Rock vs Austin ratings thread.

[RLStern]

Your one mega thread for Rock/Austin ratings, popularity and draw comparson, acknowledgement, or debate.

I’ll start, The Rock was the biggest draw and face of the Attitude era, he’s the biggest draw in professional wrestling history.

Rock drew the biggest PPV’s of all time, was the biggest box office draw of 1999 and 2000.

Breaking Austin’s 1998 record in 1999 and then his own record in 2000.

The Rock outdrew Austin on the August 24, 1998 Raw,

Then proceeded to surpass Austin in popularity during the fall of 1998 and was in one of the most shocking heel turns at Suvivor Series 1998, which is the highest drawing survivor series built around The Rock.


The Rock was the biggest draw entering 1999 and outdrew Austin for the entirety of 1999:

Rock broke the WWF cable TV record during the Super Bowl with Half Time Heat with a 6.6 rating being the biggest at the time, completely built around Rock vs Mankind with Austin nowhere promoted or on it.



Rock drew the highest rated segment in cable history on September 27, 1999 during the This Is Your Life segment.

With his match against Shane on the May 1st 2000 Raw drawing the 2nd biggest with an 8.3 rating.

Austin fans will claim Austin/Taker on June 28, 1999 was the highest drawing match, but let’s easily refute that:

Austin vs Taker took a 7.3 draw earlier down to a 7.1, thus losing viewers. Then Overran it’s timeslot after Nitro finished, Nitro fans then tuned in to catch whatever was at the end of RAW and others waiting for next show bumped it to a 9.5

Austin/Taker therefore did not draw a 9.5 rating, and actually lost viewers, taking a 7.3 down to a 7.1, as Austin/Taker had run its course and been overdone by this point.

Rock was so popular he got the most media coverage:





Rock was so popular they made a 2nd show equal to Raw Is War where all the main storylines continued called Smackdown! debuting in April of 1999:

Rock drew the highest Wrestlemania’s of each year breaking his own record each year.


Rock had a #1 New York Times best sell, The Rock

Rock hosted SNL:



Rock hosted TRL: [MEDIAMEDIA=youtube]uCflPCCIkAc[/MEDIA]



Rock was given 5.5 million for his movie debut in Scorpion King in September of 2000

Rock was used as a main draw for his first feature movie Mummy Returns. Filmed in May 2000, released May 2001.

Rock had the highest selling merchandise, making $15 million per year for multiple years while Austin made $13 for only one year; his best year:

Rock drew the highest for 1999 and 2000 with 2000 being the biggest year of the Attitude era, with Austin gone for most of it.

With both Rock and Austin present, Rock is the one who’s presented as Face of the company at the WWF NYSE Wall Street event:



The Rock is the single biggest draw and face of the Attitude era, Late 90s/Early 2000s wrestling boom.

 

[RLStern]

Rock leaving the WWF caused ratings decline in 2001, Austin’s heel turn had nothing to do with the ratings decline:


In fact his heel turn helped retained viewers as it was entertaining, the myth of no one wanting to boo Austin is false, he was booed for Rock in his very own hometown of Texas the next nighton Raw after Wrestlemania 17, hit loud Austin sucks chants constantly especially at Judgement day 2001, he was booed until his comedy skits with Kurt Angle and face turn.