State Your Unpopular Opinions

[humanoid92 0]

- #1 Contender matches are lame and always have been.

 

- Bobby Heenan is one of the funniest comedians that has ever lived.

 

- The #1 guy they should have made huge from day one but completely dropped the ball on is not RVD: It's Chris Jericho.

 

- Christian is better than Edge on the mic.

 

- Authority figures post-Jack Tunney/Gorilla Monsoon have always sucked; it's nothing new.

 

- They should get rid of the standard sets for every TV show to give each week/arena more of an individual identity.

 

- Jeff Jarrett circa 1995 is one of my favorite wrestlers ever.

 

- Michael Cole and Tazz are TERRIBLE and use the word "hell" FAR too often and casually. Let this set in and watch any episode of Smackdown and you'll see what I mean. You'll never be able to take them seriously again.

 

- There should always be a classic heel announcer. At all times. Jerry Lawler should be this. He was great at it from '93-'96... then he gradually lost his balls. He should get them back. Even if Coach isn't that great, at least he provided a heel voice in the booth. This is part of what made Heyman such a breath of fresh air when he replaced Lawler for most of '01.

 

- The Bret Hart/HBK Iron Man was amazing, with much better work than Rock/HHH, which was good in its own right but is looked upon favorably because of all the bells and whistles.

 

- I totally agree with whoever said that Austin is given far too much credit for being such a "draw." Sure, he drew a shitload, but the success of that era was about the drastic change in the product and crash TV. Austin was the top guy on the team, but it was still a group effort. He was Larry Bird. A Hall of Famer, no doubt, but those Celtics teams were legendary because he was also playing with McHale, Parrish, etc. So let's not forget that those surrounding Austin (Bret, Vince, Rock, Foley, etc.) had a lot to do with the success of the company as a whole. It's really no comparison to what Hogan did in the mid 80's when people cared about the WWF JUST because of Hulk Hogan. Hogan was Michael Jordan... which I guess makes Savage Scottie Pippen.

 

- Austin/Rock from X-7 is WAAAAY overrated.

 

- After Summerslam '97, Steve Austin didn't have a good match until 2001.

 

- Pretty much every WWF main event from 1998-1999 sucked.

 

- The 1999/2000 tag division was awesome, and that's not just limited to the TLCers.

 

- Events seem a thousand times more important when Howard Finkel is doing the ring announcing.

 

- Funny Kurt Angle > Pissed off Kurt Angle.

 

- Brock Lesnar was nothing special.

 

- Wrestling is not cyclical. It had two boom periods. It may go on an upswing at some point but it will never approach the heights of the two booms again.

 

- 60% of the relevant people on the roster should have been phased out long ago and have been around way too long (Kane, Big Show, Flair, Taker, etc.). There's nowhere left to go with them.

 

- All this nostalgia stuff and fascination with living in the past is ridiculous and counter-productive. (ECW, DX, Hogan, etc.)

 

- Cookie cutter pushes are boring (Lashley, Masters, etc.)

 

- Christian was the most underrated worker/bumper in the TLC matches.

 

- The Edge vs. Christian feud was one of the most botched feuds ever.

 

- Every ladder match after TLC has been completely pointless... although I did enjoy Jericho/Benoit. To me, that was the last great 1 on 1 ladder match.

 

- Stiff does not equal good.

 

- ECW sucked.

 

- The new ECW will suck.

 

- Constant talk on TV about "Wrestlemania moments" and "transitional champions" is silly.

 

- Anyone that thinks "Bret screwed Bret" is ignorant.

 

- Orton, Cena, JBL, etc. were/are not legitimate World Champs.

 

- Finlay does nothing for me.

 

- Ken Kennedy, Ken Doane, Ken Patera, Ken Stabler, Kenny from South Park or anyone named Ken will never headline Wrestlemania.

 

- Of course, predicting future Wrestlemania matches is pointless.

 

- Squash matches and jobbers should slowly be phased back in, within reason.

 

- There should be no more than 6 PPV's a year total.

 

- MMA stuff is boring and unappealing and I don't understand why it has a place in wrestling news/discussion outlets. I mean, you could say boxing is similar too, but I don't see Meltzer covering that.

 

- I hate it when people end sentences that start with "I wonder" or "I think" with question marks. If you're wondering or thinking about something, you're conveying that thought in the form of a statement, even if the content of the statement has you pondering or questioning something.

