Hard Hit Prince
Not really working as a
Facts:
The Rock,
1.Holds the record of drawing most major shows with 10,000+ attendance on top in one calendar year.[Broke Hulk Hogan's(1986) and Steve Austin's(1998) record in 1999 and set a record of headlining over 100 shows with 10,000 plus people in attendance in the year 2000. A box-office drawing record that is unsurpassed till date.] Source: Dave Meltzer
First and foremost in 1999 Steve Austin was an active wrestler and was put into pretty much every main event of every pay-per-view (9) including WrestleMania and SummerSlam, two of the biggest shows in the whole year. If Austin didn't got away due to an injury, 2000 would still be a similar year, mainly because Austin was the guy that put the company once again in the map and continue growth. It was not Rock solely that made people tune in. People were already tuning in BEFORE Rock. So your "facts" are ARGUABLY... That is how a market works! When a big star leaves it takes some time until the company feels the effects, it's not over night.
2.Holds the record of main-eventing almost 17 PPVs that have got over 500k buys during that time period.
Once again I really have to rely on the market, because it was growing at a great pace and that is because of Austin. Austin was a main event star in 1997 even though he wasn't the champion at the time, it was a steady grow. Also Austin was in at least 5 or 6 of those PPVs and most of those had more than one single's match so crediting Rock for it is ridiculous.
Also much of the PPV's in 2000 lost buys when compared to 1999, something like Royal Rumble and SummerSlam, which are the big ones. However Survivor Series 1999 (THAT DID NOT HAD AUSTIN) grew to Survivor Series 2000 (THAT HAD AUSTIN). Do you still think that what you're saying is a "fact"?
Don't you find it curious that "mid 1999" Austin wasn't there... 2000 Austin wasn't there and in 2001 he was a heel? And I'll give you the best they did as far as merchandise goes (where Austin is the biggest draw in that regard ever)3.Sold more merchandise than anyone active between mid 1999-2001.
1> Steve Austin -13 million(1998)
2> Dwayne Johnson -11 million(2000) (Austin wasn't there until the end of the year and wasn't promoted in any way shape or form)
This is according to Meltzer, and the WWF in 2000 was the hottest promotion and, not because they all coincidentally started to tune in 2000 and stayed.
These are the FACTS and clearly show Rock surpassed Austin and was the WWE top babyface post 1999, hence the reason they turned Austin heel.
Your "facts" are very questionable. People seem to forget that in 1998 Rock was a project and in 1999 it was the year that Rock had his first main event run. In 2000 the WWF was on fire regardless of Austin or Rock, as far as I see 2000 revenue could very well be credited to HHH as much as The Rock.
But It Austin who asked for the heel turn, not the company so you are wrong again. As I showed you, Rock didn't surpass Austin when he was an active babyface wrestler with him at the same time as the year 2002 showed with Austin being bigger.
It was nothing like it. Rock was #2 of his generation, Hogan wasn't. Keep making a fool out of you.Rock was Hogan was exactly like Rock vs Cena of that generation.
Now keep believing what you want and stay in denial.