Wrestling Forum banner
21 - 24 of 24 Posts
I've said so many times that the heel turn should have been done in 2002 if it was so needed as Stone Cold Steve Austin had been off tv for a year between late 1999 and latter 2000 so by the time he fully returned he was very fresh again and wasn't in need of the heel turn. It took him a couple of months to really find his groove again but by the very end of 2000 he was back to his best and his feud with Triple H was white hot going into The Royal Rumble and even more so No Way Out.

By the time WrestleMania 17 had come around he was arguably as popular as he was in 1998 and 1999 and because WWE knew The Rock was leaving to make The Mummy Returns they should never have turned Stone Cold Steve Austin heel because it left them seriously lacking a major face. As far as in ring work goes 2001 was the best year Stone Cold Steve Austin ever had as his matches with The Rock, Triple H, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho were all Match Of The Year contenders but the fact is that the heel turn completely ruined the character to the point it could never recover unless done over a long time.

I would have been much happier if WWE had used Kurt Angle as the top heel throughout 2001 and the leader of The Alliance in the absence of Triple H as an Austin/Angle feud with roles reversed would have been so much better for both men. Kurt Angle could have gone over Stone Cold Steve Austin at SummerSlam and Unforgiven which would have elevated Kurt Angle so much more because a win over a face Stone Cold Steve Austin meant a hell of a lot in that time period. Survivor Series still could have ended with The Rock getting the win for Team WWE with Kurt Angle eliminating Stone Cold Steve Austin which would have meant pinning Stone Cold Steve Austin three times in a year and really cementing Kurt Angle earlier than they did.

This would have allowed a slow turn for Stone Cold Steve Austin who could become frustrated by being beaten by Kurt Angle three times in a year and then at Vengeance Stone Cold Steve Austin could have beaten Kurt Angle but get beaten by Chris Jericho so they could still do the Austin/Rock/New World Order feud. That could have been the basis for Stone Cold Steve Austin finally snapping and turning heel once WrestleMania 18 had been and gone and WWE would have had The Rock, Hulk Hogan and Triple H as top faces whilst having Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho as top heels. This may have even helped Stone Cold Steve Austin's frustrations with WWE creative as he felt by 2002 he had nowhere to go creatively so a heel turn then a year and a half after returning would have made much more sense and preserved the character.
 
I agree with you on everything but it wasn't the story, Austin got booed for the next 2 shows after the Flair face turn. If I remember correctly Rock cut a promo a week after that and tried to put him over and the crowd booed, I can't find this, but it was the SD after SVS 2001 or the RAW after the Flair return. It took a few weeks for Austin to get full support again. Which is understandable with the horrible turn they did.
it raw a week later in oklahoma jr's hometown the same place austin beat the shit out of jr back in april.
 
He literally sucks on that role, fans barely can buy that act, Austin gave his best effort to make himself as the hated one but it's not same anymore like when he attacked Brian Pillman.

In late 2001, his face turn was inevitable anymore since Vince took the part by play the mastermind who played and trick both side and in the end of Survivor Series, both Rock and Austin feel been fooled.
 
21 - 24 of 24 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top