Armchair Bookers:What if Austin couldn't wrestle...

[Zack Malibu 0]

It's that time again folks. Today's topic...what if, at Summerslam '97, when Owen Hart dropped Steve Austin with the piledriver that broke his neck, it was Austin's last match? We know that Austin did manage to come back and kick off a wrestling boom the likes of which we haven't seen since, but could that have happened without Steve Austin? Would the dynamic rises of The Rock or Mick Foley meant as much to create the Attitude Era? Would Owen have suffered repercussions for injuring the man the WWE was banking on to be a top star for them for years to come? Would this affect the Montreal Screwjob at all, as McMahon would be down one top talent and might not want to risk losing another?

 

You know the drill. Follow up with your hypotheticals and what ifs, here. What do you think would have happened in the biggest star in wrestling had his career cut short before it truly even took off?

[Diamonddust 0]

It's that time again folks. Today's topic...what if, at Summerslam '97, when Owen Hart dropped Steve Austin with the piledriver that broke his neck, it was Austin's last match? We know that Austin did manage to come back and kick off a wrestling boom the likes of which we haven't seen since, but could that have happened without Steve Austin? Would the dynamic rises of The Rock or Mick Foley meant as much to create the Attitude Era? Would Owen have suffered repercussions for injuring the man the WWE was banking on to be a top star for them for years to come? Would this affect the Montreal Screwjob at all, as McMahon would be down one top talent and might not want to risk losing another?

 

You know the drill. Follow up with your hypotheticals and what ifs, here. What do you think would have happened in the biggest star in wrestling had his career cut short before it truly even took off?

 

The WWE would have been screwed big time if Austin couldn't wrestle again. By not hot-shotting the World Title on him when he really got popular, it was obvious they were doing the slow build to a Wrestlemania title win. Without Austin on the roster, I think McMahon would have probably been forced to have kept Bret Hart, regardless the cost. The Rock and Foley's careers are also altered because their star got to shine as a result of the ratings Raw was getting due to Austin being white hot.

 

Basically, the WWE avoided a doomsday situation of epic proportions.

[Hawk 34 0]

The importance of keeping Bret Hart would’ve remained intact but the fact would remain that keeping Bret would’ve been far too pricey given the offer WCW was throwing at him. WWE simply couldn't afford it at the time. I don’t think Austin’s absence would’ve driven Bret to reduce his asking price that significantly especially since he had lost an ally in Austin. Bret still would’ve left and without Austin, Shawn likely wields even more power.

 

With that being the case, Bret is still gone and I think Owen is more inclined to follow him in this case since he’s aware that he injured the future of the company and would’ve seen the writing on the wall. The most likely replacement in WWE at the time would’ve been Ken Shamrock as he was essentially the #3 face behind Austin and Undertaker at the time. Did Shamrock have the ability to captivate a national audience in the manner of Austin? Absolutely not but that doesn’t mean Shamrock was completely incapable of being a #2 guy in the absence of Austin.

 

Certainly The Rock, Triple H and Foley were still emerging but it’s hard to imagine they’d become who they were without Austin’s place. I think they would’ve turned Shawn back into the top face of the company but keeping the DX gimmick intact as it was clearly a money maker, even in its early inception which started around the time of Austin’s hypothetical career ending injury. Does that mean Triple H gets that big heel turn a year and a half early and faces Shawn at WM? I can’t imagine that. Perhaps they stick with the Evil Vince McMahon thing (which didn’t really occur until well after this situation but the seeds of Vince being a bigger player was placed already) and he battles the rebellious DX instead. Shawn never was the prototypical champion with his size, arrogance and attitude, which would be the driving point. Bret could’ve dropped the title back to Undertaker on his way out and they could’ve pushed Hell in a Cell back to Survivor Series. Allow Bret to leave WWE by putting over Shamrock or Foley.

