Jack Swagger, Seth Rollins, Zack Ryder Respond to Vince McMahon ‘Brass Ring’ Comment

During his WWE Network podcast interview with Steve Austin, Vince McMahon made comments about the current roster being less apt to “grab the brass ring.” He attributed it to a “Millennial” attitude. Several WWE stars have commented, including Jack Swagger who discussed the comments with Mike Jones of DC101

“This is an environment where literally hundreds of thousands of people want to be on this roster, and there’s what, 75 of us on top?” said Swagger. “To get here you have to be very ambitious but to stay here you need even more. It takes a lot of drive and a lot of hard work. I can only speak for myself that I have gotten hungrier. As far as the rest of the locker room, you know, it’s tough but you gotta see the finish line and sometimes that’s hard to do.”

Seth Rollins and Zack Ryder also commented, posting to Twitter:

No better way to grab the brass ring then to take out the so-called last guy to do just that. #WWETLC #TablesMatch How's that for ambition? - Seth Rollins

When my shoulder is healed and I come back, I'll grab that brass ring again...but nothing will stop me this time! - Zack Ryder

Video: Vince McMahon comments on lack of ambition in the WWE locker room

Recap of the Austin-McMahon Podcast

“Stone Cold” Podcast featuring Vince McMahon
Monday, December 1, 2014
Report by Sean Hopkins of WrestlingNewsWorld.com

Steve Austin is shown recording asking fans to give a ‘hell yeah’ if they’re ready for a live interview with Vince McMahon. This transitions into a video package showing some of the highlights of the Austin/McMahon rivalry before heading into the studio where Austin welcomes the fans and Vince McMahon to the show.

Austin asks how the Network is doing right off the bat. Vince says it’s doing great. Subscriptions are good, 90% satisfaction level. Austin asks specifically about the UK. Vince says he hopes to have it settled by the 1st of the year, but he doesn’t want to say too much too soon.

Austin talks about being asked to debut the Network, and he asks if it’ll ultimately meet McMahon’s high expectations. McMahon says it’ll take a bit of time to build some content and give them exactly what they want, which they’re doing right now.

Austin asks how in tune McMahon is with the crowd. McMahon says Pro Wrestling is where his dad came from, and Sports entertainment is about telling a story. Some of the matches don’t hit, and Steve knows that. McMahon thought Wyatt and Ambrose looked good tonight, and the six man match was also good.

Austin brings up the three hour length of Raw. McMahon says no one does that, and they’ve been doing it for many years. They’re all over the world, and when you’re traveling every week, they do magic with a lot of help and a lot of people behind the scenes. Performers have to be right, whether they’re hurt, or haven’t had sleep, they have to be at their best.

Austin talks about enjoying his run, but when he watches the show, he wants more wrestling. He understands there’s not to many guys and girls, but he thinks the first segment takes too long to build up to the hook. McMahon says you can’t have two guys wrestling for wrestling’s sake, you have to have guys who are adversaries and that’ll make you want to see the outcome.

Austin talks about the change in atmosphere in the locker room, and that there’s guys and girls walking on eggshells because there’s no other options, Austin even name checks TNA. McMahon says not to piss anyone off. Austin says he pissed a lot of people off. McMahon says they’re millenials, and there are a lot who don’t want to grab the brass ring. He talks about Wyatt, Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns as those who might change that. He says there’s not enough laughter and shenanigans as back in Austin’s day.

McMahon continues talking about millenials fear of failing, and being exposed. He says he’s given everyone opportunities, and things from a social media standpoint. It helps talent, and gives them tools that people like Austin didn’t have, and they use it, but not in the way Austin did.

Austin issues a challenge to the WWE Superstars, to go out on a limb. Austin says McMahon needs more depth on the roster, and McMahon agrees. Austin says you have to go on a limb to get over, and Vince agrees.

More?

Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Live Podcast Coming to the WWE Network, Who is His First Guest?

WWE announced at Survivor Series that Steve Austin's live podcast will debut on the WWE Network after RAW on December 1st at 11:06pm EST.

