two Austin questions

[Dorkchop]

Was it ever explained why Austin joined Vince at Wrestlemania X Seven?

Was it ever explained why Austin joined the Alliance?

Both happening makes absolutely no sense. Why would Austin join Vince when he spent over 3 years fighting him. The only thing I can think of is Austin getting tired of fighting him all the time.

Why would Austin join the Alliance if he was so pissed at WCW for the way they treated him?

I've been meaning to ask this for a while, but I kept forgetting. I practically never missed a program back then and really don't know how or if either were explained. All my memory tells me is that Austin joined Vince at Wrestlemania and then he joined the Alliance. There has to be something more to it. GAH.

No wonder WWE's ratings and popularity started to drop in 2001.

[Loose Cannon]

I honestly don't remember what was said, but the interviews the next night on Raw will tell you. Actually, with the Alliance I think the whole thing revolved around Austin feeling more appreciated by Heyman, Steph and Shane and not Appreciated by Vince. I think he felt like Vince likd Kurt Angle more.

I cannot remember the whole interview after X-Seven. I do remember he attacked JR to get cheap heat.

[NeanderCarl]

Austin joined up with McMahon because he had an unhealthy obsession with becoming the champion after returning from neck surgery. The increasingly paranoid, broken down Austin "made a deal with the devil" by compromising his values and joining with McMahon in order to become (and remain) the champion.

Austin joined the Alliance because he felt slighted by McMahon. Austin turned his back on the fans to form an alliance with McMahon and mould himself into the kind of corporate champion that he had always rebelled against. Now mentally unstable and paranoid, his world revolved around McMahon's approval. As soon as the Alliance threat loomed, McMahon insisted that he wanted "the old Stone Cold" back. Pissed off that all of his efforts were for naught, and that McMahon seemed enamoured with rising star Kurt Angle, he turned his back on McMahon to join the Alliance.

[Loose Cannon]

then Austin went back to "WWF" like a month or two later when the Alliance folded. that whole storyline was just all over the place. the only good thing that ever came out of it thank god was Chris Jericho becoming Undisputed Champ in December

[thedamndest]

Here is the interview right after X-7:

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[NeanderCarl]

Well Austin would have HAD to go back to the WWF after the Alliance was put out of business, what other choice did he have?

[Loose Cannon]

yea I know, but why do the turn to begin with? he came back and turned babyface again the Raw after Survivor Series. it was like they tried to save the whole thing by turning Austin heel and then were like "fuck, this sucks, let's just go back the way things were and forget this whole thing" Plus they turned Angle heel too, which made even less sense given the whole 9/11 thing going on

[NeanderCarl]

Ausrin never technically turned babyface. He just continued his feud with Angle who had turned heel, so Austin became the face by default.

[Loose Cannon]

they were feuding before that?? I thought they were both on the Alliance?

[Volchok]

Angle turned on the Alliance, Allowing WWF to stay in business.

[XL]

Angle only 'joined' The Alliance just before Survivor Series. Prior to that he fought Austin at SummerSlam and Unforgiven.

[Loose Cannon]

yea exactly my point on how ridiculous the whole thing was. so Angle turns on the Alliance allowing the WWE to stay in business, but yet the next night Angle heels it up to the fans and Austin becomes the defacto face. very whacky shit

[Volchok]

In all reality...it's just a blur. WWF 2002-2006 is a huge blur for me.

[XL]

yea exactly my point on how ridiculous the whole thing was. so Angle turns on the Alliance allowing the WWE to stay in business, but yet the next night Angle heels it up to the fans and Austin becomes the defacto face. very whacky shit
Yeah, thinking about it it doesn't make any sense.

I remember Vince handing the WWF Title to Angle as a thank you on RAW. Then Flair debuted and reinstated Austin if I remember correctly.

Perhaps it was just a case of Flair = face and Flair sided with Austin, so Austin = face!?

[The Mackem]

yea exactly my point on how ridiculous the whole thing was. so Angle turns on the Alliance allowing the WWE to stay in business, but yet the next night Angle heels it up to the fans and Austin becomes the defacto face. very whacky shit

The whole alliance storyline was interesting because at the beginning it turned everything upside down relating to wrestler's dispositions, you had turns all over the place during the angle and then afterwards you had a sort of re-set (considering almost every heel had now 'left' the company)where people were basically shown for who they were so you knew where you stood.

Looking back it might seem weird but at the time it kind of made sense even though people declared the angle as whole a failure.

[Lord-Of-Darkness]

I enjoyed the whole Austin heel turn and Alliance storylines. Just saying.

[Loose Cannon]

oh don't get me wrong, I would take 2001 over anything today. It had a ton of swerves during that angle, which I love. But it's just funny looking back at it today

[Lord-Of-Darkness]

Yeah definately. I know a lot of people hate on 2001 - 2002 for the Alliance and the start of the brand split etc, but I loved it. And like you said, I'd take it over anything thats around today.

[Lord-Of-Darkness]

I actually tried to start building up dvds from 2001 and 2002, but being branded WWF, the shops don't stock them and everyone over prices them on the net.

[Dorkchop]

Austin should have came out in a suit.