Should Stone Cold have made an appearance at Wrestlemania 28?

[CM Steel]

There was a pitch to have Stone Cold Steve Austin at Wrestlemania this year once again like last year's. But Austin felt that he would be playing "second fiddle" to the Rock upon the Rock's in-ring return in a one-on-one match. But at last year's Wrestlemaina the Rock was the host of WM while SCSA played the role as the special guess referree in the "match" between Jerry Lawler & Michael Cole. So SCSA was second to the Rock on that night in Atlanta.

So could have Stone Cold made an appearance at this year's Wrestlemania in Miami? In a different kind of role or something?

 

[Nate DaMac]

I'm gonna go ahead and change the title to "Should Stone Cold have made an appearance at WM28?" since this title is so incredibly stupid. Why couldn't he have made an appearance?

Should he have? I'd say no. The card was already stacked, the wasn't any reason to fit him on and have him playing second fiddle to The Rock. Most people don't seem to remember, but Austin was a much bigger deal than Rock ever was. If he's going to be featured at Wrestlemania, he needs to be in a main event.

 

[CM Steel]

I'm gonna go ahead and change the title to "Should Stone Cold have made an appearance at WM28?" since this title is so incredibly stupid. Why couldn't he have made an appearance?

Should he have? I'd say no. The card was already stacked, the wasn't any reason to fit him on and have him playing second fiddle to The Rock. Most people don't seem to remember, but Austin was a much bigger deal than Rock ever was. If he's going to be featured at Wrestlemania, he needs to be in a main event.

I know what I was talking about when I made the title Chuckie! I was saying "could" because Stone Cold is always the cheese on the burger to a Wrestlemania if you followed Wrestlemania the last eight years bub. SCSA mainly plays the special guest ref role in a degree. Let's take a look back at those past eight WM's shall we...

WM 20: Special guest ref to Brock Lesnar vs Bill Goldberg
WM 21: Special guest on "Piper's Pit"
WM 22: N/A
WM 23: Special guest ref to Bobby Lashley vs Umaga in the Vince McMahon/Donald Trump feud.

WM 24: N/A
WM 25: WWE Hall of Fame honor
WM 26: N/A
WM 27: Special guest ref to Jerry Lawler vs Michael Cole, as well as promote the return of WWE Tough Enough.

So really the question was "could have Stone Cold made an appearance at WM 28"? And everybody and they mama know's that Austin is a certified main eventer. Problem with that is Austin can only wrestle one more match. Do you get it yet Chuckie Finlay??

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

COULD Stone Cold HAVE Made An Appearance At WM 28

And not could have Stone Cold...


Anyway, no.

And after looking at the stats you just gave I am so much sure with my answer. It has been 7 years since Austin has wrestled at Mania. His one more match is due, and it should be hyped the shit out of! Austin deserves nothing but the ME if he comes back. Also if you mean just a cameo, still no. Overkill. There was no use for it. The show had so many stars of that era, it seems a moot point.

Unless you think Austin should've dog-piled this Bromance moment:

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Saw the thread title and laughed. This guy is like the ultimate poor thread maker of the WrestleZone Forums. Every week something new, last week it was "Should WWE purchase the Hammerstein Ballroom" this week it's "Could have Stone Cold made an appearance at WM28?" I get that you want to drive discussion and all, but attempt to make threads people have an interest in discussing e.g. threads started by Jack-Hammer, Klunder, JGlass, Crock, LSN and Sam.

To answer your poorly worded question, no Stone Cold shouldn't have been involved in Wrestlemania 28. WWE know that Steve Austin is currently one of the hottest discussed possible returnee's and whenever he makes that return, it is smart business to hold it off until he agrees to one more match with CM Punk. Placing him on the Wrestlemania card would have had little effect unless he was competing, considering The Rock was already booked and being heavily publicised. Year before that, Lawler vs. Cole actually got publicity based solely off the fact Austin was referee, that match needed someone of his calibure to succeed because the expectation was, it was going to suck.

Where would Austin have been placed this year? Randomly refereeing the match between Orton/Kane or Rhodes/Show? Would have made no sense and would have cheapened their bouts, showing a lack of faith in their abilities to entice buyers/viewers. Therefore Steve Austin shouldn't have featured at WM28 hence why he didn't. Next time Austin appears should be to either tease an angle with CM Punk, set-up the angle with CM Punk or announce the eventual angle with CM Punk. Until then, for business and surprise purposes, keep him off television.

