed in the upper three's. If Austin's being on the show is a non-factor in the ratings, why pay him so much money? And if the money isn't good, why should Austin hang around? I think it's probably best for both parties.
If this is really all about rights to the name, I wonder if Vince's ECW and WCW holdings give him proprietary power over "Stunning" and "Superstar Steve Austin" also.
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At least this time, Arn Anderson didn't have to get pissed on before Austin left. Austin the wrestler was entertaining for over a decade. Austin the non-wrestler was just that, a non-wrestler; except he was treated as an indestructable force. And, for Austin fans, consider this: Is he dead? No. Is he in a wheelchair? No. Did he get completely buried on his way out the door? No. Thus, if he is gone for good, this means Austin is ahead of just about every other wrestler of the past 20 years when he got out.
I want you to know, I agree with everything I just said.
This is great. Austin was my favorite wrestler in 1998, but now he's just painful to watch. He just does the same shit every Monday night and it never helps get anyone who actually wrestles over. I've lost a lot of respect for him as a performer, and since the woman-beating pattern emerged, I've lost all of my respect for him as a person. Piss off, Steve, and don't come back this time.
I'm going to say he'll be gone for about 3 months before returning as a guest referee.
They've just really hit the wall with that character, unless he wants to do color commentary, but with whom would you pair him with? I don't know what else he could do on a regular basis anymore.
I wonder if he'd considered taking some sort of creative or backstage position with the company... he might not be able to mold someone into the next Stone Cold but they could do a lot worse than to point a guy who's having trouble with his character/mic skills in Austin's direction and see if anything rubs off.
It wouldn't be wrestling, but at least he'd be involved in some way. Maybe in a few months or a year he'll miss it enough to consider it.
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Originally posted by Nate The SnakeI wonder if he'd considered taking some sort of creative or backstage position with the company... he might not be able to mold someone into the next Stone Cold but they could do a lot worse than to point a guy who's having trouble with his character/mic skills in Austin's direction and see if anything rubs off.
It wouldn't be wrestling, but at least he'd be involved in some way. Maybe in a few months or a year he'll miss it enough to consider it.
The only flaw with that idea is that, if he's on the WWE payroll at all, whenever they feel they need to shake things up, they'd trot Austin back out there. The first time that happens and the live crowd pops for him, he'll be back on your TV every week being put over by active wrestlers. So, I'm in the "let him go entirely" camp. He did a lot of great things for the company, but it's time for both parties to simply move on entirely.
Well, I'd hope he wouldn't need to do anything to "make ends meet" but the guys a pro wrestler. As we all know, pro wrestler = financial acumen of a ring-tailed Lemur.... Plus who knows what Debra or the current spouse's lawyers may have in store for him.
Also, wiith the Pride wrestling, surely he'll be on at least a 90 day no appearance clause?
I say it's about time. He should have never came back at all.
First, we know of two cases where he's beaten a woman. He lost my respect after the first time.
When he came back, he was a non-wrestler. And was booked to look stronger than EVERYONE on the roster. He really didn't do much to help ANY of the young talent on the roster. Just came out, said a few "what"s, and gave a stunner to the person he was in the ring with. No non-wrestler should be booked stronger than the actual talent. It makes every wrestler look weak.
I'm actually glad he's gone. His spot can now be used to build a new young star.
Not to say he didn't do alot for the company. But that was years ago. I hope he does well in whatever he does now.
I'm just pissed that Batista or somebody didn't get to beat the piss out of him before he swanned off into the sunset. Nash jobbed to Jericho. Hogan did high-profile jobs to Angle and Brocky. Rocky's jobbed to EVERYONE. What's Austin done in the past three years that's helped anyone really get over?
Eh, no matter; he's gone now. Back in '98 I don't think I'd ever have thought I'd be happy about that, but oh my how times change.
Yeah, as far as I can remember, the last guy made to look really good by Austin was Triple H, back when he was winning his first couple of titles. And then again at No Way Out 2001, when Helmsley defeated Austin in a two-out-of-three-falls match.
As far as helping to put over young up-and-coming talent, Austin didn't really do that the last few years. He and Kurt Angle had a few damn good matches during the Invasion, but Angle was already a very well-established star at that point.
Anyway, who wants to throw in a comment about their favorite Austin moment? I don't mean for this to turn into a list thread, but I figure reflecting on some of our Austin memories is appropriate on this occasion.
