Guess we know what the compromise was

[Guest Judas14]

So Austin is back in the fold and now feuding with Flair. Anyone looking forward to this?????

[Guest treble charged]

It could be good.  It makes more sense than another Austin/McMahon fued, at least.

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

How is he feuding with Flair?  He just stunned Flair because he deserved it and to re-establish his DTA character.  He has done it several times before.

[Guest treble charged]

Yeah, but Flair isn't someone who takes stuff like that sitting down.  Obviously, he's going to be a bit pissed at Austin.

[Guest goodhelmet]

If this leads to a Flair-Austin match at Summerslam I'm all for it. Just wish it would have happened 8 years ago like it should have.

[Guest The Man in Blak]

Actually, if the compromise was anything, it was that Austin's probably going to end up main eventing both shows.

[Guest goodhelmet]

I don't think so. He did sign the RAW contract after giving the Stunner to Flair.

[Guest treble charged]

Austin being on both shows would be a cop-out.  It would destroy the whole premise of the draft and splitting the rosters.

[Guest The Man in Blak]

*scratches head*

 

But I thought he signed the...but...

 

Okay.  I retract that then.

I'm not sure if Austin/Flair is going to be that earth-shattering though - maybe circa 1996, but otherwise...

[Guest goodhelmet]

But look at the alternatives first:

 

Austin-Big Show

Austin-Nash

Austin-Kane

Austin-Bossman

 

Austin-Flair would be great compared to that pile of crap he would face otherwise

[Guest alfdogg]

You also have Austin-Booker and now Austin-Eddy, though

[Guest goodhelmet]

That's true. Both of those would be solid feuds BUT they lack the intrigue of a Flair-Austin match. Think of Rock-Hogan tailor made for the smarks. OK, that would be Benoit-Eddy in an Iron Man match but you get the point.

[Guest]

So Austin is back in the fold and now feuding with Flair. Anyone looking forward to this?????

He's not going to feud with Flair. At least not yet. Two heel owners would be gay. Also Ramsus how did Flair deserve it? He didn't do anything to Austin.

 

Man In Blak what do you mean by the last two paras of your sig?

[Guest mastermind]

I admit I thought for a moment that Austin was going to be on both shows. I really DREADED that simply because it would just ruin the whole concept. Austin/Flair has potential. Flair will turn heel soon people. Trust me on this. A goody two shoes boss isn't compelling television. I also bet that Undertaker will turn out to be Vince's mole. Somebody in Smackdown will probably be Flair's mole. I don't know why I'm thinking this it just seems that way with Undertaker.

[Guest Tony149]

A Flair vs. Austin feud would be cool. Flair likes being a heel anyway, and if they do go that direction, then I wouldn't be surprised. It keeps Austin away from the nWo, and gives Austin a feud that he would care about.

[Guest Human Fly]

I have mixed feelings about this (if it's true). Flair has been wrestling a lot lately, but he puts on better matches then the Champ. After Backlash compare HHH's match with Taker and Flairs from Mania and I'd be very surprised if Backlash is better. A feud with Flair wouldn't be a long term solution, and with the crap on Raw who knows when Stone Cold will be doing anything with quality oppponents. Maybe he should've signed with Smackdown.

[Guest]

"How is he feuding with Flair?"

 

The same way that Chris Jericho is feuding with Matt Hardy after having just one match with him before they were drafted to different shows. People do not make a lot of sense sometimes.

 

I do think that Austin will be feuding with Flair though. Wait for it...

 

I am glad that Austin is on Raw. Time to see if he is the wrestling messiah capable of carrying a company like everyone says he is. The man is good, but you can only be as good as your opponents, and Vince was every bit as responsible for the Stone Cold phenomenon as Austin himself was. This is why I think he will go after Flair first. There is really nobody else on the show for Austin to do business with. Serves him right for not showing up for the draft.

[Guest Judas14]

Problem is the fact that unlike in 1998 Austin doesn't have any really decent opponents to go after. Kane and RVD are faces now, Brock has just been introduced, UT has become ratings poison, Austin won't work with the NWO and is on the outs with Triple H, and Booker T is in desperate need of character revamping after being made into a jobber to the stars during this past year....

 

Putting Flair and Austin together is a quick fix that is a retred of Austin/MacMahon. The only way it will work is if it leads into Austin/Benoit (which could happen if they do an angle where Flair secretly signed Benoit to Raw behind Vince's back and let him THINK that he had Benoit on Smackdown in order to mess with Vince mind). But aside from that, this is a bad thing that doesn't do anything to fix the WWF's problems.

[Guest godthedog]

you know something funny i just realized?

 

so far, the flair/undertaker match is the match of the year...at least, i've enjoyed it more than every other match so far this year.

