The Rock the biggest draw of 1999

[RLStern]

Or we can view all legends as big draws and not compare but enjoy what they did in the past.

They were both big, but Rock was way bigger.

I’m not the one crying because Rock drew more during the Attitude era, that’s the Austin fans.

If they can’t enjoy Austin despite Rock drawing more ratings, merchandise, ppv and every other metric, then they are immature

 

[Necro]

Those are the merchandise numbers lol your revenue contains a percentage of merchandise, Rock had higher revenue, therefore higher merchandise and consistently outsold Austin from 1999-2002, we have top sellers list from Shopzone archives.

While I post those factual numbers, all I get is unverified claims with zero credibility or refuted by the factual numbers.

My source is The Rock, the best source available lol

If merch numbers vary by year, how do you have proof The Rock made 15 million a year prior to 2001? The quote you keep posting in the article literally mentions the movie which he was said to make 5.5 million for, leading people to believe the Rock made about 10 million a year from WWE.

 

[RLStern]

If merch numbers vary by year, how do you have proof The Rock made 15 million a year prior to 2001? The quote you keep posting in the article literally mentions the movie which he was said to make 5.5 million for, leading people to believe the Rock made about 10 million a year from WWE.

The article is from July 2001, it reports Rock made $15 million a year... not $15 million only this year or $15 million last year... a year, meaning multiple years.

 

[Necro]

According to this site the most The Rock ever earned from merch was 10.6 million

The Rock Net Worth: $256 Million - Money Nation

The Rock's net worth is $256 million. The sky-high figure for The Rock net worth comes from smart business moves, box office popularity and low taxes.

moneynation.com

There's a source for you with a ton of numbers.

 

[RLStern]

According to this site the most The Rock ever earned from merch was 10.6 million

The Rock Net Worth: $256 Million - Money Nation

The Rock's net worth is $256 million. The sky-high figure for The Rock net worth comes from smart business moves, box office popularity and low taxes.

moneynation.com

There's a source for you with a ton of numbers.

Source?

Because my source is The Rock himself lol

 

[Necro]

Source?

Because my source is The Rock himself lol

I just gave you a source with numbers, your source is literally a magazine article. You do realize you have no proof The Rock stated he made 15 million dollars a year right? Just because they interviewed him doesn't mean he was quoted as saying he made 15 million dollars a year. Notice how it says reportedly earns.

Want me to give you the definition of reportedly?

What reportedly means?
(rɪpɔrtɪdli ) adverb. If you say that something is reportedly true, you mean that someone has said that it is true, but you have no direct evidence of it. [formal, vagueness]

No direct evidence of that. If The Rock told them he made 15 million dollars a year it would have said The Rock stated he made 15 million dollars a year.

 

[RLStern]

I just gave you a source with numbers

No you didn’t, you gave us a link to a website with zero sources get out of here with that.

 

[Smart Marx]

While Reigns is the closest thing to the “face of WWE” that the company has had since Cena, there has typically been a rotation of stars who switch in and out of that spot. Just over the past few years, a handful of performers have risen to the top spot as WWE’s No. 1 merchandise seller, which is probably the biggest indicator of a star’s popularity at a time when none of them really are really selling tickets at a measurable level. Names like Rusev and Elias, Becky Lynch, Wyatt and Reigns have all been at the pinnacle of WWE’s merchandising empire at some point recently which just goes to show you how much things have changed from the days when “Stone Cold” Steve Austin sold a whopping 12 million t-shirts in a single calendar year.

Roman Reigns is not "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who sold 12 million t-shirts in 1998 alone. He's not Hulk Hogan or John Cena, who at last check was still a much bigger draw than Reigns is. Based on recent merchandise sales, he may not even be AJ Styles.

1998 isn't 1999, but everywhere I could look seemed to suggest this was the record for a single year. 12 million shirts sold speaks for itself.

Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin (Real Name: Steven James Anderson) is one of those Superstars whom many unanimously agree should be in the Mount Rushmore of Pro Wrestling - if there ever was one. While Hogan and others were the ones to give this industry a kickstart, it was people like Austin who contributed heavily to make it a massive success story in the late 90s and early 2000s. His classic rivalry with Mr. McMahon is still considered by many as the best one in the company's history, and Austin was selling out arenas with his incredible talent of raising hell on his evil boss. According to his ex-wife Debra Marshall, the Texas RattleSnake nearly made $12 Million in 1999. That's what Brock Lesnar makes today in 2019! An eight-digit salary from a Boss whom you constantly beat-up? Now that's a dream job!

Austin made nearly $12 million that single year in 1999 alone.

