PWTorch Newsletter Flashback - 10 years ago this week (May 2003)

TORCH #756: TOP FIVE STORIES
By Wade Keller, Torch editor

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(1) Steve Austin announces retirement from pro wrestling

It wasn't amidst a lot of fanfare, and it wasn't surprising, but in an article at WWE.com on Monday night, Steve Austin uttered these words: "I'm not wrestling anymore, that was my last match," in reference to his WrestleMania match.

Austin had been very emotional in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, not seeming to be himself. After he jobbed to Rock at WrestleMania, Rock leaned down and had what observers said was an emotional conversation with Austin. Rock knew it then, and Austin knew it then. Injuries, in all likelihood, had added up and would force Austin into retirement.

Austin has begun to recant, or at least revise, his story about why he walked out last year. He is now admitting that a big part of the reason he left WWE last year was due to major health issues. Previously, Austin had portrayed his reason for walking out being a result of frustration with management. It's always been known, though, that the pain and tingling as a result of his neck problems were taking a toll on him mentally.

"I've got some serious problems with my neck," Austin said. "It's too long and too complicated to discuss. But a lot of the reasons I walked out of this company seven or eight months ago were things I didn't want to talk about at the time because we had WrestleMania coming up. The biggest reason I walked away was because my health is going downhill so badly, I can't compete at an acceptable level to me, and at a risk factor that's high enough to me. Everything I do in the ring is very dangerous and makes me go even further downhill. It's potentially something where I could end up being a quadriplegic. That was the biggest reason I walked out. The creative and political issues were just icing on the cake, the straw that broke the camel's back."

Austin added, though, that "in this business, I've learned never say never, but I would say probably 99.9 percent out of a 100 that you'll never see Rock and Stone Cold in the ring again." He said he doesn't want people to feel sorry for him. "I meet Make-a-Wish kids all day long, so I'm not singing a sad story. I don't feel sorry for myself; I don't want anybody else to feel sorry for me." He said he is looking forward to developing his character now that he won't be wrestling. "I want to be something that's equally entertaining, just not doing it in the ring."

Austin also said he might pursue acting in Hollywood, but it's not at the top of his priority list. He did say he might consider a return to the ring at WrestleMania XX next year, but only under the right circumstances and if he felt he wouldn't let the fans down with the limited performance he'd be able to give them.

(2) Steve Austin appointed co-GM of Raw by Linda McMahon

In a storyline development aimed at giving Steve Austin a significant TV role that won't require him to wrestle, Linda McMahon appointed him co-general manager of Raw on the Apr. 29 episode. Eric Bischoff had spent the evening making passes and inappropriate propositions to Trish Stratus. Linda explained that she was bringing in Austin to keep Bischoff in check.

WWE is banking on the dynamic between Austin and Bischoff drawing more viewers for Raw and help advance storylines. This angle had been planned for several weeks, ever since it became apparent that Austin wouldn't be physically capable of wrestling a regular schedule as he and WWE management had initially hoped when he agreed to return to TV earlier this year. Austin closed the show by giving Bischoff a Stunner and saying that he'd start working with him, instead of against him, starting on Tuesday morning.

(3) WWE begins to survey fans to find out what they want

WWE has decided to ask their customers directly what they would like to see more or less of on TV and at arenas. Fans attending house shows this weekend were given surveys asking them 13 questions. On Monday they sent an e-mail to their mailing list asking them to visit a website where they could fill out a questionnaire with 35 questions. The poll asked about their fans' age and racial background, how often they watch WWE TV or visit WWE.com, how often they've attended live WWE events, how much of their decision to attend or not attend is based on whether the event is televised, whether having a chance to meet a wrestler before or after the event would influence their decision to attend, and how WWE events rate in value compared to other live entertainment events they attend.

WWE also asked fans to compare Smackdown and Raw by indicating which of the shows, if either, they consider "unpredictable," "stylized or polished," an "escape from reality," "athletic or sporty," "family viewing," "humorous," and several others. The polls also inquired whether fans would rather see more backstage storylines or more in-ring action, more muscular stars or smaller athletic stars, younger stars or legendary stars.

(4) Brock Lesnar pins John Cena clean to retain belt at PPV

In the WWE Smackdown Title match at Backlash, in the third-to-last match, Lesnar pinned Cena clean after an F5. The match showed both the current limitations in the ring and signs of potential of both young WWE stars who, by all expectations, are going to be headliners for the company for years to come.

(5) Final Smackdown before PPV draws a low 3.1 rating

With the major PPV storylines centering around Raw wrestlers, Smackdown ratings suffered headed into Backlash. Hype for Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena, Rey Mysterio vs. Big Show, Team Angle vs. The Guerreros, and Rikishi vs. Sean O'Haire drew just a 3.1 rating, down from the 3.3 rating the week before.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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