If Steve Austin had stuck around for 5 more years, how different would WWE be?

[NegativeFeedback]

If Steve Austin had stayed active until WM24, 5 years after his last match with The Rock, would WWE have still gone with PG or would they have kept the Attitude Era going?? Would WWE be more popular or would Steve Austin's star power would have dwindled just like Hogan's did during the end of his run??

There's plenty to ponder about how different WWE would be. Would John Cena still have risen to the top?? Would we have finally seen Hulk Hogan vs. Steve Austin??

Comment below, tell me what you think.

 

[laodaron]

Steve knew in 2003 that he was stale in regards to the times. I don't believe that he could have remained relevant in that disgusting era of botched blade jobs and increased violence.

 

[Tyrant25]

Steve Austin's presence in WWE wouldn't have changed a thing. John Cena would've still been made the face of the company because Austin wasn't going to be around forever. More than likely, Austin's schedule would've been similar to that of Triple H, mostly used as an on-screen character and only wrestling every so often. Also, there was no need for the Attitude Era, as competition didn't exist. WWE would've still went into the Ruthless Aggression Era and then the PG Era due to Chris Benoit's incident and subsequent bad press.

 

[Mudlup50]

If Steve Austin had stayed active until WM24, 5 years after his last match with The Rock, would WWE have still gone with PG or would they have kept the Attitude Era going?? Would WWE be more popular or would Steve Austin's star power would have dwindled just like Hogan's did during the end of his run??

There's plenty to ponder about how different WWE would be. Would John Cena still have risen to the top?? Would we have finally seen Hulk Hogan vs. Steve Austin??

Comment below, tell me what you think.

I don't think it would make any difference personally, Triple H was taking control and times were changing. Between the WWE, WCW and ECW guys Stone Cold would have been pushed back a little. If anything it would've helped bring other guys over. He would've had to put new guys over. Maybe a title reign or two more for SCSA. Maybe one less for Cena.

But this sounds like "speculation" to me xD hahahahahahaha get it?

 

[SCrooked1]

Nothing changes, he was already considered a novelty act by 2002.

 

[Bagpipes]

Also doubt that things would have changed much. Austin would have been forced to alter/modify his gimmick to fit with the changing times and that probably wouldn't have been good for his own legacy or made for very good television.

 

[HatchetMan84]

The only good thing I can think of is a possible HBK vs Stone Cold re-match.

Both men have said over and over again that they regret not being able to have the match they wanted to at WM14. It's a testament to both men's work ethic that the match was as good as it was. Not one of Shawn's all time great matches but that was the thing about HBK. A "bad" match for him was still a pretty decent match.

However - the match might be much the same because HBK got his "second wind" so to speak in 2002 - having 5 star matches, while Stone Cold was physically a wreck at that point...

 

[wrestler36]

Nothing changes, he was already considered a novelty act by 2002.

How do you figure that? He was the hottest thing in the company. His 'WHAT' was just as over as today's 'YES.' The fans were so rabid about him, that they pretty much forced him to turn back into a face after 7-8 months

If we put his injuries aside and he went another 5 years, we definitely would have seen a Goldberg/Austin or Lesnar/Austin in 2004. Still could have been some major feuds without necessarily being in the title picture. I don't remember him ever fighting Guerrero, but I could be wrong. But major feuds with a young Orton, Cena, Batista, Edge could all have been possible. I think a feud transitions from McMahon to Heyman on Smackdown could have happened with Heyman just feeding various stars to him on PPVs.

Hell man, I wouldn't be surprised if Austin was the one who ended the Undertaker's streak. Either that, or it could have been Undertaker who finally retired Austin in the late 2000s.

Either way, putting aside Austin's injury, it seems like he would've had a lot left in the tank with some major feuds. He was never really a super violent guy, just aggressive and he said 'ass' alot, so the transition out of the attitude era would not have been that big of a deal. But man, imagining Lesnar/Austin, Austin/Goldberg, or Austin/Guerrero. Those would have been awesome

 

[Charismatic Enigma]

I've really grown to appreciate Austin more in recent years when I hear him in interviews and his podcast, more of his personality and love for the business shine through. That said…

In 2003, Austin was so overexposed at that point I couldn't stand him (and I REALLY couldn't stand the undefeatable HHH, but that's another topic). I think his character had a finite shelf life whether he was injured or not, because it was one dimensional. He even had merch that summed it up "drink beer, raise hell, leave". That truly was the full depth of his persona. He peaked too, he beat McMahon, he became champion, he hit every accolade one can hope for in WWE. Most of his contemporaries had left or were on their way out (Hart, Foley, Rock, Michaels) so he really had nothing left to prove or accomplish.

I think if he'd stuck around, his character would've kind of landed in that strange limbo that Hogan was in around the mid 2000s, or where Jericho is now. Too big of a name to go to the midcard, but not hot enough to be in the title picture, then you're basically just spinning your wheels. I think the timing for his exit worked out about as good as it could've with so much top level talent in the company at the time and new faces arriving guys like Lesnar, Angle, HHH, Jericho, Benoit, Guerrero, Undertaker, Edge, etc. The top of the card was getting increasingly crowded, and if he'd stuck around I ultimately think it would've hurt his legacy more than helped it. He occasionally would've fought for the title, but his glory years had already passed by, and ultimately never would've been recaptured.

