A decades-old video clip shows WWE veteran Eric Bischoff taking shots at The Texas Rattlesnake Steve Austin and his time in WCW.
The legacy of Steve Austin in pro wrestling can easily be understood by analyzing his Wrestlemania 38 performance. Stepping into the ring after almost 20 years, The Texas Rattlesnake still had the same impact on the live audience. But, the Hall of Famer was not seen as big of a superstar during his run in WCW.
In fact, the then-President of the company Eric Bischoff, fired him saying he is a less ‘marketable’ wrestler.
Stone Cold Steve Austin’s WCW run, especially his departure was one of the biggest talking points of the mid-90s. He was fired from the company while he was recovering from a tricep injury. That being said, in his 4 years there, Austin fought for every title but the WCW championship.
In an interview in 1998, the former president of WCW shared what would have happened if Steve Austin would have stayed.
Eric Bischoff took shots at Steve Austin saying, ‘He couldn’t be at the top in WCW’
3 years after firing him, Bischoff stated that if Steve Austin was in WCW right now, he would be a mid-card player. The former WCW president noted that with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and others in WCW, he would have stayed in the mid-card.
Not just that, he even called Steve Austin a big fish working in a small pond. Bischoff believed if Hogan and co. were in WWF in 1998, Austin would have been in the mid-card there too. He further added that Austin is working in an environment where he can be at the top. But, Stone Cold Steve Austin would have never been on the top in WCW. He said:
“Right now, he would be a mid-card player… The fact is Steve Austin is a big fish in a relatively small pond when it comes to a talent roster… He couldn’t be at the top in WCW and he knew that.”
Well, that doesn’t appear to be true as Steve Austin is one of the G.O.A.T of the game. Despite retiring almost 2-decades ago, The Texas Rattlesnake is still a marketable superstar.
When the local boy entered the arena of the most Stupendous show of shows
Vince McMahon promoted Wrestlemania 38 with the tagline ‘stupendous’ and was headlined by Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar. But, one of the best moments of this year’s showcase of immortals was Steve Austin wrestling again.
The Texas Rattlesnake shook the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, which is also his hometown. Despite being 57, he cheered up the 65,000-plus people with his impromptu No Holds Barred match against Kevin Owens. Not to forget, the stunner he delivered to Vince McMahon brought back old memories of many fans.
Anyway, it was a good thing Steve Austin was fired from WCW because that led him to WWE. And what place he has in WWE history, is still a dream for many veterans.
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