Was "Sheriff Austin" as lame as I remember?

[Confused Mark Wahlberg]

That was when I realized that the Austin from 96-97 was loooooong gone.

[Mozenrath]

You didn't think his neon green pee was cool? Everyone knows that pee is the color of a Nerf football.

[Famous Rocking Chimes]

The only things I remember from Austin during that run was his ATV, the stuff with Lesnar and Goldberg, and HHH making fun of his toy badge.

[CeilingFan]

There was a match at the 2003 Survivor Series to decide which GM would run Raw, and Austin's team lost. One month later he is a "Sheriff", rendering that match meaningless.

[agent817]

Jan 7, 2024 13:26:12 GMT -5 CeilingFan said:

There was a match at the 2003 Survivor Series to decide which GM would run Raw, and Austin's team lost. One month later he is a "Sheriff", rendering that match meaningless.

I never quite understood how that worked. While he spent the better part of 2003 as co-GM, I thought the stipulation meant he would be off TV for a while. Sure, we had Mick Foley briefly be co-GM, but that didn't last, and then Austin was back in January as doing the sheriff role.

I am only asking in the kayfabe sense, but how did it work for him to have authority when Bischoff was the general manager?

[Johnny B. Decent]

Yeah, he was a shell of what he was.

[Muskrat]

Oh sweet jesus I was so done with Austin by that point, I f***ing hated the "Sheriff" thing and quite frankly other then getting a free quad out of the deal I don't think Austin thought too highly of it either

[yokohamacpfc]

The Quad Bike was to ease his damaged knees I think. Still, it's a vehicle designed for muddy offroad terrain so riding it down a shiny wrestling ramp looked really off. It reminded me of people riding mobility scooters around the supermarket due to weight or health problems. Not really the badass image I presume they were going for.

[chazraps]

A white bald self-professed redneck with the confederate flag on his ATV chasing fully-suited black man Teddy Long running for his life is one of the most poorly thought-out visuals WWE ever put on screen.

It shows the over-writing overproducing era beginning as well. If you watch the 'After the Show' DVD/Blu, when Austin is entirely left to his own devices in front of a crowd he made some endearing and fun aspects of that character work. But what we got on-screen looks like it was written by someone who completely misunderstood who was supposed to be the protagonist in 'Smokey and the Bandit.'

[chazraps]

Jan 7, 2024 13:26:12 GMT -5 CeilingFan said:

There was a match at the 2003 Survivor Series to decide which GM would run Raw, and Austin's team lost. One month later he is a "Sheriff", rendering that match meaningless.

I rewatched the go-home Raw and Smackdowns before Survivor Series 2003 this past year on their respective 20th anniversaries and I had forgotten how important and high stakes they made that 5 on 5 match seem.

That in mind, quick side note, it shows that when stakes are involved and there's multiple stories to be told, the traditional Survivor Series matches can still have a lot to offer.

[Andee9001]

And then it just ended didn't it? His contract ran out and they couldn't agree to terms and the only resolution was a blurb on wwe.com. They even removed him from Smackdown vs Raw that year.

[Bob Schlapowitz]

Jan 7, 2024 18:41:52 GMT -5 Andee9001 said:

And then it just ended didn't it? His contract ran out and they couldn't agree to terms and the only resolution was a blurb on wwe.com. They even removed him from Smackdown vs Raw that year.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure he just disappeared after Wrestlemania XX.

[EvenBaldobombHasAJob]

It was probably lamer. Was ANYTHING good on Raw during that period?

[Dr. Bolty, Disaster Enby]

I maybe saw the act once since this was when the Reign of Terror had driven me from wrestling (and I could never watch Smackdown so no Smackdown Six for me). I remember thinking how it made it so obvious that Stone Cold was done - an act being kept out past any usefulness, unable to wrestle or do anything substantial. The quad just seemed like it wasn't as cool as it was meant to be, and I think it was a few years before it clicked that it was to help Austin move around.

[schizo]

Jan 7, 2024 19:54:18 GMT -5 EvenBaldobombHasAJob said:

It was probably lamer. Was ANYTHING good on Raw during that period?

Unhinged psycho Kane was pretty awesome IMO

[Confused Mark Wahlberg]

Yeah, the guy had to wear two knee braces (with his denim Daisy Dukes) even if he was just walking to the ring

[agent817]

Jan 7, 2024 19:54:18 GMT -5 EvenBaldobombHasAJob said:

It was probably lamer. Was ANYTHING good on Raw during that period?

Well, we ended 2003 with a hell of a banger match between Shawn Michaels and Triple H.

[06vwgti]

I hated Sheriff Austin back in 03, I just found it grating and annoying and I haven't rewatched most of that era again.

[tirtefaa]

Jan 7, 2024 14:10:25 GMT -5 Johnny B. Decent said:

Yeah, he was a shell of what he was.

Yeah, it was such an embarrassing time.

Stone Cold originally was such a loner rebel, seeing him as an authoritative figure where he didn't put himself in matches...and when he's begging Kane to stop creating chaos.

I'm glad he keeps his appearances rare nowadays. They feel more special than way.

[LiamMcDuggle]

It was fine.

It was more for WWE to keep using him to sell merchandise and appeal to advertisers.