DX, Austin - Bonnie Hammer's influence on RAW?

[Cactus Jack]

With the return of Steve Austin and DX to RAW tomorrow night, do you guys think that this is evidence of the WWE complying to USA head Bonnie Hammer's recommendation to the company to bring back stars from the Attitude era?

[angryfan]

Not necessarily, though I'm sure it doesn't hurt if she perceives it as such. HHH and Shawn were already there, and Austin does make the occasional appearance. Hell, throw Foley in there too. Really, the only "Attitude Era" main eventer they could pull back in for a quick ratinsg pop would be The Rock.

[Ben Wyatt]

angryfan said:

Not necessarily, though I'm sure it doesn't hurt if she perceives it as such. HHH and Shawn were already there, and Austin does make the occasional appearance. Hell, throw Foley in there too. Really, the only "Attitude Era" main eventer they could pull back in for a quick ratinsg pop would be The Rock.

I disagree on the last line.

I think Steve Blackman would be a ratings smash

[Bob Schlapowitz]

So I'm guessing this weeks Raw thread will be titled "The Official Raw is 1998 Thread."

[Deleted]

I think so.

Bonnie Hammer seems to think that bringing everyone back from eight years ago is automatically going to get them huge ratings. Yeah, it might pop the ratings for one week or so, but to get consistently healthy ratings, they need to push forward and not rely on the past. It's time they stop bringing out Austin, DX and Foley for a quick fix.

Right now, they should be heavily developing the characters of Jeff Hardy, Elijah Burke, Mr. Kennedy, Edge, MVP, CM Punk, Matt Hardy and Randy Orton. I believe that these wrestlers will cause the next 'boom' in popularity (if booked correctly).

[Legion]

Although i agree that they need to build up stars rather than hoping big stars will bump the ratings, we have to remember that half of these people are still more over than anyone else.

If they could get Austin to do what he was claiming he wanted to do, which was come back with an Undertaker like timetable, i see no reason why not to use him, especially when Cena is out and the merch sales will need a helping hand.

As long as they make sure they keep building a strong undercard, which they are doing quite well with Jeff/Kennedy, Punk as champ in ECW against all those guys and Hardy and MVP still going on SD, then an Austin comeback and a one night only DX appearence would hardly hurt.

Plus, i want to see Cena/Austin. I think that could be a decent fued. The kiddies favourite vs the foul mouthed redneck. It'd be similar to the Rock/Austin fued that got the Attitude era going and just about in time for the cyclical nature of wrestling theory to be proven true.

[Mister Pigwell]

bobschlapowitz said:

So I'm guessing this weeks Raw thread will be titled "The Official Raw is 1998 Thread."

At least it should be.

I dig it.

[wrestlecrapcrap]

am90 said:

I think so.

Bonnie Hammer seems to think that bringing everyone back from eight years ago is automatically going to get them huge ratings. Yeah, it might pop the ratings for one week or so, but to get consistently healthy ratings, they need to push forward and not rely on the past. It's time they stop bringing out Austin, DX and Foley for a quick fix.

Right now, they should be heavily developing the characters of Jeff Hardy, Elijah Burke, Mr. Kennedy, Edge, MVP, CM Punk, Matt Hardy and Randy Orton. I believe that these wrestlers will cause the next 'boom' in popularity (if booked correctly).

Austin will be brought back and will probably confront Santino, which will help him get over as a heel, which will help the mid card. They won't just bring them out, let the crowd state at them and then make them walk to the back, they will actually be doing something. Austin will help Santino, while I wouldn't be surprised if DX returning is the start of something big/important, as the way Vince was acting suggests something will be going on. Why does he want them to return? Why did he say everything ends up as he wants it to?

[Deleted]

am90 said:

I think so.

Bonnie Hammer seems to think that bringing everyone back from eight years ago is automatically going to get them huge ratings. Yeah, it might pop the ratings for one week or so, but to get consistently healthy ratings, they need to push forward and not rely on the past. It's time they stop bringing out Austin, DX and Foley for a quick fix.

Right now, they should be heavily developing the characters of Jeff Hardy, Elijah Burke, Mr. Kennedy, Edge, MVP, CM Punk, Matt Hardy and Randy Orton. I believe that these wrestlers will cause the next 'boom' in popularity (if booked correctly).

