How Did TSC Feel About Stone Cold's 2001 Heel Run?

[Playaz Eyez]

I loved it back then, even though it was devastating business wise. That initial heel turn made Austin's matches even more vicious than they had been as a face. Dude was relentless. The comedy stuff was great too, providing some hilarious moments. Aligning with McMahon though made his character come full circle like @Miami316 mentioned, and I remember that very detailed article about it as well (I saw it on 411mania months back). By Austin turning heel and shaking hands with Vince, his character reached it's arch, and that was it. He was originally a guy fighting against the establishment, and once he aligned with Vince after all that time, he was the establishment. Be was back face post "Winner Take All", but his face character was never the same, even though he was still getting great reactions.

Also, that slow build theme he had for a bit for this time is one of my favorites ever. Perfectly fit with the heel turn. I remember it on Smackdown - Just Bring It. Then they switched it to that super sped up one and it was

 

[Mantis Toboggan M.D.]

I loved it back then, even though it was devastating business wise. That initial heel turn made Austin's matches even more vicious than they had been as a face. Dude was relentless. The comedy stuff was great too, providing some hilarious moments. Aligning with McMahon though made his character come full circle like @Miami316 mentioned, and I remember that very detailed article about it as well (I saw it on 411mania months back). By Austin turning heel and shaking hands with Vince, his character reached it's arch, and that was it. He was originally a guy fighting against the establishment, and once he aligned with Vince after all that time, he was the establishment. Be was back face post "Winner Take All", but his face character was never the same, even though he was still getting great reactions.

It made sense only if it was the end of his career really, similar to how the end of an era hell in a cell match between triple h and taker should’ve been the end for taker at least (since his whole coming back and risking his streak came from him wanting to prove to himself he still could get it done and not wanting the last image of him as a competitor being carried up the ramp on a cart after collapsing from exhaustion), if not both of them (his matches vs Bryan and the shield in 2014 made sense from a character and booking perspective though). That’s why post wrestle mania 17 felt so strange for Austin. It’s like going back and playing an assassins creed game after beating it. There’s nothing left to accomplish story wise. They had no idea where they wanted to go with Austin as a character after that, and it really showed after the invasion. They kinda just picked up Austin vs McMahon almost on a one last time feel, but nothing beyond that. He was clearly adrift without a rudder in 2002 as well before he walked out, and by then he had just one match left in the tank.

 

[Silkk]

Had some really funny moments but made ZERO fukking sense

 

[NYChase718]

Att the time Just didn't get it

Him hugging Vince
Singing wit Kurt angle
Debras cookies

He was still violent

But didn't like most of it
Mostly from June to September alliance shyt

 

[Mantis Toboggan M.D.]

Had some really funny moments but made ZERO fukking sense

Att the time Just didn't get it

Him hugging Vince
Singing wit Kurt angle
Debras cookies

He was still violent

But didn't like most of it
Mostly from June to September alliance shyt

Att the time Just didn't get it

Him hugging Vince
Singing wit Kurt angle
Debras cookies

He was still violent

But didn't like most of it
Mostly from June to September alliance shyt

Up through the triple threat at the king of the ring it made sense. Austin had just missed a year after neck surgery. There were a ton of new rising stars on top of the guys he was already competing with at the time. Injuries were taking their toll on him, and his loss at no way out put some serious doubt in his mind if he still had it anymore, which is fitting since his first big feud with them was with Bret Hart where he question if he still had it after a long absence following his loss at wrestle mania 12.

His run to the main event was defined by his willingness to reach the top at any cost as he felt it’s what he was owed after a decade of paying his dues in the ring. He was willing to do anything it took to reach the top, which in his case always meant breaking any rule he saw as in his way. His one rule he always adhered to was wanting to do so at Vince’s expense to stick it to him, and he broke that rule by enlisting his help to get back to the top.

The issue with his turn was the timing. Austin’s mortality in the ring hadn’t been explored over a long enough time (not that there was enough time), and he wasn’t stale. He was still a top 2 face in the sport still delivering classics on a regular basis. If they had been able to stretch this into wrestle mania 18 or 19 it would’ve made a ton of sense as the conclusion to his career. The problem there is the attitude era had clearly reached its high water mark, meaning the industry reached it too. You have to peak as a company as high as you can, and with them winning the Monday night war at the same time, the only proper main event to be had on April 1st, 2001 was rock vs Austin. We can appreciate his heel run for Austin not wanting to be stale, it let him showcase his humor (heel Austin did bring us “what?!” after all) and the matches win Jericho and Benoit, but the stars just didn’t align for it to work like Austin hoped it would with injuries to top stars and Vince buying wcw.

