Austin Walks Out Again

[NYU 0]

Austin sees where he is on the list of priorities.

 

Hulk Hogan's return match:

Wrestling the top heel on Raw at the time in Shawn Michaels

Strong and memorable storyline with the headline "Icon vs. Legend"

Main Eventing the second biggest Pay-Per-View of the year SummerSlam

Going over in convincing fashion

 

Steve Austin's return match:

Wrestling a heel second-string announcer

Storyline involving Ross getting kicked in the balls and McMahon pulling items out of JR's ass

Stuck in the midcard of a thrown-together Pay-Per-View put on a Tuesday night

Having to LOSE to the announcer due to interference from Mark Henry, of all people.

 

I'm sure Austin feels slighted here, and rightfully so. His potential opponent at WrestleMania XXII has been put over strongly in the past few months, and Austin is already starting to get stuck in a collection of shitty angles and non-sensical ideas. I don't blame him for walking out. Not this time.

[Shooting Star 0]

I justify Austin on his walkout back in 2002. Jobbing their biggest draw ever to some green rookie?(he was at the time)

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I emailed Meltzer about this, and this was his reply:

 

Vince felt Austin had to lose because he was burying JR and doesn't want

him back.  Austin didn't want to be a party to it, and was under the

impression he was winning the bout.

 

Austin didn't just walk out over doing the job. He also wanted no part of burying his best friend. What Austin did was wrong, but totally understandable.

[Guest JMA]

Why would Vince want to bury JR? I'm sure I'm overlooking something obvious here, but I can't seem to think of it right now. Hasn't JR always done what was asked of him?

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Why would Vince want to bury JR? I'm sure I'm overlooking something obvious here, but I can't seem to think of it right now. Hasn't JR always done what was asked of him?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Vince and JR haven't always seen eye-to-eye, and Vince genuinely thinks that Ross is part of the reason as to why WWE isn't doing so well.

[Downhome 0]

I believe that JR had started to get very vocal about certain things in WWE as of late, and Vince and HHH haven't appreciated it at all. I guess that has a lot to do with it.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Here's the bigger question. Why would Vince bury JR when he's still employed by WWE?

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Here's the bigger question.  Why would Vince bury JR when he's still employed by WWE?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ask Shelton Benjamin or Christian.

[Guest Super Pissed Smark]

Hah. This is hilarious. So Vince decides to wait a few days before the ppv to have his "Oh, by the way" conversation with Austin? Brilliant. It'd be interesting to know if Vince planned to deceive ol' Stone Cold all along, or if he just assumed that he wouldn't have any problem with not just jobbing once to Coach and Sexual Chocolate, but basically losing the feud as well. Mind-boggling either way.

 

I wonder what Hogan thinks of his last big main event being screwed with like this?

 

You know Triple-H must be laughing his ass off.

[Promoter 0]

Is this thread a joke? I mean seriously. I came on the net to read the results of TT another site and then came here and I didn't know this was the reason for Austin not being at the show. Vince Mcmahon is on some serious drugs This is after reading the "conspiracy" thread too.

 

Maybe what someone posted earlier in this thread is true and that Vince probably didn't see Austin as being that great and some of the Austin/Mcmahon storyline is shoot(he did say he didn't understand his popularity before the Austin/Mcmahon storyline). However, Mcmahon did use to promo Austin as being one of the best in the world during commentary before the Bret feud. Who knows? I will say this though. Vince Mcmahon of 2005 would have botched Steamboat/Savage and Hogan/Andre of 1987 by leaps and bounds. That this thing is even a rumour is idiotic.

 

BTW, ROCK STAY THE HELL OUT OF WWE!!!

 

I could only imagine what they would have job happy Rock do. At least he's wised up to the junk they made him do.

[The Robfather 0]

So, basically, Austin was brought back to begin the build for Austin/Hulk, but behind the scenes, it was really just to further a personal vendetta Vince/HHH had against Jim Ross. Lovely.

 

I am so on Austin's side in this. He isn't the one being unprofessional, it is Vince.

 

A little advice to those in charge (Vince, Steph, Triple H, writing staff yes men): Stop using wrestling as a playground for these petty disputes. Maybe then you can actually do business with a guy like Austin.