 

- The only reason Bush hasn't been assassinated yet is because the only people with guns are the ones who voted for him.

[iggymcfly 0]

-At its absolute peak, WCW was complete and utter crap.

 

-MMA is really boring and has absolutely nothing to do with pro wrestling

 

-There hasn't been a decent feud in the WWE since 2002.

 

-Fit Finlay, JBL, and pretty much everything else on Smackdown are completely unwatchable.

 

-The Spirit Squad is just as bad.

 

-John Cena's even worse. He's the least cool thing on TV this side of anime.

[The Robfather 0]

I haven't been a Triple HHHater in quite awhile.

[Si82 0]

- Big Show has never been any good and he never will be.

 

- I think Chris Master has improved a lot since his debut.

 

- Jim Ross is not the greatest wrestling announcer ever and doesn't even come close. He's not a great storyteller either.

 

- Val Venis sucks.

 

- I hope that Mark Henry is not resigned by WWE when his contract expires. He's shown no signs of improvement in the ten years he's been employed. Why people seem to think he's great recently I'll never know. The guy couldn't even have a good match with Kurt Angle.

 

- Burchill's pirate gimmick is fucking awful.

 

- There is no way that Randy Orton is the future of WWE.

 

- WCW was a fucking good promotion. I'm sick of the shit it gets from people on this board who like to brand it wrestlecrap. If you think that then you're a fucking idiot.

[TheInsane 0]

Someone wrote:

 

"funny Kurt Angle > opissed off Kurt Angle"

 

I actually think thats the norm to think like that. I prefer it the other way around (if the pissed Angle is a heel of course).

[Guest Shark]

Couple more

 

Paul Burchill rules and should be in the main event one day

 

Triple H is the most overrated mic worker ever.

[Guest J0bber]

-There hasn't been a decent feud in the WWE since 2002.

 

Which feud were you alluding to? I'm guessing the Kane/Triple H/Katie Vick brilliance from that year. [/sarcasm]

[razazteca 0]

Jerry Lawler needs the opening 20 minute promo to rant about how bad ECW is outside of the bingo hall.

 

Everytime Jerry Lawler rants about ECW it's the best segment of the show.

 

Vince McMahon should never ever be on tv unless he is going to say YOU'RE FIRED!

 

Why the hell is Vince on tv again?

 

Why the hell is Coach his assistent?

 

JR singing "Nananana hey hey good bye" is the greatest soundbyte ever.

 

Where the hell is Joey Styles?

[Lord of The Curry 0]

-At its absolute peak, WCW was complete and utter crap.

 

It's not "State Your Ignorant Opinions." Seriously, personal feelings is one thing but at its peak WCW was putting on amazing matches, on par with anything WWE/F did at its peak.

[razazteca 0]

-At its absolute peak, WCW was complete and utter crap.

 

It's not "State Your Ignorant Opinions." Seriously, personal feelings is one thing but at its peak WCW was putting on amazing matches, on par with anything WWE/F did at its peak.

Jim Duggan vs Vader from Starrcade 1994 was the best match of Duggan's career outside of Mid-South.

[iggymcfly 0]

-At its absolute peak, WCW was complete and utter crap.

 

It's not "State Your Ignorant Opinions." Seriously, personal feelings is one thing but at its peak WCW was putting on amazing matches, on par with anything WWE/F did at its peak.

 

They'd have one or two good matches a show, but they'd also have five terrible ones that exposed the business. Almost everyone in the main event scene worked their matches at about 1/4 speed with the pattern of hit a move, walk two full circles around the ring, and then be stunned when your opponent got up and hit a move as well.

 

Also, their promos were terrible. People like Hogan and Nash could cut a ten-minute promo and only get four sentences out. Sometimes, their cadence was so slow, that they'd say one word every fifteen seconds. For the record, here, I'm talking about their peak in terms of popularity which was from 1996-1998.

[Epic Reine 0]

- Bob Holly isn't that bad. You people are just blindly following

- Ken Kennedy is the man

- At his best, Goldust is the most entertaining character on TV

- Shelton Benjamin will never be big if he keeps cutting bad promos and botch moves,

- Mark Henry is a lost cause.

- WWE missed the boat with Rob Conway. He was always the best thing about La Resistence but WWE just gave him a generic heel gimmick which couldn't get over if The Rock used it.

- Chris Nowinski was awesome. Shame he retired so early.