When Steve Austin first signed with WCW in 1991 he made a low $75,000 per a year. However, that was then bumped up to $275,000 in 1994. Austin fell on harder times after WCW let him go and he went to ECW for a short while. He then took a job with the WWF, where he evolved into the Stone Cold phenomenon. He earned over $5 million in 1998 and 1999 as WWF's top star. His ex-wife Debra estimates that he made about $12 million a year on the whole. Given his position at the top of the card and his huge merchandise sales, we can absolutely believe that.

Debra confirms the $12 million figure.

Top 5 Merchandise movers of all time in the WWE
#3. The Rock
In the wrestling industry, The Rock is inarguably one of the biggest names of all-time. He’s been able to draw the most viewers for the company and has definitely helped make pro-wrestling mainstream.

His designs are fairly simple: the Brahma bull, his name, and sometimes a simple catchphrase such as “Just Bring It”, but every one of the millions…and millions of The Great One’s fans deem it essential to own one. The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment also drew an incredible amount of merchandise sales for the company being on the cover of the video games. It’s the crazy power of face value.

#2. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold deserves this number 2 spot on our list for top merchandise movers of all time, surpassing the previous 3 with a design so simple, yet so effective – his plain “Austin 3:16” t-shirts made history, selling more than 12 million t-shirts during his prime in the Attitude Era, and is still selling to this day!

There is no questioning the Texas Rattlesnake’s popularity in the pro-wrestling industry. Being the top star in a very successful and lucrative era for the WWE, it was clear that his merchandise was an essential to anybody’s collection. Even non-wrestling fans can recognize his logo and catchphrase, because it was THAT cool, and really badass.

While it's difficult to choose a winner, there is no debate as to who sold more merchandise between Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. The proof is in the numbers, Austin's merchandise sales significantly outweighed The Rock's throughout the peaks of their careers. This might be attributed to the fact that The Rock would often wear extravagant shirts instead of his own merchandise on WWE television, or the fact that the "Austin 3:16" T-shirts are WWE's highest grossing merchandise product of all-time.

There is no arguing the fact that Austin is the biggest name in wrestling. Some even say that he surpassed Hulk Hogan in popularity. This can also be confirmed by the fact that in 1998, when Austin was at his peak, WWF is said to have sold 12 million Stone Cold t-shirts and unbelievably Austin merchandise accounted for half of all merchandise sold by the company.

Austin was always one of the biggest draws in the WWE. He also has one of the highest merchandise sales of all time. Austin shirts back in 1999, priced at 20 dollars each were making half of the WWE’s 500 Million US Dollars of total merchandise sales for the year.

Three of his shirts are still on the top ten list of best-selling merchandise items at the WWE Shop. With WWE Superstars taking a percentage of their merch, that money from merch sales must have certainly added quite a bit to Stone Cold Steve Austin’s net worth over the years.

Austin represented half of all merch sales in 1998/9. Definitely out earning The Rock at that time.

In 1998 and 1999, Steve Austin was the Highest Box Office Draw as per The Wrestling Observer.

Austin, real name Steve Williams, 34, the biggest merchandise seller in pro wrestling history

Because it was so important, in these days of quick transmission of news, to keep the lid on the Austin story for protection of the buy rate, at this point we're not exactly clear what the story is. What we do know is that Austin underwent tests on or around 11/5 on his bad neck that was originally injured by an Owen Hart errant tombstone piledriver on August 3, 1997 at the Meadowlands and re-aggravated earlier in the week. There was concern at the time of the original injury that he could never return, and he was forced to modify his style, no backdrops and no piledrivers for instance. He came back to be the biggest merchandise seller and one of the two biggest drawing cards on a nightly basis that this industry may have ever seen.

Biggest merchandise seller: Probably over the course of a career it would be Hogan, but even though it was really only a two-year window, more notable is Steve Austin. Hogan never touched Austin's merchandise numbers and just how many people walked around in the real world wearing his t-shirts at his best.

No wrestler in history ever sold merchandise like Austin or drew the money he did, and even if he wasn't a strong performer in the ring, a category he doesn't fit into at all, those are credentials pretty hard to argue with.

The dirts support WWE's assertion that Austin was outselling everyone. They don't have a reason to lie to cover Vince's ass.

To throw you as bone, Torch does confirm Rock was the number 1 merch mover in 2000. Which I never doubted.

WWE.com: Did you ever think that an “Austin 3:16” T-shirt would become one of the hottest sellers in WWE history?

AUSTIN: I remember I used to ask if there were any T-shirt ideas for me and there wouldn’t be. Then, after King of the Ring, I was asked for some ideas and I immediately thought, “Put ‘Austin 3:16’ on the front and a skull with ‘Stone Cold’ chiseled into its head on the back.” I don’t know how many of those were sold, but I know it was the number one selling T-shirt in WWE history.

