[Ash Ketchum]

How different would things have been had Austin not been fired from WCW?

 

[CamillePunk]

He'd have been buried by Hulk Hogan.

 

[Tronnik]

THe Austin 3:16 promo would have never happened, the rebelling-against-the-boss thing would have never happened, Vince McMahon wouldn't be an on-screen character, WCW would have outlasted WWF and wrestling popularity would have died out at a faster rate than it already is.

 

[Camoron]

THe Austin 3:16 promo would have never happened, the rebelling-against-the-boss thing would have never happened, Vince McMahon wouldn't be an on-screen character, WCW would have outlasted WWF and wrestling popularity would have died out at a faster rate than it already is.

We can't say for sure, but I don't think Austin's non-involvement in the WWF would have killed them. I think WCW ultimately did itself in more than the WWF (and Austin) did.

 

[Rasslin' Fan]

Steve-a-mania would never have existed.... but I guess that's for thumbody elth

 

[hitfan]

Any idiot could see that Steve Austin had a tremendous amount of talent in WCW before his WWF days. First time I saw him with Brian Pillman as part of the Hollywood Blonds, I knew that he would be a big star in the future if he was given the chance.

Even when he was saddled with the ridiculous "Ringmaster" gimmick, he made it look good.

 

[eddiefan]

Can't tell if WWE wouldn't have made it without Austin. I think someone else would have stepped up to become the face of the WWE. As for WCW still being around, like Camoron said, they shot themselves in the foot. With a huge double barreled shotgun. The way that place was being run they were going to go under sooner or later.

 

[British F-5]

Steve wouldn't have risen to the hights he got in WWF, oops E, and the WWE may have gone out of business.

 

[apokalypse]

doesn't matter what happen in WCW Austin will never might be big star. Austin was self made megastar from WWF, please keep in mind that even in WWF vince didn't see any talent in Austin nothing more but midcard(this remind of Christian who got it but Vince doesn't see it). Once Ted debiase gone WWE gave all kind of grimmick to him but Austin came up with Stone Cold character is been himself. thanks to The Clique MSG event it gave Austin the change at King of The Ring 96 with religious Jake the Snake and he that chance and became main eventer soon to be megastar. Austin had the skills and talent but he didn't have the right grimmick.

WCW had full of talents and superstars but they don't know how to use them....too much focus on NWO.

 

[manjiimortal]

He would have been another mid-card in WCW, and the WWE probably would have had some big troubles in 97 and 98.

 

[La Parka]

Wrestling would be in a lot more trouble then it is today.

 

[extremerulesonly]

WWE certainly wouldn't be anywhere near what it is today if Austin never got fired from WCW.

 

[SHIRLEY]

The only way that would have happened is if Flair, Hogan etc. dropped dead.

 

[SHIRLEY]

I was replying to OP.

 

[bellywolves]

I'd have a guess that The Rock would still have been given the push he had.

Vince would still have bee pushed more as an on screen heel though. Someone else might have been given the Austin type character.

Also I think WCW would have still been in trouble somewhere down the line because they ultimately lost there TV deal etc...

If Austin stayed in WCW who knows what would have happened, he may have well have been pushed to the top or jobbed out.

 

[Little Bastard]

He would not not go to ECW and became Stone Cold,he would continue being a jobber and WWE would be long dead with WCW holding the monopoly.

 

[666_The_Game_666]

he would of floundered in WCW as a mid card guy jobbing out to Hogan on Nitros to keep the Hogan character over. He might of left and got picked up by the WWF and been in the same mid card position while the company was going under

 

[NostalgicDave]

Not much difference.

The Rock would have saved the WWF anyways, they were chanting his name in a WCW PPV. I mean, when The Rock was at the top of the company everything was good.

2000:
The Rock owned 2000 and that year had the best matches, best feuds, most consistent TV ratings.

Well if austin had never ushered in the attitude era the rock would have been his 1996 rocky maivia and been booed and possibly never transformed into the rock, and if he did he wouldnt have got the push he had gotten because it was his fued with austin over the Intercontinental title that got him recognition.

 

[Certified G]

He would've been another mid-carder like Guerrero, Benoit, Jericho, Saturn, Malenko etc.. and he would've asked for his release & gone to WWF instead of being fired. (but seeing as tough the Stone Cold character came to life due to his over-the-phone-firing we might've not seen that gimmick)..

 

[JigsawKrueger]

Mmmm....

Austin's popularity led to heel Bret, which led to Hart Foundation, which led to factions. This led to DX which got Triple H over. Being in a faction allowed Rocky Maivia to turn heel and get over. Austin's booming popularity possibly played a factor in McMahon bailing out on Bret's contract, which led to the Montreal Screwjob.

On the other hand, Nitro was killing Raw and Vince Russo had taken a very influential position in the company. These two factors led to Raw is War (2 hours), edginess, realism and swerves. Yet it was perhaps the Austin 3.16 merchandise sales in late 1996 what convinced McMahon to pull the trigger on the birth of Attitude. Without Austin ratings may have stayed low and WWE might have been moderately successful 98 - 01.

I don't think USA Network would have cancelled WWE progamming, yet WCW would have eventually died...