Do you think that...

[Guest RickyChosyu]

Many people have been talking about Austin with words like "he sucks", "wrestles the same damn match every week", "borring promos, too repetative" and while I've heard mindless rubes spout that kind of stuff for years, I'm afraid that for once, I believe them. I just don't see the fire in him anymore, as cliched as that probably sounds. I can forgive Big Show for being lazy because, let's face it, he's always been like that and will most-likely never improve. Austin, on the other hand, can usually at least carry someone to something watchable by skill/charisma alone. Now, he just dogs it to high heaven and doesn't look back. When you're repeating spots in a two-minute lumber jack match, you know you're throwing in the towel. It's sad, considering just last year he was involved in the top three picks for MOTY, and one of the best workers int he federation.

[Guest The Man in Blak]

Personally, I think everybody is dogging it a little bit, at least from what I've seen on Raw.  The general attitude of the lockerroom is probably somewhere between dried shit and day-old chinese with all the extraneous bullshit going on behind the scenes.

 

Right now, the WWF is a total wreck.

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

Yeah, I have to agree. It seems like everybody in the promotion is on cruise control and it's getting worse. Maybe not complete WCW-level bad, but getting there.

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

At least in WcW there were a few wrestlers you could always count on to at least TRY and have a good match.

[Guest goodhelmet]

Well, WCW would also give us 10 minute matches every once in a while. BUT no one short of Angle seems to give a shit. RVD is obviously going through the motions. Austin should just retire. Trips just can't move. Jericho hasn't had a worthy opponent since Rumble. The cruisers are back but they get three minute matches. The Lance Storm push isn't really a push. FUCK, this is depressing.

[Guest El Psycho Diablo]

Probably strong language in here somewhere. Disclaimer over.

 

My thoughts.

 

Not just on Austin, but on the entire WWF.

 

1.

 

The problem lies in this abyssmal WWF 'style'. Sure, it makes the older people, the less talented ones, and the ones being lazy (Austin) look good, but it does make all the matches look identical. I can't help but think a little freedom would do the job. Sure, moves like brainbusters are dangerous, but shouldn't that be up to the two in the ring at the moment if they want to take something like that, or not?

 

I'm sick of seeing things like Chavo giving Maven a 'brainbuster', when Maven clearly takes it on his shoulders/upper back. I'm sick of obviously faked bumps. Sick of feather-light treatment of some wrestlers, while others get stiffed to hell. Is there any reason Hulk Hogan should be petted and pampered, while Randy Orton gets the hell beaten out of him by Bob "I'm hardcore, really! It says so!" Holly?  I'm tired of lame punches, way too many kicks, and not enough actual wrestling. With the sheer ammount of punching, it looks like a watered-down Ultimate Fighting. Let them wrestle to the best of their ability. If someone can't hang, then throw the talentless hack out the door.

 

2.

 

I'm tired of 'hoss' matches. Tired of the same thing that's been going on since 1990-something. I remember back in 2000, when I didn't miss a show because it was actually -interesting-. Sure, it got lame once the McMahon-Helmsley thing drug on too long, but the WWF has always ran things into the ground. Evil Heel Owners, TLC matches, the Dudleys putting people through tables, Austin's "epic" uphill fights for the belt, and their reliance on pushing someone because of their size.

 

If it was based on wrestling ability alone, would Albert have gotten squash after squash? Hours of Ross shilling for him? Replace the name 'Albert' with any number of the overpushed talent-lacking wonders. Yeah, I'm sure Austin is a great draw. Or he used to be. But this eternal fight against authority is bull. Things and characters now are staler than week-old bread.

 

3.

 

Would it really hurt them to throw something new into the mix? Get the belt on a champion who is willing, and physically able to defend the belt every show. Someone who deserves it, and who people would pop for. Throw challengers at them. Why should only one person be going for a belt at a time? Is the Undertaker the only one interested in the WWF title? or RVD in the IC? ..and so on.

 

It's possible to have storylines -and- make belts look credible. So they're calling themselves 'World Wrestling Entertainment' now. Well, damnit, I want the 'entertainment' part of it back. Not a boring seniors tour. Not Austin v Evil Heel Owner part III. Not the HHH reign of destruction. Not Vince the Evil Old Pervert. Try something new.