[cabbageboy 0]

Raw's future outlook is really bleak right now, or at least very up in the air. They want to do Austin/Hogan at WM....at this point that might not happen. They want to do Cena/HHH I'm assuming at WM...given the crowd responses of late to Cena I'm wondering if they are now second guessing that idea.

[Guest The Showcase]

People seem to forget the terms of the Austin/Brock incident. They wanted to job out Austin to Brock in a KING OF THE RING QUALIFIER MATCH??

 

Firstly, why the hell would Austin be in the King Of The Ring tournament? Secondly, it has been stated that Austin had no problem jobbing to Lesnar, but that he should be the last in line and not the first, which makes perfect sense.

 

If they had done what they originally planned, how strong would Brock have looked? Okay, he beat Austin. Now what? He got his title shot at Summerslam by beating RVD in the finals. Sure, Austin shouldn't have walked in '02 but who wouldn't do the same thing?

 

And now is even more ridiculous. Fuck the booking team. Austin still a rather large draw and they want to just waste it. Boggles my mind.

[Guest Ransome]

BTW, ROCK STAY THE HELL OUT OF WWE!!!

 

I could only imagine what they would have job happy Rock do. At least he's wised up to the junk they made him do.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I hope the Rock never comes back, which I of course mean as a complement to him. Especially after watching Foley's weak performance last night, Rock's decision to distance himself from wrestling seems smarter and smarter.

 

They want to do Austin/Hogan at WM....at this point that might not happen

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Personally, I'm certain it will. They realise the value of Austin/Hogan at WM, and they're not going to piss it away. Granted, I'm sure there will be trouble on deciding on a finish that suits both men, but there's six months to work that out.

[Si82 0]

The question I have is why doesn't Jim Ross just quit?

 

I mean, his so called "dream job" just has him be humilated by Vince whenever the fancy takes him. Usually, in his hometown just to rub salt in the wound. Why does he put up with it? Hasn't he not made enough money over the years to retire by now or work somehere else even?

 

It just doesn't make any sense to me.

 

As for Austin, I hope the guy never comes back again. I totally agree with him not wanting to bury his best friend just to please Vince but I didn't want to see him back in the first place. He's starting to turn into Hogan, he's just a relic from the past who can't let go of the spotlight.

[Guest *KNK*]

The question I have is why doesn't Jim Ross just quit?

 

I mean, his so called "dream job" just has him be humilated by Vince whenever the fancy takes him. Usually, in his hometown just to rub salt in the wound. Why does he put up with it? Hasn't he not made enough money over the years to retire by now or work somehere else even?

 

It just doesn't make any sense to me.

 

As for Austin, I hope the guy never comes back again. I totally agree with him not wanting to bury his best friend just to please Vince but I didn't want to see him back in the first place. He's starting to turn into Hogan, he's just a relic from the past who can't let go of the spotlight.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

"Love of the business". Quite frankly WWE is the only game in town as far as Jim Ross is concerned. He can easily get work anywhere calling football (which he did in the past) or hosting some sort of radio show in Oklahoma.

[cabbageboy 0]

In regards to that 2002 KOTR tourney, I do believe that was the single worst booked fiasco in WWE history. They pissed Austin off to the point where he left, they buried RVD in the finals and his career has yet to recover from it. And for what? To push a guy who bolted for the NFL less than two years later. Is it any wonder that tourney killed the KOTR PPV for good?

 

I gave Austin more shit for leaving then than I am now. I doubt anyone would have remembered the next week that he lost to Lesnar with an Eddie run in. Also, by 2002 Austin's drawing power was toast anyway.

[Guest *KNK*]

In regards to that 2002 KOTR tourney, I do believe that was the single worst booked fiasco in WWE history.  They pissed Austin off to the point where he left, they buried RVD in the finals and his career has yet to recover from it.  And for what?  To push a guy who bolted for the NFL less than two years later.  Is it any wonder that tourney killed the KOTR PPV for good?

 

I gave Austin more shit for leaving then than I am now.  I doubt anyone would have remembered the next week that he lost to Lesnar with an Eddie run in.  Also, by 2002 Austin's drawing power was toast anyway.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yeah, "that guy" who would only be one of the top stars of the company and top workers for his 2 years with the company, it's like they were aware that Lesnar was leaving 2 years later.

