SPIN: WOULD "SUPERSTAR Steve Austin" made ECW a legit competitor to WWF and WCW

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

And not the niche player it was?

So for the new fakers who were going to pretend they knew what I was talking about (@Silkk, @Kill Dat Noize ) Steve Austin was in ECW for a short but interesting period of time. We all know that. But he was known as Superstar Steve Austin or the extreme superstar Steve Austin. He made light of his blond hair and the hogan look alike, but immediately started fueds with Mikey whipwreck and sandman.





And his theme was Jesus Christ Superstar


So I'm not asking if he would've been BIGGER than stone cold. What I'm asking is if you believe Austin could flourish in ECW and draw enough to be a credible threat to the vulnerable 96 WWF especially....

 

[TheGreatShowtime]

No. The financial situation was ECW's downfall, not the quality of talent/programming. The problem with ECW was the lack of national exposure. They got to TNN near the dying days, but even that wasn't enough. I don't think Austin would've changed that.

 

[Mikael Blowpiff]

He was a good worker who delivered shooty promos. Doesn't sound that much different from any of the other ex-WWF/WCW people that were in ECW at the time.

 

[Da King]

no one was going to make ECW contender with Paul Heyman in charge, making WOAT level business decisions

 

[Ed MOTHEREFFING G]

No. The financial situation was ECW's downfall, not the quality of talent/programming. The problem with ECW was the lack of national exposure. They got to TNN near the dying days, but even that wasn't enough. I don't think Austin would've changed that.

i acknowledge that, but my point to the question was whether or not his drawing power would've been enough to move the ecw needle to improve revenue / venues / exposure.

 

[Silkk]

No

 

[JQ Legend]

I was a huge wrestling fan thruout the whole 90s and I never in life heard of Superstar Steve Austin till WWE 2k16

 

[TheGreatShowtime]

i acknowledge that, but my point to the question was whether or not his drawing power would've been enough to move the ecw needle to improve revenue / venues / exposure.

Still think it's no. ECW wouldn't even have the exposure to showcase a breakout star if one were to even breakout. Best case scenario, he'd have a following like RVD had in ECW where every wrestling fan knew who he was even if you didn't watch ECW.

Would it have worked today in the Internet age? Maybe. But definitely not in the 90's.

 

[Wacky D]

No. The financial situation was ECW's downfall, not the quality of talent/programming. The problem with ECW was the lack of national exposure. They got to TNN near the dying days, but even that wasn't enough. I don't think Austin would've changed that.

exactly.

just like any facet of entertainment, you can have the hottest product on the market, but the NUMBERS WILL LIE if youre not positioned properly in the mainstream.

 

[Silkk]

Answer is still no nikka

 

[Wacky D]

I was a huge wrestling fan thruout the whole 90s and I never in life heard of Superstar Steve Austin till WWE 2k16

 

[Silkk]

I was a huge wrestling fan thruout the whole 90s and I never in life heard of Superstar Steve Austin till WWE 2k16

Edit: nvmind thought you meant Stone Cold in general

 

[MrSinnister]

No. ECW could never have the money and talent to compete with the other two. They had a lot of fringe talent, and enough to stay viabke, like a better version of TNA, but they would have eventually went OOB when the wrestling boom period fell off in 2000's. WWE owned all the territories and WCW would've had the South.

Both would've just kept picking off talent, making them a better mining source than ROH. Video games were already eating into wrestling ratings.

 

[Wacky D]

No. ECW could never have the money and talent to compete with the other two. They had a lot of fringe talent, and enough to stay viabke, like a better version of TNA, but they would have eventually went OOB when the wrestling boom period fell off in 2000's. WWE owned all the territories and WCW would've had the South.

Both would've just kept picking off talent, making them a better mining source than ROH. Video games were already eating into wrestling ratings.

TNA >>> ECW

 

[MrSinnister]

TNA >>> ECW

There likely would've been no TNA if ECW didn't fold when it did, along with WCW. Where would the talent have come from, and how much was anyone going to pay them? You are right though, but it is WWE and WCW castoffs that built it.

I think the marketplace was strong enough to keep WCW and WWE, if they were more careful with spending. Everything else would've been paying like house shows to try to get on TV.

Dixie would've never gotten Panda Energy (her dad) to try to jump into that shyt.