 

[Redwood]

shyt was hilarious

 

[Nero Christ]

I said it before, but if Rock had stayed around for it, the heel turn would have been received much better as he would have a true no. 1 babyface to go against. shyt could've just brought in Sting or Goldberg too, but Vince gonna Vince and cost himself money in the long and short run.

 

[Here Comes the Pain]

He was low-key rejuvenated.

The way he sonned Taz

 

[FunkDoc1112]

Dude was a certified basket case . Always bringing the fukkery

 

[FunkDoc1112]

I said it before, but if Rock had stayed around for it, the heel turn would have been received much better as he would have a true no. 1 babyface to go against. shyt could've just brought in Sting or Goldberg too, but Vince gonna Vince and cost himself money in the long and short run.

That was the real killer, and keeping HHH heel. Undertaker and Kane are not suited as the #1 babyface acts.

Those April/May '01 Raws were actually great but the star power was utterly shot. It was a total heel territory.

 

[Mantis Toboggan M.D.]

That was the real killer, and keeping HHH heel. Undertaker and Kane are not suited as the #1 babyface acts.

Those April/May '01 Raws were actually great but the star power was utterly shot. It was a total heel territory.

Same reason the reign of terror was so poorly received. They wouldn’t book any one guy as the top face. They refused to do so with booker, HBK, or RVD so by the time Goldberg came around the crowd was more than fed up. You can’t have a strong heel or a strong face if they lack a strong opposite. I agree. The April and May shows in 2001 were great shows, but top face 1 & 2 aren’t roles that suit the characters of Undertaker or Kane. The June tapings were great too but again I’m not sure it’s a role that suited Jericho or Benoit either.

 

[DANJ!]

I liked it when it happened... the initial shock of Austin finally selling out should've been a huge deal. But once it wore off, the fans just didn't wanna boo him that much. And they tried to make that dude a bad guy and a super heel, but it just stopped working. Proven by the way they just let the fans turn him face again during that last month of the Invasion.

I did enjoy the shyt he did with HHH, and then with Kurt. I got bored with it after SummerSlam, actually I was bored with WWF period after SummerSlam. Good try, but it wasn't time to try and make Austin heel when the crowds were still poppin' like it was '98. I don't even know if there woulda ever been a good time. If selling out to Vince after all them years wasn't enough to make the fans boo him, what would've?

 

[Rarely-Wrong Liggins]

Same reason the reign of terror was so poorly received. They wouldn’t book any one guy as the top face. They refused to do so with booker, HBK, or RVD so by the time Goldberg came around the crowd was more than fed up. You can’t have a strong heel or a strong face if they lack a strong opposite. I agree. The April and May shows in 2001 were great shows, but top face 1 & 2 aren’t roles that suit the characters of Undertaker or Kane. The June tapings were great too but again I’m not sure it’s a role that suited Jericho or Benoit either.

Yeah with Taker and Kane vs. HHH/Austin you had two violent men who did bad things in very recent times and two violent men doing bad things now. The crowd is just going to pop for all the related fukkery but that's not the program that was going to get Austin over as a heel. Jericho/Benoit eventually but that would have had to be a long program and they were trying to do set up Austin/HHH for SS (which was dumb in my opinion, the Power Trip was vicious and it was going to take months or even a year of that to fully turn Austin) so it was obvious those two were just filler. Stone Cold leading the Alliance........nah. It wasn't a good fit but Vince didn't want to scrap the heel turn nor did he want to delay the Invasion angle so we got what we got.

 

[Mantis Toboggan M.D.]

Yeah with Taker and Kane vs. HHH/Austin you had two violent men who did bad things in very recent times and two violent men doing bad things now. The crowd is just going to pop for all the related fukkery but that's not the program that was going to get Austin over as a heel. Jericho/Benoit eventually but that would have had to be a long program and they were trying to do set up Austin/HHH for SS (which was dumb in my opinion, the Power Trip was vicious and it was going to take months or even a year of that to fully turn Austin) so it was obvious those two were just filler. Stone Cold leading the Alliance........nah. It wasn't a good fit but Vince didn't want to scrap the heel turn nor did he want to delay the Invasion angle so we got what we got.

The possibilities of what could’ve been if Benoit and HHH didn’t get hurt and a network picked up Monday nitro

 

[Cartier Murphy]

That was the real killer, and keeping HHH heel. Undertaker and Kane are not suited as the #1 babyface acts.

Those April/May '01 Raws were actually great but the star power was utterly shot. It was a total heel territory.

I’m of the opinion that the Hardyz should’ve been temporarily elevated from TV feud to PPV level