For me, my favorite Austin moment (ironically) is a match that I haven't yet seen in its entirety. In fact, I was watching WCW at the time. That'd be at WrestleMania 13, the night a heel Steve Austin (facing ultra-babyface Bret Hart) showed the world what he was really made of. Austin's agonized, bloodied expression as he desperately tried to fight out of the Sharpshooter was one of the earliest indications that hey-- this guy's really something. (And it was on any number of T-shirts that made a lot of money).
The typical heel thing to do would've been to submit. But Austin absolutely refused to do that, and eventually referee Ken Shamrock had to stop the match when Austin lost consciousness. That night, Steve Austin suddenly became a huge babyface, and Hart a hated heel. After that night, things were never the same. Oh, it'd be another year before Austin defeated Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIV to win his first WWF Championship. But it can be argued that in Austin's match against Bret Hart, the Attitude era truly began.
(If I'm using serious revisionist history here, feel free to politely correct me... like I said, I was watching WCW at the time).
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Originally posted by ekedolphinFor me, my favorite Austin moment (ironically) is a match that I haven't yet seen in its entirety. In fact, I was watching WCW at the time. That'd be at WrestleMania 13, the night a heel Steve Austin (facing ultra-babyface Bret Hart) showed the world what he was really made of. Austin's agonized, bloodied expression as he desperately tried to fight out of the Sharpshooter was one of the earliest indications that hey-- this guy's really something. (And it was on any number of T-shirts that made a lot of money).
The typical heel thing to do would've been to submit. But Austin absolutely refused to do that, and eventually referee Ken Shamrock had to stop the match when Austin lost consciousness. That night, Steve Austin suddenly became a huge babyface, and Hart a hated heel.(If I'm using serious revisionist history here, feel free to politely correct me... like I said, I was watching WCW at the time).
Well, most of that's right. Austin had been 'unofficially' a face for a while at that point though. Hart was leaning towards heeldom, but hadn't done anything to tip the scales yet, so the match was more booked to have Hart finally do something to push him over the line, and secondly for Austin it was for the fans to have that one moment that the WWF always does to justify fans cheering a guy that they hadn't really booked as a face yet.
My favorite Austin moment was back when he was really getting going against a heel Hart. I believe it started with Austin attacking Bret during the Canadian National Anthem, and while Hart was strapped down and being loaded into the ambulance, the ambulance moved about five feet before the driver started lipping off about how he wasn't done kicking Bret's ass yet. We see the driver pull off his hat (to show Austin of course) and Austin starts just beating on the stomach of a strapped down Bret Hart.
Great stuff because it showed them taking something that you see once in a while (Hart being carried off) and then changed the predictable ending by having the attack continue at the weirdest possible moment. It's that kind of thinking that the WWF has lost, and is why everything they do now is basically a Mad-Lib of what happened the week before, only with different guys plugged into different parts.
It's funny, but I don't think many will really miss him at this point as his role had been downplayed for a while already. The only thing he got involved with was the Brock-Goldberg feud. His role as a sherriff was well done. He didn't fuck around with other talent that much, wasn't on TV all the time and when he did show up in/around the ring he got a HUGE pop. And his decisions backstage were sound. Not too pushy, but just right. Yet as I said already, he wasn't a centerpiece (unlike when he was the co-GM) so he won't be missed that much I think.
As for ppl saying he didn't help anyone in the last couple of years..well..he did make about 20 feuds interesting, helped 100s of storylines and simply by being with people kept them in the spotlight.
For instance: I read a lot of people saying him stunnering Dupree on the night after WM and the week during the draft didn't make sense. Yet Dupree went from being that guy in La Resistance to Renee Dupree-break out star- by just standing in the ring, complaining to Austin (and not backing down or anything) and eventually getting stunned. If Dupree had been bitching out there and Val Venis would have come out nobody would have cared. And that's the rub Austin was still able to give. He might not put you over, but you get a rub..
Interesting side note. WWE is in a position right now that they can tell Austin "sorry, no deal" without losing too much steam or focus or whatever in the tv shows. No unexplained stories or big trouble fixing feuds to hide his departure. WWE is not relying on guys like Austin and Rock anymore. They rely on Guerrero, Angle, Benoit, Jericho and a new bunch of guys coming up. Oh, and HHH :)
(edited by dMp on 18.4.04 1338) *sigh* Why bother?
Match #1: Booker runs in and clubs Austin with the title belt. Jericho doesn't get the killing blow, and may have even been placed on top of Austin. Not "putting him over".
Match #2: The nWo mug Austin for about three minutes. Jericho, again, does not get the killing blow. NOT "putting him over".
Kofi Kingston has never done anything for me. I either turn the channel when he shows up, zone out, multi task, take the dog out or something like that. I honestly can't think of one memorable Kofi moment.