- Al Snow and Stevie Richards are the most wasted WWE Superstars ever.

[claydude14 0]

Half the people or more who bitch about Smackdown sucking probably never catch the show and just base their opinion on reading the spoilers each week. If you took the time to watch the brand each week, you'd see how despite everything working against it (injuries, b show treatment etc.) it still manages to be the better brand week in week out.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

- After Summerslam '97, Steve Austin didn't have a good match until 2001.

 

Yeah, the main event of WM14 was horrible, and that Over the Edge 98 match with Dude Love was one of the worst matches of all time. Let's not forget those horrible matches with The Rock at WM15 and Backlash 99, those guys don't know how to work at all. Oh and how can I forget that sloppy and dreadful Summerslam 98 main event with The Undertaker, why was Vince doing booking those 2 clowns in the main event!

[Guest Hotbutter Spoontoaster]

- After Summerslam '97, Steve Austin didn't have a good match until 2001.

 

Yeah, the main event of WM14 was horrible, and that Over the Edge 98 match with Dude Love was one of the worst matches of all time. Let's not forget those horrible matches with The Rock at WM15 and Backlash 99, those guys don't know how to work at all. Oh and how can I forget that sloppy and dreadful Summerslam 98 main event with The Undertaker, why was Vince doing booking those 2 clowns in the main event!

Somebody likes his sarcasm!

[ANKLELOCK 0]

-Smackdown is awesome even now.

-Cena is the future of the business.

-There is still a place for Authority Figure Angles.

-Mark Henry is not that bad.

-Orton is not bad at all.

-Finlay and Benoit are the best wrestlers in WWE hands down(not unpopular but I just have to keep saying it)

-RVD is overrated

-I wish Confidential was still around

-I miss Bishcoff TERRIBLY

-Rey is an interesting, if not credible champion

-I am anticipating the Khali/Taker blowoff where Khali gets his comeuppance.

-I don't care for a DX reunion.

-I am willing to give a McMahon-run ECW a chance as long as Paul E. is involved

-Kane needs to just go away. SO stale

-Carlito, although I like him, is overrated and would be a far less credible champion than Mysterio.

 

There, I'm done sounding like a mark.

[humanoid92 0]

- After Summerslam '97, Steve Austin didn't have a good match until 2001.

 

Yeah, the main event of WM14 was horrible, and that Over the Edge 98 match with Dude Love was one of the worst matches of all time. Let's not forget those horrible matches with The Rock at WM15 and Backlash 99, those guys don't know how to work at all. Oh and how can I forget that sloppy and dreadful Summerslam 98 main event with The Undertaker, why was Vince doing booking those 2 clowns in the main event!

 

WM 14 I'll buy. Even with Shawn's messed up back they still managed to have a pretty good match. The Dude Love and and Undertaker matches were solid, but they were hardly great. And no, I don't care for either of those matches against the Rock. As far as the "punch-kick-brawl into the crowd-break the announce table-overdo finishers" style that oversaturated every main event for most of '98 and '99 (and into 2000) the Rock matches were okay, but given the formula, that's not saying much. That terrible brawling formula killed a lot of those matches for me. There was just nothing to it.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

- After Summerslam '97, Steve Austin didn't have a good match until 2001.

 

Yeah, the main event of WM14 was horrible, and that Over the Edge 98 match with Dude Love was one of the worst matches of all time. Let's not forget those horrible matches with The Rock at WM15 and Backlash 99, those guys don't know how to work at all. Oh and how can I forget that sloppy and dreadful Summerslam 98 main event with The Undertaker, why was Vince doing booking those 2 clowns in the main event!

 

WM 14 I'll buy. Even with Shawn's messed up back they still managed to have a pretty good match. The Dude Love and and Undertaker matches were solid, but they were hardly great. And no, I don't care for either of those matches against the Rock. As far as the "punch-kick-brawl into the crowd-break the announce table-overdo finishers" style that oversaturated every main event for most of '98 and '99 (and into 2000) the Rock matches were okay, but given the formula, that's not saying much. That terrible brawling formula killed a lot of those matches for me. There was just nothing to it.

 

The Dude Love match was more then just a wrestling match, it was the best booked wrestling match problay the WWE has ever done. The fued leading up to it and the match it self was amazing. It was more then just a wrestling match, it was why the WWF peaked. And the ending was just perfect. That was WWE at it's best.