 

[Clare]

too put it bluntly HELL NO he wasnt missed and when he comes back for his last match it should be at WM30 on the grandest stage of them all if he came back at WM 28 he would of been a undercard too The Rock and John Cena
so no they wasnt wrong it will be WM 30 before we see SCSA in a WWE ring again

 

[Workrate]

This is one of those threads that kind of functions like a Madlib puzzle: "should [noun, person] have [verb] at [noun, place]?" Should Tatanka have interfered on Raw? Should Kane have run down and chokeslammed the referee at WrestleMania? Round and round we go with these types of questions.

But to answer and not be a complete jerk: no. They already had enough star power. Besides, Austin wasn't going to wrestle this year, so what exactly would have been his role? Throwing guys on television in non-action cameo appearances is only going to dilute later appearances where they do contribute to the product. There's no sense in putting someone on screen for the sake of having them on screen. But in short: it was a hugely successful WrestleMania from a business perspective. No, it didn't need Stone Cold.

 

[OneTooManyPunts]

WWE was definitely better of NOT having Austin at Wrestlemania 28. With HBK, HHH, Jericho and The Rock all on the card, it would seem like a good idea to include Austin, but in the end it would have done more harm than good.

Austin has made several appearances since hanging up his boots, including Wrestlemania appearances, so his involvement wouldn't have been as big or high profile as Rock's.

WM 28 was all about The Rock, and having Austin there would have detracted from that. WWE didn't need to remind people of the history behind Austin/Rock, when they were dead set on making history wth Rock and Cena.

 

[Fugazi]

I don't think an appearance at 28 would have done much since he was overshadowed by the end of the era match and Rocky.

If he does come back however putting him in his last match vs Punk would obviously be the way to go.

 

[crippler]

WrestleMania 28 had enough Part time stars on it. ( Rock, Jericho, Undertaker, Triple H and HBK) There was so many that they had to put the tag titles on the pre show and had no US title match.

 

[GameOver]

Wouldn't have happened anyway, he stated he doesn't want to share the spotlight quite bluntly.

but as others said there was already enough non performers there and HOF stars.

Stone Cold would want his own spotlight to do what he does best, get the crowd behind him 100%

 

[GameOver]

I know what I was talking about when I made the title Chuckie! I was saying "could" because Stone Cold is always the cheese on the burger to a Wrestlemania if you followed Wrestlemania the last eight years bub. SCSA mainly plays the special guest ref role in a degree. Let's take a look back at those past eight WM's shall we...

WM 20: Special guest ref to Brock Lesnar vs Bill Goldberg
WM 21: Special guest on "Piper's Pit"
WM 22: N/A
WM 23: Special guest ref to Bobby Lashley vs Umaga in the Vince McMahon/Donald Trump feud.

WM 24: N/A
WM 25: WWE Hall of Fame honor
WM 26: N/A
WM 27: Special guest ref to Jerry Lawler vs Michael Cole, as well as promote the return of WWE Tough Enough.

So really the question was "could have Stone Cold made an appearance at WM 28"? And everybody and they mama know's that Austin is a certified main eventer. Problem with that is Austin can only wrestle one more match. Do you get it yet Chuckie Finlay??

um did you read what you posted?

He's always the cheese on the burger at Mania the last 8yrs yet 3 of those he wasn't involved at all and his HOF induction he was barely involved so thats only 50% of the time he actually had any impact.

and i might the 2 matches he ref'd was an insult to him. Reffing the worst match of the night in Lawler vs Cole and he didn't even do anything during the match

and being special guest ref for Goldberg vs Brock which was a pointless match since everyone knew both were quiting after the match.

Seeing Austin those sort of situations is fun briefly but it's like watching Hogan time and time again and seeing the Rock in his return, you long for the days of past when they could kick ass but what u get is a shell of that if they do anything at all.

 

[Clare]

um did you read what you posted?

He's always the cheese on the burger at Mania the last 8yrs yet 3 of those he wasn't involved at all and his HOF induction he was barely involved so thats only 50% of the time he actually had any impact.

and i might the 2 matches he ref'd was an insult to him. Reffing the worst match of the night in Lawler vs Cole and he didn't even do anything during the match

and being special guest ref for Goldberg vs Brock which was a pointless match since everyone knew both were quiting after the match.