 

It's not like they are lacking the talent. This isn't 1995-1997 anymore. And it's sad a lot of them are not being used correctly. Guys like Raven who are very good at that sort of thing. Heyman. (On another note, I've been liking Raven as a commentator more and more lately. "By Gawd" Jim Ross, and the eternal hard-on, Jerry Lawler, aren't cutting it anymore.)

 

If they can't do something that simple, why are they paying all these writers? I've seen people here that would book something a thousand more times entertaining than the dribble that's going on now. Get off your ass, WWF. You have NO excuse to slack off.

 

-Shiro

[Guest goodhelmet]

Seriously, you are right on every point.

[Guest areacode212]

Anyone know the reason for there being a "WWF style"? Is it because they know the crowd likes to pop for the punchy/kicky/stompy stuff, so Vince tells his workers to go out there and do that? I was watching Austin/Bret from Survivor Series '96 the other day, and it was like a breath of fresh air compared to today's stuff.

[Guest notJames]

Anyone know the reason for there being a "WWF style"? Is it because they know the crowd likes to pop for the punchy/kicky/stompy stuff, so Vince tells his workers to go out there and do that

It was probably said before, but they use the "WWF style" to level the playing field between the wrestlers with talent and the "hosses". If everyone's throwing punches and stomping in the corner, it makes the less gifted big men look like they can match up to the grapplers with awesome throws and aerial maneuvers. It's most likely why they're in a rut right now... everyone's practically interchangeable to a degree and nobody's being allowed to stand out above the crowd. Guys like RVD and the cruisers are being hampered by this toning down of their styles, which is probably why they look so bored in the ring.

 

Things need to change and soon....

[Guest]

They need competition and fast. I mean a roster split, could be some way of developing competition but it just serves right now to push more guys and those guys for the most part are either way overpushed for their talent or are the same old guys but agains tdifferent people.

 

I could see why Austin couldn't give two shits right now considering the lacklustre product at the moment.

 

The only way they're going to realise how crap they are is by a seriously bad buy rate and the attendance to go even further down.

 

It's a pretty drastic way to make them notice but one which could be the only way to get through.

[Guest myburninghammer]

I'm glad someone else said it because the "WWF style" Brainbuster that Eddie/Chavo/Jazz have to use is the gayest move ever. It looks awful and so cheap.

 

Bring back the head/neck dropping, dammit.

[Guest godthedog]

austin actually looked to be working pretty hard with the big show.  he took 2 back body drops, which is absolutely unheard of, & bumped around quite a bit.  i think he's trying as hard as he can right now, but he is just going through the motions.  he's attempting to get that fire back in him that he had last year, but it isn't working.  his useless raw opponents aren't doing him any favors; he has to do all the work in his matches, & he looks just...tired.   he doesn't have anybody that can hold up his end of the match, & it's getting to him.

[Guest WWF4Life]

I'm glad someone else said it because the "WWF style" Brainbuster that Eddie/Chavo/Jazz have to use is the gayest move ever. It looks awful and so cheap.

 

Bring back the head/neck dropping, dammit.

Yeah, because WWE hasn't had enough neck injuries already. Moron.

 

Personally, I think that Austin benefitted last year from the fact that he was wrestling guys like Benoit and Angle. When he wrestled less talented guys, he was unable to do anything. He's very overrated IMO. The thing is, it's nothing to do with the 'style' of the organisation, it's just that wrestling in general is less popular, and it isn't the 'in' thing anymore, because everything's been done to death. Business is down everywhere, not just WWE and the U.S. People have reprioritised things, and wrestling is lower down on the list now.

[Guest Your Olympic Hero]

The WWF is doomed as far as wrestling goes, period.

 

They can't use moves like brainbusters and piledrivers properly because of the serious neck injuries that have occured.

 

They have 12 pay per views a year, and you can't produce a meaningful storyline over the course of only a few weeks and thenhave a huge 'blowoff' that anyone gives a fuck about.

