Grilling JR - Steve Austin's 1999 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

It’s 3:16 Day and what better way to celebrate it - then to talk about your old friend Jim! “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and since we’re focused this year on looking back 25 years of the WWF - we figured we would discuss his 1999!

When 1998 ends - Steve Austin was on a hiatus from TV after defeating the Undertaker in a Buried Alive match at Rock Bottom…I’m assuming this was probably injury related after running hard in 1998 right?

His return to television takes place in 98 but airs in 1999 - and when his glass shatters in Worcester, Mass to come out and hit the Rock with a chair and help Mankind win his first WWF World Title - the pop is deafening. Did the building shake?

Do you think Austin’s interference hurt Foley’s first title win or made it any less than what it was?

Austin returning is to be a thorn in the side of Mr. McMahon as that story continues. Were you surprised to see this story be successful for at this point almost a year in from the original Austin - McMahon battle when the angle with Mike Tyson takes place?

Austin would help cause the elimination of Vince McMahon from the “Corporate Rumble” with DX and the Corporation on Raw for the 30th spot at the actual Royal Rumble and helping Chyna win.

This would make Austin & Vince #1 and #2 to enter the Rumble…

Vince would put a $100,000 bounty on Steve’s head to have him eliminated. This is a classic story with a new twist is it not?

Austin and Vince begin 1 and 2 in the Rumble. Austin finally gets his few minutes alone with Vince to beat the crap out of him, a moment we had been waiting for since the previous April.

But it quickly turns into a lot of gaga as they brawl around the Arrowhead Pond - and Austin is carried away on a stretcher and driven away in an ambulance after being attacked by the Corporation in the women’s bathroom.

But remember both Vince and Austin are still officially in the Rumble match…

Vince returns much later in the match and sits with Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler at the announce table.

Shortly after as we see the Undertaker and the Ministry of Darkness abducting Mabel and putting him in the back of a hearse in the parking lot

(it’s 1999 folks), an ambulance arrives, with Austin driving it himself and he comes storming back out to the ring.

Austin would eliminate Ken Shamrock, Billy Gunn, Test, Chyna, Big Bossman before Rock would come out and distract Steve and lead to Vince throwing him out and winning the Rumble. This…is not a very well remembered Rumble…what say you?

The next night Shawn Michaels is remembered to be the WWF Commissioner and he is able to book Austin to still be in the main event at WrestleMania after Vince gives up the title shot he won from winning the Rumble, and so it rightly goes to the runner up. Michaels also puts together Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in a steel cage match.

Did you think Steve & Vince would be able to have an actual match?

In a special Raw at the Skydome Austin would wrestle the Corporation in a gauntlet match which would lead to Vince pinning Austin to help build for the upcoming pay-per-view. Did you think Austin ever got hurt by losing to Vince?

The steel cage match is best remembered for the ass kicking Vince took and the bump off the cage through the table - you’re in the back watching this…what is running through your head watching this?

Austin would put his WrestleMania title shot on the line in this match and it would see a very big debut in Paul Wight coming out from underneath the canvas and throwing Austin into the cage so hard it swings open and Austin drops down for the victory to send him to WrestleMania. Looking back - I don’t know - not the best way to debut the future Big Show is it?

How beat up was Austin at the time? Was he having to do a lot of these smoke & mirrors?

The classic money angle for Austin - Rock was the beer bath…but there’s always been a lot of talk and controversy about how Shawn Michaels said it needed to be Austin - Rock instead of a 3-way with Foley involved…what do you think of that and how that all went down?

Speaking of things that probably shouldn’t have gone down…on the go-home Raw before WrestleMania…Austin pins Big Show - just 5 weeks after Show is in the company. Did this just set the precedent for Big Show’s time in the WWF?

What was your relationship like with Steve at this point in time?

You’re not on commentary so in reality - what was your role backstage during shows…and also were you dealing with talent more?

When did Steve come to you to tell you he was going to discuss with Vince you doing commentary for the WrestleMania main event - or did you not know?

Austin vs. Rock at WrestleMania - with your return - really pushes the WWF over the edge in terms of how hot the product is right?

Looking back - this was the program right? I mean when you talk about things that drew the WWF the most money - it’s Austin and Rock with Vince associated…right?

Austin of course gets the win and is now a 3-time WWF Champion. What’s your conversation like with Vince the night of the show…or after the show…about you returning to commentary full time?

They’re still gonna keep going with Rock vs Austin for the next PPV - Backlash on April 25th from Providence. Did you think it had as many legs as it would end up having?

