Austin Interview - Praises Punk, Buries Orton and Del Rio

[InsomGTS]

On Punk:

?Well, I love CM Punk. That guy is already a star, and he?s just breathed a much-needed breath of fresh air into the wrestling business,? Austin said. ?He?s been working for over ten years. I?m a big fan of his?love his skills, love his promos.?

On Orton:

. ?I?m interested to see where Randy Orton goes next. His promos need work, and right now, he?s a little one-dimensional. The crowds are digging him, but there?s still another step on the ladder for him to climb to.

On Del Rio:

?Alberto Del Rio reminds me of Gino Hernandez from the old [Dallas] Sportatorium. [He is] another one who needs to work on his promos-I don?t like them worth a shit right now-but he has great ability,? said Stone Cold.

?He just needs to add a few pieces to the puzzle.?

http://www.wrestling-edge.com/wwe-n...dimensional-rips-alberto-del-rios-promos.html

 

[The Champ]

He didn't really bury anybody, he complimented both Orton and Del Rio while offering them constructive criticism. Austin is a smart guy who certainly knows what it takes to not only get to the top, but stay there consistently and perfect every aspect of your game. So any opinion of is, is probably going to be something that I can at least respect even if I disagree. And I do agree with most of what he said in the interview, including the fact that Orton and Del Rio can both work on their promos. I don't see either as a bad promo guy, but they could both show a bit more range than they have been recently.

 

[berlinbrawler]

Indeed. Criticizing talent does not equal burying them. Some people use that term way too loosely.

Besides Austin's got a good point about Orton. Orton has been cruising ever since he became the king of Smackdown. Aside from the quality of his matches he hasn't been a very compelling character in a while.

Austin's words for Del Rio were a little harsher. Doesn't like his promos "worth a shit" right now? I wouldn't go quite that far. But yeah, he's been trying to be angry lately and I can't say I'm really buying it. However he has been settled with the task of cutting promos with the likes of John Cena and CM Punk - sounds great on paper, but in reality it means you are threatened to get overshadowed by two promo titans. You need to step up considerably or get lost in the shuffle.

 

[FearMyBeard]

I fully agree with what Austin and the two posters above me said.

Punk is a complete package. He delivers quite well in the ring and on the mic and overall is a legit vet of the wrestling world. He's entertaining and easily(Along with the Miz) my pick among the current crop of WWE stars that has the potential to join Cena and Orton at the top of WWE's Mt.Olympus so to speak. If Punk can get over with the entire audience, not just over but really OVER then the 'E just found another pair of shoulders to carry their company. His recent involvement with the main event storylines of the WWE has made him quite popular, let's see if his popularity lasts and if they give him another big-time and high-profile feud in the future(With a returning Y2J or a match with the Undertaker at 'Mania perhaps?) after his current program ends that could perhaps cement him not only to a particular division but to the whole audience as a legit performer that in the future could be megastars in the WWE world standing along with Cena and Orton.

Orton, despite the fact that he's already seen as WWE's no.2 guy, still has room for improvement as Austin said referring to Randy's mic-work. Other than that, he's the company's no.2 guy for a reason. He's tremendously over, gifted athletically, can perform in the ring, has the look, gimmicks(referring to present and past) that worked, and adjusts his mic-work with the gimmick(But again, he can still improve in this department) .

I don't know who the heck is Gino Hernandez and I'm not gonna bother finding out but again, I agree with Austin's opinion here; Del Rio's promos can be better. It's like he's been saying the same things for the previous months then this latest version of ADR is the ANGRY ARISTOCRAT and I'm not really captivated by his anger.
I have no problems with his in-ring ability(He ain't no master technician nor a walking 5-star match guy that can make a brawl with any random scrub into a classic that you would tell your grand jimmies about.) because I find him quite decent in that department.

Again, Austin's view is right on the money(He also said something about Barret, Mark Henry,Christian and the Bookman's Dee-Bry which I also agree with) seeing as he's seen it all in the pro-wrestling business and knows what it takes to get to the top. Hopefully the guys who received criticisms should take that as a challenge to improve themselves to contribute in the overall improvement of the product.

 

[The Future Rises]

He didn't bury them. I think that was just his honest opinion and it could be great advice for both Orton and Del Rio. I've said for awhile now that Orton's promos are my piss break. He's boring as hell when he's on the mic and Austin summed it up. There was a thread about who's more Stone Cold like Orton or Punk. And I think the rattlesnake obviously likes Punk better and would rather be compared to him instead of Orton. Austin didn't bury Orton. That was just a little advice with his honest opinion. Orton's boring and he needs to cut better babyface promos. Austin knows his shit.

