Does Vince Owe Stone Cold?

[jnapoli85]

My question here is does Vinny Mac own Stone Cold Steve Austin more than Austin owns Vince? Vince was getting killed by WCW, had things kept going the way they were going Vince would have folded up shop, but then Stone Cold came to the rescue. Don't get me wrong all the attitude era guys were great the story lines were great. The wrestling was solid and so forth but I like all of my friends couldn't wait for Monday and Thursday to come to say what Stone cold was going to do.

So i just wanted to get some opinions if it wasn't for Austin would Vince have won the now infamous monday night wars?

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Neither man "own" the other, however both do owe a sense of gratitude to the other for different reasons.

Vince McMahon owes Stone Cold Steve Austin for what he did in the late '90's. Steve brought a lot to the table, an edgy persona, an edgy character, someone people could get behind. He'd catchphrases, a bad ass look and so forth. It helped bring WWE back in the war with Monday Night Nitro, but it isn't like just Stone Cold did it. If you'd taken Austin and placed him on a show minus guys like D-Generation X, The Rock, Mick Foley and The Undertaker who all drew their own audience respectively I doubt only one man could have turned things around for Vince and the WWE.

But Stone Cold owes a lot to Vince as well. When Vince originally brought Steve into the WWE and gave him the Ringmaster deal, and it didn't work out as hoped it was Vince who gave Austin the power to come back as whatever he thought would work. Vince McMahon gave Steve the creative control to come back and play the Stone Cold character. Steve says it in one of his DVD's, when the Ringmaster thing wasn't worked he felt low, because he knew he had all this talent but wasn't being handed the chance to show it. Steve owes Vince for handing him a platform to become Stone Cold Steve Austin and become a pop culture figure in the 90's. It really does swing both ways.

 

[H33LTurn]

He doesnt really owe him anything, there are dozens of guys who could've played the Stone Cold role. I think that by Vince giving Austin the opportunity to become a star and Austin making Vince as much money as he did the two are even.

 

[Leveller]

Austin owes Vince in a hell of a lot of ways, without Vince to be his Lex Luthor Austin couldnt even dream of being the Superman he is. Vince pushed the hell out of Austin, HOWEVER Austin is the one who developed his character, Austin is the one who created the gimmicks, Austin is the one who had gained knowledge and understanding from other companies. Austin, if you remember, used to be part of both WCW and ECW and without EB and Hayman both Vince and Austin wouldnt have had the fire to keep pushing to be the best. But going back to the original question, Austin owes Vince just for the sheer amount of pushes he was given.

 

[King of the Words]

I think Vince owes every guy who has ever stepped in the ring and put there health and well-being on line for him. I know they are suppose to be the best around, but still it only takes one mistake and you could end up in a wheel chair like poor Droz. I know the wrestlers know what they are getting themselves into when becoming a wrestler, but I think what they give to the company, in most cases, more than what they get back. Vince has made millions off the backs of his wrestlers, who a lot are broke up now, or dead. More respect needs to be given to these guys. The schedule they have to work and the sacrifices they have to make to be in the business is massive compared to most jobs. The fans too, need to give credit where credit is do. These guys and gals deserve our and Vince's respect and none of them should be just tossed aside if they get hurt or have trouble drawing big money. They should all be well looked after, when there wrestling days are over. I don't know exactly what should be done but what ever can be done should be. I hate hearing of all these stars who created big moments in WWE, and made Vince richer to end up with nothing in the end. Some may be their worst enemy getting into drugs and alcohol, but with this business and hellish schedule it is pretty hard not to get hooked on something to get you through it. I think there should be a wing in the Hall of Fame dedicated to every wrestler who competed for the Company, no matter how big or small. A little recognition like this would mean a lot to them, and I am sure the WWE fans wouldn't mind. If there is already something like this then sorry for my lack of knowledge. As for Austin, I think Vince should give him a last match if he wants it against who he wants if the other guy is in aggreance to it. IMO. I would say Wrestlemania 29, if it is in Dallas, Austin should get to face Punk or who ever to rap things up for him in the ring.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Vince doesn't owe Stone Cold Steve Austin anymore than he owes Hulk Hogan.