[Downhome 0]

-This thread is all kinds of fucked up.

[humanoid92 0]

- After Summerslam '97, Steve Austin didn't have a good match until 2001.

 

Yeah, the main event of WM14 was horrible, and that Over the Edge 98 match with Dude Love was one of the worst matches of all time. Let's not forget those horrible matches with The Rock at WM15 and Backlash 99, those guys don't know how to work at all. Oh and how can I forget that sloppy and dreadful Summerslam 98 main event with The Undertaker, why was Vince doing booking those 2 clowns in the main event!

 

WM 14 I'll buy. Even with Shawn's messed up back they still managed to have a pretty good match. The Dude Love and and Undertaker matches were solid, but they were hardly great. And no, I don't care for either of those matches against the Rock. As far as the "punch-kick-brawl into the crowd-break the announce table-overdo finishers" style that oversaturated every main event for most of '98 and '99 (and into 2000) the Rock matches were okay, but given the formula, that's not saying much. That terrible brawling formula killed a lot of those matches for me. There was just nothing to it.

 

The Dude Love match was more then just a wrestling match, it was the best booked wrestling match problay the WWE has ever done. The fued leading up to it and the match it self was amazing. It was more then just a wrestling match, it was why the WWF peaked. And the ending was just perfect. That was WWE at it's best.

 

To me, WWF at its best was stuff like the Bret/Owen saga.

 

I'm not going to argue that the Dude Love match was well booked and a good enough match. Best booked match ever is definitely stretching it. I might call it appropriate over-booking. I don't think it's necessarily WHY the WWF peaked, but it served its purpose. I'm not going to bash the match. But even you admit the best part about the match is the storyline and the booking. That's fine, but it doesn't exactly make me say, "Wow that Austin just had a killer match."

 

I just don't have a whole lot of love for much of the in-ring product from that era. The main events were the only matches that ever got any time at all but 95% of them just didn't interest me. Mostly it's the brawling and predictable formula that I mentioned earlier. I'm sorry, Austin/Kane, Austin/Rock (in 99), Austin/Vince, Austin/Undertaker (though I will admit Summerslam is their best match against each other), Austin/HHH (in 99) just didn't do it for me at all. Every match felt exactly the same. It was like they were just stalling for the finish and the first 15 minutes meant nothing. It was just mindless brawling with the predictable and pointless crowd/aisle brawling and announce table spots thrown in. Austin certainly used it the most, but Rock and HHH fell back on this at times too after Austin got hurt. Main events were just very underwhelming to me for a long time in between Bret's departure and the hot HHH/Foley series.

 

In hindsight, I should have said "After WM 14, Austin didn't have a good match until 2001." And from there, I'll give you this: the Dude Love match is good, and the Undertaker Summerslam match is pretty good. But other than that I can't think of another match I liked.

 

My point is this: for the better part of three years (late 97-early 01... and I know he missed some time with injuries in there), I really think he had three matches that can be considered good- Michaels, Dude Love, and Undertaker. 3 good matches in 3 years isn't very impressive. So while I admit my original statement may have been a little inaccurate, I completely stand by its sentiment.

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

- After Summerslam '97, Steve Austin didn't have a good match until 2001.

 

Yeah, the main event of WM14 was horrible, and that Over the Edge 98 match with Dude Love was one of the worst matches of all time. Let's not forget those horrible matches with The Rock at WM15 and Backlash 99, those guys don't know how to work at all. Oh and how can I forget that sloppy and dreadful Summerslam 98 main event with The Undertaker, why was Vince doing booking those 2 clowns in the main event!

 

WM 14 I'll buy. Even with Shawn's messed up back they still managed to have a pretty good match. The Dude Love and and Undertaker matches were solid, but they were hardly great. And no, I don't care for either of those matches against the Rock. As far as the "punch-kick-brawl into the crowd-break the announce table-overdo finishers" style that oversaturated every main event for most of '98 and '99 (and into 2000) the Rock matches were okay, but given the formula, that's not saying much. That terrible brawling formula killed a lot of those matches for me. There was just nothing to it.

 

The Dude Love match was more then just a wrestling match, it was the best booked wrestling match problay the WWE has ever done. The fued leading up to it and the match it self was amazing. It was more then just a wrestling match, it was why the WWF peaked. And the ending was just perfect. That was WWE at it's best.

 

To me, WWF at its best was stuff like the Bret/Owen saga.

