>Wins the 1997 pro wrestler of the year award over Steve Asutin

Was Austin's popularity retroactively retconned? I guess no one cared about him until Mr McMahon the GOAT heel character elevated him

>>18025163 (OP)
>1997 pro wrestler of the year awar
According to who?

>>18025174
Pro wrestling fans

Austin was injured for a large part of 1997 and his peak wasn't until the following year.
Dean's peak was being the toughest manlet in the cruiserweight division, so ya 1997.

>>18025195
So the Austin Hart match wasn't actually that big of a deal at the time? Guess that's retconned history then

>>18025163 (OP)
Wrestling fans don't want to admit the fact that Steve Austin was never actually in the GOAT conversation or that good for that matter. His entire success is being carried by Mr McMahon. His flash in a pan run at the top proves it too, by 2002 he had already fallen down the card and that's why he walked out and eventually retired, because he knew he was done

>>18025163 (OP)
pwi was courting the smarks at that time since internet fans and metlzer's dirtsheet were becoming more known. pwi wanted to be seen as more "legit" rather than just a kayfabe mag

>>18025195
>>18025229
You're both gay and retarded. Austin's popularity rose from his SummerSlam injury all the way to his 'Mania main event later in March of the next year. It was an uninterrupted rise that was helped by the fact that he showed up to TV injured every week or so and did interviews.

>>18025482
Wasn't enough to win over Dean Malenko in the eyes of the fans I'm afraid. Industry plant

>>18025163 (OP)
>>18025181
>>18025229
PWI is a kayfabe magazine you retard lmao

>>18025505
Dean Malenko wasn't over for more than a couple of months, he's basically Dolph Ziggler of the '90s. DDP was much more significant at the time to fans.

>>18025514
So even the marks liked Dean over Cuck Old? Grim

>>18025163 (OP)
Dean is the reason the cruiserweight division worked. It would be been aew tier goofy circus routines if he wasn't there to ground the flippy shitters mid flip and actually tell a story.

Anyway nobody cares what Dave the troll says. Austin heated up in late 1997 post injury. Pre injury he was a great technical wrestler but not at his popularity peak.

>>18025163 (OP)
DEAN HALLOWEENO WORK FOR MOSSAD

>>18025229
It was the double turn that started the crowd cheering Austin and turning on Bret which gave us Austin vs Hart Foundation which started Austin's rise to mega stardom. It didn't happen overnight.

Are you a troll or an ignorant retard?

>>18025540
So coincidentally Austin only got over when he feuded with Mr McMahon like I said

>>18025601
Why are you the way you are?

>>18025610
Have I become the enemy because I told you the truth?

Watch all his matches from that year, high quality every time.

>>18025651
You're just confidently wrong. How do you just gloss over Rock vs Austin like that? In short succession Stone Cold feuded with Bret, Owen, Rock, and Shawn, THEN Vince.

>>18025229
It was a great match, but WWE's propaganda is weird in it's telling. They act as if once Austin 3:16 speech happened *snaps fingers* Austin was the top guy. Austin was starting to get over in early 97, but it really wasn't until SummerSlam and the injury were it was like "okay there's something here".

They got creative with how they kept him on TV until he was cleared, stunning JR, Lawler, Slaughter, and then Vince. By the time 98 rolled around he was the only reason to watch WWE.

Watch all his matches from that year, some of the most boring, lame, stupid goddamn motherfucking manlet bullshit every time.

>>18025716
He was already giving Vince stunners in late 1997, you might want to check your timeline

>>18025163 (OP)
PWI awards are kayfabe and Austin was a jobber for most of 97 despite being mega over

Bait used to be believable.

>>18025651
You're using an imaginary award from autistic basement dwelling jew Dave Meltzer being awarded to dimeless charisma vacuum jew Stinko Malenko to make an incorrect claim that Steve Austin's popularity was retconned.

The image you posted was the only time Stinko got anything resembling a pop in his entire career. Austin was getting more reactions in 1996 than the biggest moment of Stinko's career which was solely because of Chris Jericho forcing it into existence. And it took place in 1998. Not 1997 when Stinko "won" wrestler of the year.

Every moment before and after this of Stinko's career he got zero reaction from the crowd.

>>18025770
Vince was a commentator at the time..do you think Austin also "feuded" with Jim Ross?

>>18025770
This is the most accurate account of it:
>>18025750

Vince was just another victim of the stunner in 1997. The feud didn't really start between them until Austin interrupted the Tyson appearance.