In the buildup, first they did a revisit almost to 1997 where Austin threw the Rock’s IC Title belt off the bridge into a river. This time Rock is gonna threaten to throw Austin’s custom Smoking Skull belt off the bridge into the river. Austin shows up, and in the ensuing brawl, Rock knocks Austin off the bridge into the river and throws Austin’s belt in too, or so we think…these two characters could get anything over couldn’t they?

The next week, Rock is gonna hold a “funeral” for Austin and shows up with the Smoking Skull belt that he had swerved us and not really thrown into the river. Austin then shows up driving a huge Austin 3:16 personalised monster truck.

Austin had this to say about this segment:

"So I go into the back door of the arena and I'm in a holding room with a couple of curtains in front of me. The monster truck was loud as f--k and that 1,800 horsepower motor is churning out exhaust fumes. So I'm in this room and they shut the door behind me. It was about a three minute commercial break, so the whole time the people back home are watching commercials, I'm in a room, inside a truck, breathing methanol-alcohol fumes—I could barely breathe. I was just begging for the show to come back on air so I could charge out in the audience and get a breath of fresh air. I'm breathing all those exhaust fumes, motherf--ker, I was going to crash that gate doing 98 [mph] and go and take my own cue and haul ass into the arena, if they hadn't of cued me when they did—I was about to die."

The stunt ended up going off without a hitch, as Austin demolished The Rock's Lincoln Town Car with his Austin 3:16 monster truck. There are so many memorable moments during this feud - but this could’ve been a disaster couldn’t it?

He goes on to beat Rock at Backlash, thanks to a little help from Vince McMahon who took out the referee for the match - his son Shane and gave Austin back the Smoking Skull Championship.

So we now have Austin and Vince on the same side, which I don’t think anyone imagined to be possible just a month before. Was this something of a surprise to you to see?

The next night on Raw, Austin saves Stephanie McMahon from the Undertaker, as he’s about to force her into marrying him whilst she was tied to The Undertaker symbol in the ring. Taker had abducted Stephanie the night before in the memorable scene where Taker was revealed as the driver of the limo Stephanie was in.

A relieved Vince then comes out to thank Austin, and is able to get Austin to help him in his feud with the new combined Corporate Ministry headed by Shane and Taker. This is very soap opera like is it not?

Austin lost the title to Undertaker at the Over the Edge PPV on May 23 in Kansas City with Shane and Vince both as guest referees, and Shane quickly counted Taker’s pin on Austin to end the match. This was what it was after Owen’s accident right?

On the June 7th Raw, they do a big reveal for who the “Greater Power” is gonna be, and whoever it is is supposed to be the person behind Taker abducting Stephanie and had been pulling all the strings together for the Corporate Ministry.

It turned out it was Vince all along, and everything including arranging the Stephanie abduction and Vince siding with Austin to gain his trust was all done to try and get the WWF title away from Austin. Is this a letdown in your mind?

Stephanie and Linda McMahon were not a part of this swerve, and they announced they had given their combined 50% share in the company to the new CEO - Stone Cold Steve Austin. You think this made up for Vince being the ultra heel all along?

We then get some fun segments with Austin in charge at Titan Towers including getting all the office staff to take part in a beer drinking contest, and dumping horse manure in Vince’s office. Is this the most fun you think Steve had while in character?

This led up to the King of the Ring PPV where it would be Austin vs Vince & Shane in a handicap ladder match, and the winner would have full control of the company.

To win the match you had to grab the briefcase that was hanging above the ladder, but when Austin is about to grab it and win, the briefcase is mysteriously raised higher so Austin can’t reach it.

Working Shane & Vince in a ladder match I’m sure was a challenge for Steve - but he never failed to live up to being the guy did he?

It’s then lowered back down when the McMahons regain control and they win the match, and they now run the company again. This finish has been the talk of a lot of the internet - because it’s never really revealed who did it. What do you remember of this story and do you know what the plan was?

On Raw the next night, Vince said he was gonna make Austin start from the bottom again as a prelim guy, but Austin announces he booked a match while he was still CEO with him challenging Taker for the WWF Title, and the match is tonight.

Austin ends up winning the match and is now a 4-time WWF Champion. The pop is gigantic is it not?

How was Steve holding up - physically? He’s working almost every big house show - I’m sure the merch money is great - the paydays have to be great - but he knew he was working on borrowed time did he not?

We are then building to a rematch for the July PPV Fully Loaded, which will be a First Blood match.

If Austin wins, then Vince has to leave the WWF, but if Taker wins, Austin will never get a title shot again.

On Raw leading up to the show, Vince even signs the contract for the match using Austin’s own blood after Taker had attacked and busted open Austin. Do you think blowing through these many stipulations - CEO - in power - leave forever - was too much - or is this just the episodic nature of what TV was back then?