 

I'm not going to argue that the Dude Love match was well booked and a good enough match. Best booked match ever is definitely stretching it. I might call it appropriate over-booking. I don't think it's necessarily WHY the WWF peaked, but it served its purpose. I'm not going to bash the match. But even you admit the best part about the match is the storyline and the booking. That's fine, but it doesn't exactly make me say, "Wow that Austin just had a killer match."

 

I just don't have a whole lot of love for much of the in-ring product from that era. The main events were the only matches that ever got any time at all but 95% of them just didn't interest me. Mostly it's the brawling and predictable formula that I mentioned earlier. I'm sorry, Austin/Kane, Austin/Rock (in 99), Austin/Vince, Austin/Undertaker (though I will admit Summerslam is their best match against each other), Austin/HHH (in 99) just didn't do it for me at all. Every match felt exactly the same. It was like they were just stalling for the finish and the first 15 minutes meant nothing. It was just mindless brawling with the predictable and pointless crowd/aisle brawling and announce table spots thrown in. Austin certainly used it the most, but Rock and HHH fell back on this at times too after Austin got hurt. Main events were just very underwhelming to me for a long time in between Bret's departure and the hot HHH/Foley series.

 

In hindsight, I should have said "After WM 14, Austin didn't have a good match until 2001." And from there, I'll give you this: the Dude Love match is good, and the Undertaker Summerslam match is pretty good. But other than that I can't think of another match I liked.

 

My point is this: for the better part of three years (late 97-early 01... and I know he missed some time with injuries in there), I really think he had three matches that can be considered good- Michaels, Dude Love, and Undertaker. 3 good matches in 3 years isn't very impressive. So while I admit my original statement may have been a little inaccurate, I completely stand by its sentiment.

 

Yeah but there is also arguement that the overall wrestling in that time period was horrible, but very entertaining and popular. When Vince Russo was in charge, his idea wasn't "We can build great ratings by great wrestling", he idea was more of making Pro Wrestling a normal "TV Show", granted it was entertaining, I grew up through that time period, and that was IMO as popular if not more then then Hulk Hogan era.

 

Steve Austin was still a capable wrestler then, but he didn't have the chance to wrestle againest Benoit, Angle, Jericho, RVD, and improved wrestlers in Rock and HHH.

 

That's what I'm trying to say. In your post you downside the legacy of Stone Cold, you're problay an older guy who grew up in the Hulkamania era who doesn't realize how popular wrestling was from 1998-2001.

[Team Angle Pusher 0]

- After Summerslam '97, Steve Austin didn't have a good match until 2001.

 

Yeah, the main event of WM14 was horrible, and that Over the Edge 98 match with Dude Love was one of the worst matches of all time. Let's not forget those horrible matches with The Rock at WM15 and Backlash 99, those guys don't know how to work at all. Oh and how can I forget that sloppy and dreadful Summerslam 98 main event with The Undertaker, why was Vince doing booking those 2 clowns in the main event!

 

WM 14 I'll buy. Even with Shawn's messed up back they still managed to have a pretty good match. The Dude Love and and Undertaker matches were solid, but they were hardly great. And no, I don't care for either of those matches against the Rock. As far as the "punch-kick-brawl into the crowd-break the announce table-overdo finishers" style that oversaturated every main event for most of '98 and '99 (and into 2000) the Rock matches were okay, but given the formula, that's not saying much. That terrible brawling formula killed a lot of those matches for me. There was just nothing to it.

 

The Dude Love match was more then just a wrestling match, it was the best booked wrestling match problay the WWE has ever done. The fued leading up to it and the match it self was amazing. It was more then just a wrestling match, it was why the WWF peaked. And the ending was just perfect. That was WWE at it's best.

 

To me, WWF at its best was stuff like the Bret/Owen saga.

 

I'm not going to argue that the Dude Love match was well booked and a good enough match. Best booked match ever is definitely stretching it. I might call it appropriate over-booking. I don't think it's necessarily WHY the WWF peaked, but it served its purpose. I'm not going to bash the match. But even you admit the best part about the match is the storyline and the booking. That's fine, but it doesn't exactly make me say, "Wow that Austin just had a killer match."

