Why is stone cold steve austin above rock?

[Prez2032]

Austin had a hurt neck since 97 but left 2and a half years later. Always thought that was sum paranoid bullshyt by Austin and Vince. Fans were still uncertain in summer 99 but by I forgiven I say they made up their minds. Fans were siding with Rocky over Austin ev n made me feel unvomfortable. Give Austin a year away, give Rocky time to c00n cause he's now the top face and a
Main event in his hometown of course and u got Austin havi g an edge until the invasion shyt ended

 

[Playaz Eyez]

That sheriff run kinda killed his allure, especially when wrestlers would talk shyt to him or attack him and he couldn't do shyt like would have in the past. Like when HHH chumped him on the mic about his badge

I haaaaaaated seeing Austin like that. Just glad he eventually got back in the ring for his final match against the Rock. No better person for him to be in the ring with at that point.

 

[Love Sosa]

Here's how I see it.

Austin gets the "nudge" generally because he pulled WWF from the trenches and had louder pops. Plus he never really had that period where the fans turned on him. Even when he was a bit cold in 2001 and 2002, he never got it as bad as Rock did in those years. Overall, I would say Rock was SLIGHTLY the bigger celebrity at his peak though. In 2000 Rock was EVERYWHERE. He was on Nickelodeon, MTV, the republican national convention, everywhere. Forget how he was booked, look at merchandising. He was on every commercial, every toy, every video game. They named one of their TV shows after his catch phrase. But I think most people agree that wouldn't have happened without Austin. Watch the corporate royal rumble on raw from 99 or the night when Foley won the title and Austin came out. Austin was huge. He started his peak in '98 and I would say his peak ended when he returned at Unforgiven in 2000. Rock was getting insanely popular by the middle of 1999. His prime was from mid '99 to 2000.

Bottom line, they were both huge but Austin came first and arguably lasted a bit longer (wrestling wise. Rock has done great outside of wrestling).

 

[Playaz Eyez]

Here's how I see it.

Austin gets the "nudge" generally because he pulled WWF from the trenches and had louder pops. Plus he never really had that period where the fans turned on him. Even when he was a bit cold in 2001 and 2002, he never got it as bad as Rock did in those years. Overall, I would say Rock was SLIGHTLY the bigger celebrity at his peak though. In 2000 Rock was EVERYWHERE. He was on Nickelodeon, MTV, the republican national convention, everywhere. Forget how he was booked, look at merchandising. He was on every commercial, every toy, every video game. They named one of their TV shows after his catch phrase. But I think most people agree that wouldn't have happened without Austin. Watch the corporate royal rumble on raw from 99 or the night when Foley won the title and Austin came out. Austin was huge. He started his peak in '98 and I would say his peak ended when he returned at Unforgiven in 2000. Rock was getting insanely popular by the middle of 1999. His prime was from mid '99 to 2000.

Bottom line, they were both huge but Austin came first and arguably lasted a bit longer (wrestling wise. Rock has done great outside of wrestling).

That big time. I vividly remember how stale the Rock got during that time. I wanna say it was late 01/early 2002. I can't pinpoint it exactly, but it was very apparent heading into his feud with Brock Lesnar. Scorpion King was probably the best thing to happen to the Rock and fans of him, cause it got him away from wrestling and freshened him up. I even remember when Smackldown - Shut Your Mouth came out, Rock was pretty useless on there

 

[Silkk]

Austin had a hurt neck since 97 but left 2and a half years later. Always thought that was sum paranoid bullshyt by Austin and Vince. Fans were still uncertain in summer 99 but by I forgiven I say they made up their minds. Fans were siding with Rocky over Austin ev n made me feel unvomfortable. Give Austin a year away, give Rocky time to c00n cause he's now the top face and a
Main event in his hometown of course and u got Austin havi g an edge until the invasion shyt ended

 

[Prez2032]

Wut up?

 

[Prez2032]

Rocky started to lose his edge as the face of the company. Even foley said they did that deliberately

 

[Silkk]

Wut up?

How is/was he a c00n?

 

[Prez2032]

How is/was he a c00n?

