opinion on austin

[Guest shlidgn90]

you know what makes me sick about this whole austin ordeal, is that career low-lifes like vince macmahon and jim ross can say he owes everyone an apology. he owes no one nothing for the following reasons.

 

1. vince mcmahon was on confidential last week talking about how austin threw away millions they invested in him. last time i checked austin 3:16 shirts sold more than any other product ever by the wwf. austin basically carried this company on his back by himself from 97-99. he has headlined the most watched wrestlemania ever. he was the biggest reason mcmahon became a billionaire. all the while he did all this with a broken neck which could have paralyzed him for life.

2. he owes none of us fans nothing. any person who says they do are just as egotistical as mcmahon and ross. if austin were to wrestle lesnar on the raw and would have broken his neck. what could any of us fans do? write letters that he can while in pain, not knowing if he will ever walk agian? i highly doubt that he will be spins in his wheelchair because thesmartmarks.com thought his angle matches are cool. every night that man stepped into a ring he was putting his ability to walk into danger(moreso than most wrestlers). you know what happens to wrestlers who can't walk anymore? they don't become dennis byrd or mike utley, they become hayabusa and dynamite kid, another victim.

3.on thing austin owe to someone is an ass beating to his "friend" Jim Ross. after watching confidential last saturday, i lost so much respect for jim ross as a human being. this is a man who austin went to vince mcmahon personally and got him back to announcing(after his bells palsy relapse). This man actually went on television and ended a friendship(which are hard to come by in real life) over some stupid incident that occured at your workplace that he has no ownership over. with that confidential show, he became worse than ten tony shavionnes.

basically, i am saying this: steve austin, a guy who every week risked paralysis for a paycheck(albeit for alot a money), decided it wasn't worth  the risk anymore.

[Guest]

While I think your points are good... when you say Austin doesn't "owe" the fans anything, I'd have to disagree a little bit.

 

I don't think all those house show tickets were sold to see Spike Dudley vs  Chris Harvard.

[Guest jimmy no nose]

This WILL cost the WWE millions of dollars that they've put in to the Stone Cold character.  Vince wasn't lying.  Plus he should have at least stayed for one last match or a farewell speech for his fans, the ones who made him millions of dollars.  JR did what he had to do for the company.  If my friend did what Austin did I'd do the same thing if asked.

[Guest Brian]

I think Austin made tenfold more in profit for the company than he ever was supposed to, probably in the tens of millions of dollars.

[Guest RetroRob215]

He definetaly owes the fans some sort of farewell appearance.  Austin gave the WWE/F 6 years, their highest ratings and buyrates ever, plus he brought in a ton of money.  Yet he still owes the company an apology because you don't just walk out and breach contract.

[Guest]

Uh, without the fans busting their asses at work to get the money to pay for some stupid shirt that says "What?" or just has "Austin 3:16" written across it, he'd be nowhere.  So I'd have to think he owes the fans quite a bit.

[Guest Austin3164life]

Stone Cold Steve Austin doesn't owe me one damn thing.  Every time I paid to buy an Austin 3:16 t-shirt, or went to see him in a House Show, or on live television, he's delivered in a major way.  The payback I received from spending money was watching him wrestle(especially when he has a stiff neck, and two bad knees).  I'm thankful for every ounce of sweat and blood he's put into his job.  I was present at Survivor Series 1996 for the ***** Austin vs. Hart match that had that crowd rabid.  I paid $50 for my ticket, and it was worth it because I went to see Steve Austin wrestle, and he wrestled a DAMN GOOD match with Bret Hart.  Austin doesn't owe me an apology because he's unhappy with his workplace.  That is his business.  True, it would've been great if he did one last retirement match with someone like RVD, or Chris Jericho, or maybe even Booker T.  But I don't need his apology for leaving his job when he isn't enjoying himself anymore.  He didn't leave because he hated the fans, he simply had a problem with the way his workplace was being run.  For that, he doesn't owe fans any apologies.  He gave it his all these past 5 and a half years, and he never ASKED for anything in return......

[Guest]

Austin doesn't Owe anyone anything because he wrestles everynight to risk of injury???

 

uh huh

 

Does that make him somehow special than every other wrestler on the planet????

 

Like somehow every other wrestler never been injured in their lives?

 

JR comments on Confidential was about as truthful as one can be... Espically since He was Austin's friend, but I suppose...since Austin is the God of Man he can walk out of a Federation anytime he wants.. and do all those other wonderful things He did Last week.. since he is Austin and Can Do No Wrong..Right?

[Guest chirs3]

I know I've stated my position on this, but I just can't ignore this idiotic post.

