Bringing back Steve Austin

[Fatty Facesitter]

Note: The following is purely hypothetical and I don't actually think he'll come back, but go with it.

 

It's been a fair while now since Stone Cold retired from in-ring competition and since he's been a regular performer in WWE. He needs no introduction really, you all know his credentials as one of the greatest of all time. Great talker, fantastic character, brilliant worker, box office records, part of some epic feuds, etc etc. For me, he's one of the absolute best ever, if not the best ever.

 

So, if the opportunity arose, how would you bring him back to the WWE and what would you do with him? Assuming his neck and knee issues weren't so bad, would you have him come back to wrestle a part-time schedule similar to that of HBK when he first returned, or Undertaker today for instance, and who would you book him against? Surely an Austin/Cena rivalry would be top of many people's lists, but then how would you book a rivalry between two of the greatest modern babyfaces? What other dream matches would you book with Austin back in the picture? Maybe give him one more title run too?

 

Another issue is WWE's PG standpoint. Not to be one of those mongs who cry that WWE is shit because it's PG, but Steve Austin himself said after his Raw appearance he was surprised at how he was discouraged from letting loose like he once did (I think someone got funny about him drinking beer, or saying ass, or something along those lines). How would Austin cope in this environment? Could that even be made into a storyline, where the volatile rattlesnake is rebelliously battling against the PG guidelines? (I think that would actually have some potential for some comedy gold if they went about it right).

 

There's no creative restrictions here, so fire at will.

[Smegma Cake]

Given that Austin wouldn't come back and lose, there's only a handful of people I could see him come back and do one match with and come out on top. Which means I'm taking the likes of Cena out of the equation.

 

Randy Orton is as close to the Steve Austin of old as they can possibly get. I say this in terms of him being cheered despite his entire being built around doing cuntish things. (Minus the past few weeks with him hugging Jerry Lawler etc etc). I think it has potential to put Orton over the edge, something the WWE doesn't seem to want to do. Give him that concrete "You're our top guy" kind of thing. Promo wise it wouldn't be the best, character wise and match wise, considering Austin can still go, it'd be great to watch.

 

The Miz vs Steve Austin would be great, purely for the build up and promos. Not entirely sure how the match would go, but that's neither here nor there. Its all about the lead up to the feud. Miz can play serious then chicken shit coward depending on the situation. Austin can play the serious badass or he can go down the comedy route and it would all work. Not to mention The Miz could lose to Austin and it would still raise his stock especially if the end result had him taking Austin to the limit. I actually think Miz/Austin would be a great Wrestlemania match if Austin wanted one more pay day. No-one loses any credibility, Austin gets a final win at Mania and The Miz looks like a star for just being with Austin for a month or two beforehand.

[RJ Impact]

I'd like to see him vs CM Punk, obvious feud really it could write itself and punk can work a kinda brawling match that would suit austin,

 

I remember reading a few months ago after punk did the 'fake austin music & coming out thing' on Raw that austin I think tweeted 'I heard punk played my music on Raw, Im a big fan of his, go get 'em kid' or something like that.

 

Sure punk said he love to face austin 'a must for the bucket list'

[IANdrewDiceClay]

I was listening to the Observer and Larry Matysik was talking about current wrestlers health, during the segment about Hogan's back. He mentioned that Austin's neck is at a point now where he isnt allowed to even take bumps anymore, and that there isnt a chance he could physically ever come back to do anything other than a beatdown. I knew his neck was bad, but I didnt know he'd gotten to take stage yet.

[RJ Impact]

was watching Cyber Sunday 2007 last month, never realised how much he bumped in the brawl with JBL cant remember how many but a good couple I think.

 

If his necks completely fooked then the punk idea would be even better, cos austin they could have a no-dq match and his usual spots, punk doesnt do alot of big moves anyway but has great facials and a character that they could work with.

[brutusbarber]

Id have him come back and punch, then kick someone, then do a stunner and pinfall. Thats basically all he used to do anyway.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Id have him come back and punch, then kick someone, then do a stunner and pinfall. Thats basically all he used to do anyway.

If thats all he used to do, why's his knees, back and neck in such a terrible condition at such a young age? Austin always worked hard. His matches with Benoit and Angle were certainly not "punch and kick". In 2001, Austin reminded me of a drunk who'd had a liver transplant and decided to drink again. What I mean is, after years of keeping it simple and working basic, he'd got his neck fixed and returned in October 2000 and worked a full on style again for the first time since his neck injury, where he'd be talking 10 German suplexes and over-head belly to belly suplexes. I'd say the level he performed in 2001 took years off his career.

[brutusbarber]

Id have him come back and punch, then kick someone, then do a stunner and pinfall. Thats basically all he used to do anyway.

