______ 3:16

[ugotpwned999]

Stone Cold Steve Austin. A 6x WWE champion
1996 King of the ring.
3x royal rumble winner (1997,1998,2001
5th grand slam champion.
2009 HoF inductee
These are just a few of steves austins accolades from the wwf/e.

But it all started in WCW in 1991. Steve Austins run in WCW brought him many championship but in 1995 he was released.

After he was brought in To ECW. It didnt last long to say the least.

Then there was WWF. Here as we all know Steve got his legendary status as the 'Worlds toughest son of a bitch'. And started an era with his Iconic Austin 3:16. He had one of the most memorable fueds ever with Mr Mcmahon and had great matches with the rock including 3 at WM.

So then. If WWF had never hired SCSA 16 years ago, what would have happened?

If Austin never came to the WWF who would have taken his place as the face of the company? What would have happened to Austin? would the attitude era as been as good as it was? Would everything had happened the same anyway?Who would've been the new Austin 3:16?

State what you think.

 

[S.J. Maximus]

I don't think there's really a more logical answer than The Rock. These were the 2 biggest faces from 99-01 and if Austin wasnt there that probably would've caused Rock to rise earlier but also without Austin that would've made Bret Hart a lot more valuable than he was and they probably would've worked a lot harder to keep him there so that he could create the next top face (like JBL did with Cena, McMahon did with Austin, and HHH did with Batista) who ever it might have been.

I don't think the attitude era would be as good or as profitable but it definitely would've been good enough to surpass WCW because Vince knows what it takes to win. He'd establish the Rock as a major face earlier than 99 and used the heel Bret to create a new face, I don't know who exactly it would've been but it could've been HHH, Owen, or any other guy with decent mic skills a good look and some sort of in-ring ability

 

[BLACK MAMBA 25]

I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE UNDERTAKER,ROCK OR TRIPLE H TO BE THE FACE OF THE COMPANY BECAUSE UNDERTAKER WAS ON HIS WAY,THE ROCK WAS DEVELOPING INTO A MAIN EVENT STAR ND TRIPLE H WAS SUPPOSED 2 WIN THE 1996 KING OF THE RING BUT THE INCIDENT WITH THE KLIQ SLOWED HIS PATH.UNDERTAKER WOULD HAVE BEEN THE THE FACE OF THE COMPANY BECAUSE THE ROCK WASNT IN THE MAIN EVENT UNTIL HE STARTED FEUDING WITH STONE COLD ND IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN TRIPLE H A LONGER TIME TO GET UP THEIR SO UNDERTAKER WOULD HAVE HAD THE BIGGEST CHANCE OF BEING THE FACE OF THE COMPANY.IT MIGHT HAVE ALSO BEEN SHAWN MICHAELS 2.

 

[XgringolocoX]

I'd have to say the Rock or Trips. These were the 2 hungry guys there at the time poised to break out in a bigger way. I don't think that they would've reached the same level as Austin though.

 

[apokalypse]

I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE UNDERTAKER,ROCK OR TRIPLE H TO BE THE FACE OF THE COMPANY BECAUSE UNDERTAKER WAS ON HIS WAY,THE ROCK WAS DEVELOPING INTO A MAIN EVENT STAR ND TRIPLE H WAS SUPPOSED 2 WIN THE 1996 KING OF THE RING BUT THE INCIDENT WITH THE KLIQ SLOWED HIS PATH.UNDERTAKER WOULD HAVE BEEN THE THE FACE OF THE COMPANY BECAUSE THE ROCK WASNT IN THE MAIN EVENT UNTIL HE STARTED FEUDING WITH STONE COLD ND IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN TRIPLE H A LONGER TIME TO GET UP THEIR SO UNDERTAKER WOULD HAVE HAD THE BIGGEST CHANCE OF BEING THE FACE OF THE COMPANY.IT MIGHT HAVE ALSO BEEN SHAWN MICHAELS 2.

Undertaker-Shawn allready one of guys on main event but they unable to draw, Rock got die rocky die and rocky suck while Shawn trying to buried him, HHH most likely get the push because of backstage HBK politics but he's not the man to built around. if any of you ever think of Rock-HHH could able to save WWF or became megastar without Austin please spent more time find and reading RAW-PPV events review from King of the ring 96 to WM14...Austin is define of Attitude era and the reason it took off in first place. for me Shawn Micheals >HHH and Rock but will be tough for rock when you have HHH/HBK trying to held him back and rock could have stuggling to get over with the crowd.

http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showthread.php?t=88705

 

[GameOver]

Triple H was meant to get the King of the Ring push that Austin did, so it would've been him initially, but i think The Rock was the more prominent draw and although weaker in the ring, he is far more entertaining overall. Triple H is the work horse so he woulda been the main stay in the main event and Triple H vs Rock woulda gone on longer as a fued, along with The Undertaker.