 

Shawn would win the title at Survivor Series with the assistance of Kane as I don’t think the absence of Austin would derail something they clearly had in mind. They would paint that Shawn got away with a title win and would serve to propel the DX Vs Vince McMahon rivalry. I’m not sure whom they would push as Shawn’s adversary, perhaps Foley in a one similar to that in 1998. With Shawn as a face, I think they don’t do the casket match and that in turn would save years of Shawn’s career. By the time WM14 comes around, I think Rock emerges more and more of a legitimate superstar of the future and they can feel more comfortable. Would Mike Tyson still work with Mankind in the picture and a baby face DX? I think they could’ve altered the circumstances to have McMahon use Shamrock as his “enforcer” and DX brings in the World’s Baddest Man to counter the World’s Most Dangerous Man. They could’ve teased Tyson-Shamrock confrontations leading to WM, which would’ve gotten some mainstream media sports attention.

 

However, the lost of Austin truly would’ve been catastrophic and I think they would’ve tried to get Austin involved in the company somehow, perhaps as a modern Jesse Ventura in the commentating role.

 

[cabbageboy 0]

All of that stuff is well and good but losing Austin would have serioiusly hurt the WWF during that time period. There was no one else who was truly catching fire at that point and bear in mind that Shawn would likely have still been hurting, unless in this hypothetical situation the fateful casket match never happened.

 

Honestly, I think eventually Rock and HHH would have still evolved into money guys though, since their improvement had little to do with Austin at the end of the day. Before then though? I have no idea. The biggest need they had was ridding themselves of the cancerous tension of Bret/Shawn in the back. It would be easy enough to just go with Taker as the top guy, feud him with Kane and Mankind, toss in Shamrock or whoever. It wouldn't have drawn the way Austin did, but it isn't business killing either.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

A little bit of a late bump here... Again thinking more on the short term rather than through 1998.

 

Quick Backstory Focus

- Austin was the IC Champion at the time and was really in the midst of a full fledged feud with Owen & Bret. You had Shawn Michaels busting Undertaker with a steel chair, costing him the WWF Title. Davey Boy's the European Champion and it was announced at the PPV that he would face Michaels at One Night Only. There's still the Gang Warfare feud going on in the undercard along with Mankind & Triple H still going head to head.

 

1: Davey Boy as European Champion. This could've easily transitioned into a feud with Triple H over the title belt during October/November and keeps the Hart Foundation vs. DX feud going. Then if DBS follows Bret, you could transition to Triple H feuding with The Rock of the Nation, setting up a DX vs. Nation feud into 1998.

 

2: You have Austin as IC Champion. You can run what happened in real life with Sgt. Slaughter & Vince McMahon, generally with Austin threatening to wrestle but not being signed off. One interesting take could be to have Austin stripped of the title and have it be put up for grabs in a match between Owen Hart and say Ken Shamrock. Then you can push an Owen/Shamrock feud up to Survivor Series with Austin generally raising hell and being a nuisance to everybody in the IC Title scene. Maybe briefly transition Austin & McMahon hating each other (Possibly set up Austin as commish as granted by Linda?) and have that as a mainstay outside of the ring permeating through everything going on.

 

3: Bret Hart as WWF Champion. You have Austin effectively taken out of the picture and Bret will still walk out of his contract. One interesting scenario is that Bret refuses to job to Michaels but okays Mankind the next night on Raw. Bret & HBK wage war up to Survivor Series and Bret wins by DQ. The next night he loses the WWF Title to Mankind and we immediately get a match signed between HBK & Mankind for the Royal Rumble while Bret walks to WCW. Owen follows Bret because Vince blames him for Austin... therefore the IC Title is now firmly on Shamrock. Then you could set up a Shamrock vs. Faarooq feud over the belt.

 

4: You keep the feud going between HBK and Undertaker up to the Royal Rumble with Bret/HBK as the feature feud while Undertaker is constantly around the two because of what happened at Summerslam. Undertaker runs in on the WWF Title match (thus the Bret/Mankind match on Raw) and we get to keep the DX history by making reference to Triple H/HBK teaming up against Undertaker & Mankind. You could also keep the Undertaker/Mankind feud going into the Fall.

 

So at quick glance...

 

Survivor Series

European Title: Davey Boy Smith© vs. Triple H

Vacant IC Title: Owen Hart vs. Ken Shamrock

#1 Contendor to WWF Title: Undertaker vs. Mankind

WWF Title: Bret Hart© vs. Shawn Michaels

 

Royal Rumble

European Title: Triple H© vs. The Rock

IC Title: Ken Shamrock© vs. Faarooq

WWF Title: Mankind© vs. Shawn Michaels w/Undertaker as Special Guest Referee

 

Now you have a great set up into and through 1998 with Degeneration X vs Nation of Domination vs. Mankind & Undertaker & Ken Shamrock while you have Steve Austin vs. McMahon on the side. You could also insert Kane into the Mankind/Undertaker rivalry. It won't be as money making, however, I think it has the potential to be better all around and allow for 8-10 characters to get a ton of face time (Triple H, HBK, Undertaker, Mankind, Shamrock, The Rock, Faarooq, Kane, Steve Austin, and Vince McMahon).

