Looking back at WCW

[wazzu31]

Only things he really said no to was losing it to Shawn and in Canada. He was willing to do the job to anyone else but Shawn was a doped up, ungrateful asshole at that point in time, so he wanted nothing to do to losing to him.

I just put in the other reply, he said he would drop it to anyone else and offered it to Austin the night before but changed his mind. Undertaker’s solution to the whole thing would’ve been the best idea of putting him in with Bret in Detroit and one thing that to my knowledge no one has asked Bret about and since Vince won’t ever talk about it, we will never know if that was even feasible.

 

[UVA_Guy81]

I just don’t see it at Vince signed Bret because he didn’t want him going to WCW. Might have a small part of it, but the way Wrestlemania 12 ended it put a money storyline for a return match. Then all Bret’s shit talking in the summer of 96 when he wasn’t under contract all were leading to money PPV’s. Vince shouldn’t have done a 20 year contract (but to be fair, I don’t think when Vince negotiated it he was thinking it was 20 years of wrestling the way Bret thinks it was), but from Bret’s own mouth it wasn’t anywhere the money WCW offered. Bret was the only guy that could’ve gotten Austin over to the point he was, and someone who could turn DX into what it became.

The Owen thing you might be correct, but who really knows. I personally think Bret would’ve been ok with Owen doing it if he were still in the company because it was a good story for Owen to be on his own (IMO). I think a lot wrestlers look back on it with hindsight and say they wouldn’t have done it just like all the refs use to say no way they would’ve done what Hebner did. At the time, there wasn’t anything that would’ve led to someone thinking that stunt would have led to death. It was really shocking WCW legal though still allowed Sting to do it after Owen’s death.

Except it was known that Owen wanted nothing to really do with that stunt and I think offered other suggestions instead. I think Bret could’ve talked some sense into one of the Vince’s and gotten that cancelled.
Agreed about Bret being the best guy to get Austin over. Nobody would’ve even come close to replicating that WM 13 match with him to get both guys over.

 

[wazzu31]

it wasnt 20 years of wrestling. It included post in-ring career stuff as well.

I know it was, but that isn’t the way Bret seems to think of it though, or the way I take away from him talking about it. Especially considering he would’ve been relegated to mid card status in 98.

 

[wazzu31]

Except it was known that Owen wanted nothing to really do with that stunt and I think offered other suggestions instead. I think Bret could’ve talked some sense into one of the Vince’s and gotten that cancelled.
Agreed about Bret being the best guy to get Austin over. Nobody would’ve even come close to replicating that WM 13 match with him to get both guys over.

But in Martha’s lawsuit he went along with it because he thought it was safe. He could’ve said no, and personally I think he would’ve refused to do it had he thought it was dangerous. According to Vince Russo and Bruce Prichard, it was Owen who changed the run sheet because Godfather was suppose to come out first.

IMO Bret Hart was the perfect wrestler to set the foundation up for the Attitude era but had no real role in the attitude era. Bret got Austin over not just as Mania but turned him into an American hero in the Canada vs America angle that everyone rooting for, not just the fans in Chicago and the NE. He got over the Undertaker/Shawn feud which led to Kane. Shawn obviously had a hand in getting HHH over but Bret was just as responsible. As well as in a way Bret got the Rock over huge because they copied it in 98 to turn him.

 

[The Q]

But in Martha’s lawsuit he went along with it because he thought it was safe. He could’ve said no, and personally I think he would’ve refused to do it had he thought it was dangerous. According to Vince Russo and Bruce Prichard, it was Owen who changed the run sheet because Godfather was suppose to come out first.

IMO Bret Hart was the perfect wrestler to set the foundation up for the Attitude era but had no real role in the attitude era. Bret got Austin over not just as Mania but turned him into an American hero in the Canada vs America angle that everyone rooting for, not just the fans in Chicago and the NE. He got over the Undertaker/Shawn feud which led to Kane. Shawn obviously had a hand in getting HHH over but Bret was just as responsible. As well as in a way Bret got the Rock over huge because they copied it in 98 to turn him.

bret’s heel run is wildly underrated.

not only was it great work, but it was unique in that he was still the top face in the entire world everywhere else but the US

 

[UVA_Guy81]

But in Martha’s lawsuit he went along with it because he thought it was safe. He could’ve said no, and personally I think he would’ve refused to do it had he thought it was dangerous. According to Vince Russo and Bruce Prichard, it was Owen who changed the run sheet because Godfather was suppose to come out first.

IMO Bret Hart was the perfect wrestler to set the foundation up for the Attitude era but had no real role in the attitude era. Bret got Austin over not just as Mania but turned him into an American hero in the Canada vs America angle that everyone rooting for, not just the fans in Chicago and the NE. He got over the Undertaker/Shawn feud which led to Kane. Shawn obviously had a hand in getting HHH over but Bret was just as responsible. As well as in a way Bret got the Rock over huge because they copied it in 98 to turn him.

I thought he felt like he didn’t have enough pull to do something like that. Either way, I really wish that Vince let him out of his contract like the other members.

 

[wazzu31]

I thought he felt like he didn’t have enough pull to do something like that. Either way, I really wish that Vince let him out of his contract like the other members.

At least from Russo’s mouth and Prichard’s mouth. He wasn’t excited about it, but comfortable enough to change to where he went first so The Godfather couldn’t start pummeling on while he was trying to get it off. Owen wanted out? Seems he was fine staying with the company especially after his huge downside guarantee he got.