I agree they need to build new stars. But the problem is, there's no one with the "it" factor.

Edge and Jeff Hardy are already established and pretty much as big as they're going to be.

The rest I see getting to the level of Diesel, Razor Ramon or British Bulldog. People who consider Kennedy and MVP the next Stone Cold and Rock are stretching just a tad.

[Lenny: Smooth like Keith Stone]

You know, if they want to recreate 1998 foor a temporary time, they should just run with that. Go the full 9 yards. Call it "Raw is Retro" or something, run the old opening video, use the old "thorn in your eye" theme song, use all the old graphics for their names, make a few "per apperance" hires to guys like Brian Chrostopher, Teioh and Togo from Kaientai, put Al Snow in a hardcore match, etc.

At least if they admit that they are doing a 1998 theme, I 'd be cool with it. The problem is when they try bringing back the Attitude era but attempt to pass it off as brand-new ideas for 2007, I don't like it.

[J-Man R.]

If this is 1998 revisted does that mean the return of Chainsaw Charlie? Also, Since they are in LA, it Could see the return of ROCK and Y2J

[Citizen Snips]

tapoutorangleslam said:

If this is 1998 revisted does that mean the return of Chainsaw Charlie? Also, Since they are in LA, it Could see the return of ROCK and Y2J

ANYTHING that gets Terry Funk on my TV is worth doing.

[The Panda Powered]

dothebird said:

tapoutorangleslam said:

If this is 1998 revisted does that mean the return of Chainsaw Charlie? Also, Since they are in LA, it Could see the return of ROCK and Y2J

ANYTHING that gets Terry Funk on my TV is worth doing.

No, because RAW is Jericho didn't start 'til 1999.

Plus, surely RAW is 1997, as "borrowed" from another site:

Let's see... DX is back together and Shawn Michaels is the one with the World Title aspirations... Steve Austin is over as the biggest babyface of the night.... Vince McMahon is shoe-horning himself into the show as the night's most diabolical heel... Yep, it's official: WWE decided to dress up as 1997 for Halloween this year! [Note: one thing that wasn't present in the WWF in 1997 was Chris Jericho.

[Loki]

Whoever is the "responsible" for that won't be on my Christmas Card list.

I'm tired of watching comebacks of stars from yesteryear, even worse if they're back only for a cheap pop (Foley, Austin, Rock...) and if there's no real plan to push new stars.

Triple H and Shawn Michaels are still working full time and will help to establish new stars (they did it with Batista, Edge and Cena). Undertaker too did help Orton and Batista a bit, and still has the Undefeated Streak to play...

The semi-retired relics from the Attitude Era should stay off TV, if there are no plans to use them to actually put people over.

Wanna bet Austin will stun Santino back to Heat?

[plushtar]

bobschlapowitz said:

So I'm guessing this weeks Raw thread will be titled "The Official Raw is 1998 Thread."

That would fit with some people refering to TNA as WCW 2000.

Since Austn can't physically do much, he shouldn't be in the ring. Once he stuns Santino, it would be the biggest wrestling assassination since Hogan ended Vader's credibility.

[Deleted]

Maybe if Hammer wants 'Attitude' back so much, I think that WWE should consider bringing back Mick Foley as the General Manager of RAW. Judging by his last run as WWF Commissioner in 2000, Foley would be perfect for this role.

Yeah, there's William Regal already. I thought WWE would try and do something with him as GM, but nothing ever came of it and he's currently busy running around after Hornswoggle.

Mick is very charismatic and can use that to put characters, matches and angles over - I don't see why it would be a problem.

[AriadosMan]

I don't think Bonnie Hammer has that much control over the events of any given Raw.

[GaTechGrad]

bobschlapowitz said:

So I'm guessing this weeks Raw thread will be titled "The Official Raw is 1998 Thread."

I prefer "RAW is Quantum Leap"

[The F'N Captain]

I actually believe Vince is going to "bury" DX tomorrow storyline wise. For this wholke Save_Us thing to have some impact it'd be awesome if WHOEVER it is comes back as almost the only face against a huge tide of heels.

[HRH The KING]

The Austin return will be predictable.

Stunner and beer. Yawn.

With DX, I am expecting HHH to turn on HBK and join Vince.