Austin's special guest will be Vince McMahon.

Chris Jericho Talks About What Match He Can’t Watch Anymore

“What was voted the best match in Raw history by a lot of people, Jericho and Benoit vs. Triple H and Austin, so famous for being the night H tore his quad during the match, the crowd going bananas and the first time anybody had vanquished the evil Steve Austin and Triple H. It was a huge night in WWE history, a huge moment in the history of the Tag Team Championships and a huge moment in the history of my career, and I can’t ever see that match really. I can’t watch that match. I think I’ve watched it once and it’s good, it’s a great classic five star match, but it’s always tainted when I see Chris Benoit.”

This Day In Wrestling History

Clarence Eklund defeats Elmer "Pet" Brown in Houston, TX for the World Lightweight title.
September 14, 1917

The Arizona Republic newspaper claims that Jim Londos had wrestled in Athens, Greece in 1928 in front of 65,000 people. Londos is photographed with his father in front of the supposed crowd.
September 14, 1929

Vince McMahon, with help from Stone Cold Steve Austin, defeats Triple H for WWF(E) Title.
September 14, 1999

No WWE Guests On JR's Podcast

WWE has allowed several of their talents to appear on podcasts for Steve Austin and Chris Jericho but not Jim Ross. A fan on Twitter asked Ross about Ric Flair possibly appearing on The Ross Report and JR replied with the following:

"No. Flair's a wwe guy. WWE hasn't approved any podcast guests for me."

SummerSlam Panel Series

Members of the WWE Universe can get closer to their favorite Superstars and Hall of Famers than ever before this summer when Club Nokia at LA LIVE in Los Angeles hosts the live SummerSlam Panel series Aug. 15-17. Tickets for the interactive events go on sale at AXS.com starting this Saturday, July 26, at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.

The panels give the WWE Universe the opportunity to ask questions directly to their favorite WWE Superstars and Hall of Famers including:

Hulk Hogan on Friday, August 15 at 7 PM PT. The WWE Hall of Famer and pop-culture icon will talk about his legendary career in and out of the ring, as well as his recent return to WWE.

"WWE 2K15" Roster Reveal hosted by Stone Cold Steve Austin featuring John Cena, Hulk Hogan, Roman Reigns, Sheamus and Cesaro on Saturday, August 16 at 10 AM PT. In addition to speaking about their respective WWE careers, the panelists will reveal the official roster for 2K’s upcoming WWE 2K15 video game, which is available October 28. VIP Ticket holders will receive their photo opportunity with Roman Reigns for this SummerSlam Panel.

D-Generation X, featuring Triple H and Shawn Michaels on Saturday, August 16 at 7 PM PT. One of the most popular and controversial groups in WWE history will address their rebellious exploits and discuss their lasting legacy.

Stone Cold Steve Austin on Sunday, August 17 at 12 Noon PT. The WWE Hall of Famer will discuss his monumental rise to become one of the biggest stars in WWE history.

Each panel will feature a two hour discussion and Q&A with fans in attendance. VIP experiences will follow. Ticket prices per panel are $50 for lower balcony seating; $100 for floor seating, which includes an exclusive SummerSlam Panels collectible pre-signed poster; and $200 for a VIP experience, which includes priority floor seating, a professional photo with select panel Superstars and an exclusive SummerSlam Panels collectible pre-signed poster. For more information on the SummerSlam Panels, please visit www.SummerSlam.com.

Vince Russo Talks Montreal Screwjob: Coming Up With The Finish, Undertaker's Reaction, Owen's Call

Vince Russo was the latest guest on Steve Austin's "The Steve Austin Show," and one of the topics they discussed in length was the Montreal Screwjob, which happened at WWE Survivor Series 1997 involving Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. Listen to it here.

The former WWE writer spoke about his thoughts on the issue, and shed some light on what went down that fateful week.

Russo said they discussed numerous endings with Hart before the main event contest, and after they couldn't find an alternative, Vince McMahon pulled Russo aside, and told him he was going to call Hart since he needed Russo to be a third party on the telephone.