 

The KOTR tourny was killed off because it no longer held any importance and because it was a booking nightmare (just look at KOTR's 95, 97, 99,00, 01 and '02 for the proof), ironically enough the three that were booked correctly, happened to be the only 3 people remember (Hart, Hart, Austin).

 

Austin/Lesnar should not been given away for free with no hype, there was no story except for the incident a week before it during that lumberjack match where Lesnar attacked Austin. The Lesnar incident was merely the tip of the iceberg that gave Austin his last stand. He already walked out before and WWE chalked it up to "frustration" and didn't make an issue of it, In Austin's mind he was being used poorly by working with Scott Hall in a mid-card match @ Mania. Something he could have corrected by agreeing to work Hogan, instead that match and spotlight went to Rock.

 

People like to attach the Lesnar incident to Austin's departure, but it really wasn't about that.

 

BTW, The KOTR tourny hardly buried RVD. It was the same treatment, to say his career never recovered from that is a completely crazy notion, because there are more obvious causes of RVD's down-fall then jobbing to Lesnar in a virtual squash.

[cabbageboy 0]

That KOTR tourney was pretty much the beginning of the end for RVD. That was the big chance to push him while he was insanely over and I think it really hurt his momentum. It was a bad idea to put Lesnar in that spot over RVD at that particular point.

 

The 2002 KOTR flat out killed the PPV...it had such horrible long term effects, from the Austin leaving, to beginning the notion of pushing some green rookie in a hopeless attempt to create a big star, to starting the burial of RVD (which HHH and Co. completed by year's end). No other KOTR tourney--badly booked as they were--had that sort of negative long range effects. KOTR 95 was awful but at least Mabel was jobbed at SS and then forgotten. HHH got little from winning the 97 KOTR but his career picked up by the end of that year anyway, so no harm done. Billy Gunn was jobbed out to the Rock in 99 with little fanfare, so it didn't effect much of anything. I do think Angle got something out of winning it in 2000 though.

[dubq 0]

So, basically, Austin was brought back to begin the build for Austin/Hulk, but  behind the scenes, it was really just to further a personal vendetta Vince/HHH had against Jim Ross. Lovely.

 

I am so on Austin's side in this. He isn't the one being unprofessional, it is Vince.

 

A little advice to those in charge (Vince, Steph, Triple H, writing staff yes men): Stop using wrestling as a playground for these petty disputes. Maybe then you can actually do business with a guy like Austin.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

There's a vendetta against JR? You realize the guy really wasn't fired, right? They just wanted him off of TV. Who knows, maybe he wanted off of TV as well.

 

BTW, that's not really advice. It's more like a request.

[Guest *KNK*]

So, basically, Austin was brought back to begin the build for Austin/Hulk, but  behind the scenes, it was really just to further a personal vendetta Vince/HHH had against Jim Ross. Lovely.

 

I am so on Austin's side in this. He isn't the one being unprofessional, it is Vince.

 

A little advice to those in charge (Vince, Steph, Triple H, writing staff yes men): Stop using wrestling as a playground for these petty disputes. Maybe then you can actually do business with a guy like Austin.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

There's a vendetta against JR? You realize the guy really wasn't fired, right? They just wanted him off of TV. Who knows, maybe he wanted off of TV as well.

 

BTW, that's not really advice. It's more like a request.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

How can you say there isn't a vendetta against Jim Ross? Not only has McMahon fired JR(legitimately) on more then one occasion, not only has Jim Ross been made to look like an bumbling idiot (it even started on his first day of work @ WM9) and to top it off, they cut him from the booth, not because they didn't like his work, but rather because he wasn't pretty enough for tv.

[dubq 0]

So, basically, Austin was brought back to begin the build for Austin/Hulk, but  behind the scenes, it was really just to further a personal vendetta Vince/HHH had against Jim Ross. Lovely.

 

I am so on Austin's side in this. He isn't the one being unprofessional, it is Vince.

 

A little advice to those in charge (Vince, Steph, Triple H, writing staff yes men): Stop using wrestling as a playground for these petty disputes. Maybe then you can actually do business with a guy like Austin.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

There's a vendetta against JR? You realize the guy really wasn't fired, right? They just wanted him off of TV. Who knows, maybe he wanted off of TV as well.