About Del Rio his promos are kinda repetitive but he's still a good talker. I think he needs to drop the whole happily evil thing he has in his promos. He screams his name and every other thing he says. Why? We don't need to hear him scream on a microphone. He needs to tone down his voice a little but he's definitely better than Orton on the mic. And he needs new stuff to say other than his usual destiny/his name thing and add more catchphrases and I think that goes to Orton too.

And now on to Punk we've known for awhile now that Austin is a big fan of his and is actually considering wrestling one more match if he can wrestle Punk. I think Punk is a modern day Stone Cold. He's a rule breaker and awesome promo cutter. His character is very edgy and he's great in the ring. It's a shame that whenever you prefer Punk over a certain wrestler some douche bag just has to defend their favorite by calling you a smark. Please, I've been a fan of his since his ECW days. Punk is the best promo cutter in the WWE today and one of if not the best in the ring. Don't take my word for it take Austin's.

Austin was completely true in this interview and this shows just how he has a great mind for this business and that he still follows wrestling in his free time. He's one of the most badass promo cutters that has ever stepped foot inside a wrestling ring and if Del Rio and Orton wanna get some advice then they just got some very good advice from him. Always been a fan of Austin and I still am. Even when he's not wrestling anymore he still helps talent by giving them advices. Just like he did to Ziggler a couple of months ago. Just like he did to Orton and Del Rio in this interview. You gotta love the rattlesnake.

 

[BigPoppaPunk]

Austin wasn't burying those guys, only giving them some constructive critisizm. His opinions are always an interesting read, b/c he's so knowledgable about wrestling and knows what works and what doesn't. In fact, if more veterans told the younger guys what they need to improve on and less time bashing them, maybe more young guys would be huge now.

He was pretty much spot on with his comments on CM Punk. Punk has breathed new life into the wrestling business, since he's probably the biggest new guy to come along. Perhaps the closest of the new generation to reaching Austin like status. He's a guy who is a veteran that has put the complete package together and he knows that he is the best wrestler in WWE now. Every aspect of his character is perfect now. If only WWE would give him better material to work with, he'd be the biggest thing going in wrestling today hands down.

As far as Randy Orton, he does have vast room for improvement on his promo work. He's been coasting IMO in the department for far too long. He hasn't cut an interesting promo since his Legend Killer days. A top guy should set the bar for all aspects of a character, and Orton has been complacent and hesistant to try different material on the mic. Every promo he cuts seems to be almost exactly the same and you can tell he's just going through the motions and not really trying to be original.

And I couldn't agree more about his comments on Del Rio. His promo work definately needs some serious improvements. If you wrote his usual promo down on a cue card, 9/10 times I guarantee you it would be word for word. I personally have been underwhelmed in general with everything Del Rio has done so far. He has a great presence, as he's a big guy(trust me, I've seen him live and he's bigger than he looks on TV). But so far, he hasn't capitalized on it in any meaningful way. Del Rio has had alot more chances on the mic than the average new comer in WWE, but has failed to use that to his advantage. In his case, he definately needs a catchphrase or some sort of new material in order to break out of his current stale routine.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

Orton is probably better off having minimal time on the mic. Not saying he should be like Undertaker and only saw 15 words a month but he's always been average on the mic.

Though with his "stone cold" (no pun intended) Viper gimmick he doesn't need to work on the mic too much. I like what I saw in MITB when Orton lost the title it was his mean streak and body language that told the story and there was no mic work there.

Like I said before you don't need to be great on the mic to have great charisma ... and Orton may just prove that.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Austin can say whatever he wants. He has earned that right. Not to mention him being better than every guy he talked about.

Orton is my favorite guy out there right now, but he's no Steve Austin. I blame his lackluster promos on not being given anything to talk about, but that doesn't change the fact that his promos aren't worth sitting through 99% of the time. Can he deliver? Absolutely. However, he needs to be that psychotic animal fans started to cheer for.

He's right about Del Rio, 100%. He cuts (or has written for him) the same promo every single week. It's awful. He's decent in the ring, but his promos are shit.

When Steve Austin tells you to work on something, you shut your mouth, and work on it. Nice to see Orton didn't come out like an asshole and bash Austin. That would have been beyond stupid.

 

[The Future Rises]

Austin can say whatever he wants. He has earned that right. Not to mention him being better than every guy he talked about.

Orton is my favorite guy out there right now, but he's no Steve Austin. I blame his lackluster promos on not being given anything to talk about, but that doesn't change the fact that his promos aren't worth sitting through 99% of the time. Can he deliver? Absolutely. However, he needs to be that psychotic animal fans started to cheer for.

