|
The Excellence in Column Writing has returned and I'm amazed at the reaction that the "Internet Wrestling Community" is having towards Stone Cold Steve Austin being on the cover of the next WWE 2K video game. Oh, the humanity! The arguments are ranging from a current WWE roster guy (mostly Brock Lesnar or any of the 3 former Shield members) being on the cover instead. There are some arguing that 1 or 2 of the NXT guys should make the cover! OK, I can understand the Brock Lesnar argument as he's a legitimate superstar and his image could sell copies... But you're telling me that by putting Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns or any NXT on the cover of WWE 2K would sell more than having Steve Austin on the cover? Really? Can you point me to a time where any of those 3 wrestlers or anyone from NXT actually GREW the business as Stone Cold did? Oh, OK... Steve Austin is a non-wrestler... He hasn't wrestled a WWE match since Wrestlemania 19, more than 12 years ago... Fair enough. This is much different than when the Rock was on the cover of a recent WWE game because Rock was technically an active WWE participant then. Austin has mostly been on the sidelines... OK, maybe I understand that. Consider the following facts about video game consoles, specifically units that are plugged into a television (Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo). The average age of the video game console buyer is 35 years old. The average age of most console gamers is between 30-32 years old (some parents buying for kids waters the number down). Those under the age of 20 are heavily favoring mobile devices instead of consoles or other handheld systems. So what you have here are many Attitude Era fans (in their 30's) who are owners of Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, and Playstation 4 systems. Thus, if you want more of those fans to buy WWE console video games, wouldn't it be BEST FOR BUSINESS to put one of their icons on the cover? I would think... If you didn't notice, the past few WWE games have injected many legends into the mix and have had multiple options to relive the Attitude Era. Seriously. Who do you think that WWE and 2K Games (also THQ) are catering towards? Just because of pure demographics of video game console owners, Steve Austin will outsell any video game with Rollins, Reigns, Ambrose, or any NXT appearing on the cover... OK - now that we've used facts to get that out of the way, let me tell you what's REALLY happening with Stone Cold Steve Austin and the WWE. Last thing you want is Grandpa Tito telling you about video games, I can imagine... After all, I still play games from that great old company called Nintendo and my Wii U/3DS systems are played regularly. Give me Mario, Smash, Kart, Zelda, and other unique games like Splatoon, and we're good. GET OFF MY LAWN! Aside from milking the 30-35 year old Attitude Era loving video game console owners, Stone Cold Steve Austin making the cover of WWE 2K indicates that the WWE and Steve Austin are officially doing business and for LONG-TERM. That's a good thing and I believe it is the beginning of several chains of events that will lead to Steve Austin's in-ring return at Wrestlemania 32. I've already suggested that this could happen in my April 7th, 2015 Column following Wrestlemania 31. As I said then, the WWE is attempting to fill a 100,000 seat AT&T Stadium (where the Dallas Cowboys play) for Wrestlemania 32. They need a HUGE match-up to fill that stadium and what better way than to utilize Steve Austin to accomplish this. The perfect match-up for Wrestlemania 32 is Steve Austin vs. John Cena. But what have you heard about WWE/Vince McMahon and Steve Austin for the past few years, particularly 2015? There is reported "HEAT" between the parties. What have we seen so far? - Steve Austin snubbed WWE by missing Wrestlemania 31 - WWE was upset about Steve Austin asking Triple H questions about Chyna on his live WWE Network Podcast. - WWE cancelled Austin's Live Podcast on WWE Network and replaced it with Chris Jericho's show. - WWE brought Austin's Podcast back but they were upset with his suggestion of Steve Austin vs. Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 32. - WWE was reportedly upset at Steve Austin no longer wanting to host Tough Enough shows. And what have you seen lately? WWE not only brought back Steve Austin's Live Podcast show on WWE Network, but they put Austin on the WWE 2K video game cover. Particularly on the video game cover, why would WWE do such a thing with a guy with company heat? It's a simple reason... WWE is working fans on "heat" between Vince McMahon and Steve Austin. Don't believe me? Consider who is reporting the news... Aside from a random anonymous source that might appear on Reddit or other forms of social media, do you ever notice how about 3-4 sources of information seem to be the only ones breaking wrestling news? As a publicly traded corporation, the WWE should have enough resources to snuff out whomever is leaking information backstage at WWE events. Especially with just 3-4 sources... Just do a little bit of research to see which WWE employees are regularly talking to guys named "Meltzer", "Alvarez", "Keller", or "Scherer"... Pretty easy to figure out. WWE could easily just make up a phony story and plant it with wrestlers to see who is the leaker. Yet, the WWE never terminates employees for leaking company information and secrets to the wrestling media. Seriously, these are notes from closed door meetings from a publicly traded company in which the CEO/Board Chairman attends... Creative meeting notes are repeatedly leaked out and nobody within the WWE is punished. How can that be? Is the WWE just that inept? Or maybe, just maybe... WWE controls the media. If you work in media and you want exclusive access within the industry that you cover, you're going to fold on a few things... With politics, for example, if a member of the mainstream media wants access to the President or key members of a political party, they'll report favorably and also get told what to report. Ditto for sports reporters... If you want exclusive access to members of a sports franchise, you better be willing report favorably or get told what to report. It's the nature of the game... And the favors work both ways. For one, the politicians or sports franchises get to control the reported messages. For the reporters, though, they get exclusive access and doing favors for the politicians/sports franchises helps keep other reporters out. News and sports media outlets have stayed strong for years as have specific reporters by maintaining a give and take relationship with those industries. Works the same way in the pro wrestling industry... WWE can easily plant stories within their 3-4 sources that Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin have "heat" and once the source does their duty and reports it, the internet will spread it like fire. Internet websites were all over the Wrestlemania 31 snub and the Podcast cancellation stories. With Austin enjoying his retirement and not having much interest in regularly attending RAW, how else could Vince McMahon build up heat for a possible Wrestlemania 32 return? Why, just play up some real life Austin/Vince heat through the enabling wrestling news media who will immediately report it. That simple... Just feed the internet beast with news and rumors and you don't need to spend a dime flying Austin to RAW for an appearance. And I believe any "heat" has ever existed between Steve Austin and WWE. Austin's last "official" WWE contract was resumed through 2004 just after Wrestlemania 20. That was 2004, 11+ years ago. During that period of time, has Steve Austin ever entertained an offer from TNA wrestling? Has he appeared with any Indy promotions? Traveled to Japan or Mexico? Nope... Just sat at home, tried his hand at acting, and other projects. For a guy who ate and slept wrestling for about 15 straight years, it is rather odd that the "itch" hasn't needed to be scratched since 2004. Furthermore, if there exists "heat" between Austin and the WWE, wouldn't you hear of Austin at least entertaining offers? Nothing... I believe that Austin and WWE have had some sort of deal in place since his "exit" in 2004. Remember, in the same 2004 year, WWE signed a no-compete arrangement with Brock Lesnar that was aggressive enough to force Brock Lesnar to spend lots of money in the court system to break free just to fight in the UFC. Based on the way that WWE was burned by the exits of Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall during the 1990's, any major superstar exiting the WWE moving forward would be met with resistence. With Austin, I'm willing to bet that his 2004 retirement was legitimate and WWE has been paying him royalties in some form to keep him retired. I'm will to bet that WWE's accounts payable system has various "Steve Austin" expenses or that the WWE payroll still has Austion on it... Maybe there is some arrangement that lets Austin use the "Stone Cold" nickname independent of the WWE. But something has kept him away from TNA wrestling, in particular, aside from that company's own internal struggles. In my opinion, the value in acquiring Steve Austin isn't for him to become a wrestler but a creative mind. Listen to Austin's podcast... The guy is highly intelligent when it comes to the wrestling business. Much of that "Stone Cold" character came from Austin's personal input and the guy could work an amazing match. Just watch that Wrestlemania 13 match against Bret Hart to see how pro wrestling should be, along with any match versus Foley, Undertaker, or the Rock. As I recently discussed, WWE RAW ratings began to decline after the 1st Quarter of 2000 and it was probably with the full realization by fans that Steve Austin was out for an extended period of time. Austin was FOR REAL during this period and if I owned a pro wrestling organization, I'd gladly put Austin in charge of creative. However, Austin has avoided other pro wrestling organizations... Now, he's on the cover of WWE 2K. I personally believe that he WILL wrestle Wrestlemania 32 against either Brock Lesnar or John Cena. Aside from Wrestlemania 32 being in Texas, which I believe is the strongest motivator for Austin, I still think he has something "left in the basement". Wrestlemania 19 was NOT the best way to end your career. Sure, he did business with the Rock