 

BTW, that's not really advice. It's more like a request.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

How can you say there isn't a vendetta against Jim Ross? Not only has McMahon fired JR(legitimately) on more then one occasion, not only has Jim Ross been made to look like an bumbling idiot (it even started on his first day of work @ WM9) and to top it off, they cut him from the booth, not because they didn't like his work, but rather because he wasn't pretty enough for tv.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I'll give you everything up to the not pretty for TV thing. If that were true, then why would he have been on TV for so long? Why would they book angles around him? Never mind the fact that commentators are only shown on-screen maybe once or twice a show, and that JR's "work" has been slipping for YEARS. The guy barely calls a move correctly anymore, let alone a wrestlers name. Good riddance, I say.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

So, basically, Austin was brought back to begin the build for Austin/Hulk, but  behind the scenes, it was really just to further a personal vendetta Vince/HHH had against Jim Ross. Lovely.

 

I am so on Austin's side in this. He isn't the one being unprofessional, it is Vince.

 

A little advice to those in charge (Vince, Steph, Triple H, writing staff yes men): Stop using wrestling as a playground for these petty disputes. Maybe then you can actually do business with a guy like Austin.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

There's a vendetta against JR? You realize the guy really wasn't fired, right? They just wanted him off of TV. Who knows, maybe he wanted off of TV as well.

 

BTW, that's not really advice. It's more like a request.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

How can you say there isn't a vendetta against Jim Ross? Not only has McMahon fired JR(legitimately) on more then one occasion, not only has Jim Ross been made to look like an bumbling idiot (it even started on his first day of work @ WM9) and to top it off, they cut him from the booth, not because they didn't like his work, but rather because he wasn't pretty enough for tv.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I'll give you everything up to the not pretty for TV thing. If that were true, then why would he have been on TV for so long? Why would they book angles around him? Never mind the fact that commentators are only shown on-screen maybe once or twice a show, and that JR's "work" has been slipping for YEARS. The guy barely calls a move correctly anymore, let alone a wrestlers name. Good riddance, I say.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Where have you been? The WWE absolutely wants JR off Raw because they think he is ugly. They have been wanting to get rid of him for years and have attempted to on several occasions, only to take him back because of the lack of a suitable replacement. That's why they hired Coach, Grisham, Cole,etc. They are good looking (in the WWE eyes).

 

The only difference now is that HHH has a legitimate beef with JR. There is no way he is coming back to television at this point. He has a lot of enemies in the power positions of the company. The only thing that is keeping him there is his fan support and long history of loyalty to the company.

[dubq 0]

Where have you been?  The WWE absolutely wants JR off Raw because they think he is ugly.  They have been wanting to get rid of him for years and have attempted to on several occasions, only to take him back because of the lack of a suitable replacement.  That's why they hired Coach, Grisham, Cole,etc.  They are good looking (in the WWE eyes).

 

The only difference now is that HHH has a legitimate beef with JR.  There is no way he is coming back to television at this point.  He has a lot of enemies in the power positions of the company.  The only thing that is keeping him there is his fan support and long history of loyalty to the company.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

First off, Cole was not a hire to get JR off TV. The last time I remember Cole replacing JR was when he turned heel and brought in Steve Williams. *gasp* JR was still on TV with his own announce table.

 

Second, what's HHH's beef with JR?

 

...and third, I think that if WWE really wanted him permanently off TV THAT BAD then they would've pulled the trigger a long time ago, shitty replacements or not. They've never cared in the past about doing it to WRESTLERS, so why the fuck would the give a shit about a play-by-play man who rarely even CALLS play-by-play.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Where have you been?  The WWE absolutely wants JR off Raw because they think he is ugly.  They have been wanting to get rid of him for years and have attempted to on several occasions, only to take him back because of the lack of a suitable replacement.  That's why they hired Coach, Grisham, Cole,etc.  They are good looking (in the WWE eyes).

 

The only difference now is that HHH has a legitimate beef with JR.  There is no way he is coming back to television at this point.  He has a lot of enemies in the power positions of the company.  The only thing that is keeping him there is his fan support and long history of loyalty to the company.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

First off, Cole was not a hire to get JR off TV. The last time I remember Cole replacing JR was when he turned heel and brought in Steve Williams. *gasp* JR was still on TV with his own announce table.

 

Second, what's HHH's beef with JR?

 

...and third, I think that if WWE really wanted him permanently off TV THAT BAD then they would've pulled the trigger a long time ago, shitty replacements or not. They've never cared in the past about doing it to WRESTLERS, so why the fuck would the give a shit about a play-by-play man who rarely even CALLS play-by-play.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Seriously, where have you been the past few years?

