Steve Austin as face of the company wouldn't work in today's WWE

**dragonsrevenge** · 07-09-2012, 01:03 PM

And I don't mean because of content restrictions. WWE today is hell-bent on pushing who they want to push, insisting we cheer and boo who they want us to cheer and boo for, and if we don't, they ignore us.

Austin rose to popularity because we got into what he was doing. Bret was supposed to be the face, but we got sick of him. Austin was supposed to be the heel but we loved what he was doing and we got behind him. Nowadays, WWE would ignore us, and continue to push Austin as a mid-card heel, and Bret as the big babyface, not giving a damn about what we thought.

Discuss.

**Brendan** · 07-09-2012, 01:18 PM

What a lot of people don't seem to understand is that back ECW fans were buying up the first few rows of most of the shows and cheered all the heels and booed all the babyfaces. Because of this other fans thought a trend was developing and joined in because it felt like the cool thing to do.

**Playboy Stevie V** · 07-09-2012, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by Brendan

What a lot of people don't seem to understand is that back ECW fans were buying up the first few rows of most of the shows and cheered all the heels and booed all the babyfaces. Because of this other fans thought a trend was developing and joined in because it felt like the cool thing to do.

^^^ This. People like to point out that HBK or Austin started the AE, when in fact ECW did. They were copied by Vince and Eric. In the 90's ECW was closely watched, copied and robbed.

You know I still think Austin could have been face of the E regardless who the E pushed down our throats. Look at DB. They keep trying to get fans to hate him, but we don't. Don't underestimate the intelligence of fans.

**Cabers** · 07-09-2012, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by Playboy Stevie V

^^^ This. People like to point out that HBK or Austin started the AE, when in fact ECW did. They were copied by Vince and Eric. In the 90's ECW was closely watched, copied and robbed.

You know I still think Austin could have been face of the E regardless who the E pushed down our throats. Look at DB. They keep trying to get fans to hate him, but we don't. Don't underestimate the intelligence of fans.

And now its not around anymore and all the big companies lack excitement from week to week.

**Playboy Stevie V** · 07-09-2012, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Cabers

And now its not around anymore and all the big companies lack excitement from week to week.

Not trying to be a Negative Nancy, but you're right

**scribbler_jones** · 07-09-2012, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by Cabers

And now its not around anymore and all the big companies lack excitement from week to week.

I wonder though... nature abhors a vacuum. Do you think that something of equal influence would arise or come into existence to make up for it? Just curious...

**scribbler_jones** · 07-09-2012, 03:27 PM

And as ludicrous as that sounded, I was asking a serious question.

**dragonsrevenge** · 07-09-2012, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by Brendan

What a lot of people don't seem to understand is that back ECW fans were buying up the first few rows of most of the shows and cheered all the heels and booed all the babyfaces. Because of this other fans thought a trend was developing and joined in because it felt like the cool thing to do.

Doesn't change the fact they listened to the fans then when they don't now.