Jump The Shark Moments

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

The Jump the Shark moment had to have been somewhere in between Stone Cold Steve Austin's heel turn and HHH fucking a fake corpse. Somewhere in ALL OF THAT, the shark was jumped, with the flubbed Invasion storyline being the main catalyst.

The definition of jumping the shark I believe is where a show never finds its legs after a pinnacle moment/mistake/egregious error in writing (edit) (ie. Fonzy jumping the shark). Sure, there are still good episodes and good writing interspersed amongst the dreck, but realistically all the steam is lost. I would say the Invasion storyline really got the ball rolling, but Wrestlemania X7 was the apex of success for the company, and Austin turning heel symbolizes the compromise of integrity in the product often associated with jumping the shark. I personally though Austin was tremendous as a heel... but Austin hob knobbing with Vince, playing the ukelele with Kurt and generally being a chicken shit went against the attitude which helped the company reach its heights. Turning Austin heel, made him just another wrestler. What made Austin the guy people flocked to was that although he was kind of a bad guy (what with stunning women, drinking on the job, beating up non wrestlers etc.) was that behind all of that, he had a code (ala Omar from the Wire) and that Code was that he was not a fucking sell out. That was the very foundation of what made the WWF at the time. He was a go to hero to a lot of people... yeah, your girlfriend left you, you got fired from your job, you have erectile dysfunctions... but fuck, Stone Cold Steve Austin would die before he sold out to Vince McMahon and became just another wishy washy wrestling character whose allegiances would change on the whimsy of a creative decision.

If the company was willing to compromise the integrity of Stone Cold Steve Austin's character (albeit with his full support), it comes as no surprise that they never really found their stride again after that. Stone Cold hugging Vince McMahon is like Archie Bunker adopting a black child, it kills his edge, and really deflates the moral of those who supported him for all those years. The only way it works, is if there is someone waiting to have the torch passed to them... but there was nobody.

From there, the Invasion... well... less said the better, and the company slowly but surely stumbled there way into HHH fucking a corpse on live t.v. Somewhere in between all of that I feel like it doesn't take a fucking rocket scientist to put together that they lost the plot and it really starts with the killing of the greatest Anti-Hero character in all of wrestling history.

The company has never ever recaptured the magic they had with the Austin/Rock era and it all begins with the ill conceived heel turn at Mania X7. Realistically it's because they didn't have anymore competition so they've been on autopilot ever since, but the Austin Heel Turn symbolizes the company really losing their edge.

[Theo Dious]

Originally Posted by Gorgeous Dale Newstead The Jump the Shark moment had to have been somewhere in between Stone Cold Steve Austin's heel turn and HHH fucking a fake corpse. Somewhere in ALL OF THAT, the shark was jumped, with the flubbed Invasion storyline being the main catalyst. The definition of jumping the shark I believe is where a show never finds its legs after a pinnacle moment (ie. Fonzy jumping the shark). Sure, there are still good episodes and good writing interspersed amongst the dreck, but realistically all the steam is lost. I would say the Invasion storyline really got the ball rolling, but Wrestlemania X7 was the apex of success for the company, and Austin turning heel symbolizes the compromise of integrity in the product often associated with jumping the shark. I personally though Austin was tremendous as a heel... but Austin hob knobbing with Vince, playing the ukelele with Kurt and generally being a chicken shit went against the attitude which helped the company reach its heights. Turning Austin heel, made him just another wrestler. What made Austin the guy people flocked to was that although he was kind of a bad guy (what with stunning women, drinking on the job, beating up non wrestlers etc.) was that behind all of that, he had a code (ala Omar from the Wire) and that Code was that he was not a fucking sell out. That was the very foundation of what made the WWF at the time. He was a go to hero to a lot of people... yeah, your girlfriend left you, you got fired from your job, you have erectile dysfunctions... but fuck, Stone Cold Steve Austin would die before he sold out to Vince McMahon and became just another wishy washy wrestling character whose allegiances would change on the whimsy of a creative decision. If the company was willing to compromise the integrity of Stone Cold Steve Austin's character (albeit with his full support), it comes as no surprise that they never really found their stride again after that. Stone Cold hugging Vince McMahon is like Archie Bunker adopting a black child, it kills his edge, and really deflates the moral of those who supported him for all those years. The only way it works, is if there is someone waiting to have the torch passed to them... but there was nobody. From there, the Invasion... well... less said the better, and the company slowly but surely stumbled there way into HHH fucking a corpse on live t.v. Somewhere in between all of that I feel like it doesn't take a fucking rocket scientist to put together that they lost the plot and it really starts with the killing of the greatest Anti-Hero character in all of wrestling history. The company has never ever recaptured the magic they had with the Austin/Rock era and it all begins with the ill conceived heel turn at Mania X7. Realistically it's because they didn't have anymore competition so they've been on autopilot ever since, but the Austin Heel Turn symbolizes the company really losing their edge.

