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Post by bmfjules on Jun 22, 2019 16:04:35 GMT -5
Rikishi was such a random swerve and retro-fitted booking. But it's the kind of wrestlecrap that's almost too legendary now to imagine anything else in its place.
I remember at the time it seemed like they were strongly implying Billy Gunn. At least this would have continued the HHH/Austin feud instead of being a strange side trip like Rikishi.
One interesting name I've heard thrown out is Tazz - which would have been an hot angle to throw him into.
Tazz could have debuted the same way Samoa Joe did decades later, by basically being the authorities special enforcer. So again, keeps the Austin/HHH deal moving forward.
It honestly could have been just about anyone besides the people who show up at Austin's side in the immediate aftermath (no Shane, Vince, Steph, or Test)....
Who would you have booked it to be?
I'm looking for either credible, solid answers, or something so left field it makes Rikishi doing it for the Rock seem like the normal, rational decision.
Example: Have it be JR, who hired an impersonator to sit next to King while he called the show via a satellite phone. His motive? He blamed Stone Cold for all his medical problems due to him having to go into screaming convulsions every time he walked to the ring.
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Post by JTG Fan on Jun 22, 2019 16:07:29 GMT -5
He probably was too unreliable at that point to give such a big spot too, but they could have done some really cool stuff if it was Raven. Having the reveal for Raven as the driver and mastermind to take out Austin at Unforgiven 2000 in Philadelphia would have blown the roof off the place.
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Post by bmfjules on Jun 22, 2019 16:09:52 GMT -5
He probably was too unreliable at that point to give such a big spot too, but they could have done some really cool stuff if it was Raven. Having the reveal for Raven as the driver and mastermind to take out Austin at Unforgiven 2000 in Philadelphia would have blown the roof off the place. Raven would have had Stevie or Meanie behind the wheel while he gave the orders.
Now the prospect of Steve Austin vs the Blue Meanie on a WWF PPV makes me wish this is how went down.
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Post by Hit Girl on Jun 22, 2019 16:14:36 GMT -5
Rikishi was actually a good pick, and his reasoning was genuinely compelling, but then they messed it all up with involving HHH, which could be said of many angles.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2019 16:20:19 GMT -5
Tajiri struggling to adapt to American driving protocols
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2019 16:30:33 GMT -5
Kurt Angle would have been the perfect answer if you'd waited a little longer on the reveal. He made his debut on the same show where it happened and with Austin out of the way he rose to the point of being about to win the WWF title. Could've pretty easily waited a month longer on Austin coming back and had it be revealed that Angle got him out of the way because he saw him as the biggest threat to his ascension.
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Post by I'm Team Bayley and Indi on Jun 22, 2019 16:30:39 GMT -5
Kurt Angle, debuted the same night as Austin was ran over, and had an incredible rookie year in Austin's absence
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Post by bmfjules on Jun 22, 2019 16:36:15 GMT -5
Kurt Angle would have been the perfect answer if you'd waited a little longer on the reveal. He made his debut on the same show where it happened and with Austin out of the way he rose to the point of being about to win the WWF title. Could've pretty easily waited a month longer on Austin coming back and had it be revealed that Angle got him out of the way because he saw him as the biggest threat to his ascension. This fits perfectly too with Angle's "Three I's" character...
Kurt Angle is the corporate prototype of what you would want a champion to be (back then anyway) and he could have also done it simply because of how much he detested the example Austin was setting for kids etc...
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Jun 22, 2019 16:38:45 GMT -5
Rikishi wouldn't have been as bad an option if they had gone with the heel turn more fully. Nix the stinkface, either wrestle in that street gear he'd come out in sometimes, or make him something else with a harder edge look to it, and maybe pair him with some lackeys.
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mcstoklasa
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Post by mcstoklasa on Jun 22, 2019 17:08:54 GMT -5
Should've just been triple H
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Perd
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Post by Perd on Jun 22, 2019 17:49:05 GMT -5
Retroactively, Rikishi makes more and more sense. His progeny are equally dangerous behind the wheel.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2019 18:02:50 GMT -5
Rikishi was alright.
It was when they said “ACTUALLY TRIPLE H PAID HIM”... that was worse than if it had actually been HHH in the first place.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Jun 22, 2019 20:09:16 GMT -5
Rikishi was alright. It was when they said “ACTUALLY TRIPLE H PAID HIM”... that was worse than if it had actually been HHH in the first place. It did render so much of it moot. Even if it had just been Triple H manipulating him and selling him on the whole "I did it for the Rock" business, but getting into his head, that'd at least feed into the whole "Cerebral Assassin" thing more than just a down payment. It's not like Rock hadn't trashed that reasoning of Rikishi's anyway, so there wasn't any keeping Rikishi from looking kind of like a putz. It'd also more adequately explain why Rikishi and Triple H fought in 2000 despite being in cahoots. After all, if Triple H just planted the idea, he doesn't have firm knowledge Rikishi did it, and Rikishi doesn't have any reason to steer clear of Triple H, since he thinks it was his own idea to remove Austin from the equation. It's still dumb and hindsight, but this angle always was, anyway. That, and it still gives Austin reason enough to fight Triple H without it feeling quite as lame for what was, admittedly, still a fun 3 Stages of Hell payoff.
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thecrusherwi
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Post by thecrusherwi on Jun 22, 2019 20:36:02 GMT -5
Jim Ross. Bro, next year we show footage showin dat da King was actually sittin next to-a tape recordah in a cowboy hat playin lines dat JR had recorded prior to Survivor Series.
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Venti
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Post by Venti on Jun 22, 2019 20:38:40 GMT -5
I feel like they could have still just had it been Triple H and taken Rikishi out of the equation. They killed a super popular midcard act because of it.
It's honestly whatever, as long as we still got that amazing 3 Stages of Hell match, then I'm good.
The Survivor Series match was a fun brawl, too, even with the ridiculous finish.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2019 20:42:14 GMT -5
Retroactively, Rikishi makes more and more sense. His progeny are equally dangerous behind the wheel.
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repomark
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Post by repomark on Jun 22, 2019 21:23:55 GMT -5
Shawn Michaels would have been the perfect choice - if he could have got his drug issues under control a bit sooner. Given the last time he wrestled to that point was his loss to Austin at WM14 it would have been a natural fit and a great way to bring him back.
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Bub (BLM)
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Post by Bub (BLM) on Jun 23, 2019 10:32:36 GMT -5
I still say it should have been a woman, because Austin wouldn't have been able to beat the crap out of his assailant (no domestic abuse jokes, please). That could lead to him being driven mad with unsatisfied thirst for personal justice, which could eventually consume him and lead right into WrestleMania 17 and go down just the same.
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Post by Sephiroth on Jun 23, 2019 10:41:05 GMT -5
I thought I read somewhere it was supposed to be Jericho
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Post by "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay on Jun 23, 2019 10:44:26 GMT -5
I still say it should have been a woman, because Austin wouldn't have been able to beat the crap out of his assailant (no domestic abuse jokes, please). That could lead to him being driven mad with unsatisfied thirst for personal justice, which could eventually consume him and lead right into WrestleMania 17 and go down just the same. I was going to say that would kill the draw of Austin vs. the man that ran him down but they went ahead and did that shit anyway.
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