The Attitude Era Thread Vol 1

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Also Austin had the messed up neck that played into his paranoia. Although if you believe some conspiracy theorists, that was more of an excuse for his dickheadedness and not a justification.

 

[Fall of Epic]

I think Austin isn't looked at badly for his political plays because for the most part, they made sense. He wasn't refusing to work with rising stars or throwing tantrums in the ring or in interviews.

The fact that they wanted to job Austin out to a non-wrestler in his comeback match would make anyone sympathetic towards him.

 

[Valeyard]

Austin's most egregious things seem to be not wanting to work with Jarrett or putting Brock over on TV. I'm always not sure how to think of the Hall stuff because Austin was absolutely correct despite handling it as badly as someone could. I'm sure there's more but I'm having trouble rememering the whole saga. I just know he left Eddie hanging and probably set his push back a year or so.

That match with Flair where they couldn't throw punches was really fun though.

Jarrett was never a top guy and only ever became one due to process of elimination so I'll always back Austin not wanting anything to do with him.

 

[alfdogg]

IIRC the Brock thing was more because there was obvious big business in a future PPV match between those two and he thought it was stupid to give away the match on TV.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Yeah. Brian Gewirtz’s book has a whole chapter on Austin walking out (Gewirtz is the one who suggested Brock/Austin as a KOTR qualifier) and that was SCSA’s objection. He was more than willing to work with Brock and put him over, he just didn’t want to start their feud in a mostly throwaway match on free TV.

 

[Valeyard]

It was a fucking stupid call. Didn't hurt Brock at all but cost them money.

I'm curious how they would've handled Austin's arrest if he stayed.

 

[Fall of Epic]

On the subject of Hall, Austin didn't mind working with him and putting him over, he just thought Hall wouldn't be around long enough to benefit from the rub. He was right.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I wonder why they didn’t just do Nash Vs Austin or Austin and a partner Vs The Outsiders.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I wonder why they didn’t just do Nash Vs Austin or Austin and a partner Vs The Outsiders.

Scooter Keith's WM 18 review says Nash claimed he was hurt and couldn't work singles. Austin was less than thrilled to be shunted down the card with Drunk Hall.

--
Apparently Hall looked sluggish due to his-alcohol deterrent drugs.

 

[Valeyard]

He's unreliable though. Thank god Twitter wasn't around at his peak relevance.

Nash was used so badly that run it isn't funny.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Scooter Keith's WM 18 review says Nash claimed he was hurt and couldn't work singles. Austin was less than thrilled to be shunted down the card with Drunk Hall.

--
Apparently Hall looked sluggish due to his-alcohol deterrent drugs.

Big Kev worked the RAW before WrestleMania and the Smackdown! afterward so whatever injury was, it wasn't bad enough that he couldn't have worked X-8 at all. I've also heard he was on standby in case Hall fell apart but Nash is the bigger star anyway.

 

[Valeyard]

Wish we'd gotten Nash/Edge and Austin/Booker instead. Hall can interfere in shit.

 

[Fall of Epic]

Nash/Austin one on one would have been horribly bad. Hall was still a pretty competent (when sober) worker in 2002.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Hall had a surprisingly great match with Mutoh in ‘01ish. He could have had a good match at X-8 with someone who wanted to work with him.

What about The Outsiders Vs The Dudley Boyz for X-8? Scott Hall would’ve loved to kick out of the 3D.

I would have found a way to stick Austin with Kurt Angle or something. If SCSA didn’t want to work with Hogan, keep him away from the nWo. That Scott Hall match just felt less than.

 

[Fall of Epic]

Austin/Angle was beyond tired by 2002. I think Austin/Hall is a fine WM match if they just did a little more to make it seem like a bigger deal.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Medium spicy take: I feel like the SCSA feud was almost as bad for Booker T as the Triple H Feud. And tbh, Booker T Vs The Rock wasn’t exactly Hogan-Savage. It feels like WWE wanted Booker to fail until like ‘04? Just years and years of deeply crappy storylines.

 

[Valeyard]

Rock killed Booker for good and I will die on that hill. One promo ethered him and HHH just smothered him in his sleep.

Austin/Nash in a quick brawl with smoke and mirrors works, but the main thing is the promos would make up for any shortcomings. Angle is still my preferred pick. Submission match, because Angle is Angle and Austin lost the Bret match so can he beat the medalist omg. Same spot on the card. Give Hall and Nash to Kane and Hurricane or something for an easy win.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

What about The Outsiders Vs The Dudley Boyz for X-8? Scott Hall would’ve loved to kick out of the 3D.

I'm imagining Bubba taking liberties with Hall for no-selling his shit and it would've been glorious.

 

[Valeyard]

I'd be into it. Sometimes a match is made better because of the stories around it than the match itself, anyway.

By the same token Outsiders/APA would've been a dream match for me.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

The Outsiders Vs Hardy Boyz could have been fun as hell too.

The tag team titles match at X-8 felt super slapped together. They could have come up with something better.

 

[Valeyard]

Hardys are by far the best choice. Wouldn't have hurt them losing in the slightest and Jeff would take every finish in increasingly gross ways.

You know, I think an argument can be made that they should've just put the titles on the Outsiders for a month. Like it would've made the slightest difference anyway.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I think all scenarios die with Nash wanting to be a top guy and HHH backing his pal. They ran Austin/Rock vs Hogan/Hall/Nash on RAW before Mania....and then the Outsiders are supposed to work the Hardys on PPV? APA were LONG in the tooth at the time too.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1617585892885172225

Nash worked a whole 7 matches before getting hurt(?) in less than a month. All main event matches. He then comes back in July for his infamous quad blow out match and is out for another 6+ months.

 

[909]

Scooter Keith's WM 18 review says Nash claimed he was hurt and couldn't work singles. Austin was less than thrilled to be shunted down the card with Drunk Hall.

--
Apparently Hall looked sluggish due to his-alcohol deterrent drugs.

Nah, what happened straight from the source (Kev) was that they had booked it for Scott to be put over Stone Cold. Kev wasn't working because they had planned for the NWO to beat Steve and then to beat up the Rock after Rock beat Hogan. Scott hadn't been on any shit for a while but Steve nixed the booking at some point close to the show. So Scott went on a bender that started in a hotel bar. There was nothing wrong with Kev but his role was to help the group go over, so why have a match and put him over in that too?

Of course now everyone understands why Stone Cold would say he's not putting Scott over but in the moment I'm sure there were a lot of hurt feelings. Also, in the light of day, wow it would have been bad for the NWO to dominate WM like that.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1638257907123777554

Must have been how they were trying to lure Russo back.

 

[Sex Machine Gun]

Still dwarfed by 2000 WCW. Surely 1999 holds the record for the WWF/WWE world belt changing hands.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Yep. Hence the clarifying second tweet cause people were pointing out that ‘99 had more title changes. ‘02 just had the most different title holders.


‘00 WCW had something like 26 World Title changes IIRC.

 

[Sex Machine Gun]

It would rival this 2002 statistic because a lot of WCW changes were the result of a vacancy.

 

[Tino Standard]

That undisputed belt that was unveiled in 2002 was great, especially the second version, which was bigger. Wish it would have stuck around longer.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Russo went on WCW Live during that period and justified all the changes by saying "Just imagine how over someone will be when they hold it for a long run"

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

That undisputed belt that was unveiled in 2002 was great, especially the second version, which was bigger. Wish it would have stuck around longer.

Yeah. It’s weird that they went through the pomp and circumstance of revealing it then got rid of it in less than three years.


World title designs have had shorter runs but only ones that were objectively crappier than that one.