Mick Foley Talks Legacy Of Steve Austin On “Austin 3:16 Day”
March 16th is Austin 3:16 Day, so who better to talk about than Stone Cold Steve Austin?
The general opinion among wrestling fans is that Steve Austin’s impact on professional wrestling cannot be overstated.
He was a genuine megastar, he helped wrestling cross into mainstream culture after years of decay, and he is still seen as THE key player in WWE’s win over WCW during the Monday Night Wars.
Even now, more than twenty years after Steve Austin’s peak, people within the wrestling industry still discuss the after-effects of Steve Austin, his feuds during the Attitude Era, and how he captured the hearts and minds of a generation. One of those people is Mick Foley, who saw Austin’s rise firsthand.
With Steve Austin being such a successful wrestling star, many have wondered if any subsequent or future wrestlers would or could reach the same heights as Austin. Unfortunately, Foley doesn’t think so.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Mick Foley explained why:
“We saw lightning strike twice with Steve and The Rock. The one knock I would have when my son was one of the main writers for NXT was, ‘Wow. That was great, that was great… I don’t remember anybody’s name.’
People tended to look and wrestle similarly, with a couple of exceptions. I’d be hard-pressed to name a handful of people even after watching a major show.
Rock had grown up with it in his blood. Steve was one of the last people in my generation to be a territory guy, so he was able to build that up.
I don’t know if we’re going to see somebody like Steve again. I really don’t know if you’re going to see someone who changes things that rapidly, that fully.”
h/t Fightful for the transcription