Think we still woulda had The Nation, DX, and Ministry, Los Boriques, New Age Outlaws etc. as that was the general feel of the time (gang mentality)

 

[apokalypse]

doesn't matter what happen Austin will be hired by WWF if he still be in ECW...if you go on youtube watch his promos in ECW there's a stone cold baddass character in it because he be himself but matter of time when. alot of you might forgot Austin promos work in ECW you could see it as baddass Stone Cold without 3:16.

in 97 ECW had invasion angle in WWF lead by Paul Heyman. if Austin still in ECW and lead ECW to invade WWF Austin will be the star right there, as you know Austin is one of greatest mic worker in that period of time and ability to cut and have epic promos.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

You are asking "who would have been the ____ 3.16 had there been no Stone Cold in the WWE?

The answer to that is nobody, Austin came up with that line himself. I have seen an interview with Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara and Russo takes no credit for that catchphrase by Austin, and that Stone Cold came up with that on his own, just as he did with the whole "Stone Cold" gimmick.

Russo continues to say his next WWE magazine cover had "Austin 3:16" on the cover and Vince McMahon had no idea what this "3:16" thing was. It turned out that Vince had not even seen Austin's famous KOTR speech and did not have any idea what Austin or Russo were talking about. That really shocked me.

So, there was no "plan" to make someone into the Stone Cold character, or use the ___3:16 catchphrase, and if Austin had not been a member of the WWE, then we would never have seen it. It would not have been given to someone else as it all came from Steve Austin.

Without Austin, the Attitude Era would certainly have been different, we would never have seen the Austin v McMahon storyline, although perhaps someone else would have feuded with Mr McMahon as the character was born through the Montreal Screwjob incident. I do not think the WWE would have been as big as it was, as Austin's popularity was a big factor of the company's success, but we would perhaps have seen The Rock become the NUMBER 1 face of the company, other young talents come through (maybe Triple H would have become champion sooner), I could see Shamrock getting a bigger push etc.

Alot of things would have been different, perhaps even WCW could have stayed on top as Austin was a major reason why people continued watching WWE at that time. I bet Vince is thanking his lucky stars that Austin was given the push at that time, as he really did help lead the WWE to victory over WCW.

 

[apokalypse]

in Bruce Prichard Interview...
"There’s a guy over in TNA (Vince Russo) who has taken credit over the years for the creation of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, The Rock, & people like that. At the end of the day, the guy who deserves credit for ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin is Steve Austin. He went out & delivered. Steve went out, and he was ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin 24/7. When Russo used to write up all these scripts, Steve would look at it, crumple it up, & throw it in the trash. Steve would go out, and he had a rapport with Vince McMahon, and he used to come to me and say ‘I wanna say this.’ I said ‘Hey man, that’s life, so if you wanna take the ass-chewing when you get back, do what you think is right.’ After a while, Steve gambled, and went out, and he did what he thought was right. He had an ear, and he knew what was working, and what they buying & weren’t buying, and at the end of the day, it may not have been the ideal creative situation that was created, but Steve made it his own, and made it bigger than anything that’s ever been done in the business. Without talent, you can have the greatest creative in the world…if they can’t deliver, it doesn’t matter.”

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

in Bruce Prichard Interview...
"There’s a guy over in TNA (Vince Russo) who has taken credit over the years for the creation of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, The Rock, & people like that. At the end of the day, the guy who deserves credit for ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin is Steve Austin. He went out & delivered. Steve went out, and he was ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin 24/7. When Russo used to write up all these scripts, Steve would look at it, crumple it up, & throw it in the trash. Steve would go out, and he had a rapport with Vince McMahon, and he used to come to me and say ‘I wanna say this.’ I said ‘Hey man, that’s life, so if you wanna take the ass-chewing when you get back, do what you think is right.’ After a while, Steve gambled, and went out, and he did what he thought was right. He had an ear, and he knew what was working, and what they buying & weren’t buying, and at the end of the day, it may not have been the ideal creative situation that was created, but Steve made it his own, and made it bigger than anything that’s ever been done in the business. Without talent, you can have the greatest creative in the world…if they can’t deliver, it doesn’t matter.”

As much as I think Russo overrates himself and believes he is God's gift to the business, I do not think he tries to claim the credit of Austin. As far as I can remember, he was simply a magazine writer at the time of Stone Cold debuting the Austin 3:16 catchphrase.

That is the DVD where he gives all credit to Austin for the character. Maybe since then he has said something different, but I know at that point at least, Russo was not taking any credit for Austin and saying Steve did it all himself and that he and Ferrara were simply told to come up with as many exciting things for the Austin character to do on TV after Stone Cold had already created the gimmick, catchphrases and image himself.