 

I just don't have a whole lot of love for much of the in-ring product from that era. The main events were the only matches that ever got any time at all but 95% of them just didn't interest me. Mostly it's the brawling and predictable formula that I mentioned earlier. I'm sorry, Austin/Kane, Austin/Rock (in 99), Austin/Vince, Austin/Undertaker (though I will admit Summerslam is their best match against each other), Austin/HHH (in 99) just didn't do it for me at all. Every match felt exactly the same. It was like they were just stalling for the finish and the first 15 minutes meant nothing. It was just mindless brawling with the predictable and pointless crowd/aisle brawling and announce table spots thrown in. Austin certainly used it the most, but Rock and HHH fell back on this at times too after Austin got hurt. Main events were just very underwhelming to me for a long time in between Bret's departure and the hot HHH/Foley series.

 

In hindsight, I should have said "After WM 14, Austin didn't have a good match until 2001." And from there, I'll give you this: the Dude Love match is good, and the Undertaker Summerslam match is pretty good. But other than that I can't think of another match I liked.

 

My point is this: for the better part of three years (late 97-early 01... and I know he missed some time with injuries in there), I really think he had three matches that can be considered good- Michaels, Dude Love, and Undertaker. 3 good matches in 3 years isn't very impressive. So while I admit my original statement may have been a little inaccurate, I completely stand by its sentiment.

 

Yeah but there is also arguement that the overall wrestling in that time period was horrible, but very entertaining and popular. When Vince Russo was in charge, his idea wasn't "We can build great ratings by great wrestling", he idea was more of making Pro Wrestling a normal "TV Show", granted it was entertaining, I grew up through that time period, and that was IMO as popular if not more then then Hulk Hogan era.

 

Steve Austin was still a capable wrestler then, but he didn't have the chance to wrestle againest Benoit, Angle, Jericho, RVD, and improved wrestlers in Rock and HHH.

 

That's what I'm trying to say. In your post you downside the legacy of Stone Cold, you're problay an older guy who grew up in the Hulkamania era who doesn't realize how popular wrestling was from 1998-2001.

 

If he grew up during the Hulkamania era, he had even more sucky wrestling and even more underwhelming Main Events. Watching Hogan during the Hulkamania is way more boring than watching Austin beat the crap out of The Rock. The dude has a point in that during the Attitude era the wrestling wasn't good even though they were really popular. I guess he started watching wrestling during Bret Hart's time on top with HBK and Austin fighting for the belt, 'cause they did put on great matches (that's because of Hart ofcourse).

[Art Sandusky 0]

Guys, if Storm/Jericho had been given twenty-five minutes at One Night Stand last year, it woulda been my match of last year.

[humanoid92 0]

- After Summerslam '97, Steve Austin didn't have a good match until 2001.

 

Yeah, the main event of WM14 was horrible, and that Over the Edge 98 match with Dude Love was one of the worst matches of all time. Let's not forget those horrible matches with The Rock at WM15 and Backlash 99, those guys don't know how to work at all. Oh and how can I forget that sloppy and dreadful Summerslam 98 main event with The Undertaker, why was Vince doing booking those 2 clowns in the main event!

 

WM 14 I'll buy. Even with Shawn's messed up back they still managed to have a pretty good match. The Dude Love and and Undertaker matches were solid, but they were hardly great. And no, I don't care for either of those matches against the Rock. As far as the "punch-kick-brawl into the crowd-break the announce table-overdo finishers" style that oversaturated every main event for most of '98 and '99 (and into 2000) the Rock matches were okay, but given the formula, that's not saying much. That terrible brawling formula killed a lot of those matches for me. There was just nothing to it.

 

The Dude Love match was more then just a wrestling match, it was the best booked wrestling match problay the WWE has ever done. The fued leading up to it and the match it self was amazing. It was more then just a wrestling match, it was why the WWF peaked. And the ending was just perfect. That was WWE at it's best.

 

To me, WWF at its best was stuff like the Bret/Owen saga.

 

I'm not going to argue that the Dude Love match was well booked and a good enough match. Best booked match ever is definitely stretching it. I might call it appropriate over-booking. I don't think it's necessarily WHY the WWF peaked, but it served its purpose. I'm not going to bash the match. But even you admit the best part about the match is the storyline and the booking. That's fine, but it doesn't exactly make me say, "Wow that Austin just had a killer match."

