If Austin came back, who should he face

[Jindrak Mark]

Nov 15, 2022 2:51:57 GMT -5 Some Guy said:

Nov 15, 2022 0:54:34 GMT -5 asuka007 said:

Austin vs. Cena is THE biggest match WWE could put on right now that has a semi-realistic chance of coming together.

Is it really? None of Cena's matches for years have really felt like a big deal. Even with Cena/Roman, they completely dropped the ball and it just felt like a generic PPV match.

That Cena/Roman match was definitely a big deal. It's probably the biggest drawing match in the past few years in terms of one match specifically making a difference. While like a Wrestlemania usually sells the bulk of its tickets before a single match is known that Summerslam specifically sold an unusually large amount of tickets in the last month after Roman/Cena was announced. And even with much tighter COVID restrictions last year compared to none this year the 2021 show still sold more tickets and grossed more than this years Summerslam.

They seemingly tried their best around 2017-19 to treat part-timer Cena as just another guy but he's bigger than wrestling at this point. If/when he returns it'll be a big deal no matter what they have him doing. He sold 10,000+ tickets to a random Raw a couple of months back just for a promo. Cena/Austin would be huge. The only other thing on that level could be Rock/Roman.

[PTBartman]

Nov 15, 2022 8:25:00 GMT -5 Hobby Drifter said:

How about this? A fatal 4-way tag match.

Austin and Drew
Goldberg and Owens
Hogan and Lashley
John Cena and Edge

You get all the match-ups just long enough for them to look great in video packages for the rest of eternity, but nobody who shouldn’t be taking a bump has to.

Maybe stick Reigns and Lesnar in there too, just to really cover all those bases.

Replace Hogan with anybody and I'm in. Ron Simmons would be cool. DAMN.

[koreycaskets]

I originally put AJ Styles, but as was mentioned there is money in a Steve Austin vs CM Punk WrestleMania match. Punk literally only has to make 3 appearances,prob wouldn't mind losing to Austin, then goes home with a fat paycheck.

[Nosnorb]

Nov 15, 2022 10:29:48 GMT -5 flowercity said:

Nov 15, 2022 1:41:34 GMT -5 Hobby Drifter said:

You’re right. But the idea that THE biggest match WWE could conceivably do right now involves a guy who had an eight-year run in the company *twenty years ago* is kind of sad, no?

I get that pretty much all entertainment these days relies (extremely) heavily on nostalgia. But the damage done to pro-wrestlers’ bodies years ago means they can’t/shouldn’t step back into the roles the way movie actors do.

WWE has gone as far as they possibly can into that well. Goldberg has been world champion twice in the last 10 years. And the only reason he was even able to do that was because he rarely took a bump during his active career.

Austin’s not going to have a “run” so there’s nothing anybody, especially a baby face is gonna get from beating him. If they win, they beat an old guy who retired due to neck injuries 20 years ago. And if they lose, well… that’s pretty bad.

I think the tens of millions of dollars the company makes because of it will make all your issues seem minuscule

They won't make millions of dollars off an Austin match for the reason they can't promote it. Austin has had so many injuries that if you book a match, there is a good chance that on that day, his body will simply not be up for it that day.

Can you imagine if this year, they had actually promoted Owens vs Austin, but on that day, Steves knees/neck/back just said "bollocks to that" and they had to go with Austin Theory vs Owens? WWE are not going to hype a match that might not, may not or probably won't happen.

[DichEvans]

Like in the final 2 years of his career, he can really only have brawling match, which will just feature a lot of punches and wondering around the arena. He took like two bumps versus Owens.

[sportatorium]

Cena hasn't wrestled regularly in a while. I'm sure he could flip the switch most of the way, but both he and Austin are much better off wrestling opponents who are full time or close to it. Styles, Balor, Gargano or someone like that could bump around for Austin and make the match look good. Miz isn't a bad choice as he could really sell a match as a heel and would 100% show his ass for Austin.

[A Little Doo Doo]

It's gotta be Madcap Moss.

[Deleted]

Cena and Reigns are the only ones I'd be interested in.

Punk vs Austin would be a good feud and match though. But Punk has been gone too long for it to really have any buzz.

[krozor]

Austin has Rey on his show, spends most of the interview saying "C'mon, Rey, smarten me up about lucha libre" and Rey keeps answering like "Ha ha ha, you know, it's wrestling Steve, you gotta love it, ha ha ha!" Eventually a frustrated Austin asks Rey about letting his son run wild and tells Rey if he won't kick some sense into his ass, Stone Cold will do it for him.

Austin vs. Dominik at Wrestlemania, new boom period.