Austin was a great talent and was a tremendous boon to the company but Vince ultimately is the one who gave Austin the opportunity to shine. Vince made Austin the center of his company, helped make him arguably the biggest star in all of wrestling since Hulk Hogan and both Austin & Vince laughed all the way to the bank when it was all said and done. So no, I don't think Vince owes Austin or vice versa. Both the company and Steve Austin have benefitted tremendously due to their association.

 

[Krossbreed]

i think vince appreciates stone cold. if u look at the ring master character u wouldve never known he wouldve been the guy that would elevate wwe's product and make it cutting edge tv.

whoever directed stone cold to be the charcter he became via his wife giving him the idea while saying drink your tea before it goes stone cold... or his ecw unleashed attitude.

wwe got so lucky. he was stone cold before he was stone cold he just needed to be directed. stone cold also had the ambition to be the top guy...most wrestlers dont have that drive.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Well in the United States you get paid a lot of money if you bring in a lot of money for the company.

Neither guy owes the other anything. Austin lives a great life now and doesn't (shouldn't) have to worry about money and Vince's company is better because of Austin.

that's like asking "do the Yankees owe Derek Jeter?"

 

[I_Like_All_Wrestling]

What's with all this "Does so and so owe someone else?" questions we see around here.

No. WWE paid Steve Austin to do a job. Steve Austin did that job and made millions and millions of dollars in the process. The better Steve did the more money he got.

"Owe" is the wrong word to use here. We should probably be saying "who helped who more" or "without x, would y have happened." Something along those lines. We can't have a "does this person owe this person" in sports or entertainment all the time. It's an employee/employer relationship.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

In some ways I would say that Austin "owes" WWE more than the other way round, as he did behave very poorly towards the end of his run for a guy who was the poster boy for years. He didn't screw up as badly as Warrior did, but he should have done the Lesnar match as asked... All his walk-out did was teach Brock it was ok to do that, and thus he then did the same when his time to job out came.

On that note, I think if Austin is asked to come back and put over Punk, he should do it, even if it isn't at Wrestlemania. I hope it doesn't happen though, I think Jericho is a more natural match for Punk and would be far more entertaining.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Even though Austin (much like Hogan) was a major factor to his success he doesn't owe these guys anything.

If it wasn't for Vince giving these guys the ball they wouldn't have become as popular as they did. Vince had just as much to do with it as Austin and Hogan did. Vince was smart enough to give these guys a platform and in doing so Austin and Hogan returned the favor by making themselves and Vince a shit ton of money, drawing more fan's to the WWE and increasing buyrates and ratings.

Even though these were McMahon's 2 biggest stars McMahon had a hand in making Austin and Hogan as big as they became. Both guys were popular beforehand but without the WWF platform both guys wouldn't have become household names and wouldn't have as much money as they do. Sure they carried the ball well, but Vince had to give them the ball first and put them over as much as he did. If Austin was in a feud with Val Venis that whole time he wouldn't have been nearly as popular.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

No ones owes anyone anything. Vince was able to to win the Monday Night Wars and keep the WWF/E alive because of Austin's popularity and Austin made his fame and fortune because of the WWF/E.

It's how the work environment works the employer benefits from an employee's excellent results while the employee gets compensated accordingly.

Off topic: Likewise regardless what Cena or some fans say The Rock does not owe the WWE/F and Vince McMahon anything.

 

[J.J.]

Brock Lesnar made that decision on his own, I refuse to hold Austin accountable. Neither owes one another. Austin became a star, Vince himself helped him get over in their various feuds, they won the ratings war and they honored him by making him a Hall of Famer.

 

[SPR*VLN]

I get you concept, but McMahon doesn't owe him anything. Austin was the biggest name, yes! But Austin didn't do it by himself. HBK was loyal and kept the locomotion going, which opened the door to DX, then The Rock came along. Austin didn't do it by himself. Question should be, "Does Vince owe the Attitude Era anything."

You did have me thinking Vince gave The Rock his own show Smackdown. Too bad Austin didn't have a catchy one liner. I wouldn't watch "WHAT!"

 

[J.J.]

You could say WWE The Bottom Line is a spinoff of Austin's catchphrase.