 

anyway: i think austin will be feuding with the new world older some more (oh joy), since they're the only top heels on the card other than 'taker & they don't have any direction right now.  austin/flair would rule the world, even though i don't think it would be possible for the fans to boo either guy at this point.  flair could make it his true retirement match & work his ass off, and imagine how good it would be since flair would finally be in a singles match he didn't have to carry.  make it a no dq or an 'i quit' match, they both bleed like pigs and beat the living shit out of each other (well...as much as an old man & a near-cripple can beat the shit out of each other).

[Guest Judas14]

anyway: i think austin will be feuding with the new world older some more (oh joy), since they're the only top heels on the card other than 'taker & they don't have any direction right now.  austin/flair would rule the world, even though i don't think it would be possible for the fans to boo either guy at this point.  flair could make it his true retirement match & work his ass off, and imagine how good it would be since flair would finally be in a singles match he didn't have to carry.  make it a no dq or an 'i quit' match, they both bleed like pigs and beat the living shit out of each other (well...as much as an old man & a near-cripple can beat the shit out of each other).

Unless Austin gets gangpressed really badly I say we won't see Austin/NWO again. I can definately say that eventually there will be trades taking place and the NWO being shipped off to SD in order to continue the NWO/Hogan vs the Rock feud while Angle and Jericho end up going to Raw to feud with HHH and Austin once the rating go down enough....

 

Provided the WWF don't abort the split at the first sign of trouble...

[Guest]

"How is he feuding with Flair?"

 

The same way that Chris Jericho is feuding with Matt Hardy after having just one match with him before they were drafted to different shows. People do not make a lot of sense sometimes.

I fail to see how those two feuds are similar.

 

And what is the 'compromise" Judas is refering to? What the WWF offered Austin to bring him back?

[Guest Big Poppa Smurf]

Aren't we supposed to boo Undertaker for beating up Ric Flair without cause but when Austin does it its a good thing? That segment must have been some wierd collaboration between Austin/Vince/Steph because it sucked a lot of ass.

 

Why they didn't hire two seperate writing teams for this little experiment still astounds me.

[Guest starvenger]

But look at the alternatives first:

 

Austin-Big Show

Austin-Nash

Austin-Kane

Austin-Bossman

 

Austin-Flair would be great compared to that pile of crap he would face otherwise

NEVER underestimate the drawing power of the Bossman...

 

Why they didn't hire two seperate writing teams for this little experiment still astounds me.

Well, if they did, then Vince couldn't be on both shows.  And everyone knows that more Vince is a good thing [/sarcasm]

 

I guess we have a week to mull over the possibilities.  I can't see Flair going crazy so quickly, but with Steph holding the book anything's possible.

[Guest Austin3164life]

Even though there is no reason for Austin to give Ric Flair a Stunner, this would be a killer feud if they capitalize on it.  I was hearing that Paul Heyman was the booker for the Undertaker/Flair feud.  If he books a feud by Austin and Flair, that would be excellent.  Flair, realizing that it's Austin (and realizing he probably should've jobbed to him in WCW) would get in shape, and they would have a huge match at Summerslam.  Hogan vs. Rock would have to be the mark's dream match.  Austin vs. Flair could be billed as "Who is the Greatest *wrestler* ever to step into the ring?".  It could be a smarks' dream match, if they make it a no DQ Submission Match.  I have always been hoping for a confrontation between these two.  I don't think at this juncture that the crowd will boo either one of them, but it will have more intrigue if they are both hyped up as the two greatest wrestlers ever.  I think it could work, what do you guys think?

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

I wouldn't mind seeing Flair turn heel.  He doesn't have to be like Vince but he can definately cut some excellent heel promos.

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

" was hearing that Paul Heyman was the booker for the Undertaker/Flair feud. "

 

Apparently Undertaker booked the feud.

[Guest notJames]

I wouldn't mind seeing Flair turn heel.  He doesn't have to be like Vince but he can definately cut some excellent heel promos.

But it would be 1998 all over again, just with a boss who used to wrestle. The comparisons would never end.

 

Plus, how would they deal with the animosity between UT and Flair? Do they drop it and become buddies? Forget their "feud" and just have nothing to do with each other?

 

There are too many wrestlers on the roster to justify throwing the "owner" into a feud. I say move away from Attitude and all things Russo and just do some simple storytelling.

 

Austin wants belt.

 

Austin must beat everyone to get his shot.

 

The rest should write itself. Sure, that's oversimplifying things, but why should it be so complicated? Haven't we had enough of complicated storylines that even the writers couldn't tie up or follow consistently?

[Guest Anglesault]

I guess Austin/Flair is good almost good enough to forget Angle slipping into the depths of midcard hell...

[Guest DrEvil]

Don't be so sure that Austin is going to be on Raw.  He told McMahon that he accepted his offer and shook his hand.  This is a legally binding contract, I expect McMahon to bring this up on Smackdown.  They could have some more fighting between Flair and McMahon about who has Austin under contract.  Something they probably added in just in case one show tanks and they need Austin to go in to boost ratings.

[Guest]

Ah, Dr. Evil, you're forgetting the important "April Fools" clause, wherein if you say April Fools directly after the legal binding clause, you are exempt from it, if you wish.