 

1. vince mcmahon was on confidential last week talking about how austin threw away millions they invested in him. last time i checked austin 3:16 shirts sold more than any other product ever by the wwf. austin basically carried this company on his back by himself from 97-99. he has headlined the most watched wrestlemania ever. he was the biggest reason mcmahon became a billionaire. all the while he did all this with a broken neck which could have paralyzed him for life.

 

And then he pitched a hissy fit and walked out.

 

2. he owes none of us fans nothing. any person who says they do are just as egotistical as mcmahon and ross. if austin were to wrestle lesnar on the raw and would have broken his neck. what could any of us fans do? write letters that he can while in pain, not knowing if he will ever walk agian? i highly doubt that he will be spins in his wheelchair because thesmartmarks.com thought his angle matches are cool. every night that man stepped into a ring he was putting his ability to walk into danger(moreso than most wrestlers). you know what happens to wrestlers who can't walk anymore? they don't become dennis byrd or mike utley, they become hayabusa and dynamite kid, another victim.

 

He owes EVERYONE an apology. He owes the fans with "WHAT?!" signs at that arena an apology, he owes Vince an apology, he owes JR an apology... there is no end to the list of people he owes an aplogy. Had he retired like a professional, he wouldn't owe them anything.

 

And saying "What if he injured his neck?!" is stupid. What if D-Lo injured his neck last night? What if Trish injured her neck last night? What if they couldn't ever wrestle again? ALL WRESTLERS put their health and career on the line every night. Saying it's special when Austin does it is stupid.

 

3.on thing austin owe to someone is an ass beating to his "friend" Jim Ross. after watching confidential last saturday, i lost so much respect for jim ross as a human being. this is a man who austin went to vince mcmahon personally and got him back to announcing(after his bells palsy relapse). This man actually went on television and ended a friendship(which are hard to come by in real life) over some stupid incident that occured at your workplace that he has no ownership over. with that confidential show, he became worse than ten tony shavionnes.

basically, i am saying this: steve austin, a guy who every week risked paralysis for a paycheck(albeit for alot a money), decided it wasn't worth  the risk anymore.

 

He didn't end the friendship. He said many positive things about Austin, and he said this shocked and confused him, and Austin would need to take a long look in the mirror. He never said "I'm not your friend anymore" or anything even close to it.

 

Austin, who risked paralysis every week... JUST LIKE EVERY WWE SUPERSTAR. And I doubt very seriously he walked because it was too risky. Maybe more because he didn't like the writing and creative direction of his character, like HAS BEEN REPORTED?

[Guest shlidgn90]

trish stratus doesn't have an preexistant neck injury. austin owes us fans nothing, he did not put a gun to anyones head and force us to buy a shirt or show up at the arena. you people are acting like wrestling is like working an average 9-5 job. austin probably thought about damage to his body more so than most wrestlers because he was. Even though no one has stated  this you know that this factored in on walking out. for the people were expecting austin to show, there are always disclaimers on tickets and on your television ads that say card subject to change. i know it sucked, but that is what the disclaimer is for.

[Guest chirs3]

trish stratus doesn't have an preexistant neck injury. austin owes us fans nothing, he did not put a gun to anyones head and force us to buy a shirt or show up at the arena. you people are acting like wrestling is like working an average 9-5 job.

 

No Austin didn't put a gun to our heads. He signed a contract under which he is obligated to perform FOR US. He pitched a hissy fit and walked out on the contract, and on US.

 

austin probably thought about damage to his body more so than most wrestlers because he was. Even though no one has stated  this you know that this factored in on walking out.

 

No, we don't. If his character was going exactly how he wanted, HE WOULDN'T HAVE WALKED. His neck injury had nothing to do with why he left.

 

for the people were expecting austin to show, there are always disclaimers on tickets and on your television ads that say card subject to change. i know it sucked, but that is what the disclaimer is for.

 

No, the disclaimer is there for emergencies, like Chris Jericho getting in a car wreck. It's not there to protect a selfish act from Austin.

[Guest]

Uh, okay... You make no sense. If you are going by the logic, they never had a previous injury, then what about Chris Benoit who was out for a year with neck surgery. Every time he steps in that ring to wrestle, he is risking himself too. And just because they don't have a previous injury doesn't mean that they can't get injured. Droz got paralyzed... Austin knew when coming in this business that injuring himself was a huge risk. You say that no one stuck a gun to the heads of the fans saying they should buy his shirts, well no one stuck a gun to Austin's head saying he should be a wrestler.  