From wwe.com/inside/austin-tebow confirming 3:16 being the number one selling shirt of all time.

Austin surpassed all of Hogan’s records, in terms of merchandising and licensing, and pay-per-view and live events. Without question the most popular performer we’ve ever had.

Vince confirming in 2004 after Hogan, Rock and Austin had all left the company, that Austin was the biggest needle mover he had.

STAMFORD, CONN., January 13, 2009 – World Wrestling Entertainment® announced today that the most popular Superstar in the history of the WWE, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on April 4th at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas during the weekend of the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin holds every all-time WWE record, including live attendance, Pay-Per-View buys, licensing and merchandise.

Tickets go on sale for the Hall of Fame Ceremony this Saturday, January 17th and are available through: http://www.houstontoyotacenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office, or by calling 1-866-4HOUTIX.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

From the corporate website itself: https://corporate.wwe.com/news/company-news/2009/01-13-2009a

Confirming Austin is the biggest merchandise mover in WWE history as well as a few other things.

I'll call that a slam dunk and with that I'm out.

I'll unsubscribe from this thread now as nothing good will come from any further back and forth with me.

 

[Necro]

But RL does have the math he did on the back of a napkin, so I'm not sure who's sources are better.

 

[Necro]

RL are we going to even bring up that Steve Austin has the highest rated segment of all time or should we not even mention that?

 

[RDK]

RL are we going to even bring up that Steve Austin has the highest rated segment of all time or should we not even mention that?

What segment

 

[Brad Boyd]

What segment

Undertaker and Austin had a match post king of the ring that got a 9.5 on raw 1999

 

[Necro]

1. Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker (28 June 1999) - 9.5

 

[RLStern]

1998 isn't 1999, but everywhere I could look seemed to suggest this was the record for a single year. 12 million shirts sold speaks for itself.
Austin made nearly $12 million that single year in 1999 alone.

Incorrect 12 million is his 1998 number, you never provided a lick of proof for your 1999 claim that Forbes said he did 250 million.

The dirts support WWE's assertion that Austin was outselling everyone. They don't have a reason to lie to cover Vince's ass.

Yet they have zero credibility and sources.. Rock is a legit source and he contradicts it. So your dirtsheets go straight to the garbage.

And don’t even think of suggesting dirtsheets are more credible than The Rock.

Torch does confirm Rock was the number 1 merch mover in 2000.

And that year they had their highest revenue in merchandise that year, which refutes your entire argument.

From wwe.com/inside/austin-tebow confirming 3:16 being the number one selling shirt of all time.

A biased WWE.com article with zero sources and numbers from a decade plus after the fact.

Vince confirming in 2004 after Hogan, Rock and Austin had all left the company, that Austin was the biggest needle mover he had.

Just like he claimed Austin drew more than Hogan... in February 1998.

Vince’s claim credibility goes right out the window.

Next time come with a challenge, you’re entire argument refuted. Try again.

Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker (28 June 1999) - 9.5

As far as that number goes it’s refuted:



Nope, the 9.5 rating from June 28, 1999(Night after King of The Ring) was an Overrun, therefore not a segment, as people were tuning in for the next show that was supposed to be airing and not WWF Raw.

According to source → indeedwrestling.blogspot.com/2014/05/raw-nitro-quarter-hours-1999.html

Even more interesting, Before the Undertaker/Austin match, WWF Raw had a 7.3 rating, later on Austin/Undertaker match turned off viewers and led to a 7.1 rating. Raw Overran it's timeslot, so it got an Overrun rating of 9.5 drawn by whatever the next show was(Next show therefore drew a 2.3)

Even more interesting is the fact that the 7.1 rating derives from the earlier 7.3 rating, so not only did Austin/Undertaker not draw that 7.1, but also they lost viewers/tuned people out when they took that 7.3 to a 7.1.

Whereas the Highest Rated Segment in Raw history is “This is your life” with a 8.4 Non-Overrun(Therefore segment), which lost viewers when Mankind started giving presents/because of Mankind → slashwrestling.com/raw/990927.html

The Rock not only drew a 8.4 that night, but on May 1st 2000, Rock drew a 7.9 with his first promo after Backlash, and he also drew an 8.3 against Shane Mcmahon later in the night. slashwrestling.com/raw/000501.html

Another myth refuted.

 

[Wang Chung]

Thus far not one person has presented one shred of numbers, Rock was bigger than Austin.

No amount of crying, jokes, debate gymnastics changes the objective numbers. Disappointing really, thought there would at least be some form of credible debate.

Brooklyn Brawler sold 1 shirt in 1988. So he outsold Adrian Adonis and was a bigger draw. The Bushwackers sold 15 shirts at one gate which was 5 more than Hillbilly Jim on that night.


So the biggest draw was the Bushwackers


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