He's right about Del Rio, 100%. He cuts (or has written for him) the same promo every single week. It's awful. He's decent in the ring, but his promos are shit.

When Steve Austin tells you to work on something, you shut your mouth, and work on it. Nice to see Orton didn't come out like an asshole and bash Austin. That would have been beyond stupid.

You're absolutely right about that. Orton has been an asshole countless times before and although he pulled yet another dick move earlier this year I'm actually starting to think he's done with that. Everyone changes and I hope Orton doesn't pull a dick move again. Hell HBK's attitude in the 90s was worst than Orton's but Shawn changed. It's good to see Orton handle this critical advice like a man and vow to improve on what Austin said he should improve in. Austin is a legend and one of the best promo cutters of all time not taking his advice especially on promo cutting would be beyond stupidity.

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

He also mentioned Wade as he is waiting to learn more about and DB as someone who can move up the card. Both guys are much more interesting than Del Rio prattling on about his destiny.

As far as Austin's word = law. idk. I think it is easy for guy who have had success to talk about others who haven't? I mean, if this was Chavo, people would be going "Shut up Chavo."

As far as what he said, outside of the Punk comment, I can't say I disagree with him:

Orton's use on SD has been very limited in roles. He isn't all over the show. His character doesn't reflect on any of the other characters. He hasn't cut the most promos to build to his feud. He hasn't had the most drama filled angles. It just feels like they are using him just because he is 'popular.' Compare that to Raw, all of the good guys fight for truth, justice and the American way like Cena.. And all of the bad guys want to tell the good guys to stfu.

Del Rio's promos are interchangeable, forgettable, and unless the crowd is REALLY hot that night, no one cares. There was a thread about the supposedly blow up Vince had on Del Rio; But I hardly he remember him being on TV>

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Austin is more or less spot on here. I disagree slightly with him on Del Rio because I have seen him cut good promos once or twice, like the promo he cut after SummerSlam to open Raw, and he is certainly better than a lot of WWE Superstars out there but his skills aren't really what you would expect out of a main eventer. Maybe his promos not being worth a shit was harsh on him but it is no secret that Del Rio needs to get better and get better fast.

I agree with Nick on Orton. His promos are repetitive these days because mostly his storylines are repititive. All he has to do is to go out there and look tough and threatening and his promos follow suit. Another thing that should be kept in mind is the fact that Orton is a very good performer but not an exceptional one like Austin. Maybe Austin could have innovated in the same spot but maybe Orton just cannot.

You can also tell that Austin is a fan of Punk. That's a good thing for Punk. Having a guy whom the owner of the company considers the greatest superstar of all time is always a good thing.

 

[IrishMcNaughton613]

My veiw on punk is the same as Austins. He is what the business needs. Another rebal with a new cause. Austin did the same thing in the attitude era. He raised hell and pushed his boss around. Just finding new ways to stick it to the man.

Ortan does need work. His promo's are junk and he's predictable in the ring. His saving grace is the way the RKO can come out of nowere just like all the best finishers and he has great look and theme music. Don't be fooled, theme songs can break a superstar. Del rio is a pain in the ass and shouldn't be given a mic. Also his trunks suck ass. The guy could be in the middle of the ring cutting the throat of hitler and i still wouldn't give a damb about him. Ortan is still cool. I like the Dark theme they gave him and Punk will go far with this new storyline which will take him to a new level. They do howeve need to keep him away from teaming with Cena.

 

[BillAlfonso]

I don't really agree with the Punk thing but it's Austin so I'm not going to argue, keep in mind that Punk seems to love Austin. I wonder if The Rock would say the same thing after the shit Punk's been giving him for no reason.

I really like Orton's response, he actually responded like a true professional who has something to prove and not like a bitch. The question is if he's going to back up his words with actions.

 

[BigPoppaPunk]

It is interesting to see Orton respond without taking a shot at Austin for pointing out the obvious. You can't be considered a true great in wrestling without cutting the best promos. IMO, Orton hasn't put much effort into becoming a good promo guy. In order from him to be on Austin's level, he should heed Austin's words of wisdom and try hard to improve on the mic.

As for Del Rio, once he becomes comfortable on the mic, I'm sure he'll improve. Until then, he should avoid saying the same old crap about destiny or repeating his name. Again, I think a catchphrase or two could be the catalyst he needs to break out of the pack and become a better promo guy.

 

[XXJJ]

I dont think he is burying anybody. He is talking about some of the guys he likes but what they can do to improve.