and put him over... However, if you watched that documentary on Steve Austin during the night before Wrestlemania 19, he was a physical mess. His neck injury from SummerSlam 1997 continued to haunt him and he was having anxiety attacks during the evening. Austin didn't get to leave the wrestling on his own terms aside from finally putting the Rock over at Wrestlemania. At Wrestlemania 32, Austin can make a HUGE comeback and leave the ring on better terms. For one night only, Austin's legacy could be boosted if he could fill a 100,000 stadium for a pro wrestling event. Want to outdo Hulk Hogan from Wrestlemania 3? Wrestle a big current name in the WWE at Wrestlemania 32. In my opinion, as I stated in my April 2015 column, the best opponent is John Cena. I'd recommend Brock Lesnar, but I'd rather have a safer wrestler for Austin to wrestle instead. However, for the same reason why Cena vs. Rock drew so strongly, it's the top star from an era against the top star from the current era. Why I believe that Cena vs. Austin works is because it links the WWE's fanbases together... Cena is a strong draw with the younger fans. Austin remains a strong draw with the adult fans, specifically those in their 30's... Yeah, those video game console owners... BIG Attitude Era fans. What could draw 100,000+ fans for a Wrestlemania 32 event is that kind of match-up. That's why Andre vs. Hogan drew at Wrestlemania 3. It was wrestling fans of the 1970's linking up with fans of the 1980's. Cena vs. Austin is the PERFECT match-up. Who should win Cena vs. Austin? In my opinion, John Cena did first honors with the Rock at Wrestlemania 28. Cena lost to the Rock on that night and even though Cena got his win back at Wrestlemania 29, that first loss is still remembered... Thus, WWE might have to let John Cena defeat Steve Austin if it happened. How can you let Steve Austin lose in his Wrestlemania return in Dallas? In my opinion, you have to take care of your current roster and not the part-time guys, WWE... However, if the WWE ever wanted a moment to "change things up" by turning John Cena HEEL, cheating to defeat Steve Austin in Texas would be the perfect way to generate absurd amounts of heat. Austin is wrestling at Wrestlemania 32, period... WWE will attempt to work the internet on other "leaked" stories on Austin/Vince heat, but they'll do business at Wrestlemania 32, period. I would guarantee that Wrestlemania 32 was placed in Dallas, TX just to convince Austin to wrestle 1 more time... -------------------------------------------------------- PHAT QUESTIONS Question #1: Why don't you do Top 10 or WHAT IF columns anymore? There are entire websites dedicated to Top 10 lists and I believe that I've covered most relevant Top 10 countdowns through my older columns. I feel that I can be more creative outside of the confines of a list column. As for What If columns, I've just run out of ideas and those columns take longer to produce. Speaking of what if topics... Question #2: What would happen if Bret Hart stayed in the WWE during late 1997 instead of leaving for WCW? For starters, WWE will own that 20 year deal that was front loaded (paying about $2.5 per year for the first few years). Financially, Bret's departure probably helped them pay a few million to Mike Tyson to appear on Wrestlemania 14. Bret remaining in the WWE probably keeps Owen Hart alive but I'd worry about Shawn Michaels. Their backstage feud was getting personal and Shawn was a trainwreck personally. Who knows if the Royal Rumble casket match would still happen if Bret was still around. In many ways, the back injury helped Shawn Michaels because it got him off the road. But remember, Bret's departure helped create the heel boss character of Vince McMahon. Thus, you might not have Austin vs. McMahon to enjoy during 1998-1999. However, the Hart Foundation as a heel group was pretty cool... Austin might feud with Bret Hart and the Hart Foundation more during 1998 instead. WCW was primed to mess up anyway, so the real question is whether the WWE had enough money in the bank (no pun intended) to endure extended financial pain until they caught up and beat WCW. From all that I've heard, WWE's financial issues during 1996-1997 were overblown. Vince McMahon is a penny pincher and I'm sure he saved his money during the WWE's boom during the 1980's and early 1990's. It's as I discussed with Nintendo... They can endure a failure with the Nintendo Wii U because they have $ billions in the bank from prior years' success. Question #3: Do you think that the Divas division will grow in the WWE after several NXT call-ups? In my opinion, the WWE Divas division has a solid crop of female performers... That being said, the division lacks someone like a Trish Stratus who can captivate fans to want to see more female wrestling. You get what, 1 segment on a 3 hour RAW for the Divas division? That's not much to build upon... We'll see what NXT can bring and how someone like Charlotte can translate under the big WWE spotlight. SO JUST CHILL... 'TIL THE NEXT EPISODE! Comments and feedback are welcome. Follow and Tweet me @titowrestling or login in below to post comments. © Mr. Tito and LordsofPain.net/WrestlingHeadlines.com - 1998-2015
|