 

I just don't have a whole lot of love for much of the in-ring product from that era. The main events were the only matches that ever got any time at all but 95% of them just didn't interest me. Mostly it's the brawling and predictable formula that I mentioned earlier. I'm sorry, Austin/Kane, Austin/Rock (in 99), Austin/Vince, Austin/Undertaker (though I will admit Summerslam is their best match against each other), Austin/HHH (in 99) just didn't do it for me at all. Every match felt exactly the same. It was like they were just stalling for the finish and the first 15 minutes meant nothing. It was just mindless brawling with the predictable and pointless crowd/aisle brawling and announce table spots thrown in. Austin certainly used it the most, but Rock and HHH fell back on this at times too after Austin got hurt. Main events were just very underwhelming to me for a long time in between Bret's departure and the hot HHH/Foley series.

 

In hindsight, I should have said "After WM 14, Austin didn't have a good match until 2001." And from there, I'll give you this: the Dude Love match is good, and the Undertaker Summerslam match is pretty good. But other than that I can't think of another match I liked.

 

My point is this: for the better part of three years (late 97-early 01... and I know he missed some time with injuries in there), I really think he had three matches that can be considered good- Michaels, Dude Love, and Undertaker. 3 good matches in 3 years isn't very impressive. So while I admit my original statement may have been a little inaccurate, I completely stand by its sentiment.

 

Yeah but there is also arguement that the overall wrestling in that time period was horrible, but very entertaining and popular. When Vince Russo was in charge, his idea wasn't "We can build great ratings by great wrestling", he idea was more of making Pro Wrestling a normal "TV Show", granted it was entertaining, I grew up through that time period, and that was IMO as popular if not more then then Hulk Hogan era.

 

Steve Austin was still a capable wrestler then, but he didn't have the chance to wrestle againest Benoit, Angle, Jericho, RVD, and improved wrestlers in Rock and HHH.

 

That's what I'm trying to say. In your post you downside the legacy of Stone Cold, you're problay an older guy who grew up in the Hulkamania era who doesn't realize how popular wrestling was from 1998-2001.

 

If he grew up during the Hulkamania era, he had even more sucky wrestling and even more underwhelming Main Events. Watching Hogan during the Hulkamania is way more boring than watching Austin beat the crap out of The Rock. The dude has a point in that during the Attitude era the wrestling wasn't good even though they were really popular. I guess he started watching wrestling during Bret Hart's time on top with HBK and Austin fighting for the belt, 'cause they did put on great matches (that's because of Hart ofcourse).

 

I started watching sometime in 1990, and quickly caught up with the past via Coliseum Video so I was around for Hogan's days. I never liked Hogan either. Even as a kid I knew his matches were predictable and crappy. Was never a fan. I think Hogan influenced me to not care about main events (or at least not expect much from them) from early on. I just never cared about him. So my focus went to the rest of the card. And the main event was just kind of like an extra bonus attraction- not the main reason why I watched. That's probably why I remember the 92-94 era so fondly. It's the only time I truly cared about the main events. It's also why I hate it when people automatically state the champion is the ONE guy who draws the buyrate/audience. That's true at times, but there are many cases when it doesn't apply. Anyway....

 

Of course I realize how popular the Austin boom was. I'd been losing touch at points during '96 and '97 and the talk of all the screwjob fallout got me to watch again and Attitude and Crash TV were new and exciting. It sucked me right back in. Then I got the internet. By '98/'99 I was watching every week again. Believe me, I was there for the boom.

 

I don't hate Austin; he was just never that special to me. I love his matches with Bret, Benoit, Angle, the Savio Vega strap match is incredible, some of his WCW stuff, etc. I never related to his character at all. I'm not a hillbilly, I've never been to Texas, I don't hunt, I don't drive large vehicles, I have a full head of hair, and at 15 or 16 I had never chugged beers or dealt with an egomaniacal boss that I hated. I just never cared for his matches after the neck injury (until 01). But it's interesting that Hogan's name comes up, because to me, Austin was booked like a modern-day Hogan. He was the clear cut #1 guy. He was super human, even if he wasn't cartoonish and didn't "hulk up." He still kicked everyone's ass and once he won the Title he was unbeatable unless he was getting completely screwed over. And that bugged me. When guys like Flair, Savage (circa 92), Bret, Shawn, etc. had been on top, they weren't Superman. They were just hard workers that were the best wrestlers and that fact was readily apparent by watching their matches. With Austin, you never got that vibe. You were always very aware that he had the belt "because the fans eat up his shtick" rather than "because he's the best wrestler out there." Which is fine for business purposes- that's what wrestling's all about. It just personally doesn't do anything for me.