[rezinda 0]

A little bit of a late bump here... Again thinking more on the short term rather than through 1998.

 

Quick Backstory Focus

- Austin was the IC Champion at the time and was really in the midst of a full fledged feud with Owen & Bret. You had Shawn Michaels busting Undertaker with a steel chair, costing him the WWF Title. Davey Boy's the European Champion and it was announced at the PPV that he would face Michaels at One Night Only. There's still the Gang Warfare feud going on in the undercard along with Mankind & Triple H still going head to head.

 

1: Davey Boy as European Champion. This could've easily transitioned into a feud with Triple H over the title belt during October/November and keeps the Hart Foundation vs. DX feud going. Then if DBS follows Bret, you could transition to Triple H feuding with The Rock of the Nation, setting up a DX vs. Nation feud into 1998.

 

2: You have Austin as IC Champion. You can run what happened in real life with Sgt. Slaughter & Vince McMahon, generally with Austin threatening to wrestle but not being signed off. One interesting take could be to have Austin stripped of the title and have it be put up for grabs in a match between Owen Hart and say Ken Shamrock. Then you can push an Owen/Shamrock feud up to Survivor Series with Austin generally raising hell and being a nuisance to everybody in the IC Title scene. Maybe briefly transition Austin & McMahon hating each other (Possibly set up Austin as commish as granted by Linda?) and have that as a mainstay outside of the ring permeating through everything going on.

 

3: Bret Hart as WWF Champion. You have Austin effectively taken out of the picture and Bret will still walk out of his contract. One interesting scenario is that Bret refuses to job to Michaels but okays Mankind the next night on Raw. Bret & HBK wage war up to Survivor Series and Bret wins by DQ. The next night he loses the WWF Title to Mankind and we immediately get a match signed between HBK & Mankind for the Royal Rumble while Bret walks to WCW. Owen follows Bret because Vince blames him for Austin... therefore the IC Title is now firmly on Shamrock. Then you could set up a Shamrock vs. Faarooq feud over the belt.

 

4: You keep the feud going between HBK and Undertaker up to the Royal Rumble with Bret/HBK as the feature feud while Undertaker is constantly around the two because of what happened at Summerslam. Undertaker runs in on the WWF Title match (thus the Bret/Mankind match on Raw) and we get to keep the DX history by making reference to Triple H/HBK teaming up against Undertaker & Mankind. You could also keep the Undertaker/Mankind feud going into the Fall.

 

So at quick glance...

 

Survivor Series

European Title: Davey Boy Smith© vs. Triple H

Vacant IC Title: Owen Hart vs. Ken Shamrock

#1 Contendor to WWF Title: Undertaker vs. Mankind

WWF Title: Bret Hart© vs. Shawn Michaels

 

Royal Rumble

European Title: Triple H© vs. The Rock

IC Title: Ken Shamrock© vs. Faarooq

WWF Title: Mankind© vs. Shawn Michaels w/Undertaker as Special Guest Referee

 

Now you have a great set up into and through 1998 with Degeneration X vs Nation of Domination vs. Mankind & Undertaker & Ken Shamrock while you have Steve Austin vs. McMahon on the side. You could also insert Kane into the Mankind/Undertaker rivalry. It won't be as money making, however, I think it has the potential to be better all around and allow for 8-10 characters to get a ton of face time (Triple H, HBK, Undertaker, Mankind, Shamrock, The Rock, Faarooq, Kane, Steve Austin, and Vince McMahon).

 

 

Where's Kane in all this? I would think with Austin going down you have even more urgency to bring Kane in for a refreshing angle. Although, this leaves you with another big heel and not enough faces. Perhaps the teasing of Taker & Kane as allies becomes a reality with then feuding with DX. Or, you throw Shamrock into the main event scene against Michaels.