The controversial character proclaimed his love for Hart, but did confirm he was on the phone and said Hart refused everything, including trying to work in Jim Neidhart to help with the finish.

Russo then said he told McMahon to let Michaels put Hart in his own move, The Sharpshooter, and call for the bell. Russo stated it was late at night on the Thursday before, and they simply couldn't find any alternatives.

"Vince didn't say a word," confessed Russo.

The next day, Russo didn't hear anything from McMahon, and he didn't even talk to him at the pay-per-view. Russo had no idea what was going to happen, while he watched the match next to The Undertaker.

"All of a sudden I'm watching, and I see that finish go down," Russo said. "Taker was going to kill somebody. If he had known, I would not be here today."

Russo explained that Owen Hart was still on the roster, and that less than a week later, the younger Hart brother called him crying.

"Vince, you have to talk to Bret," Owen told him. "Bret says if I stay with the WWE, he's going to disown me as a brother…he (doesn't) want anything to do with me. Please, you've got to talk to him."

On the other side of the phone, Russo told Owen he should be calling McMahon about his issue, but Owen stated that he couldn't get a hold of him. Russo also said McMahon would have fired him for talking to Bret. Russo then stated less than a week after that, he called Bret on the phone.

Russo said he wanted to kill everybody, and told Bret at the end of the day, McMahon was looking to protect his entire company. He told Bret it had nothing to do with McMahon not trusting Bret, but more so Eric Bischoff.

He didn't want the WCW boss to parade his WWE title on his program, much like Bischoff did with Madusa when she joined WCW and put the WWE Women's Championship in the trash.

Russo then told Bret he stood behind Vince for what he did, despite Hart probably wanting to rip his head off when he heard that statement.

Russo said Vince simply had no choice.

Austin then said it was shocking for him to see at the time, and that Bret was still a close friend to this day, not to mention one of his favorite guys to work with. Austin also stated he agreed with the decision, as far as protecting the business and the company Vince McMahon Sr. had started. He was on board with the decision, but said he was in complete shock and that everyone was completely confused.

Steve Austin Speaks on WrestleMania XXX Idea He Pitched to Vince

I have a lot of respect for Hulk Hogan. The Rock is a friend of mine and I have a ton of respect for him, and when you get three cats like us in the ring, it was truly a good time, and I think everyone there enjoyed it. I actually pitched to Vince in the back that I wanted to sing "Jambalaya." It’s an old Hank Williams song and he shot that down. He didn’t think it would get over and I think there are some copyright issues or whatever, but could you imagine 70 to 80 thousand people singing "Jambalaya"? it would’ve been badass.

But what you should have heard was me singing "Jambalaya" to Vince in the dressing room with Triple H pacing back and forth getting ready for his match. It was pretty damn funny.

WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin supports gay marriage

WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin has been running a weekly podcast for the last year, and it’s a must-listen for any pro wrestling fan. On a show last year, Austin shared his thoughts on same-sex marriage, and offered a brash, profanity-laced take on the subject which is just now making the rounds.

Austin, who is married and has two biological and one adopted daughter by previous marriages, said that he adamantly believes that people should be able to marry whoever they want.

“What also chaps my [expletive], some of these churches, have the high horse that they get on and say ‘we as a church do not believe in that.’ Which one of these [people] talked to God, and God said that same-sex marriage was a no-can-do?”

You can listen to the segment from Austin’s podcast here.

John Cena Talks About WWE Talents Needing to Step Up, WWE's Product Changing and More

Below are some highlights from Steve Austin's recent podcast interview with John Cena:

* Cena says he feels great, turns 37 in April and still feels he can keep up with anyone who comes through the doors to wrestle for WWE.

* Cena said he wishes there was more motivational reinforcement from WWE officials. He admitted that WWE officials create a "walking on eggshells environment."

* Cena said WWE has a locker room full of very talented guys but also a locker room full of Superstars who are fearful for their jobs. Cena said some of them are not willing to take the next step.

* Cena feels WWE is on the cusp of getting a real all-star roster for the first time in a long time.

* Cena said WWE is moving towards more action and less talk.