Martha knows him the best but hates anything WWE so you can’t really take her word for it. Then you have shoots from Bret when he was still in the mass shooter mode, but now he is back to being a company man. With hindsight everyone wishes Owen didn’t do it, and it is why Vince controls everything. Vince left Russo and creative in control of that one and a guy dies on his watch.

 

[wazzu31]

bret’s heel run is wildly underrated.

not only was it great work, but it was unique in that he was still the top face in the entire world everywhere else but the US

He was vital and laid the foundation for what became the attitude era so he worth every penny. His heel run got Stone Cold over to the point where he was the top face for everyone. Not just the jaded fans in Chicago, Philly, NY and Boston.

But once they went attitude his contract became an albatross.

 

[UVA_Guy81]

At least from Russo’s mouth and Prichard’s mouth. He wasn’t excited about it, but comfortable enough to change to where he went first so The Godfather couldn’t start pummeling on while he was trying to get it off. Owen wanted out? Seems he was fine staying with the company especially after his huge downside guarantee he got.

Martha knows him the best but hates anything WWE so you can’t really take her word for it. Then you have shoots from Bret when he was still in the mass shooter mode, but now he is back to being a company man. With hindsight everyone wishes Owen didn’t do it, and it is why Vince controls everything. Vince left Russo and creative in control of that one and a guy dies on his watch.

Yeah, I think he knew that if he stuck around after Montreal, things would be very uncomfortable and for some reason, he was the only one Vince didn't let out of his contract. I think he only stayed because he was looking for the final big payday and then retire, which I'm sure WCW would've given him as well since they threw money at plenty of people. And if he didn't fulfill his contract, I think Vince was planning on taking legal action if memory serves.

 

[wazzu31]

Yeah, I think he knew that if he stuck around after Montreal, things would be very uncomfortable and for some reason, he was the only one Vince didn't let out of his contract. I think he only stayed because he was looking for the final big payday and then retire, which I'm sure WCW would've given him as well since they threw money at plenty of people. And if he didn't fulfill his contract, I think Vince was planning on taking legal action if memory serves.

Owen got a fat pay raise after the Screwjob. But WWF creative fudged it up by bringing him back too early and Shawn was in a storyline. In an ideal world they should’ve held him out of action until after Mania 14. Owen being Vince’s second would’ve gotten over plus the rematch with Austin. Austin said he never wanted to work with him again but Austin didn’t have the stroke he eventually got. Could’ve done a 3 year run in top story’s had they just held him off. Could’ve been Vince’s second until the Rock ended up doing his turn at SS. As a face he could’ve been the IC champ feuding with HHH until Jericho got there, they could’ve feuded then finally Owen vs Angle. Putting him right back into a Shawn angle was dumb and crippled his chance at being the bridge to get from Austin to the Rock. Rock had Mankind, Austin could’ve done the same with Owen.

 

[UVA_Guy81]

Owen got a fat pay raise after the Screwjob. But WWF creative fudged it up by bringing him back too early and Shawn was in a storyline. In an ideal world they should’ve held him out of action until after Mania 14. Owen being Vince’s second would’ve gotten over plus the rematch with Austin. Austin said he never wanted to work with him again but Austin didn’t have the stroke he eventually got. Could’ve done a 3 year run in top story’s had they just held him off. Could’ve been Vince’s second until the Rock ended up doing his turn at SS. As a face he could’ve been the IC champ feuding with HHH until Jericho got there, they could’ve feuded then finally Owen vs Angle. Putting him right back into a Shawn angle was dumb and crippled his chance at being the bridge to get from Austin to the Rock. Rock had Mankind, Austin could’ve done the same with Owen.

He was pretty much buried by Hunter after he came back. If he came back after Wrestlemania and joined the Nation of Domination to extract revenge on him instead of coming back after a month or so and doing what they did, it definitely would've been better for him. Anything with Austin was always going to be a no go for obvious reasons. But I still think WCW would've given him a real good payday to come in as well and done it as a favor to Bret, to make them think that they actually cared about him. Knowing WCW, they probably would've stuck him in the cruiserweight division and he'd maybe advance to being a US title holder. But at least we would've gotten some phenomenal matches with him and Jericho, Eddie, Malenko, Rey, etc...
I think that Owen was much better as a heel than as a babyface. The type of character he was usually doing was right down his alley.

 

[wazzu31]

He was pretty much buried by Hunter after he came back. If he came back after Wrestlemania and joined the Nation of Domination to extract revenge on him instead of coming back after a month or so and doing what they did, it definitely would've been better for him. Anything with Austin was always going to be a no go for obvious reasons. But I still think WCW would've given him a real good payday to come in as well and done it as a favor to Bret, to make them think that they actually cared about him. Knowing WCW, they probably would've stuck him in the cruiserweight division and he'd maybe advance to being a US title holder. But at least we would've gotten some phenomenal matches with him and Jericho, Eddie, Malenko, Rey, etc...
I think that Owen was much better as a heel than as a babyface. The type of character he was usually doing was right down his alley.

Bischoff said he couldn’t even speak to Owen. Bulldog and Neidhart all got their buyouts so we’re free. I think Owen in 95 would’ve extended the life of WCW because he could wrestle cruiserweights but also mid card titles thus bringing Jericho and the Revolution dudes up soon because they hated being in the company.

I just think WWF created should’ve held on on bring him back until after the Royal Rumble. Wrote him into a storyline where he is the one that jacked Shawn’s back up and go from there. The Vince/Austin feud was amazing but always having that Austin/Owen dream return in the back pocket would’ve made sure he wasn’t just a mid card flounder. I mean hindsight booking and I actually liked the Blazer’s character being a comedy version of the RTC.