Wyld Samurai Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Hence why he's a "poor man's". It is a different style today. That hurts the artform a ton for the WWE. But look back at how Austin wrestled before the injury and tell me he wasn't infinitely a better ring performer than most of the guys on the current roster who just do over exaggerated done to death spots. Cena had it called out on him back at ONS 06. Even look back at the lower card guys back theN their matches made sense and their offense made sense. Not like Apollo Crews who needs his opponent to flip over after the gorilla press slam so he can do a standing moonsault for a pinfall attempt. That's absolutely horseshit by anyone's standards. All Apollo has to do is invert the Press slam so he automatically falls on their back. Guys like Regal, Orndorff, Double A and Larry Zybisco sucked? It's not nostalgia for their characters... it's nostalgia for the fact that their shit look good, made sense, and could get the crowd involved without shortening their careers or looking like morons with blatant assists to their opponents offense like Kalisto needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristobal Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Austin was better than Cena. Godfather, the New Age Outlaws, and Test were not better than Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Cesaro. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRGoldman Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Any time someone has rose colored glasses about the Attitude Era and the overall talent of the roster, I implore them to go back and watch any of those Royal Rumbles. They were thin. Cristobal, was Austin better than Cena? He was cooler, for sure, but I would say that Cena had a better best match, the better top 5 matches, a better peak year, has had better matches with bad opponents, and a better stretch of TV matches with his US Title Open Challenge thing. Austin had a ton of memorable moments and made Raw appointment television, but I'm not sure I agree with the case that he's a better in ring wrestler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristobal Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Austin before his body broke down was absolutely a better in-ring wrestler than Cena is today. Even later he used what he could still do to maximum effect. I'm not knocking Cena, either. Steve Austin is pro wrestling. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go2Sleep Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 I'd say Austin was better personally, but when you're comparing two elite guys like that, it's pretty much all gonna come down to personal taste. Still, does Cena really have a match better than Austin vs. Bret at WM 13? And I'd put Austin in 2001 against any year for Cena (07 probably being his best). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spritenaut 32 Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 I'm not sure there's a right or wrong answer, but, for me, l'd definitely take Cena over Austin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRGoldman Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 I would say that both the Umaga match and the Bryan match are better than the Bret match. I would listen to arguments about the Dude Love match being better than than the Bryan match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madsplash Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Cena also had the Money In The Bank match with Punk, Extreme Rules against Lesnar, and the series with Owens. I really can't think of any Austin matches I'd put above those or the aforementioned Umaga and Bryan ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nice Guy Eddie Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 51 minutes ago, madsplash said: Cena also had the Money In The Bank match with Punk, Extreme Rules against Lesnar, and the series with Owens. I really can't think of any Austin matches I'd put above those or the aforementioned Umaga and Bryan ones. Austin vs. Bret- Survivor Series '96. I think that's better than the WM13 match. Austin/Mero from KOTR '96 is one of Austin's more underrated matches. Cena also had much higher quality opponents than Austin had pre-Bret and pre-injury. Before the Bret matches, Austin was working Savio, no condition to work Jake, and morbidly obese Yoko. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinit Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Cena has also had a much longer run at the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTTW Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 4 hours ago, Cristobal said: Austin was better than Cena. Godfather, the New Age Outlaws, and Test were not better than Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Cesaro. What does the merch sales say, because the ratings are likely pointing towards a "they probably were." Were those guys better works, nope. But I can rattle off multiple things said by Godfather and NAO. Can't say the same for Owens, Sami, and Cesaro. I like all three better as wrestlers, but unless things change, they're not going to be remembered fondly, if at all, outside of by the wrestling geeks. Damn shame too, because Cesaro and Owens should be carrying the company right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sydneybrown Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 1 hour ago, DTTW said: What does the merch sales say, because the ratings are likely pointing towards a "they probably were." By that logic Walker Texas Ranger was a better show than Breaking Bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rzombie1988 Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Rumors are Cena vs Nakamura in Hawaii. WWE is dumb as fuck. If they paired this with say Itami/Brock they'd sell an easy 35,000 tickets at the Tokyo Dome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thee Reverend Axl Future Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 This is some down-thee-rabbit-hole shite, to compare Austin to Cena. Both are top draws ever and big influences and record setters, to be sure. Both have great charisma, definitely the "it" factor. I could conceive of making an in-ring comparison between the two (in which, in my opinion, Austin dominates) but as complete workers there is a vast gulf separating them. I would be hard pressed to name more then a couple of Cena's angles, feuds or promos that could match Austin's body of work. Austin has worked more styles and shown more versatility, which is more a factor of the times he wrestled in. Cena has had some great "big" matches (his forte') but I would rank Austin's ECW or Hollywood Blondes TV work over the majority of Cena stuff, especially his mic work and RAW/SD matches. Austin's psychology and storytelling are much better. Perhaps it is a generational thing - does the Cena-over-Austin crowd skew younger? shaking my head, RAF 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cristobal Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Cena/Bryan better than Austin/Bret? I thought I was one of the bigger Bryan backers on the board, but I don't see that. Also: Austin/Steamboat 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zev Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 This thread has me wishing there could've been an Austin vs. Umaga PPV match. And Cena vs. Steamboat And Cordell Walker vs Walter White. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzil Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 16 minutes ago, rzombie1988 said: Rumors are Cena vs Nakamura in Hawaii. WWE is dumb as fuck. If they paired this with say Itami/Brock they'd sell an easy 35,000 tickets at the Tokyo Dome. And guarantee an extra 1/2 * from Meltz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SorceressKnight Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 2 hours ago, bazzil said: And guarantee an extra 1/2 * from Meltz Meltzer's going to be too busy with his thesis about the Okada nude photobook and how it shows he's a manlier star than Shawn Michaels's Playgirl to focus on a WWE Tokyo Dome show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go2Sleep Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 5 hours ago, madsplash said: Cena also had the Money In The Bank match with Punk, Extreme Rules against Lesnar, and the series with Owens. I really can't think of any Austin matches I'd put above those or the aforementioned Umaga and Bryan ones. The Rock matches at Mania (17 and 19)? The 3 stages of hell with HHH? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChesterCopperpot Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Brock vs Owens was announced for that Hawaii show alongside the Cena/Nakamura match Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuerrillaMonsoon Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 92 Wargames? Benoit/Jericho vs. 2 Man Power Trip? the Benoit match on Smackdown? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRGoldman Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 8 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said: Cena also had much higher quality opponents than Austin had pre-Bret and pre-injury. Before the Bret matches, Austin was working Savio, no condition to work Jake, and morbidly obese Yoko. John Cena got great matches and PPV programs out of Khali and Bobby Lashley. I'm not sure quality of opponent is an argument in favor of Austin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 6 hours ago, Cristobal said: Cena/Bryan better than Austin/Bret? I thought I was one of the bigger Bryan backers on the board, but I don't see that. Also: Austin/Steamboat I love the Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena match at SummerSlam 2013 but Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 is better. There's so few if honestly ANY match I'd have above it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig H Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Bret vs Austin is damn near a perfect match. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 1 minute ago, Craig H said: Bret vs Austin is damn near a perfect match. A classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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