Austin goes onto win the match at Fully Loaded on July 25th vs Taker, and Vince is now technically gone from the WWF. I’m sure nobody believed that stipulation would last long.

Do you think Steve and Vince had finally run its course?

The 8/7/99 Torch would report:

“Steve Austin has been frustrating management lately with his vetoing of ideas for TV matches.

On the July 26 Raw, management proposed that Austin face Jeff Jarrett in a short singles match leading to Triple H interfering. Austin turned down that match. Management proposed an alternate plan of facing Billy Gunn with the same finish of Triple H interfering. Austin turned that down, also, apparently arguing that Jarrett and Gunn aren’t over enough yet to deserve the rub of fighting him on TV.”

The talk of him turning down Jarrett & Billy Gunn has lived on the internet forever. When people talk about Shawn vetoing ideas and having injuries to not drop titles, or Bret refusing to drop the title in Montreal, and creative control “That doesn’t work for me brother…” Steve is never talked about in the same way. Is it the way Steve handled himself?

Do you remember discussing these issues with Billy & Jeff personally?

Did you talk to Steve about this personally? How difficult does this make your life - since I’m sure some in the locker room resented you two for how close your relationship together was…

Also from the Torch:

“The next day at the Tuesday Raw tapings, Austin turned down the idea of wrestling in a tag match teaming with Rock against Billy Gunn & Triple H & Chyna. Instead they resorted to yet another Austin vs. Undertaker match and, as it turns out, it didn’t do well in ratings. It drew the lowest Raw main event rating for the overrun period since Mar. 15, which was the last time WCW Nitro outdrew Raw during the overrun period.

Management’s frustration is that Austin has such a short list of who he believes is worthy of wrestling him—Undertaker, Kane, Rock, and Mankind—and that the time has come for Austin to give Jarrett and Gunn the same rub that Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and Undertaker gave to him when he was rising to main event status. Austin’s critics within the WWF argue that he needs opponents to stay hot so he better have a plan of where those opponents are going to come from. Austin sympathizers believe Austin’s vetoes will force management to do a better job preparing and building his next generation of opponents. Austin isn’t going out of his way to do any favors for Jarrett.

He and Jarrett are not close behind the scenes and there has been underlying tension between the two of them since Jarrett first returned to the WWF and referred to Austin’s “3:16” gimmick as “blasphemous” during his 1997 Raw promo.”

Do you think Steve was difficult to work with? Was he starting to get that reputation in the locker room?

Austin vs HHH is at first originally announced to headline the SummerSlam 99 PPV on August 22

From the Torch 8/14/99:

“Mankind has been added to the SummerSlam main event, perhaps due to a combination of political and injury–related reasons. Mankind, who is recovering from double knee surgery, has been added to the Steve Austin vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley match, making it a three–way bout for the title. At the Aug. 10 Raw tapings (set to air 8/16), a round–robin series takes place: Chyna pins Triple H thanks to Mankind’s interference, Foley pins Chyna, and then Foley and Triple H fight to a draw when special referees Shane McMahon and Shawn Michaels disagree over who the winner is.

As a result, Foley and Triple H both get a title shot in a three–way match against Austin at SummerSlam.

Steve Austin’s knee injury is more serious than appeared last week when the WWF was expecting him to return to house shows this past weekend. Austin missed this past weekend’s house shows, the second weekend of shows in a row.”

Was it to help Steve out because of his knee injury - or did he not believe Hunter was ready and it was better to use Mick as a go-between champion to get the belt to Hunter?

From the Torch

“There is widespread whispering behind the scenes that Austin pushed for Mankind to be in the match in part so that Austin wouldn’t have to do the job to Hunter when he loses the title. The three–way rules can be set up where whoever scores the pinfall becomes champion. If that’s the scenario Austin pushes for, it doesn’t do any favors for Triple H since by pinning Mankind instead of Austin, he will lose the rub he would have gained from beating the actual champion to begin his reign.

The original plans for the next few months were for Triple H to pin Steve Austin to capture the WWF Title. Then Triple H would hold the title perhaps until the Royal Rumble, at which point Austin would regain it in time to defend against Big Show at Wrestlemania. Triple H would feud with Mankind at first over the WWF Title, with management believing that Mankind would be the opponent who would give Hunter the best matches and interviews, and thus the best chance to get over as a legitimate main eventer.

Meanwhile, Austin would have grudge matches at the September and October PPVs against Jeff Jarrett and the November and December PPVs against Billy Gunn. It doesn’t appear the Austin–Jarrett feud, though, will take place.”