Orton had a great year. He had so many great matches this year. I do agree with Austin though. Moving forward he can add a little depth to his character. He has good mic skills (not great), he cut some great promos as a heel. But since he turned face, he has not really cut any great promos. They haven't been bad either, they just been average. I did think that cutting edge segment last week was good. Him, Edge and Henry did a good job.

Everything he said about Del Rio was true. But I dont think that is all Del Rio's fault. Dont the writers have to get some blame for having Del Rio say the same shit every week?

Same about how he said he still waiting for Barrett to grab him by the throat. Barrett has no direction right now. I dont think its all his fault. They had a plan with Henry and they took their time and did a great job. They need to do that more often. Henry is the perfect example that a lot of the time its the booking.

I know Smackdown is more "wrestling oriented" they are never going to get the great angles (like the current conspiracy angle, nexus etc). But it has been a issue for a SD for a few years, and now generally in entire the WWE. Some of the storylines need to improve.

 

[BillAlfonso]

He's most likely talking trash under orders from Vince so they can set up a Rock vs Punk match down the road. Rock will have a reason to have a match with him if he takes cheap shots here and there.

Yeah, but everyone seems to take shots at him that gets to do interviews, Punk, RKO, and Cena in particular. I don't know, maybe they are working but there seems to be some animosity towards The Rock from the guys today.

Here's my question, what can RKO do to add to his gimmick? He's always been one dimensional to me and still pretty good.

 

[The Future Rises]

I don't really agree with the Punk thing but it's Austin so I'm not going to argue, keep in mind that Punk seems to love Austin. I wonder if The Rock would say the same thing after the shit Punk's been giving him for no reason.

No reason? Have you seen Punk's infamous promo? He called Dwayne an ass kisser. Even more than Hogan. Which he would know considering he actually knows the guy and how everything works backstage and we don't. I'm not accusing Rock of being an ass kisser. I'm just pointing out that that's what Punk has against him.

 

[BillAlfonso]

No reason? Have you seen Punk's infamous promo? He called Dwayne an ass kisser. Even more than Hogan. Which he would know considering he actually knows the guy and how everything works backstage and we don't. I'm not accusing Rock of being an ass kisser. I'm just pointing out that that's what Punk has against him.

That is no reason to hold a grudge in my book, Punk comes off as one of those guys that calls you an ass kisser because you did what your boss asked. I mean, it may be a work with CM Punk the gimmick but I still get that vibe from Phillip Brooks the man whenever I hear speak as himself, like he needs to get over himself.

 

[BigPoppaPunk]

No reason? Have you seen Punk's infamous promo? He called Dwayne an ass kisser. Even more than Hogan. Which he would know considering he actually knows the guy and how everything works backstage and we don't. I'm not accusing Rock of being an ass kisser. I'm just pointing out that that's what Punk has against him.

The main problem with assuming Punk's comments were real is he may have been trying to set up a potential fued later on with The Rock. Although I'm sure he wanted to get back at The Rock for calling him BM Punk a few years ago. I equate his comments on The Rock to what Jericho said on Twitter about Punk a few months ago. Any time you have a wrestler talking trash about another wrestler, there's a 50/50 chance it's only a ploy to start a fued. I will say though that in most cases there are grains of truth in what they are saying about them(at least from the guy talking trash perspective).

 

[Cactus_Mack]

I agree with Austin about Del Rio and have always thought Orton is overrated. Punk needs improvement too.....I mean to be considered at the Austin/Rock level. It seems as though people often forget how good Austin was on the mic. He's better than Rock. He might not be as funny, and sure as hell ain't as corny, but better, imo anyways. I think we've seen the best Orton has to offer. Del Rio is what he is....no Eddie Guerrero. Punk has the potential to be the best ever (on the mic) purely for his knowledge, understanding,love for the business, and the ability to translate all of this into the story-line of whatever angle he's involved in. He knows what fans want and truly wants them to have it.

 

[xoxo French Kiss xoxo]

Its easy for Austin to bury Orton and Del Rio on the mic, because the only thing that Austin was ever really great at was his MIC work, in the ring Austin was complete and absolute shit.

Orton and Del Rio would wrestle circles around Austin, but on the mic Austin would own them both.

Yes Austin is a legend, YES Austin has done a lot for the WWE, and YES Austin is one of the most important wrestlers of all time, but it doesn't make up for his downfalls.

Sure you can argue that he had some great matches in the WWE, he was entertaining and he did a fuck ton for the business. Austin has MAD charisma, Austin is great on the mic, Austin brings a ton to the table in terms of storylines and intensity, but he wasn't the best in ring performer we've seen.