* Cena talked about working with Cesaro at the Performance Center for a Muscle & Fitness shoot. Cena said he likes to get to know talents on a personal basis when WWE is ready to push them to the main event

WWE Lists Greatest Royal Rumblers

WWE's website has published a list of the 30 best Rumblers in Royal Rumble history. The top 10 looks like this:

10. Edge
9. Rey Mysterio
8. Randy Orton
7. The Undertaker
6. John Cena
5. Kane
4. Hulk Hogan
3. Triple H
2. Steve Austin
1. Shawn Michaels

Click here for the full list.

WWE to make groundbreaking announcement this Wednesday night on WWE.com

WWE Universe, come to WWE.com this Wednesday (Jan. 8) at 9:30 p.m. ET for a groundbreaking announcement.

Join WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon — along with WWE COO Triple H, 11-time WWE Champion John Cena, and WWE Hall of Famers "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels — for the announcement, which will be streamed LIVE from Las Vegas.

Watch LIVE this Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET on WWE.com, the WWE App, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo!, Google+, Pinterest and Pheed. Mark your calendar and get ready for the biggest revolution in sports-entertainment history.

Stay with WWE.com for more regarding this blockbuster announcement that will change WWE forever.

Vince McMahon Bringing Big Names with Him to Las Vegas for 2014 Announcement

WWE will be making a major announcement at the 2014 International CES, a consumer and electronics trade show, on January 8th in Las Vegas.

Besides Vince McMahon, it's now confirmed that Shawn Michaels, Triple H, John Cena and Steve Austin will also be appearing.

Speculation has been that WWE will make a Network announcement.

Rumor Mill - Three Major Top Names Noncommittal About Working WrestleMania 30

Vince McMahon isn’t happy with the fact that he doesn’t have definitive plans for Wrestlemania XXX next year. Vince still wants The Rock but Rock won’t commit. Vince wants Daniel Bryan vs. Shawn Michaels but Shawn won’t commit. Vince wanted Steve Austin vs. Triple H but Austin wanted too much money. The one match many people assume is a done deal, Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker, is not 100%. Undertaker isn’t completely committed to the show as he recovers from a recent surgery.

WWE is indeed in negotiations with Bill Goldberg. Goldberg has gained more leverage in financial terms. In fact, Vince is so upset and frustrated about not getting his way with several possible matches, that it’s bleeding over into the negotiations with Goldberg. It’s interesting that late into November with tickets already on sale that creative plans are so uncertain.

source: wnw premium news

Ric Flair on His 2K Legends Panel Behavior: "I Don't Know What Happened Last Night"

Steve Austin recently interviewed Ric Flair for his podcast, and the following is what Flair had to say regarding his behavior on the 2k Sports Legends panel over the weekend:

"I don't know what happened last night," Flair said. "They told me to entertain 'em and I did, but apparently it wasn't received the way it was supposed to be. The people who are running the game loved it, but the problem is corporate WWE gets mad at me, number one, which upsets me because I love the company and respect them so much. I guess we just drifted and told stories and they wanted the focus of the evening to be about the game."

Controversial 2K WWE Legends Panel Featuring Ric Flair, Jim Ross, Steve Austin, Ziggler, Foley & More

Twitch.TV has posted a 75 minute video of the WWE 2K14 30 Years of WrestleMania Symposium that needs to be seen to be believed. Jim Ross hosted the event and, let's just say that he was in a condition where he was very acerbic and quite honest. Perhaps it was due to the "Snapple" he was drinking.

The panel consisted of Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, Mick Foley, Paul Heyman, Steve Austin and Ric Flair.

Flair was also in, uh, rare form, going down some roads that WWE probably wish would have stayed unpaved, so to speak. Things really get wild around the 38 minute mark.

You can watch the video, which is really unreal, at this link.

