WWF was losing to WCW when Austin was champion as well.
Austin was the reason they caught up to WCW. During his first run the ratings were back and forth between the two. He was also the main reason they eventually took the ratings lead for good.
WWF was losing to WCW when Austin was champion as well.
See, but it wasn't only Austin who helped them catch up. The WWF finally beat WCW in the ratings the night Mick Foley won the championship, in the midst of his feud with Rock.
Wrong. Just because something was mainstream in the past doesnt mean it will stay popular with mainstream audiences. It took a character like SCSA to bring wrestling back into popular culture.
It was far from mainstream in the early 90's. Wrestling was a joke at that time. The fact that it was huge in the mid 80's has no bearing on the early 90's. The characters and storylines were weak, there was the steriod scandal. It had basically fallen out of favor with the general public.
Stone Cold could not have made wrestling mainstream if it was already made mainstream in the 1980's.
You were correct when you modified your statement to say that he made wrestling mainstream AGAIN. As somebody else pointed out, it is easier to do so once the infrastructure is there.
Also, to whoever said it, I don't think that the WWE would have survived without Stone Cold Steve Austin. I honestly believe that you could have fired any one of Triple H, Undertaker, Mankind, or the Rock in 1997 and the WWE would have still beaten WCW. Stone Cold, though; he was needed.
Thing is, I don't give a dick about what other people think. It's clearly my opinion that Austin doesn't really fit in the HoF. It's not to say he's a horrible wrestler because he was one of my favourites but HoF? Meh, I don't really think so.
Practically nobody knew who the fuck he was before he made it into the WWE. When he first arrived, no one liked him and he was boring as hell. Once he got the 3:16-bad attitude-drink beer-beat up my boss persona, people started liking him. I don't really see what he did to make a huge impact on wrestling. He didn't have many moves and the only thing that really stood out about him was his attitude.
I hardly think someone who mostly just ran into the ring and gave random stunners and opened a few cans of beer while dropping some good lines should be in the HoF, to be quite honest.
it is too soon 4 austin gettin in before hbk on the undertaker makes no sence to me maybe because they are both still active on the roster????
randy savage has to get it