Why is stone cold steve austin above rock?

[Tide Run This]

Seems a lot of people can't separate booking from performance. To me Austin is one of the greatest booked wrestlers ever. He was one of the first characters to really start cussing and going anti-establishment. Damn good in-ring performer no doubt but how many of the casual fans who came in during that time gave a fukk about in-ring performance. He had charisma but at the same time was booked to never lose for years to always come out on top in every feud. He was booked like the ultimate bad-ass. I think if you flip their booking around and Austin was taking the L's that The Rock did that he would have never reached The Rock's level of popularity while if Rock was given Austin's booking he'd be even bigger.

Rock was superior he could take a loss and still come out looking like a million bucks

 

[Kill Dat Noize]

Seems a lot of people can't separate booking from performance. To me Austin is one of the greatest booked wrestlers ever. He was one of the first characters to really start cussing and going anti-establishment. Damn good in-ring performer no doubt but how many of the casual fans who came in during that time gave a fukk about in-ring performance. He had charisma but at the same time was booked to never lose for years to always come out on top in every feud. He was booked like the ultimate bad-ass. I think if you flip their booking around and Austin was taking the L's that The Rock did that he would have never reached The Rock's level of popularity while if Rock was given Austin's booking he'd be even bigger.

in what way did austin get "better" booking than the rock?

austin had to pay his dues just like rock did. it's not like he was beating everyone from the start. and as top guys they were both unbeatable.

 

[Sccit]

UNDERTAKER THE GOAT

 

[David_TheMan]

From what JR said Austin generated more money for the WWF than Hogan and the Rock.
He is a white face for a majority white country, its understandable whites would buy more and embrace him more than someone who looks like the rock

 

[COQWAVE]

im high but stone cold shyts on the rock ima come clean

 

[mvp_status]

From what I remember Rock was catching L's on TV/PPV left & right, yet was still THAT nikka

Would Stone Cold have been as popular if he wasn't scripted to steamroll through the entire roster? Probably not

 

[Roman Brady]

Then magically leaves 3 months later because he was in the third top match? Lol. Yeah right...

It was a long time ago so it's easy to forget but I remember quite vividly that Austin had beef with Hogan (from what he calls being held down in wcw) and didn't want to do a program with him. In turn Hogan didn't want to lay down for Austin so they just nixed it all together and had Austin face hall instead

 

[Roman Brady]

Rock probably has the least ego in wrestling despite his on screen character rock had no problem conceding the crowd to Hogan...austin probably feared losing the crowd in Toronto and probably wouldn't have fed into it the way Rock did

I wonder why Hogan didn't want to job to Austin but was fine jobbing to the Rock though

As a Hogan mark I selfishly wished Hogan would have gotten the W that night and then Hogan could have dropped the belt he won from HHH to the Rock at Summerlam

But considering Rock was the young superstar and Hogan wasn't gonna be wrestling for much longer it ultimately worked out perfectly as a passing the torch moment

I have never heard it described that way before. You think rock was in anyway in control of that crowd? Lol he didn't concede anything that crowd was a smart crowd and were going to do what Vince didn't tell them to do regardless

 

[CM_Burns]

Rock was superior he could take a loss and still come out looking like a million bucks

When did either lose clean as a top face? Rock to Lesnar on his way out and that's it?

Austin got screwed out of the belt when he was on top too, I don't really see a difference in strength of booking of 98-99 Austin and 99-02 Rock

 

[R=G]

What does WWE's creative fall-off in 2001 have to do with 2000?


Backlash and Unforgiven 2000 are like two of the most bought PPVs outside the "big three four five", Mania only jumped 1% from 1999. At no point am I saying Rock didn't carry the fed, but fans all year were wondering when is Stone Cold gonna come back. That pop at Backlash is legendary.

In the end it's probably best Austin missed most of 2000 or else X7 might not have come together the way it did.

The buyrate proves Austin vs Rock WM 17 was guaranteed money. It was supposed to have been Rock vs Austin Face vs face at WM 16.

 

[The_Sheff]

I was always more entertained by The Rock but it's obvious Stone Cold was at the top.

 

[R=G]

I feel the same way as well. Austin saved WWE from the graveyard and helped the WWE fight back against WCW. When The Rock matured into a superstar himself it was just overkill.

Rock is the GOAT to me, but Austin opened the doors for everyone.

Well actually the Nwo blowing up is why Vince went away from company non draws like Shawn and Bret.

 

[R=G]

I was always more entertained by The Rock but it's obvious Stone Cold was at the top.

In 98 and till Backlash 99, obvious? Nah...analysts were screaming for an Austin heel turn and for Rock to be the top face after Summerslam 98.

 

[ManBearPig]

Stone cold is more entertaining.

 

[R=G]

Austin's peak was also WRESTLINGS peak, so his peak was bigger than Rock. Rock had better longevity as a super top draw though, so it's a toss up.

"Austin's peak wasn't wrestlings peak, WWE made their most money ever in 2000 with Rock on top!"

There's a difference between wrestlings peak and WWES peak popularity. Anyone around at the time remembers wrestling was inescapably huge in mid 98 to mid 99. Combined Nitro/Raw ratings at the time were like an 11 to 15 on a given week. In 2000, with WCW irrelevant to the mainstream, combined ratings were down around 2 to 3 points on a given week.



I'm all for slowly elevating midcard guys of 98 WCW to main event, but that's one example that wouldn't have worked aside from a squash.

Raven vs Piper was also supposed to happen, Raven says both guys pushed for it in late 98/ early 99 and the office wasn't really against it but didn't go with it. That would've worked.

There was no one from the Attitude era that was bigger mainstream than the Rock in 2000. He made 15 million that year...carried the wresting industry. In 98 and 99, Austin damn sure wasn't as mainstream in 2000. Rock got SNL ratings up and all kind of weird shyt. Was there with Bill Gates releasing X Box on day one to the public in NY.