Austin's heel turn was ill advised but the first attempt COULD have worked, it was only in practice that it became a horrible idea. (Though some of the Taker/Kane bits were great. "Who was it that told Austin and HHH that besting up women and commentators made them badasses?") Th thing is that Austin's pre-Invasion rebirth as THE OLD STONE COLD could have justified it all, because the awesome moment where Freddie Blassie rose from his wheelchair & inspired Austin to take his +1 Pool Cue of Dearh to smite the Alliance wouldn't have had the same impact if Austin hadn't become a lost soul over the past few montths. Why they thought something that failed on the launch pad the first time would be any better in an even less believable scenerios is beyond me. At lea st we got the great matches with Austin, Jericho, and He-Who-We-Can-Apparently-Sometimes-Show-On-The-Network-Now. #still999

[Evil Vito]

Originally Posted by Gorgeous Dale Newstead The Jump the Shark moment had to have been somewhere in between Stone Cold Steve Austin's heel turn and HHH fucking a fake corpse. Somewhere in ALL OF THAT, the shark was jumped, with the flubbed Invasion storyline being the main catalyst. The definition of jumping the shark I believe is where a show never finds its legs after a pinnacle moment (ie. Fonzy jumping the shark). Sure, there are still good episodes and good writing interspersed amongst the dreck, but realistically all the steam is lost. I would say the Invasion storyline really got the ball rolling, but Wrestlemania X7 was the apex of success for the company, and Austin turning heel symbolizes the compromise of integrity in the product often associated with jumping the shark. I personally though Austin was tremendous as a heel... but Austin hob knobbing with Vince, playing the ukelele with Kurt and generally being a chicken shit went against the attitude which helped the company reach its heights. Turning Austin heel, made him just another wrestler. What made Austin the guy people flocked to was that although he was kind of a bad guy (what with stunning women, drinking on the job, beating up non wrestlers etc.) was that behind all of that, he had a code (ala Omar from the Wire) and that Code was that he was not a fucking sell out. That was the very foundation of what made the WWF at the time. He was a go to hero to a lot of people... yeah, your girlfriend left you, you got fired from your job, you have erectile dysfunctions... but fuck, Stone Cold Steve Austin would die before he sold out to Vince McMahon and became just another wishy washy wrestling character whose allegiances would change on the whimsy of a creative decision. If the company was willing to compromise the integrity of Stone Cold Steve Austin's character (albeit with his full support), it comes as no surprise that they never really found their stride again after that. Stone Cold hugging Vince McMahon is like Archie Bunker adopting a black child, it kills his edge, and really deflates the moral of those who supported him for all those years. The only way it works, is if there is someone waiting to have the torch passed to them... but there was nobody. From there, the Invasion... well... less said the better, and the company slowly but surely stumbled there way into HHH fucking a corpse on live t.v. Somewhere in between all of that I feel like it doesn't take a fucking rocket scientist to put together that they lost the plot and it really starts with the killing of the greatest Anti-Hero character in all of wrestling history. The company has never ever recaptured the magic they had with the Austin/Rock era and it all begins with the ill conceived heel turn at Mania X7. Realistically it's because they didn't have anymore competition so they've been on autopilot ever since, but the Austin Heel Turn symbolizes the company really losing their edge.

Yep, Austin's mentioned numerous times that while he loved working as a heel, WM17 stands right with walking out before the Lesnar match as the biggest regret of his career. Says if he could do it all over again, he'd have audibled everything in the ring and surprise Vince with a Stunner at the very end, therefore making it appear that he used Vince's help just to get the belt back and sucker Vince in in the process.

It's an interesting point though. Austin turned heel at WM17. 13 months later, the company was re-named to WWE. And anybody I knew who once watched wrestling but has fallen out of touch with it still refers to it as WWF even though the "new" company name has been in place for over 13 years. It just kind of shows how many people completely phased out of wrestling right after WM17 or somewhere around then.