 

[SCrooked1]

How do you figure that? He was the hottest thing in the company. His 'WHAT' was just as over as today's 'YES.' The fans were so rabid about him, that they pretty much forced him to turn back into a face after 7-8 months

If we put his injuries aside and he went another 5 years, we definitely would have seen a Goldberg/Austin or Lesnar/Austin in 2004. Still could have been some major feuds without necessarily being in the title picture. I don't remember him ever fighting Guerrero, but I could be wrong. But major feuds with a young Orton, Cena, Batista, Edge could all have been possible. I think a feud transitions from McMahon to Heyman on Smackdown could have happened with Heyman just feeding various stars to him on PPVs.

Hell man, I wouldn't be surprised if Austin was the one who ended the Undertaker's streak. Either that, or it could have been Undertaker who finally retired Austin in the late 2000s.

Either way, putting aside Austin's injury, it seems like he would've had a lot left in the tank with some major feuds. He was never really a super violent guy, just aggressive and he said 'ass' alot, so the transition out of the attitude era would not have been that big of a deal. But man, imagining Lesnar/Austin, Austin/Goldberg, or Austin/Guerrero. Those would have been awesome

Austin was so hot in 2002 that he played a major factor in Raw's ratings dropping a full point the month before he took his ball and went home.

 

[Pratham]

If Austin had stuck around for 5 more years, I'm taking for granted that he wouldn't be a total wreck as far as injuries are concerned. I'd say he'd be like he was in 2001 health wise, which would enable him to put up really really good matches.

Austin/Goldberg and Austin/Lesnar would be orgasmic to say the least. Who is to say Austin and Hogan wouldn't be able to settle their differences and wrestle a match in 2005? Cena would have still been the name and face of the company for sure. That wouldn't have changed. I just dont see JBL ever becoming a main event wrestler and holding the WWE title for so long if Austin was around.

Also, Austin VS Evolution would have been exciting to watch and would have made the 30 minutes Evolution segments watchable.

As for Austin's character becoming stale? Nah. Once he switched back to being face in 2001, he was on a roll. I doubt he'd become stale. Especially because he wouldn't be as over exposed as he was in 1998 and 1999.


It would have been really good if Austin had stayed for another 5 years. Excellent matches, excellent feuds and younger wrestlers could have learned so much from Austin.

 

[laodaron]

He was already stale in 2003. Why do you think he wouldn't be stale in 2008?

 

[Mustang Sally]

Austin came to WWE as the Ringmaster in '95 and morphed into Stone Cold in '96. I'd always thought he was injured by Owen Hart many years later, but the match happened the very next year, in '97. Considering he became the most popular wrestler on the planet while performing in what must have been terrible pain thereafter, it's amazing what the man accomplished.

Still, performing at the highest level of pro wrestling from '96 to '03 is a hell of a long time. I believe he had grown stale by the new century, which isn't an indictment of him or his character.....everything in the world of entertainment has a shelf life, not matter how immense it's effect might have been early on. In my opinion, the persona of Stone Cold had already run it's course by the time he took his ball and went home.

There are probably numerous theories as to why he left so abruptly. Did he go because he was smart enough to realize that the Stone Cold character had essentially finished its mission? Was he in such pain over that long period of time that he had simply had had enough? Did he get an attack of the "stubborns" because he didn't want to sacrifice his "rep" for the sake of building other talents?

It might be any/all of those.....but at that late stage of his career, I believe he was done changing the wrestling industry....and doubt he would have accomplished much more from 2003-08.

 

[Pratham]

I dont agree that Stone Cold got stale in 2003. Sure he wasn't as hot as he was in 1998, but the product on the whole had become a lesser form of what it was in 1998.

Remember in 2003, he was battling through several injuries, plus a divorce, plus a law suit from Debra for him hitting her.

 

[BuriedByCena]

I believe the exact same thing would have happened. Austin knew the company was changing and he was slowly becoming less relevant as time went by. Remember when he was "The sheriff" of RAW? I felt sad for him at that point because of how lame it was. His character does not fit at all in a PG era. There is nothing you can do with him if he can't be himself.

Plus the injuries were mounting up. Assuming he remained somewhat injury free, he would have got reduced schedule and just wrestled the big matches like a Mania. Probably would have got a real Stone Cold vs Randy Legend Killer Orton where Randy would have gotten a bigger push.

Would have had Stone Cold Vs Hogan....assuming both men can put aside their ego's for 5 minutes.

Stone Cold vs HBK rematch for sure would have happened.

He probably would have added 2-3 more title reigns. Probably would have jobbed to Lesnar and Cena at Mania.

 

[The Boss]

Seeing as how Austin's popularity was already fading I don't think that his presence would have made any difference. He had already fallen behind HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN and The Rock in popularity and Triple H was on the rise. Austin bombed at turning heel showing that he couldn't get over without the luxury of being able to beat up Vince McMahon every week.

However had he struck around I do think that there is one thing that would have happened...

 

[Creepy Old Man]

Yeah, would have been cool to see Hulk Hogan face the single biggest star in professional wrestling history.