Austin is the WWE style, brawl, pull a few real moves, and hit your big finish and the match is over but when you compare him to Orton and Del Rio in ring, Austin isn't shit.

 

[harrythem]

Only part of it been mentioned but he talked about a few other guys:

Wade Barrett - "I'm still waiting for Wade Barrett to grab me by the throat and let me know who Wade Barrett is"

Christian - "Christian is a hell of a damn performer in the ring, and he's just had a hell of a run. He's recently added a few exclamation points to his work and his promo style - but, again, there's at least one more level for him to step up.

Mark Henry - Mark Henry has finally put the pieces together. I love the intensity Mark is putting into his work recently. This persona is really an extension of himself: he's a big, mean, strong man, and they are presenting that well.

AJ Styles - Aj can do some exciting things in the ring. He's a damn good worker, but he needs a solid push to help him develop a more rounded, more diverse character.

Samoa Joe - Joe is the first TNA guy I'd pick. He definitely needs to improve his promos but, in the ring, he's probably the top guy on my list. I also like him because he doesn't look like a bodybuilder: he's not the prettiest, the most jacked-up or the most tattooed-up. But I like wrestling and he's good at wrestling. I've seen his matches with Kenta Kobashi and those guys. He can work strong style, technical wrestling, brawling.....He can work lots of styles, and he's a hell of a mechanic. He just needs the right push to make him a superstar.

Luke from Tough Enough - Luke was a good kid but, after four years in the business, I just felt he should have had a better understanding of the game, been a better chain wrestler in the ring, a better mechanic. And also, he was not a big guy, yet he had no ariel arsenal.


And I'd say Austin was a very good wrestler...He didn't do the most amount of stuff (even less as his neck got worse) but he knew how to make what he did count...He could also bust out a really compelling match at times too, much smarter at that then Del Rio...I'd say Orton has learnt how to do the little things really well now.

 

[The Future Rises]

Its easy for Austin to bury Orton and Del Rio on the mic, because the only thing that Austin was ever really great at was his MIC work, in the ring Austin was complete and absolute shit.

Orton and Del Rio would wrestle circles around Austin, but on the mic Austin would own them both.

Yes Austin is a legend, YES Austin has done a lot for the WWE, and YES Austin is one of the most important wrestlers of all time, but it doesn't make up for his downfalls.

Sure you can argue that he had some great matches in the WWE, he was entertaining and he did a fuck ton for the business. Austin has MAD charisma, Austin is great on the mic, Austin brings a ton to the table in terms of storylines and intensity, but he wasn't the best in ring performer we've seen.

Austin is the WWE style, brawl, pull a few real moves, and hit your big finish and the match is over but when you compare him to Orton and Del Rio in ring, Austin isn't shit.

Austin's ability to perform in the ring was limited after the neck injury he suffered from Owen Hart. So in all fairness I don't think anyone should call Austin shit in the ring. He used to be a ringmaster no pun intended. But after the injury he wasn't that good in the ring anymore. So I don't think you should just bash him for not being good in the ring because that was a career and life threatening injury Austin had. The same one that ended Edge's career if I'm not mistaken. But Austin was badass enough to continue on with his career and not listen to the docs. Was it smart? No. But it still shows you just how much Austin loved and still loves this business literally putting his own life on the line.

 

[asr_720]

As far as what he said, outside of the Punk comment, I can't say I disagree with him:

Orton's use on SD has been very limited in roles. He isn't all over the show. His character doesn't reflect on any of the other characters. He hasn't cut the most promos to build to his feud. He hasn't had the most drama filled angles. It just feels like they are using him just because he is 'popular.' Compare that to Raw, all of the good guys fight for truth, justice and the American way like Cena.. And all of the bad guys want to tell the good guys to stfu.>

I agree with this totally...I think Orton is at a point in his career where he can either grow and take it to that level only few have achieved or he can become stale in the next year or so. I'm actually hoping that WWE keeps up his current angle with Mark Henry. He can gain a lot of momentum and grow by persuing the belt. Look what it did for The Rock when he was constantly trying to take down HHH. It can be a career defining moment for him depending on how WWE decides to go with this angle. Its kind of hard for me to believe they'll take the strap off Henry with the amount of heat he gets from crowds right now. So this is the perfect opportunity for Orton to use the heat on Henry (from the crowds) to get even more over and out perform a guy who really doesn't have mic skills. All due respect to Mark they do work well together!

 

[[cL]]

People who learn new terms in the IWC and decide to use them all the time is laughable. No one in this interview got buried. SCSA praised everyone and gave constructive criticism to those who needed it. He didn't "bury" anyone.