Jim Ross discussed pushing for Steve Austin in WCW during a recent edition of Grilling JR.
Here is what he had to say:
“Well, he hit my radar in Dallas. I said, ‘That kid’s a star. He’s gonna be a star. Just look at him.’ The way he moved, and his instincts were great. Very athletic, looked good, and looked believable. Looked like a tough guy. So, he was on my radar then. Then when we all got to Atlanta, the booking committee I was involved in – Steve was one of the guys we really pushed on. I pushed on him and Mick Foley and Brian Pillman – those three guys especially, I recall. Bring them in and let’s get them going. He was a star, and you knew he was gonna be a star. I don’t know if the other guys did or not. When you have people on the booking committee that are decision-makers and they’re active participants, they don’t see some of those things as quickly as some of us that have no dog in that hunt. In other words, Steve was not wanting my spot. When you’re on the booking committee, you’re always protective of your spot. Your spot is more important than the success of the company. That’s the ego-centric way that it was perceived back in those days. He was a star from the get-go and I thought he was gonna be great. It seemed like it worked out that way.”
H/T to 411 Mania