Stone Cold Steve Austin wrestling CM Punk on WrestleMania has been the talk of the WWE Universe for almost a year but is it any closer to happening? Austin says he can go but I am starting to wonder if the money is with Punk or with someone else.
[adinserter block=”1″]Steve Austin returning to the WWE and wrestling on WrestleMania has been a topic of discussion for years, but it really began to heat up last year when Punk and Austin cut those great videos to promote the WWE ’13 game. Fans took it as the start of an angle and while it never went anywhere, those same fans have continued to hold on to that dream. I am not so sure that Vince McMahon and even Stone Cold Steve Austin would see it the same way.
I started writing a blog about Austin’s recent appearance on the Busted Open radio show. Austin and the boys talked a lot about Austin wrestling on WrestleMania 30. They also touched on the Punk match and it got me to start thinking about it. The more and more I look at it, I don’t know if Punk is even the second best choice for that spot.
Austin was asked about whether wrestling Punk would be an all-time match. Austin’s answer may surprise you because it isn’t exactly the ringing endorsement you’d hope to hear if you are pulling for Punk.
”Oh it definitely could (be an all-time match). It brings a lot to the table from a verbal standpoint with his well thought out promos, the way in which he conducts his business. I like his product in the ring. I like to see him turn it up more in the mainstream. I like to see a little more physicality, laying in stuff a little more. I like to see him be a little bit more aggressive. That’s just off the top of my head. Other than that, I like everything about the cat.”
The thing I immediately thought about was Punk’s recent turn. Did the WWE turn him too early? That is a topic for a whole other blog. If we are talking about the Austin match than yes, they did turn him early. Either the WWE has no interest in booking Austin, believed Austin wouldn’t do the match, or has another plan altogether if they can sign Austin for the New Orleans event. Sure Austin-Punk could still work with Punk as a babyface but it would have been much bigger to see Punk come in with a longer, more diabolical heel run under his belt.
The upside to this conversation was that Austin said he could go at WrestleMania 30. Austin isn’t looking for a match but says that if it’s the right fit, he’s healthy enough to get in there and open up a can of you know what.
If not Punk than who is the right opponent for Austin? I will tell you who…John Cena. John Cena vs. Steve Austin at WrestleMania 30 is more money than anything that the WWE can come up with today, tomorrow, or next year. The dynamic is so completely different that a match between the two would be epic. If I am looking at it from Vince McMahon’s standpoint, the money is with Cena, not Punk.
The only real problem there is that you can’t hold Steve Austin back. I am convinced that The Rock was held back following WrestleMania 27 on his promos and quite frankly they were never close to as good as they were when he first came back and cut promos on Cena. Every person in that crowd would be cheering Austin and that won’t look good for the guy that the WWE is marketing as their most popular wrestler. Whether they tell Austin to tone it down or not it is just not in his blood to do it. It will be a very hard pill to swallow but if they could they will cash in on the biggest match on the table.
Vince reportedly wants Cena to have an epic run which is why he booked the two matches vs. The Rock and the Three Stages of Hell match. It doesn’t get more epic than the white bread babyface against the beer drinking, street fighting, hero of the working man does it? Plus other than The Undertaker what options do they have for Cena?
If not Cena I’d look at Brock Lesnar. There is a natural dynamic, a real story, and a match that would probably be better in the ring than Cena vs. Austin. It would be a totally different dynamic but there could be some big money there with Brock vs. Austin.
I know the argument for Punk is that you are establishing him for the future. Punk’s future in the WWE is probably going to be shorter than Cena’s. Throw Austin in there with Dean Ambrose or Daniel Bryan if that is your argument. Punk is not a young guy and he has already teased retiring when his contract is up. The investment Punk would have been WrestleMania 27 or 28 not 30.
Whether it is Punk, Cena, Lesnar, or someone else the great news is that Austin’s health is no longer a concern. Austin says that he feels good and can go if called inside the ring.
[adinserter block=”2″]”Oh I’m healthy enough. My knees coming around just fine, it’s better than it’s ever been because I’ve been doing my do diligence on my rehab. I’ve got two new ligaments. Everything else is pain free. I’m still in shape been working out harder than I’ve ever worked out. But here’s the deal. When you’re gonna try to commit to do a Wrestlemania 30, you’re looking really at, at least a two to three month commitment, if not four. So you know you’re talking about, taking everything else of the table. I can still do my podcast but take everything else off the table and focus specifically on that task. To do it the way I would do it, to do it the way Stone Cold Steve Austin would do it, at a 120 percent. Because to go out there and to try to perform at 85-90 percent because you didn’t prep enough. That would be bogus, that would be BS that would be letting the crowd down. And that would be representing the Stone Cold Steve Austin that I know and love to a degree that is not acceptable. So once you throw a legitimate, real deal offer down on the table and say let’s talk, then we’ll talk. But until then, conjecture.”