[Emperor Smeat]

Originally Posted by Gorgeous Dale Newstead The Jump the Shark moment had to have been somewhere in between Stone Cold Steve Austin's heel turn and HHH fucking a fake corpse. Somewhere in ALL OF THAT, the shark was jumped, with the flubbed Invasion storyline being the main catalyst.

Might make a small argument that the final episode of WCW Nitro could be an earlier jumping the shark moment for the WWE.

What should have been the ushering of a new era ended up being just another McMahon family feud that evolved into the Invasion storyline and Austin's betrayal of the WWE. Austin turning heel being due to the Vince-Austin feud having no real reason to continue once the threat of WCW was gone.

Ratings-wise, WWE lost around a third to half of what it had during the Attitude Era within that short period of time and never got it back.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Originally Posted by Smelly Meatball Might make a small argument that the final episode of WCW Nitro could be an earlier jumping the shark moment for the WWE. What should have been the ushering of a new era ended up being just another McMahon family feud that evolved into the Invasion storyline and Austin's betrayal of the WWE. Austin turning heel being due to the Vince-Austin feud having no real reason to continue once the threat of WCW was gone. Ratings-wise, WWE lost around a third to half of what it had during the Attitude Era within that short period of time and never got it back.

Very valid point, which I kind of alluded to at the end of my post. I think in all actuality, WCW dying and Vince buying it was wrestling as a whole jumping the shark because really, it killed the fun of it all and WWE didn't have to be all that good anymore. But I think the ultimate embodiment of that fact was Austin turning heel like any other wrestler, when in all actuality this guy was the biggest star in history, and one thing he should never had done until there was no other option, maybe years and years down the line, was side with Vince McMahon.

Think about it, it took Hulk Hogan (including his AWA days) from like 1983 or something to 1996 to turn heel, and he only turned heel when he really wasn't over as a face anymore. I know it was a different time and slower moving, but jeez have some integrity Vince! You won't turn John Cena heel, who gets booed out of the building (though I can see where he's coming from), but you'll turn Steve Austin heel only 4 years after he started his face run.

[The CyNick]

Originally Posted by Gorgeous Dale Newstead Very valid point, which I kind of alluded to at the end of my post. I think in all actuality, WCW dying and Vince buying it was wrestling as a whole jumping the shark because really, it killed the fun of it all and WWE didn't have to be all that good anymore. But I think the ultimate embodiment of that fact was Austin turning heel like any other wrestler, when in all actuality this guy was the biggest star in history, and one thing he should never had done until there was no other option, maybe years and years down the line, was side with Vince McMahon. Think about it, it took Hulk Hogan (including his AWA days) from like 1983 or something to 1996 to turn heel, and he only turned heel when he really wasn't over as a face anymore. I know it was a different time and slower moving, but jeez have some integrity Vince! You won't turn John Cena heel, who gets booed out of the building (though I can see where he's coming from), but you'll turn Steve Austin heel only 4 years after he started his face run.

I didn't like the decision but I understand why it was done.

Austin was winding down and they felt like they needed to do something different, something shocking. Part of the failure was bad luck. HHH had been built up as someone who could turn face. The Austin heel turn and alliance with HHH would have worked much better if HHH didn't tear his quad and turned face. After Hunter went down and Rock disappeared, they went the comedy route. I think the bigger mistake was making Angle a comedy character as well. I was always wonder how big Angle could have been as a legit American hero if he was a serious fighter instead of a guy who drank milk and looked goofy. Nobody could have predicted it, but 9/11 could have pushed a legit badass Kurt Angle over the top.

As for The Invasion, looking back I think WWE gets blasted unfairly for that booking. The WCW roster available to them was dogshit. In no way would it make sense for WWE to allow legit icons of the era to lose to guys like Booker T and DDP. Yeah they could have dumped money at the real stars, but doing so would have screwed up their own payroll. Oh Nash gets paid double and works half the dates, I want that too. Before you know you recreated WCW where the real stars don't go on the road. In the long run I honestly believe that would have crippled their business.

I know people like to put on their fantasy booking hats and pretend like things like money and morale are not important, but they are. So in my mind Vince made the right call long term. The other factor is people always say they should have let WCW come in and dominate WWE. But those people don't understand branding. WCW allowed their brand to be tarnished by the nWo. Nash talks a lot about how the booking at the time was to build more and more heat. Most so called experts say that's how WCW v WWE should have been booked. When you look at how little value the letters WCW had post nWo you will see Vince made the right long term call burying then.