 

On to him owing people apologies.. he does owe a helluva lot of them. Chris Benoit and Eddie Guererro, who were in the middle of a program with Austin that HE HIMSELF requested. The entire roster for setting a bad example and making some of their storylines change. The WWE itself for not being an adult and walking out on a signed contract. The fans for paying for shirts, tickets, hell foam hands and putting money in HIS own pocket and supporting him through everything. Debra for beating her up. Bottom line Austin walked out on us and everyone who's ever supported him.

[Guest El Satanico]

Performers in any type of entertainment don't OWE fans a final appearance or farewell speech. Sure the fans may like it, but they aren't owed it.

 

The performance is the payment given to the fans for their support. Matches good or bad is the ONLY thing that Austin owed fans. Austin provided his fans with entertainment and many very good matches and that's why they liked him. Any of his fans that believes they are still owed something by Austin are mistaken. Any of his "fans" that are pissed just because he didn't make a pointless final appearance and farewell speech are just being selfish.

 

Also Austin wasn't a slave and Vince didn't own him so he is allowed to walk away when he wants to. Yeah contracts are an agreement and you should follow through on them but they don't turn someone into a slave. Sure Vince won't pay him the rest of the contract and i'm sure he will make sure he doesn't go anywhere else. But the bottom line is that Austin can walk out and leave WWeee if he chooses to and Vince can't stop him. You don't have to agree with the choice or like it but you can't sit around saying that Austin has no right to walk out on a contract.

[Guest chirs3]

Performers in any type of entertainment don't OWE fans a final appearance or farewell speech. Sure the fans may like it, but they aren't owed it.

 

Alright, I'll grant you that. But that's not what's in question. He owes us an apology.

 

The performance is the payment given to the fans for their support. Matches good or bad is the ONLY thing that Austin owed fans. Austin provided his fans with entertainment and many very good matches and that's why they liked him. Any of his fans that believes they are still owed something by Austin are mistaken. Any of his "fans" that are pissed just because he didn't make a pointless final appearance and farewell speech are just being selfish.

 

Not necessarily. I'm mad that he didn't give a goodbye speech or retirement angle, for two reasons. First, and this will be selfish, I wanted to see it. Two, and this isn't, I didn't want Austin to Bret Hart himself. That's pretty much what he did. It's not selfish to want a star's legacy to remain intact.

 

Also Austin wasn't a slave and Vince didn't own him so he is allowed to walk away when he wants to.

 

That's just it. He's NOT ALLOWED to. He can, but he's not allowed to.

 

Yeah contracts are an agreement and you should follow through on them but they don't turn someone into a slave. Sure Vince won't pay him the rest of the contract and i'm sure he will make sure he doesn't go anywhere else. But the bottom line is that Austin can walk out and leave WWeee if he chooses to and Vince can't stop him. You don't have to agree with the choice or like it but you can't sit around saying that Austin has no right to walk out on a contract.

 

Oh I CAN sit around saying that. Because that's what a contract is. A legally binding statement saying "I will do such and such until this date." Austin balked before said date, and without a good reason.

[Guest shlidgn90]

what i meant b injuries was that steve austin had an injury where he should have retired on(he suffered paralysis). yet he still performed on a neck that would never completely heal. droz was healthy when he entered the ring against d-lo. And beniot's injury was able to completely heal. whenever austin entered a wwe ring, he was a health liability.

[Guest chirs3]

Despite the injury, he was under contract. He could have renegotiated it to allow a sooner release.

 

But he didn't walk because he feared for his neck. He walked because he was unhappy with the creative direction of his character and the company.

[Guest Suicide King]

Preach it Chris.

[Guest]

Whats with the Austin neck thing? Yeah he messed his neck bad but its isn't as bad as you are making it out to be. You want to see a bad neck injury, look at Scotty 2 Hotty. He's got it worse than austin, rhyno, etc. and will probably have to retire. But if he walked out you wouldn't be supporting him would you? Nope.

 

And just so there is no misunderstanding, Scotty had neck surgery after Angle "broke" his ankle. When he came back his neck hadn't healed good or something, and he left again when Albert turned heel on him, so he could have another surgery.

[Guest El Satanico]

Austin not giving a pointless final appearance and farewell speech isn't what will hurt his "legacy". Vince, JR and everyone in WWeee using the situration to their advantage and burying Austin could but won't.

 

Well by "allowed" i meant he's able to make his own decision to walk out. You're suppose to finish your contract, but they can't force him to come to work. Barry Sanders is the prime example he was in the middle of a contract and just walked away with no explanation and they couldn't make him return and nothing came from it. He had to repay part of his signing bonus but his team fought for it for a long time.