I'm a rock fan bruh. Wut I'm saying is when he was the number 1 heel he had a deeper voice, bout 20 more pounds on him, dressed in Versace shyt, drove to arenas blastin trick daddy while calling fans trailer park trash. When they started to push him as THE guy as Austin and Taker chilled all that Miami swag they started tryna downplay. Shave the sideburns, look more like a free safety than a d lineman, wear t-shirts with the corny ass just bring it slogan. Austin almost lost his edge in I say late 99 but right before fans really trashed his ass he left

 

[Silkk]

I'm a rock fan bruh. Wut I'm saying is when he was the number 1 heel he had a deeper voice, bout 20 more pounds on him, dressed in Versace shyt, drove to arenas blastin trick daddy while calling fans trailer park trash. When they started to push him as THE guy as Austin and Taker chilled all that Miami swag they started tryna downplay. Shave the sideburns, look more like a free safety than a d lineman, wear t-shirts with the corny ass just bring it slogan. Austin almost lost his edge in I say late 99 but right before fans really trashed his ass he left

It worked for him

 

[Prez2032]

It worked for him

Yea until wm 17-2002. Fans only liked him when g brought out the nikka side. Been tellin nikkas that dawg. That late Rock is almost Rocky Maivia wit sum testosterone shyts or sumthin. Far cry from the Corporate Champ

 

[Osmosis]

Thecoli is home of revisionist history. During their build up to WM 17 Austin was getting waaaaaaay bigger reactions than the Rock. Almost to the point of embarrassment. It wasn't even close. Only time Rock was close to Austin in popularity when they were BOTH around was actually his run in between the Nation and the Corporation. All that face run leading into Survivor Series 1998, The Rock's cheers matched Austin. Sometimes even louder. Besides that Austin was always more popular when both were around.

lol what? spring and summer of 99 Rock was clearly getting bigger reactions than Austin. Go watch their tag matches and read what meltzer has to say. When Rock left the corporation he was clearly the bigger babyface than Austin.

 

[R=G]

Here's how I see it.

Austin gets the "nudge" generally because he pulled WWF from the trenches and had louder pops. Plus he never really had that period where the fans turned on him. Even when he was a bit cold in 2001 and 2002, he never got it as bad as Rock did in those years. Overall, I would say Rock was SLIGHTLY the bigger celebrity at his peak though. In 2000 Rock was EVERYWHERE. He was on Nickelodeon, MTV, the republican national convention, everywhere. Forget how he was booked, look at merchandising. He was on every commercial, every toy, every video game. They named one of their TV shows after his catch phrase. But I think most people agree that wouldn't have happened without Austin. Watch the corporate royal rumble on raw from 99 or the night when Foley won the title and Austin came out. Austin was huge. He started his peak in '98 and I would say his peak ended when he returned at Unforgiven in 2000. Rock was getting insanely popular by the middle of 1999. His prime was from mid '99 to 2000.

Bottom line, they were both huge but Austin came first and arguably lasted a bit longer (wrestling wise. Rock has done great outside of wrestling).

People don't get it...the Rock getting booed never affected his draw or run. Hogan was cheered big time in 2002...how long did that last? Austin never got huge heat but how was those return pops in 2005-2009 compared to the Rock ones in 2004? The Rock never had a down period. The crowd was more involved in Rock matches than anyone in the Attitude era, by far.

 

[R=G]

Rocky started to lose his edge as the face of the company. Even foley said they did that deliberately

Thats a outright lie. Back then, the internet whined constantly about wanting Rock to turn heel. Of course that never translated on tv.....just look at the reaction to Rock the night after he beat Angle at No Way Out 01.
Lol@the comments back then "It MAKES ME SICK HOW OVER the Rock is"

And Austin was not getting much better reactions than Rock leading Mania 17. I have every Raw and Smackdown of like the first 9 months of 2001. Rock stunnered Steve Austin..first to ever do it..drunk a beer over Austin while he was laid out, the Raw before WM 17. Crowd went nuts for it and popped huge.

 

[R=G]

And don't forget the end of 99 how the crowd was no selling Austin at intervals and clearly was chanting and going crazier for the Rock leading to No Mercy and Survivor Series...that neck injury break probably saved Austin from getting booed in California at WM 16...the westcoast has always been huge Rock markets.