Oh hell yeah!
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Austin vs Lesner would work, only problem that ppl missing is the fact matches don’t mesh well if you have heels facing off each other all the time likewise faces, chemistry would have to be just right, especially in their pg world of theirs, gotta have one face and one heel, good vs evil, it’s always been that way no matter what any changes are made to their sell their products
If we're talking about money making matches, I bet Cena vs Austin or Cena vs Taker would be the right choice. You've stated this many times before and I do not know how factual it is because I do not concern myself with sales too much: Cena sells more tickets than Punk.
I would, however, like to ask another questions EC, does Punk HAVE to be a big time heel in a Mania match against Austin? I mean, Rock vs Austin 2 at WM 17 (I think it was) involved two faces. I dunno. I just think that it could work with Punk believing that a win over arguably the Attitude Era's biggest star would solidify his claim as best in the world. I think that would be enough of a motive for a match between the two without a Punk turn.
Is this a CM Punk hate article? I dont see your point why Punk-Austin shouldnt happen, and a Cena or Brock match can.. And I dont mean to be disrespectful..
CM Punk v Austin is the match that most of us want..(barring a few it now seems).. I dont know if it is gonna happen or not, but its certainly the first option that Vince will look into if Austin decides to return.. Why? Coz the feud is obvious.. Austin has himself revealed if he returns, Punk is top of the list for guys he wants to face..
I understand why some might think Cena is the better choice.. Well the match will make money ofc.. but in terms of quality Punk v Austin will blow Cena v Austin out of the water.. Business wise too, it has the potential in my belief (although m no expert in that department..).. As a fan, and not only a CM Punk fan, i think Punk v Austin is the best Austin match to book if/when he returns.. And one of the main reasons why i say so is because Austin himself said so..
But ofc you're entitled to your opinion..
I figured Punk fans would perceive this as a Punk hate article. I don't think disagreeing is disrespectful unless you call me an idiot lol.
We disagree. Punk has been marginalized and Cena vs. Austin is the bigger match. Punk had his chance with Rock and while the buyrate was good, it was only an increase of 178,000. I'll concede that the Elimination Chamber and WM are two completely different shows so maybe that isn't accurate. I just don't think Punk has been positioned to do bigger business with Austin than Cena. Better match? Definitely.
Yeah I understand what youre trying to point out.. Cena is placed better in the company, so it is only normal to assume he will draw more.. But my point is that, the chemistry that I can imagine when a CM Punk and an Austin stands toe to toe in the ring…i cant imagine the same level of electricity between cena and austin.. you see, when Rock returned, it was a foregone conclusion that Cena and Rock would feud..and i wanted to see that too, despite not being the greatest of Cena fans.. Why? Bcoz something clicked.. Their characters meshed.. They already had heat from day 1 because of some things that had happened earlier.. fans ere expecting Rocky to take a jab at Cena when he returned..
But the same heat is absent between Cena and Austin.. You see, if Austin returns tomorrow and starts to cut a promo, people expect Punk's music to hit.. People want him to come and when he would they will give a big roar.. Just like they did when Rocky started owning Cena in that 1st promo of his.. I dont see that promo would get the same reaction if he returned and started to take jabs at someone else.. Similarly, I just think people want Punk v Austin, they expect it.. And I think some core Punk fans, and hardcore WWE fans would be a bit disappointed to see another attitude era star getting fed to Cena..
Plus you said it, Austin wont hold himself back like Rocky, and that isnt great news for Cena, who with all respect, is a pretty good talker..
I just think Punk-Rock lacked the chemistry/heat/edge that Cena-Rock possessed quite naturally.. The matches were as good if not better though, and I'm confident that Punk-Austin chemistry would outweigh Cena-Austin.. While both matches make sense, I think Punk-Austin would attract a lot of old attitude era fans back to wwe.. Its a tough job, but it might.. However, I totally understand your view..
Punk wants it,Austin wants it,hopefully Vince wants it and the most importantly wwe universe wants it.You dont want the match?Big deal!
I think Austin vs undertaker for undertakers retirement would be better than an Austin vs cena match
No i think Austin vs the undertaker to make the taker go into retirement would be a better match than Austin and cena