 

 

But the thing that everyone around here keeps forgetting is that we still don't know exactly what happened. We are all basing all this on internet rumors, opinions from people on the internet and on what JR and Vince has said about it. Do we really want to believe that whatever Vince and JR says is the full truth? We are being told by 3 unreliable sources that this is all based on Austin being unhappy with storyline, but we can't prove that at this point in time. So why exactly are we judging Austin without even knowing the full story other then what Vince's and JR's biased tongues are spitting.

[Guest chirs3]

Austin not giving a pointless final appearance and farewell speech isn't what will hurt his "legacy". Vince, JR and everyone in WWeee using the situration to their advantage and burying Austin could but won't.

 

If Austin gave the "pointless final appearance and farewell speech", and by that I mean INSTEAD of walking out, it would have left his legacy intact. I think we all would prefer Austin to have gone out like that, instead of the crap he pulled.

 

But the thing that everyone around here keeps forgetting is that we still don't know exactly what happened. We are all basing all this on internet rumors, opinions from people on the internet and on what JR and Vince has said about it. Do we really want to believe that whatever Vince and JR says is the full truth? We are being told by 3 unreliable sources that this is all based on Austin being unhappy with storyline, but we can't prove that at this point in time. So why exactly are we judging Austin without even knowing the full story other then what Vince's and JR's biased tongues are spitting.

 

I see no reason why JR and Vince would lie, and we KNOW Austin was severely pissed off at the creative direction of the WWE. And I think we can assume this wasn't about his neck, or he wouldn't have come back at all.

 

Clarification: I see no reason why JR and Vince would lie. I'm not saying they're giving a fully unbiased opinion, I'm willing to bet there's a little spin going on, but it really doesn't matter. Austin walked. That's all I need to hear.

 

There is NO ACCEPTABLE REASON to walk out of a live show that you are a key part of. NONE.

[Guest Austin3164life]

So why exactly are we judging Austin without even knowing the full story other then what Vince's and JR's biased tongues are spitting?

That's exactly the point I tried to make.  I realize that Austin has contractual obligations, but, it's his choice to either make or break that contract.  No one else's.  And, yes, there haven't been a great many reliable sources as to why Austin really walked away from the company.  Sure, the strongest and most likely viable reason is because he did not agree with what the writers were doing with his character, and with the way things were being organized, but we really are not 100% sure as to why Austin decided to quit his wrestling job.  Until I hear what Austin has to say (about his leaving, not his problems at home), I'm not jumping to any forgone conclusions based on Vince and Jim Ross' biased viewpoints.....

[Guest bravesfan]

Obviously there's WAY MORE and I mean WAY FUCKING MORE that we don't know about this story, especially when all we have for commentaries are guys that would bury anyone to save face.

 

Austin's making millions from his contract, merchandise, etc. What would make you think being a wussy who didn't get his way would make him walk out, losing money in the process?

 

BECAUSE HE'S NOT BEING PUSHED IN A FUCKING WRESTLING ANGLE?

 

Especially when he knows the guys he has creative differences with (Vince, JR) will take every chance to cash in on his departure.

 

Wonder why Austin left? How about Austin breaking his neck and hurrying back way too fast? How about a long and horrible divorce? How about 2 fucked knees? How about not seeing his children?

 

Compare THAT to losing to Brock Lesnar in a wrestling match.

 

WE DON'T KNOW THE WHOLE STORY. SO DON'T JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS...like why/if Austin hit Debra, why Austin quit the WWF, or why JR jumps to his next coattail on Confidential in RVD, whom he supposedly "supported all along".

 

 

 

 

EDIT: All I'm trying to state is, there are many unknown reasons as to why Austin left (unknown to us, at least), while 2 WWE officials have already tried to save face by blaming it all on Austin.

 

Well, you could state in the NFL, that when Barry Sanders retired, it was because of his frustration at how the Lions never kept/acquired key players, or maybe Barry lost the love for the game along the way. Or injuries caught up. Or personal matters. All the while Barry carried the entire franchise on his back.

[Guest chirs3]

Ok, badly said. Bad point.

 

Here's what I should have said. Austin is worried about his health? That doesn't excuse walking out. You develop an injury angle, or something. There IS NO VALID REASON to walk out.

 

We don't NEED all the info to come to that conclusion. THERE IS NO VALID REASON.

[Guest Beingz0wningj00]

I think the injury thing is BS period. Austin has said himself that he wouldn't trade the sacrifices for the business, because they were worth it.

 

 

Now let's look at what is happening. Austin joins WCW... is not allowed to succeed because of Hulk Hogan and others... REMEMBER that there, it comes into play.