 

I'm not trying to argue Austin's legacy. That would be silly. I just didn't care for the matches. You're right that he had much better opponents to work with in '01, but that doesn't really change what I was saying: most of his matches from 98 and 99 were no good. Of course Russo had a major impact on the whole product. But my point remains.

 

Of course there's also this: Generally speaking, I don't like main attractions. I like the midcard over the main event. I like good contact hitters over sluggers; I'd rather see a line drive in the gap over a home run, or a great control pitcher (Maddux) over a guy that throws 98 but has no control. I like pure shooters over flashy dunkers; I'd rather watch Steve Kerr make 20 3's in a row in warm ups than Vince Carter in the slam dunk contest. Almost always, my favorite part of a song will be the verse instead of the chorus... perhaps not coincidentally, my favorite time period in the WWF would probably be from 1992-1994/5... right in between the two boom periods. Bret doing his thing in the main event was glorious. Kind of like Steve Nash being acknowledged as the MVP right now. I guess I'm just weird like that.

 

But anyway, all this is way off-topic. I'm sticking to my opinion that popular or not, the great majority of Austin's matches from 1998-2000 just weren't that good, with the few notable exceptions that we already discussed.

[humanoid92 0]

Guys, if Storm/Jericho had been given twenty-five minutes at One Night Stand last year, it woulda been my match of last year.

 

I saw that match on YouTube way back and was blown away. Just a really great match. I don't even think it had to go really long to be better. I thought it was awesome the way it was.

[Dark Age 0]

So when did this change from "unpopular opinions" to just plain old regular, boring opinions? I'm gonna do some unpopular ones.

[Dark Age 0]

- Chris Benoit sucks. His matches are boring, to me at least, that is! He has no mic skills, is too small to be taken seriously, has no charisma, and shouldn't be anywhere near the main event.

 

- Vince McMahon is the best character ever. Well, in WWE. The guy gets sooooo much heel heat. Did Chris Benoit get as many boos in his match with Rock at Fully Loaded 2000? I think not! I say this match because that's the most over Benoit's ever been, and he still wasn't over.

 

- I'm glad Eddie Guerrero is dead. He was holding Rey Mysterio back. He still is, even! Not that I condone any cruiserweights being in the main event, but if they're going to use one, it should be Rey.

 

- Criticism of Triple H is stupid. The guy has done more for WWE than any of you will admit. You all just hate him cos it's cool!

 

- Khali should be World Champion. Dead serious. He should beat Rey in a couple of minutes at the next PPV and hold the belt til Mania, while they build Lashley up. Rey won't be damaged too much, 'cos Khali has already squashed Taker.

 

- Bret Hart wasn't very good at all. His matches were all the same! Heck, the guy only did a few moves!

 

- I'm glad that guys like Rock and Austin are gone. Talk about two of the most overrated wrestlers, like, ever.

 

- WWE should keep pushing the likes of Triple H and Shawn Michael as they are still the most over guys on the show. Who cares how old they are, and the fact that we need to make new stars? It's obvious that guys like Lashley and Kennedy aren't quite ready, so keep pushing the vets til they are. Guys like Benoit and Booker and Jericho and Eddie could never really replace the REAL stars, so let us try with someone else.

[Dark Age 0]

Shouldn't we have to back all these crazy opinions up? Otherwise, what's the point? I mean, I could just spout a loud of inane statements, with no real foundation, and I could get away with it. Loads of people have done that already, in fact.

[benn 0]

- I'm glad Eddie Guerrero is dead. He was holding Rey Mysterio back. He still is, even!

Yikes.

 

On another note, I guess my push Matt Hardy and Paul Burchill opinions weren't as unpopular as I expected.

[veseo 0]

- Randy Orton's arrogant gimmick is one of the best played gimmicks right now

- Triple H must go to Smackdown and feud with King Booker for the gimmick of "the real king"

- Carlito MUST be given more than enough mic time and steadily occupy the Main Event in the near future

- Kurt Angle is an awful face character and a perfect heel one

- Taker MUST be a heel for the rest of his career. Eerie and face don't really fit.

- Jeff Hardy must be signed and reform the Hardyz either for the ECW or Smackdown

- We need another heel stable, similar to Evolution, led by a VERY over heel. Prolly Edge or JBL when he returns