Seeing Austin those sort of situations is fun briefly but it's like watching Hogan time and time again and seeing the Rock in his return, you long for the days of past when they could kick ass but what u get is a shell of that if they do anything at all.

Too quote your last sentence ""what u get is a shell of that if they do anything at all" whether it was WM28 or WM29 or 30 i can gurentee that when SCSA doe's step back in the ring we wont see no shadow of his formerself as he would of put months of training and we will see him raise hell one Last time i still dont agree he should of been at WM28 or even WM29 i think they will save SCSA vs Undertaker for WM30 when he will end the streak

 

[STILLNWO4LIFE]

I would have loved to see Stone Cold appear at Wrestlemania 28 but it wouldn't have been a good idea at all considering who was already on the card. He didn't belong, therefore he was not there. He will show up sometime or another, after all, he is like The Rock, they will always be around.

 

[vinnie mac]

Realistically, stone cold will not be making many more appearances in the wwe, therefore if he appeared at wm28 with everything else going on surrounding the end of an era and the once in a lifetime match, this may have diminished some of the significance. I believe it was a good thing for him to steer clear of wm28, save his appearance for a big one off match next year at wm29 instead.

 

[The Champ]

There was a pitch to have Stone Cold Steve Austin at Wrestlemania this year once again like last year's. But Austin felt that he would be playing "second fiddle" to the Rock upon the Rock's in-ring return in a one-on-one match. But at last year's Wrestlemaina the Rock was the host of WM while SCSA played the role as the special guess referree in the "match" between Jerry Lawler & Michael Cole. So SCSA was second to the Rock on that night in Atlanta.

IIRC, that was his logic in not wanting Mania 28 to be his return match. Which makes sense, because Rock vs. Cena was going to be the main event over absolutely anything else. I don't recall reading anything that said he was opposed to making a throwaway appearance, or even that such an appearance was offered.

Shawn Michaels was the guest referee for the Hell in a Cell match and two in one show is kind of overkill. I'm not sure where else you could be able to fit him in, beyond just coming out and stunning somebody for the hell of it. And while it might have been fun to see, it would have taken time away from something else.

Then again, I would have liked to see Austin come out and stun Brodus Clay and all his mommas during that ridiculous skit. Would have actually made it worth the five minutes of my life that I'll now never get back.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

Then again, I would have liked to see Austin come out and stun Brodus Clay and all his mommas during that ridiculous skit. Would have actually made it worth the five minutes of my life that I'll now never get back.

Oh man, if we heard the glass break in the middle of that debacle and then Stone Cold came out, stunned everyone and did a beer bash, they could have ended the show right there without even doing Rock and Cena, and everyone still would have gone home happy.

I don't think he needed to come back from this WM though. With The Rock, HBK, Trips, Undertaker all on the card, it wasn't necessary to have him there just for the novelty.

 

[The Champ]

You also have to take into account the fact that Austin didn't just come back last year for no reason. He had a TV show to promote which was debuting on USA the very next night.

Same reason why Trish Stratus had a presence at that WrestleMania, and why Booker T's return came around that same time as well.

Austin didn't have any reason to show up this year beyond a paycheck that he doesn't need.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I think it would have been cool to see Stone Cold show up at the show in some way. Not in a match obviously, they already had the Cena VS Rock match following an entire year of hype as well as other huge matches like Taker VS Trips 3 and Punk VS Jericho. There is no way that Stone Cold's match would have received the attention it deserves with those three matches already on the card. I hope he does come back for one more match against someone like Punk or Orton someday but that was not the time to do it. Luckily that did not happen.

A good way to have him show up would have been in a couple of backstage segments. One to confront Cena about how he "had" to win that night, and another with The Rock for nostalgia as well as to talk about the main event. Perhaps a third to set up a potential feud for the following year if he were to return for one more match, but clearly WWE are not going the route of a year long hype again for 29. Yet another idea could have been for him to join in at the end of the "End of an Era" moment where HBK, Trips, and Taker embraced at the entrance ramp since he was from that "era" too but it might have come off as akward or too random. It's not the end of the world that he did not show up but it would have been cool because one of the biggest names in history would have been part of the show that (so far) was the most purchased.