WrestleZone has learned that Ric Flair was pulled from last night's 2K Sports Legends panel, and it appears as though WWE sent Jerry Lawler to the event to replace Flair in talking to the media. According to a backstage source in WWE, WWE Executives Jane Geddes and Mark Carrano were summoned by TV exec Lisa Lee to the event to remove Ric Flair from the stage while the event was still ongoing. Lisa Lee apparently was shooting the event on her cell phone and notifying WWE management of the fact Flair appeared to be intoxicated. WWE is said to be furious about the public display by Flair, who has been negotiating to be the good will ambassador for the company.

Flair was said to be “out of control, profane and a total wreck.”

We can also exclusively confirm Stephanie McMahon LeVesque personally came to the event, and was whisked in by her own personal security staff to apologize to 2K Sports on behalf of WWE.

WrestleZone has been told WWE is furious with Flair, and also at host Jim Ross for losing control of the situation.

source: wrestlezone.com & pwinsider.com

Steve Austin Talks Wrestling At WrestleMania 30, HHH In Charge Of WWE, Match With CM Punk, More

Busted Open satellite radio show with Stone Cold Steve Austin
Host: Dave Lagreca, Doug Mortman, and Mike Riker
Airs Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays on Sirius 92 and XM 208 from 2-4 ET

On if he misses Tough Enough: Hell, I do miss it. I don’t know why or how WWE and USA network combined dropped the football on that show because it was turning in the numbers it needed to. Everybody loved it. It was great television. I had a chance to get back into the wrestling business. Get my hands back in and mold people to be future WWE superstars or take them through the paces. And they took that all away. That was my first experience into reality television and that’s what made me fall in love with that specific line of work. Once again, why they dropped the ball, I have no idea. But it was a piss poor decision if you ask me.

On if he likes the direction the WWE is taking right now, appearing to be a little more edgier than they have been in the past couple of years: Well now they’re just starting to turn the corner with some of these new cats they brought in. So they’re picking it up a little bit. I mean there are a lot of guys still walking on eggshells in that territory or in that locker room. I’m actually considering doing another podcast and that’s gonna be breaking down Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown and a little bit of TNA. Just to add to my two show rotation a week. So I’m going to be examining that product a lot more in depth. I kind of gotten away from watching it, to a large degree in recent past. Especially since they jacked it up to a three hour Monday Night Raw. That’s tough to fulfill three hours worth of content and keep it interesting and not stale. So I’m gonna delve into that, take a look at it, and report about it accordingly. I think they are finally heading back in the right direction though to bottom line it.

On how much does Triple H have to do with this direction the company seems to be heading in: Well I think as long as Vince is around and hopefully he is around for a long time, it’s gonna be his baby cause he’s the one that bought the territory from his dad and made it into what it is, a global phenomenon. Put everyone else out of business with the vision that he had, has taken it through all the different changes that he has. But I know that when I speak about Triple H, I know that he comes from the same school I come from. And he was kind of the last guys to come up in the territory systems. But he digs the work, he digs the serious nature. He’s still knows he’s got to entertain a wide variety of age, you know the demo. And there is something for everybody in the show now. And it was kind of a little bit more adult orientated maybe when I was in there but I think Triple H is gonna bring a serious nature to the business from his presentation or how he views the business still. I think it’s going to be a combination of everybody involved. Because obviously right now, it’s still Vince’s baby and it always will be.

On if he thought that the "What?" chants would still be around at this point: You know, no because that’s the funny thing I’ve been gone for 10 or 11 years or whatever it’s been. So that’s a whole generation removed. I mean there are some youngsters that have never seen or heard of Stone Cold. So for that to be still around, for them to still be doing it. It’s a testament to the staying power of one word and I had no idea what I was creating back in the day when I did.

On the "What?" chants being hurtful now and having no place to be used: Yeah but you know what, here’s the thing. To anybody delivering a promo in the ring, if you don’t give those pauses in your delivery of your promo speech, whatever business you’re doing. If you don’t give them that spot to put the what in, they cannot. So all they have to do is speed up their cadence a little bit. You ain’t gotta rush through your promo but you can still make your points. Also stagger the pauses so they can’t get into a rhythm. So there is a way around the what. It’s just a lot of people aren’t smart enough to figure it out.