If thats all he used to do, why's his knees, back and neck in such a terrible condition at such a young age? Austin always worked hard. His matches with Benoit and Angle were certainly not "punch and kick". In 2001, Austin reminded me of a drunk who'd had a liver transplant and decided to drink again. What I mean is, after years of keeping it simple and working basic, he'd got his neck fixed and returned in October 2000 and worked a full on style again for the first time since his neck injury, where he'd be talking 10 German suplexes and over-head belly to belly suplexes. I'd say the level he performed in 2001 took years off his career.

 

For me his style was not exactly imaginitive or exciting in a classical sense, his charisma was top rate however.

 

He should have prayed more and crunched those sanatogen a little bit more methinks.

[neil's bitch]

If it helps at all, Austin recently said during an interview his neck/back is 100%........im guesinng mainly because it used to be a case of he'd back to 80% then hit the road again at full pelt. He said recently that his neck is 100% now hes had time off, so i guess a return would not be out of the question, although i dont think he ever would.

 

A nice little progam leading to a retirment match would be fine in my books, as the last few years we've seen him he's been ref/GM or just turned up and stunned people. And baring in mind recently i asked an 9 year old kid who steve austin was and he said "hes that bloke who drinks beer", it'd be nice for him to have a cracker of a match, then retire in the spot light.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

If it helps at all, Austin recently said during an interview his neck/back is 100%........im guesinng mainly because it used to be a case of he'd back to 80% then hit the road again at full pelt. He said recently that his neck is 100% now hes had time off, so i guess a return would not be out of the question, although i dont think he ever would.

I'd imagine if I suffered numbness in my fingers for years during my wrestling career and my body had healed to the point that he is no longer suffering much pain anymore, I wouldnt want to rock the boat though. He's 46 now, so I doubt he'd want to suffer anymore pain than he has to. His close friends like JR seem to always laugh off suggestions that he could even wrestle again in his website blogs. Jim Ross thinks that the way Austin was close to death just before WrestleMania 19 suggests only someone daft would get back into it at his age and liminations. And he doesnt need the cash. And I always imagine, if he was going to do a comeback match, he'd have done it before now.

[neil's bitch]

Its fair enough, Austin himself has always had the "Never Say Never" attitude, so you never know. I wouldnt advise he did, but it would be nice to see.

 

As for WM19, from what i remeber it was more a case that he was pretty banged up, but ended up going into shock as he was stupidly scared and/or was also on some sort of energy drinks/coffee or somthing. Sounds a bit random, but im sure thats what it was.....either way it was bad.

 

Bar that again he personally said he feels 100%, so you never know.

[King Pitcos]

If the injuries weren't an issue, I'd love to see an Austin vs CM Punk feud. Moreso if the SES was still going, but it'd still be fantastic. Would've been the perfect rivalry for Punk after retiring Jeff Hardy. Imagine Punk doing a speech gloating about ridding the WWE of miscreants who use drugs and alcohol, and the glass smashing.

 

The other Austin feuds I'd love to see would be vs Orton (snakefiiiiight!) and vs Cena. I think he'd be pretty good with Sheamus and Del Rio too.

 

If it helps at all, Austin recently said during an interview his neck/back is 100%........im guesinng mainly because it used to be a case of he'd back to 80% then hit the road again at full pelt. He said recently that his neck is 100% now hes had time off, so i guess a return would not be out of the question, although i dont think he ever would.

 

"I'm lucky, you know my neck is 100 per cent these days, I can do my own stunts and fight scenes where I can. I don't claim to be a tough guy, but I give it a go.

 

My neck was fixed in 2000, I had to leave the ring because of the damage, but in my normal life and movies it's fine, although wrestling wise I'd be a total mess right now."

[Jetta's G-string]

Austin would be the one guy who could come in, destroy Nexus, and have it be believable.

[Fatty Facesitter]

I like some of the suggestions for him opponent wise, Punk would obviously be a great fit to play off of Austin's rebellious babyface and there's a number of ways they could go with both that and a programme with the Miz.

 

Though it's an obvious choice, I still say a match with Cena would be an absolute treat. There's a number of ways they could go with the build up, you could have Austin playing the crafty veteran who messes with Cena at every turn, or portray him as the fallen star who wants just one more run at the top. You could even play up to his neck issues, with other veterans and top babyfaces on the roster begging him not to do it, kind of like when people were warning HBK about trying to beat Undertaker's streak.

 

Failing that, in my wildest of dreams I've always wanted to see one more clash between him and The Rock. Again, for obvious reasons thats everything but a long shot, but they always brought out the best in each other and if it was an official retirement sort of deal it would be nice symmetry.

[Vamp]

I always get the feeling that even if Austin could go for one match he wouldn't want to. Not simply because he doesn't want to be involved anymore but because he doesn't want the big farewell retirement match. Maybe he doesn't want the pressure that would bring or something. He's probably the kind of guy that would know the expectation and go all out, balls to the wall, to give as good as he can and would end up suffering for it.