Backlash 2001

Nobody in that picture ever drew a dime except Austin whose heel turn killed the business

>>1703775
Literally every single wrestler in that match was a draw

>>1703781
The great buyrate shows that, yes

>>1703770
no chyna
WO MENS WREST LING

File: Untitled.png (930KB, 771x508px) Image search: [Google]

930KB, 771x508px

Jericho confirmed for draw

2000 was genuinely the best overall year in WWF history. 2001 was shaping up to be even better before WCW was sold and started the awful invasion angle.

Royal Rumble 2001 was amazing
No way out 2001 is one of of my personal favourite PPVs of all time
And WrestleMania 2001 really needs no introduction
Such a shame that WCW being sold had to run that amazing run.

>>1703770
Vince turned the biggest draw in wrestling history Heel one month or so prior.

Backlash 2000 - Rock in Main Event
Backlash 2001 - Austin in Main Event

Rock >>>>>> Austin

>>1703830
2000 was best for a in ring perspective but WWF creatively peaked with Austin vs Vince, that feud created the wrestling boom

>>1703770
One month ago, Austin and Triple h have the most heated rivalry since Austin/Vince.

One month later, Buddy buddies.

That's what happened.

Heel turn itself wasn't wrong but Austin and Haitch tag team was.

>>1703775

Haitch drew great. Look at No way out 2001, Haitch vs Austin three way heel match buyrate, it was the biggest of the month WWF ever did.

>>1703914
It really is the greatest story ever told, and it effectively killed the whole business. They are still trying to recapture it, even now with HHH.

>>1703909
HHH went into Backlash 2000 as champ so he gets more credit for the PPV buyrates than Rock

>>1703922
Austin could have feuded with Gillberg and it would do money

Him and Taker did the record Summerslam buyrate in 98. The same Taker who couldn't draw at WM13/26, and literally killed King Of the ring. The buys were so disappointing that they canned the PPV, he was champ and main evented

Next month, Rock is in the main event and the buys go up.

>>1703936
Austins return was the reason backlash 2000 did well, see also Unforgiven 2000

>>1703937
>Nobody can draw besides my wifebeating idol

The state of you Austincucks, I guarantee half the people here who say Hogan is the GOAT just say that to trigger you guys. Most insecure fanbase in wrestling

>>1703770
Attitude Era had ended and interest was declining extremely fast.

>>1703957
This.

>>1703941
I'm not denying this, ijs HHH gets more credit than Rock for Backlash 2000

>>1703957
>>1703963
I don't think so, InVasion 3 months after this did 770k buys which is the record for a non Wrestlemania PPV. This time, Austin was the face going in instead of the heel. I'd blame the shit buyrate on this almost entirely on Austins heel turn

>>1703974
Imagine that show with Austin vs Goldberg, would of set a all time ppv record

>>1704019
The thing that KILLS me with the inVasion angle is that they brought in Flair the day after the angle ended. Like, what the fuck were they thinking? Flair wasn't a huge draw, but he was a bigger name than anyone they brought in by far. And the second biggest name (DDP), got booked like a complete geek. If they got one or two WCW stars (not even all of them, just maybe Goldberg and Sting) the buys would have doubled

>>1703974
That's not Attitude Era, it's the lazy victory lap era.

>>1704045
I wasn't talking about the Attitude Era, I was talking about this

>Interest was declining extremely fast.

The second Austin turned face, the buys peaked again

>>1703770
Not even half a dime between all those men

>>1704048
I don't think PPVs are the best indicators of public interest, especially as the product becomes more and more niche. The people who buy PPVs are just a small segment of the people who watch the free product.

>>1703956
>dude states facts
>you get this assblasted about it

He's not looking like the insecure one here, my man.

>>1704061
So it's a fact that HHH and Taker didn't draw? Thats what he was implying

It's the same story, nobody ever drew or played their part if they were in a feud with Austin. He did all the work, and was the only reason anyone turned on the TV/bought the PPV

>>1704058
The ratings also went up at the only show Austin turned face on. The episode was built on Vince wanting "the old Stone Cold" and it had the famous moment where he came back and stunnered everyone on WCW/ECW

http://www.gerweck.net/tv-ratings/2001-ratings/

July 15-19, it was the July 16th show. It got a 5.0, which is the highest they hit since April

>>1704073
I didn't say that, but its a fact that Austin was clearly the main draw in both the HHH and Taker feuds. You can point to a bunch of occasions where HHH and Taker failed to draw, but you really can't for Austin besides his heel turn

Heel Austinetty that never drew a dime
Undertaker midcard jobber who never drew a dime
Triple Cuck that never drew a dime
Kane

>>1704089
how long after that did Austin retire

The weeks after WrestleMania 17 and the WCW buyout were precisely when business went down and never returned

>>1704097
2003, so a year and a half. But he took like a 7 month break when he walked out in 2002.

>>1704100
so the weeks without the rock

>>1704180
It was Austin's Heel turn that damaged business. Literally one of the worst business calls in wrestling history. Total fuck-up on many levels.
At least Heel Austin was an awesome character.

>>1703909
It was rumoured that Austin was gonna appear at the PPV after a hiatus

>>1704185
He made the call himself too

>"Worst call I've ever made other than refusing to job to Brock Lesnar at Atlanta. But, you know, that was my idea. Vince always likes to do something big at Wrestlemania. He didn't have anything big planned. So, me being The Rocket scientist that I am, I figured okay. You're a hot babyface, and if you turn heel, you're a hot ass heel to draw money like that. Or vice versa. By and large that is true for the most part if the time is right to turn. Well clearly the time wasn't right for me to turn

He tried to do a Hogan and start two wrestling booms and failed, although I respect the effort. He must have felt his face character peaked