WHAT

[UZI Suicide 0]

Why did "WHAT" ever start? I mean was there some reason for it? Was the WWF trying to portray Austin as some psychopath who talked to himself? 2001 is all sort of fuzzy to me so I don't remember how it got started, but surely they couldn't have imagined it to take off like it has.

[Aero 0]

I'd say just because Austin was doing his psychopath gimmick as leader of the Alliance. I think it really started when he was 'bullying' the Alliance jobbers like Tazz, Raven, Hugh Morrus, etc. WWF probably didn't expect it to catch on like that, though.

[King Cucaracha 0]

Wasn't it something to do with an answering machine message with Christian, or was that something else?

[haws bah gawd 0]

I thought it had something to do with that "talking to my watch" bit he used to do?

[IWD 0]

Wasn't it something to do with an answering machine message with Christian

Yes it was. Forget the exact details but it was definitely related.

 

Cheers.

[Carnival 0]

Ya Christian left a message on his voice mail, where he said what after sentence. Austin explains it in his book.

[bob_barron 0]

Austin first said it on the August 13th, 2001 on RAW.

 

I didn't ask you to explain something, I said, 'who whipped your ass last Thursday?'" "Y2J." "That's right! Heh - look atcha. 'Y2J?' Lookatchya! You're 275 pounds - your name is Hugh Morrus. What? Your name is...Hugh Morrus. What? Is that funny? Is that humourous? Are you here to make me laugh? What? You're PATHETIC! LOOK AT ME! You're pathetic! Y2J whipped your ass. I'm ashamed of ya. Step back." Austin moves on. "Who whipped your ass...last week?" "Saturn." "Hehehe - okay. Here's a guy...who carries around a mop. It's - he carries a mop. What? As far as I'm concerned, you shoulda mopped the damn ring with that lunatic. He's got a sexual relationship with a stick, with a damn...mop on the end of it, and he whipped your ass? Am I correct? If I'm lying, you tell me I'm lying." "You're - you're correct." "I'm what?" "You're correct." "That's right, I am correct. WHAT ABOUT ME? WHAT ABOUT RAVEN? QUOTE THE RAVEN NEVERMORE. You want me to give ya a little speech? Do you want me too? You suck! Quote Stone Cold nevermore. You make me sick."

 

From slashwrestling

[Slayer 0]

That was an awesome segment

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Cut that crap out!

 

I HATE THAT WORD, AUSTINNNNN!

 

Man, do I love Mr. McMahon.

[Styles 0]

Yeah pretty much that's it. I think he got Christian's voicemail and was bored and just started rambling while saying What? after every word to amuse himself and he tried it on that one promo where he was browbeating the alliance to get over his psycho character and it caught on and he turned face like a month or 2 later and started doing it with the fans singing along and it pretty much ruined all heel promos for a year after. I think he also mentioned in his book that he's deaf (or nearly deaf) in one ear so he really does have trouble hearing people especially if they're talking to him on his bad side so he says What? a lot anyway to get people to repeat something.

[Jericholic82 0]

The fans actually started picking up on what and saying it while he was still a heel. Hed be giving a promo and the fans started saying what.

 

 

I really wish it would die though.

 

I hated it on tv, I hated it live at the WWA ppv in vegas, and I hated it at every live wwe show even when austin is not present.

[Jericholic82 0]

Just for this I hate Christian now.

[Guest LooneyTune]

Just for this I hate Christian now.

Why Christian? I thought Austin was the one who left a 15 minute message on Christians phone where he said "what?" every sentence.

[ChrisMWaters 0]

*Remembers back when people would "What" the National Anthem, according to reports*

[bob_barron 0]

*Remembers back when people would "What" the National Anthem, according to reports*

Yea they did. It was awesome

[Guest theanswer1824]

give austin credit. he made a killing off 'what?' t-shirts.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

There was an amusing scene in Beyond the Mat where Mick Foley, Colette, their kids, Shane McMahon, and The Rock are all mingling before the I Quit Match at RR99 when Austin came into the picture to greet everybody. Foley had to ask Steve about three times how he was before he finally heard him.

[Guest netslob]

that's probably because Steve was distracted by Collette. who could blame him?

[Black Lushus 0]

reminds of my wife...she'll randomly say "what?" to me when I didn't even say anything...I know a lot of people do that, be she does it A LOT...she'll also do it when we're fighting: she'll fire off a line and before I can even respond she says "what?"

 

Anyway, I agree, that shit sucks and is old and needs to go away...speaking of which was Piper getting genuinenly pissed at WM or was he just playing to the crowd?

[Carnival 0]

Ya Christian left a message on his voice mail, where he said what after sentence. Austin explains it in his book.

Maybe it WAS Austin who left the message on Christian's phone. I forget.

[strummer 0]

I forget who did it, but Vince and Austin were pissed at a heel that tried to stiffle the WHAT chants. I think it was Angle. Austin was so protective of his character at that time that he wouldn't let anything happen that could potentially lessen his heat.

[Some Guy 0]

Hogan's "Ch gonna do?" response was so bad it was good.

 

I think Taker said something like "if you sleep with your sister say "what" now."

 

Angle always played to it by telling people to stop saying it.

 

The sad part is that the thing got so old so fast that Austin had to pander to the crowd to get them to say it and that every now and again a crowd will do the chant during some heel promos. Austin really over did it with that shit. Every promo he did for a long time was encouraging the phrase to get overexposed. It was funny for a short time though. Austin's pre-Royal Rumble 2002 promo was awesome and had Cole breaking up.

[Styles 0]

Ya Christian left a message on his voice mail, where he said what after sentence. Austin explains it in his book.

Maybe it WAS Austin who left the message on Christian's phone. I forget.

Yeah it was definitely Austin leaving the message when he was bored. As mentioned he has a hearing problem in one of his ears so he really does say What? a lot to get people to repeat things so he was having some fun with that.