Do you remember all this being the plan and Steve vetoing it?

What was Hunter & Steve’s relationship at the time?

Did you have to talk to Hunter about this?

Also from the Torch:

“Steve Austin has outright told management he won’t work a feud with Jeff Jarrett until Jarrett is more over with fans. The WWF set the stage for the Austin–Jarrett feud over the last month or so with Jarrett calling out Austin over the house mic and Austin giving Jarrett several stunners.

Austin, though, has since vetoed a feud with Jarrett, saying he isn’t over enough to face him yet.

There are other thoughts that there is tension because Jarrett and Debra have been friends dating back to their WCW days, Jarrett was responsible for getting the WWF to hire Debra, and now Austin is dating Debra. Austin has also said he doesn’t like Jarrett’s in–ring style. Because of Austin’s power and influence when it comes to his own storylines, it’s almost a lock that the entire Jarrett feud won’t happen and instead Austin will move right into a feud with Gunn, whom he personally likes and thinks would be a good opponent for him.”

The Austin - Debra relationship - was it a headache for you?

Do you think it had anything to do with the attitude Steve had?

Did you notice a change in Steve around this time?

At SummerSlam Austin does drop the title in the 3-way which featured the Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura as special guest referee. But in a surprise Austin is on his back for Foley instead of Hunter getting the win over Foley to become champion as that’ll happen the next night on Raw.

Hunter attacks Austin after the match at SummerSlam to put Steve out of action due to knee problems. What do you think of how this all went down? Do you think Hunter was hurt by not pinning Steve?

Without Austin on Raw the next night you’re used to help get Hunter more over as a heel when he breaks your arm to get a title match against Foley and he will finally become WWF Champion for the first time.

How bad was Steve’s knee?

Did you know his neck was also still giving him issues?

Austin is off TV until he helps Vince McMahon on SmackDown defeat Hunter to become the WWF Champion. It was only a matter of time before Vince made himself champion once right?

The title is vacated because no one can defeat Vince .. and Austin is the referee for the six pack challenge at Unforgiven where Hunter regains the title by pinning Rock and Austin has to reluctantly count the pin. What changed for Austin to be prepared to work with Hunter?

Raw on October 11th was at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, and it’s a memorable one for you Jim.

Austin and HHH are having a verbal confrontation with Austin in the ring and HHH on the ramp.

But when HHH comes to ringside, he goes over to you Jim, knocks your hat off and pushes you in your chair.

But you’re not gonna stand for it and you get up and hit HHH with the little electric fan you have at ringside. Austin is then gonna hold HHH up for you to slug him, and then Chyna takes you down with a spear.

When you get to the building and you’re told you’re going to be wrestling…what runs through your head?

This sets up later in the show, you and Austin vs HHH and Chyna.

HHH attacks you before the bell, and then Steve and Hunter brawl all over the building, leaving you to get beat up by Chyna for an extended period and even get hit with the pedigree from her until Jeff Jarrett takes Chyna out.

Was Chyna stiff with you JR?

Later in the show, Austin throws HHH in a room to meet one of his friends - a real rattlesnake. They play up on the next show that the snake had bit HHH in the face and he has a makeup job done to look like it. But it’s all a ruse to get a sneak attack on Austin before the No Mercy PPV 3 days later. This is not long after Vince Russo had left the WWF - was there still some Russo style influence in the writing or was it just piecing things together at this point?

At the No Mercy PPV, HHH is gonna keep the WWF title in a no holds barred match and pinned Austin after Rock would interfere and accidentally hit Austin with a sledgehammer when HHH moved out of the way to cost Austin the match. When you think about it…we never got Austin - Rock - Hunter - to fully play out did we? Were they not 3 of the biggest stars who could’ve played off each other for years to come?

This is all to set up a 3-way at the next PPV, Survivor Series in November.

But as we all know, Austin is taken out of that match during the PPV when he is run over in the back by a mystery assailant, and Big Show takes Austin’s place in the match and wins the WWF Title.

This was of course done as Austin’s neck problems had really flared up again to the point he needed extensive surgery and wouldn’t be able to wrestle again for nearly a year.

When do you know that Steve can’t do it? Does Steve tell you? His doctors?

Do you think it was bad play by the WWF to keep Austin in the main event even when he wasn’t going to be wrestling and promoted on pay-per-view? Is it a bait and switch do you think?

Were you worried that Steve wasn’t going to come back from it?

Did you think Steve had wrestled his last match at this point?

How did you see Steve evolve from the beginning of the year until his injury?

Do you think he made the most money in 1999 or 1998?