On if we could possibly see Stone Cold at Wrestlemania 30, if he is healthy enough to get back in the ring again: Oh I’m healthy enough. My knees coming around just fine, it’s better than it’s ever been because I’ve been doing my do diligence on my rehab. I’ve got two new ligaments. Everything else is pain free. I’m still in shape been working out harder than I’ve ever worked out. But here’s the deal. When you’re gonna try to commit to do a Wrestlemania 30, you’re looking really at, at least a two to three month commitment, if not four. So you know you’re talking about, taking everything else of the table. I can still do my podcast but take everything else off the table and focus specifically on that task. To do it the way I would do it, to do it the way Stone Cold Steve Austin would do it, at a 120 percent. Because to go out there and to try to perform at 85-90 percent because you didn’t prep enough. That would be bogus, that would be BS that would be letting the crowd down. And that would be representing the Stone Cold Steve Austin that I know and love to a degree that is not acceptable. So once you throw a legitimate, real deal offer down on the table and say let’s talk, then we’ll talk. But until then, conjecture.

On if he is up to the challenge: Well if I’m gonna agree to the challenge, accept it and go into it because I want to and the business makes sense, then absolutely.

If Punk vs. Austin would be an all- time great match: Oh it definitely could. It brings a lot to the table from a verbal standpoint with his well thought out promos, the way in which he conducts his business. I like his product in the ring. I like to see him turn it up more in the mainstream. I like to see a little more physicality, laying in stuff a little more. I like to see him be a little bit more aggressive. That’s just off the top of my head. Other than that, I like everything about the cat.

On how big it would be if he wrestled at WM 30: Well I’m not going to put the cart in front of the horse. I’m not lobbying for a match. If the starts lined up, then it would happen, but it’s going to take a lot for those stars to line up. No sense in beating a dead horse. To think about it is one thing, to actually go out, come to terms and go through the business prep and actually accomplish a match, it’s a whole different ballgame and a major process.

This Day In Wrestling History - The Birth of Austin 3:16

It's somewhat odd to think of but in a roundabout way, The Kliq -- and Triple H, specifically -- are indirectly responsible (at least partially) for the booming success of Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Back in early 1996, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, two of The Kliq's members, were leaving the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) for the larger contracts and guaranteed main event slots being offered by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Shawn Michaels and Triple H, however, were staying behind. During a house show at Madison Square Garden in May, the four orchestrated a small ceremony to say goodbye, in which each member got into the ring at the end of the night and hugged each other before giving a curtain call.

This was a major breach of kayfabe, as the group consisted of both heels and babyfaces, and showed enough lack of professionalism that someone had to be punished. With Hall and Nash leaving the company and Michaels the WWF champion at the time, that left Triple H to take the fall. This was unfortunate timing, too, for him, at least. That's because he was penciled in to win the King of the Ring tournament the very next month to begin a big push.

Instead, that push went to a rising star in the company, Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Last we left "The Rattlesnake," he was losing a Caribbean Strap match to Savio Vega at In Your House: Beware of Dog 2, which served to rid Austin of his manager at the time, Ted DiBiase. He entered the King of the Ring tournament immediately after and advanced by defeating Bob Holly in the first round and getting his win back on Vega in the second.

That led him to the pay-per-view (PPV) and a match-up against Marc Mero in the semifinals, which he won after a damn fine 17-minute match that saw him get his lip busted open. Because of this, he had to go straight to the hospital while the event continued on before returning later to meet Jake "The Snake" Roberts in the final.

Stone Cold made it back in time and the two had a mostly underwhelming match. Roberts had his ribs busted up earlier in the night by Vader after their match ended and he was selling that injury all throughout the match. Austin, of course, used it as his focal point before ending it just under five minutes in with the Stone Cold Stunner, a finisher he had just started using at that time.

The match itself was quickly forgotten but the promo Austin cut during his coronation will live on forever in the annals of pro wrestling lore.

Roberts was using a born again Christian gimmick at that time, as he had recently converted to as much in his real life. So Austin used it for inspiration in his promo and created one of the most famous catchphrases in pro wrestling history

source: cagesideseats.com