Top Talkers: Steve Austin

[Mr. Nerfect]

Figured I might as well get this thing rolling, since no one else will. Building off the TPWW Top Talkers thread, let’s talk about why we think the top talkers in history are on that tier, what our favorite promos from them are, what we think we can learn from them, etc.

First up might as well be one of the biggest wrestling stars of all-time. Steve Austin helped turn the WWF around in 1998 off the back of a tremendous 1997. What role did his speaking have in that? Do you most enjoy Austin 3:16? (S)Hitman? His Hollywood Blonds work? ECW? Or, you know it’s going to come up Alliance Leader Steve Austin?

Was it Austin’s directness? His grittiness? His delivery? His iconoclasm? What elements to a Steve Austin promo make your rattlesnake tingle?

[Lock Jaw]

I never liked Austin as a face "back in the day".... enjoyed his heel work vs Bret Hart, and then his heel work allied with Vince and Kurt Angle....

But I think, yeah it was his frankness and "matter of fact" way of speaking. Like he truly believed that he was a tough SOB who could whoop your ass and wasn't just reciting that from some script.

[Evil Vito]

While the man could obviously talk, I feel like I wasn't as drawn to his promos as much as his physical actions like jumping Vince in the hospital, filling Vince's car with cement, the zamboni, etc....basically all the classics. Vince (a brilliant talker in his own) getting a ton of heat on the mic and you're just waiting for Austin to come down and whoop his ass.

Even when doing a back and forth promo with someone there was always that looming sense of the Stunner coming that got you on the edge of your seat.

[Evil Vito]

The "WHAT?" chants resulting from his paranoid rattlesnake gimmick ended up ruining most promos from 2002 right up to the COVID shutdown. But that ain't Austin's fault for coming up with something that got over. It's more of an indictment that 95% of the roster speak in the same cadence.

[Bad News Gertner]

Stephanie McMahon was the one to shut that shit down

[Bad News Gertner]

1997 Austin is just so much fun all around. Easily my favourite Austin, followed by ECW Austin.

He was just so "Real" during his promos

[Curtis]

1997 Austin is just so much fun all around. Easily my favourite Austin, followed by ECW Austin.

He was just so "Real" during his promos

But was he as "real" as "Real" Nathan Natural?
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNIKAFMUZP1TvfXWpMC-1jzfXtl7L2r7k

Anyway, Austin is one of the greatest promo's in all of wrestling history, I think that's a fact. I wasnt a big fan of him as a face during his big time run, but I absolutely loved his heel work, was the best Austin imo.

[Lock Jaw]

While the man could obviously talk, I feel like I wasn't as drawn to his promos as much as his physical actions like jumping Vince in the hospital, filling Vince's car with cement, the zamboni, etc....basically all the classics. Vince (a brilliant talker in his own) getting a ton of heat on the mic and you're just waiting for Austin to come down and whoop his ass.

Even when doing a back and forth promo with someone there was always that looming sense of the Stunner coming that got you on the edge of your seat.

I can get what you are saying with the actions.... I only liked him as a heel but I can't really remember anything he said (besides his catchphrases), but more moments like him beating up Bret Hart, and then beating him up in the ambulance... or the blood at WM13....

[#1-norm-fan]

How many guys ARE there whose exact promos you remember as opposed to their matches/actions though?

[Lock Jaw]

Not many I guess. Even promos that I know I liked I couldn't tell you a thing that was said in them.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Austin was so fucking amazing in 1997. I remember him being gold on Livewire.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Not many I guess. Even promos that I know I liked I couldn't tell you a thing that was said in them.

Funny you should say that! Because 25 years ago today he had a pretty memorable one!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">25 Years Ago Today...<br>AUSTIN 3:16 was born. <br>Forever changing the landscape of professional wrestling. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wwe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wwe</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/steveaustinBSR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@steveaustinBSR</a> <a href="https://t.co/EBh4gpVtmx">pic.twitter.com/EBh4gpVtmx</a></p>&mdash; Dan Vollmayer (@VollmayerOnFire) <a href="https://twitter.com/VollmayerOnFire/status/1407551663792181253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[DAMN iNATOR]

Not many I guess. Even promos that I know I liked I couldn't tell you a thing that was said in them.

Rock: (as God) BOB? (as Billy Gunn, mocking) But my name's Billy! (as God again) IT DOESN'T MATTER what your name is!

Always sticks out.

[Destor]

i missed this thread somehow

Austin is a lgendary promo. he had catch phrases and as his career came to a close he got complacent and leaned on them more but at his peak there are few who could talk a guy into a seat better than him.

everyone remembers the Austin 3:16 catch phrase but that promo is next level. taking jakes arc and molding into his promo to put himself over is peak promo. guys like rock and cena spent theie promos making guys look foolish and burried their credibility. Austin got both guys over in his promos. this alone would make him exceptional.

the character obviously plays a huge role. the timing of the character when looking at what proceeded him coupled with having the ideal antagonist gave austin material that resonated with people who would otherwise never turn on wrestling but not just anybody could pull off that character.

his timing was also top of the line. top 3 for sure. he had such a great ear for when to deviate from the game plan and push a button. (a skill that resonated in his ring work too.)

[Jordan]

Austin in 97 was absolutely raw and unfiltered, he was one of a kind. It didn't take long for him to turn into a cliche of himself but that is almost every WWE main eventer including The Rock and Foley.

But I remember some of Austin's early promos, after his first neck injury where all he could do was talk, and his early feud with Vince. Legendary.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I haven’t watched it in a while, but I think my favourite Raw of all-time was the one where Austin tried to goad Vince into the WWF Title match. It will get marks for its overall storytelling, but I remember Austin’s psychology in that promo being masterful. Complete control over the audience.