 

I wasn't trying to say that each of those hires was to get JR off tv. I was trying to show that the mentality in the WWE is to hire young, good looking announcers. And just to disprove you, Cole *was* going to be a permanent JR replacement in '99 after JR had a second bout with his Bell's Palsey. That Williams angle happened months after the orginal replacement. It was only because JR was missed so badly that he returned.

 

They have tried to pull the trigger several times, but it has always backfired, as it is surely doing this time. There were numerous times that Coach was put into the position but just couldn't cut it. They publicly tried to hire Mike Goldberg to spite JR and move in a new direction.

 

I don't know the exact origins of the HHH-Ross hate, but during that beatdown a couple months back HHH gave him a stiff (intentional) potato shot and was really careless ib blading him.

 

Ultimately, JR does not fit into the Dunn-Stephanie McMahon mold for the future of the WWE. They want to get away from old time wrestling (which JR represents) and employ a company full of actors and models. I don't know how I can present this more clearly.

[hyperchord24 0]

HHH's beef with JR began back when HHH was about to get his mega push, his contract was up and HHH figured that he should get ME money. HHH took his greavences up with JR, whose explicit instuctions from vince was to not budge. HHH then met with vince directly, who was apparently happy to give him more money, effectively double crossing JR and making him look foolish to HHH.

[cameron chaos 0]

I think it also may be related to when he first started being pushed to ME level and Austin still felt HHH was below him and not ready for the ME. Ross sided with Austin at the time. That is why HHH didn't win the title from Austin and instead won it from Foley on RAW after Summerslam '99 after they convinced Foley to be a caretaker champ.

 

Ross didn't take kindly to being potato'd and left blind in one eye for a couple of months as well as needing stitches after HHH worked stiff and bladed him too deeply in their "match" earlier this year. He also didn't like the fact HHH suffered no punishment for it whereas past stiff workers (like RVD) got depushed for "not knowing how to work". At this point in time HHH is politically more powerful than Ross, who is becoming known as behind the times and out of touch in Vince's eyes. Apparently Dave Lagana and Ross butted heads a couple of times over the storylines (I heard Ross objected to the Dawn Marie/Torrie/Al Wilson, Dawn/Jackie/Haas and Angle/Booker/Sharmell storylines because of the tasteless execution of them, particularly the Haas storyline since JR has a thing for college athletes) so that probably added to that perception.

 

It's no surprise JR has allegedly been a grumpy bastard the last few years given what he has had to endure and be involved in. He's said a few times he's glad neither of his parents are alive to see what he's had to do. I doubt when he was calling matches back in 88 he ever imagined he'd have to pucker up to Vinny Mac's brown eye on national TV.

[hyperchord24 0]

and another one bites the dust . . .

 

"No, Vince, you're wrong"

 

Vince: "you're fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiired!

[dubq 0]

They have tried to pull the trigger several times, but it has always backfired, as it is surely doing this time.  There were numerous times that Coach was put into the position but just couldn't cut it.  They publicly tried to hire Mike Goldberg to spite JR and move in a new direction.

 

I don't know the exact origins of the HHH-Ross hate, but during that beatdown a couple months back HHH gave him a stiff (intentional) potato shot and was really careless ib blading him.

 

Ultimately, JR does not fit into the Dunn-Stephanie McMahon mold for the future of the WWE.  They want to get away from old time wrestling (which JR represents) and employ a company full of actors and models.  I don't know how I can present this more clearly.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You are presenting it clearly. I'm just arguing the fact that if they wanted to get him off TV that badly, then they would've done it a long time ago and not looked back. Seriously, what's the worry? Backlash from fans? Who the heck watches wrestling for the PBP man? Not me.

 

Your actors/models argument also doesn't hold up very well. Grisham, Cole and Goldberg are hardly the actor/model type. They're more like dorky looking little dweebs. Not to mention, bringing in Styles - he's not exactly a looker, either.

[Guest Gary Busey]

That is why HHH didn't win the title from Austin and instead won it from Foley on RAW after Summerslam '99 after they convinced Foley to be a caretaker champ.

 

A big(ger) problem was that Ventura, as governor, wouldn't raise the hand of a heel.