They need to go back to this formula:  Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, King of the Ring, Summerslam, Survivor Series.  Only those.  The King of the Ring PPV should include the quarterfinal matches.  Seeing a guy wrestle two matches in one night isn't as meaningful as when he wins 3 matches over top stars to claim the KOTR trophy.  Survivor Series:  go back to the 30 minute long, 5 on 5 elimination matches.  Using this formula, a Wrestlemania match can be built up starting at Summerslam, and title reigns can last longer without becoming stale.

 

But I know, I know... they have way too much TV time and ratings to get to only have 5 pay per views a year.  Whatever, wrestling sucks.

[Guest bsrizpac]

I think that I have lost MY smile having to watch WW E crap.

[Guest Just call me Dan]

I'm beginning to think we are all just losing it and everything is going to fold.  Kind of that sinking feeling I got in the last few months before it was confrmed Vince bought WCW. Almost like Why do I give a shit?  This really does not entertain me anymore, and it's not because I've watched it for 5 years or I grew out of it, it's because it really is bad.

 

I never thought I'd see the day when I don't feel like watching, don't really care if I miss it once in a while, and wish it would hurry up and be over so I can do something else.

 

Vince seriously needs more than better writers, he needs a restructuring.  Make us care, don't just shove the same shitty formula at us time after time. CHANGE IS GOOD.

[Guest notJames]

Fans said the same thing in the mid-90s when the Fed was the drizzling shits. People stopped watching in droves, and it was only through wCw's ratings boost that drove the point home to Vince that something needed to be done. And it worked like a charm.

 

wCw's gone. What will make Vinnie Mac see the light now?

[Guest WWF4Life]

wCw's gone. What will make Vinnie Mac see the light now?

The same thing as before...his ratings and buy rates, as well as the success of any competition.

[Guest]

Austin is a crybaby, period!

 

Think about it, what does he really have to be over the top pissed about? He's a multimillionaire. He still probably makes 1-2 million a year. He's one of the biggest names EVER in the business. People love him no matter what he does. He's married to Debra. (Okay, some may say that's not a good thing, but her body still kicks ass. I wouldn't bitch.)

 

Oh yeah, he has more then a few 4*/5* matches in his career. He could arguably be called one of the greatest workers ever in the business.

 

Damn, I'm glad I don't have his life and have to deal with his problems. (Sarcasm)

[Guest RetroRob215]

1. I think Austin is feeling the same way MIck Foley did last year.  Mick knew the WWF was screwing up the Invasion angle, but they didn't really care what his ideas where.  Austin knows the WWE is fucking up the split, but his requests have also been ignored (feud w/nWo).

 

2. Since Austin is on the Raw roster there is no one for him to have a good match with.  Until the WWF pushes guys like RVD, Eddy, and Booker T, Austin will be stuck fighting X-Pac, Big Show, and the Undertaker.  You can't really blame him for having bad matches when he is fighting lazy, overweight, out of shape, old guys.

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

i really thing austin is purposelly making the nWo look bad.

[Guest Tha Cunnysmythe]

The general attitude of the lockerroom is probably somewhere between dried shit and day-old chinese with all the extraneous bullshit going on behind the scenes.

 

You shut up! Chinese food is always great. Unless it's gone off, of course...

[Guest]

i really thing austin is purposelly making the nWo look bad.

Could be.

 

May as well rest a while and not carry them through a match.  They're useless anyway.  :\

[Guest Human Fly]

Is Austin really going to go anywhere? He can kick it into high gear on ppvs and try and carry Hall, Undertaker, and Big Show but can he pull off that good of a carry job. Hopefully the parts of the match with Flair in it will be good, but that's only if we get a substantial part of Flair in the match. If Austin gets any offense in Big Show will be there to interfere. He is the sandbag of the match. Maybe at KOTR will get Austin v. Flair and that will be decent. My feeling is that this one (Judgement Day) will stink it up.

[Guest]

I reckon when Scott Hall was fired that vindicated Austin's views in his head and he REALLY stopped caring.

[Guest notJames]

i really thing austin is purposelly making the nWo look bad.

I think the nWo is doing that just fine all by themselves.