 

Vince hires Austin because of his hate for WCW and desire to be the best... The Superstar He Was Destined To Be! Right there, Vince was going to milk him. Austin became huge... let's face it... People could not have predicted the insane amounts of popularity he was receiving.

 

He has one of the coolest characters ever while doing this... A badass almost everyone envies...

 

However, he turns heel... and puts over dozens of people throughout 2001. Chris Benoit, HHH, Chris Jericho, RVD, Angle, Undertaker and the Rock... completely changing his character for the company... being the ultimate heel.

 

To say he isn't willing to job to some guy is silly.

 

 

 

 

Now let's look at 2002. Hulk Hogan is hired. The man who caused all this rage in Austin.

 

Hogan is in the WWF for one month... and Main Events Wrestlemania... Austin is stuck facing Scott Hall.

 

Next month, Hogan is given the Undisputed title for a ratings boost.

 

 

 

 

I am not blaming this on Hogan... but right there, that is a slap in the face to Austin. Austin was driven to succeed in the WWF to spite WCW...

 

The part of WCW he spited, returns to the WWF and is instantly put above him. What would you do.

 

 

He is put on a seperate program... Working with Flair and the NWO... a meaningless storyline. He requests to work with Guerrero/Benoit to actually have something worthwhile...

 

and what happens, in a desperate attempt for ratings, the WWF wants him to put over Lesnar? Why? Seriously... WHY? It had no meaning, point, or any other of that crap.

 

 

 

The fact remains... the WWE needs to smarten up. Quit giving up after two seconds and let something work. Austin knows this... he told them to change it... not just for his sake, but for the company's sake... but the WWE quit listening.

 

Now let's look... when your boss stops having faith in you... You've proven yourself countless times... but he'd rather go to things that have failed him and others in the past, things you witnesses... what do you do? I wouldn't want to be a part of it either.

 

 

Austin doesn't owe us shit.

The WWE owes us a better product. We are the ones who watch it. Who influence others.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

Ok, badly said. Bad point.

 

Here's what I should have said. Austin is worried about his health? That doesn't excuse walking out. You develop an injury angle, or something. There IS NO VALID REASON to walk out.

 

We don't NEED all the info to come to that conclusion. THERE IS NO VALID REASON.

How do you know Austin didn't try to pitch an injury angle and Vince just wouldn't let him? Vince has final say, and if he doesn't want it to happen he has all the power in the world to simply say "no." What if Austin pitched him a perfectly acceptable plan to face Brock Lesnar at the July PPV in a more meaningfull match? What if he simply told Vince he wanted out of his contract right then and there?

 

No one can say for sure what happened in the phone conversation. Meltzer reports that Vince and Austin had a huge blow up over the phone, Vince claims that he explained his plan to Austin, who responded with "alright" and that was it. Who's telling the truth? That's not for me to say, but it's also not for you to say whether Austin had a valid reason or not. Just because he walked out doesn't mean he wasn't right. The booking HAS sucked for well over a year now. Why is it that everytime a wrestlers leaves the internet has a collective constipation of the brain and forgets that maybe they were RIGHT about a few things. I mean, how sad is it that JR can lie throw his teeth on Confidential about not knowing any concievable reason for Steve's no show (after airing footage of Byte This) and still be taken seriously by people on the internet?

[Guest chirs3]

JR said he didn't know why Austin would do this. And he could very easily be telling the truth. Maybe, just maybe, Austin's been pissed at the creative team before, but he stuck with it. And that's why it surprised JR. Maybe Ross meant "Austin's always been willing to work it out before, so I don't know why he didn't this time." He's not necessarily saying "I have no idea why he was angry."

 

And lets say Austin tried to compromise with McMahon, and McMahon refused. It really doesn't matter if Austin didn't agree with, like, or want anything to do with the booking. IT'S HIS JOB. Creative input is a perk. If Austin was unhappy enough to walk out, then McMahon should have compromised in some way. He should have been willing to strike a deal with Austin. But if he wasn't, that doesn't give Austin an excuse to leave them high and dry.

[Guest Nezbyte]

"We are all basing all this on internet rumors, opinions from people on the internet " - el Satanico

 

That doesnt seem to stop most of you on here from bashing a certain other wrestler...

 

Maybe Austin should do his damn job? Maybe celebs should be constantly pampered? If he hadnt done this, no one'd have a problem. He should do his job because he has a legal obligation and now Vince could, more than likely, sue his ass off.

 

M'eh, just watch the show with the computer turned off - it makes it easier to enjoy it.