[Deleted]

Nov 15, 2022 17:31:12 GMT -5 A Little Doo Doo said:

It's gotta be Madcap Moss.

The Bottom Line vs The Punch Line? I'm in.

[A Little Doo Doo]

Nov 15, 2022 17:48:43 GMT -5 @negan said:

Nov 15, 2022 17:31:12 GMT -5 A Little Doo Doo said:

It's gotta be Madcap Moss.

The Bottom Line vs The Punch Line? I'm in.

Austin: "Emma's a bimbo."

Madcap: "YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT MY GIRLFRIEND LIKE THAT!"

[ace]

Gunther

[Instant Classic]

Brock Lesnar. There’s already a story there when Austin walked out in 2002.

[whatamaneuver]

Matches like this would be half a dozen promos then a 8-10 minute match.

I don't think workrate matters and it would seem a waste for Austin to come back to have a solid 3 1/2 star match with Walter, Gargano or Miz.

Cena-Austin makes all the sense in the world.

[Fade]

Nov 15, 2022 17:39:30 GMT -5 krozor said:

Austin has Rey on his show, spends most of the interview saying "C'mon, Rey, smarten me up about lucha libre" and Rey keeps answering like "Ha ha ha, you know, it's wrestling Steve, you gotta love it, ha ha ha!" Eventually a frustrated Austin asks Rey about letting his son run wild and tells Rey if he won't kick some sense into his ass, Stone Cold will do it for him.

Austin vs. Dominik at Wrestlemania, new boom period.

“I ASK MYSELF ‘GOT DAMN ME: AM I SHOOTIN RIGHT NOW??”

[polarbearpete]

Nov 15, 2022 17:15:26 GMT -5 Nosnorb said:

Nov 15, 2022 10:29:48 GMT -5 flowercity said:

I think the tens of millions of dollars the company makes because of it will make all your issues seem minuscule

They won't make millions of dollars off an Austin match for the reason they can't promote it. Austin has had so many injuries that if you book a match, there is a good chance that on that day, his body will simply not be up for it that day.

Can you imagine if this year, they had actually promoted Owens vs Austin, but on that day, Steves knees/neck/back just said "bollocks to that" and they had to go with Austin Theory vs Owens? WWE are not going to hype a match that might not, may not or probably won't happen.

I was under the impression from most reports that they didn’t bill it as a match ahead of time this year because Austin didn’t want to commit to it and just agreed to a brawl at first with him changing his mind later on. “ According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there had been plans to promote the match in advance, but Austin was worried about it not living up to his expectations. The plan became an “elongated brawl”, but Austin changed his mind and agreed to the match at some point during his training.”

Did it come out that it was a day of decision based on how he woke up that day? I don’t remember reading that.

[XIII]

Grocery Store Rumble 2: Steve Austin vs. Booker T vs. Batista . Get the memes and photoshops ready.

[BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps]

If they’re not doing Cena/Logan Paul, then Austin/Cena isn’t a bad option since John can give Steve a safe but still exciting match. It’d have been bigger many years earlier, but Austin wasn’t physically up for it then alas.

I kinda would prefer Cena/Logan since there’s actual doubt in that outcome because we know darn well Cena’s insisting he job to Stone Cold.

[Nosnorb]

Nov 16, 2022 13:44:31 GMT -5 polarbearpete said:

Nov 15, 2022 17:15:26 GMT -5 Nosnorb said:

They won't make millions of dollars off an Austin match for the reason they can't promote it. Austin has had so many injuries that if you book a match, there is a good chance that on that day, his body will simply not be up for it that day.

Can you imagine if this year, they had actually promoted Owens vs Austin, but on that day, Steves knees/neck/back just said "bollocks to that" and they had to go with Austin Theory vs Owens? WWE are not going to hype a match that might not, may not or probably won't happen.

I was under the impression from most reports that they didn’t bill it as a match ahead of time this year because Austin didn’t want to commit to it and just agreed to a brawl at first with him changing his mind later on. “ According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there had been plans to promote the match in advance, but Austin was worried about it not living up to his expectations. The plan became an “elongated brawl”, but Austin changed his mind and agreed to the match at some point during his training.”

Did it come out that it was a day of decision based on how he woke up that day? I don’t remember reading that.

Nothing like that has come out, but considering that the match wasn't announced beforehand and with how many injuries hes had, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the match happening was touch and go.

[1 Free Moon-Down with Burger]

Austin vs Cena is the perfect kind of legend vs legend matchup that fits Mania.

I’d be torn apart. I love them both. Don’t make me choose