The Fight Club 11.21.00

Posted by Josh Nason on 11.21.2000

Let's face it - even the most ardent WWF fan got some Rock overexposure during the past year.

Let's face it - even the most ardent WWF fan got some Rock overexposure
during the past year. It was hard not to as the WWF poster boy for
2000 took the ball and ran with it onto almost every facet of American
pop culture today. It was harder not to find the Rock that in was to
search for him.

However, the man that was the figurehead for the WWF's resurgence -
Stone Cold Steve Austin - finally returned and after this past
weekend's events, Austin has retaken his spot as the No. 1 star in the
company. While it can be argued that Triple-H is the most versatile
wrestler on the planet, there is something about the Rattlesnake that
is captivating to watch.

Take his Survivor Series contest against Triple-H and compare it to
RAW's dream match vs. Chris Benoit. In two totally different
scenarios, Austin played his part well and took hard bumps on his way
to two solid outings that prove he is physically ok to perform. While
Sunday's match was a straight-ahead brawl that ended very poorly,
Monday's match was a real wrestling encounter, rare in today's TV
dominated wrestling landscape. Stone Cold essentially flipped off all
of his critics that said he was just a straight kick-punch wrestler and
matched the Crippler move for move.

Real wrestling is so rare these days - and done so poorly when
attempted - that a match like Monday's makes the real fans yearn for
more like it.

Why is Austin's resurgence so important? One reason is that the Rock is
still mega-popular but needs a break from the top slot for a while. He
will have plenty on his hands later on when the eventual Austin-Rock
saga erupts again and keeping him out of the title picture is a great
move for the WWF. Another is that while Austin looks great now, one
wrong fall and he could be out again for good. One has to think that
Austin has less than five years left in the business, which could be a
conservative estimate. Enjoy him now - he won't always be there.

Finally, the WWF now has someone that can carry a televised main event.
There is only so much Rock-Triple H one fan can watch in any period of
time and Austin provides another top card to throw into the mix. He
also is allowing the WWF to groom Chris Jericho and Billy Gunn for the
top face spots in the upcoming year while not pushing them too quick.
In Jericho's case, he is a diamond that the WWF has yet to shine and
when they do, put on your sunglasses. When the time comes for Austin
to step aside, Jericho or Gunn will be the one to take his spot.

Overall, it is just fun as a fan to watch someone the crowd gets into
again. The pop Austin gets when that glass breaks still makes me proud
to be a wrestling fan and is proof that even a beer-drinking bald guy
with bad knees can make 20,000 people get up off their feet.