Most overated thing in WWE history.....

The king of the hyperbole has certain had its far share of overated/hyped events but what's the biggest in history?

For my the most overated event was the infamous Austin 3:16 speech. I remember watching it Live & not thinking a lot of it. Obviously it's gained significance ever since but I think it's legend grown due to people wanting to but a starting point on the Austin ascent to the top.... He'd of made it there anyway with or without the speech so I don't get the importance

"The Slam That Was Heard Around The World"

I've first saw this on VCR in 1990-91 and never knew a thing, all I knew was Hogan was big but Andre was massive, I knew they where making a big deal about Hogan not being able to slam him, I remember not being impressed by it then and I'm still not, as the years have passed it's legend grew, Andre jumped about 125lbs to 700lbs and apparently Hogan wasn't sure if Andre would even allow himself to be slammed, all nonsense that's only purpose is to make the event seem more monumental than it was

The two moments mentioned have been elevated to insane heights of legend, but they aren't really overrated because they are two of the most significant moments in WWF/E history.

I'd argue that Warrior-Hogan squaring off at WM6 is overrated because in the end it didn't mean a damn thing. By Wrestlemania 7, Hogan was back on top and Warrior was battling Savage for his career in a much more meaningful moment.

He'd of made it there anyway with or without the speech so I don't get the importance

I doubt it.

The Ringmaster gimmick nearly killed his career in the WWF. The speech was necessary to tie in with his persona. Would HHH have reached the top had he continued the 'Blue Blood' theme? Nope. You should never under-estimate the importance of such an event that changes one's gimmick.

I felt the most over-rated thing was the HITC KOTR 1998 where Undetaker threw Mankind off the cell. I think the hype was well over the top. It was documented that The Undertaker had a broken foot at the time and it was hyped like it was a massive match when in fact it was Mankind just selling every move possible. Mick Foley had already been involved with some massive wars in Japan and ECW and plus ECW was already putting on matches that made that HITC match look like a backyard brawl.

Don Caboose wrote:The two moments mentioned have been elevated to insane heights of legend, but they aren't really overrated because they are two of the most significant moments in WWF/E history.

I'd argue that Warrior-Hogan squaring off at WM6 is overrated because in the end it didn't mean a damn thing. By Wrestlemania 7, Hogan was back on top and Warrior was battling Savage for his career in a much more meaningful moment.

But then how highly rated is Hogan-Warrior? Its not particularly spoken of as a monumentous occasion in wrestling history. I dont think it can be overated, i rarely hear people rating its importance.

I Wouldnt say Hogan V Warroir was overated but at the time is was well hyped. I remember as a kid my friends and i being divided over who would win as it was probably the first Face vs Face to headline a PPV.

Id say it was big at the time but has faded in terms of importance

legendkillar wrote:

He'd of made it there anyway with or without the speech so I don't get the importance

I doubt it.

The Ringmaster gimmick nearly killed his career in the WWF. The speech was necessary to tie in with his persona. Would HHH have reached the top had he continued the 'Blue Blood' theme? Nope. You should never under-estimate the importance of such an event that changes one's gimmick.

I felt the most over-rated thing was the HITC KOTR 1998 where Undetaker threw Mankind off the cell. I think the hype was well over the top. It was documented that The Undertaker had a broken foot at the time and it was hyped like it was a massive match when in fact it was Mankind just selling every move possible. Mick Foley had already been involved with some massive wars in Japan and ECW and plus ECW was already putting on matches that made that HITC match look like a backyard brawl.

Obviously the character evolving from Ringmaster to Stone Cold was necessary but the speech as a whole it's importance is greatly exaggerated. He was already being referred to as Stone Cold Steve Austin & using the stunner

Brady12 wrote:

legendkillar wrote:

He'd of made it there anyway with or without the speech so I don't get the importance

I doubt it.

The Ringmaster gimmick nearly killed his career in the WWF. The speech was necessary to tie in with his persona. Would HHH have reached the top had he continued the 'Blue Blood' theme? Nope. You should never under-estimate the importance of such an event that changes one's gimmick.

I felt the most over-rated thing was the HITC KOTR 1998 where Undetaker threw Mankind off the cell. I think the hype was well over the top. It was documented that The Undertaker had a broken foot at the time and it was hyped like it was a massive match when in fact it was Mankind just selling every move possible. Mick Foley had already been involved with some massive wars in Japan and ECW and plus ECW was already putting on matches that made that HITC match look like a backyard brawl.

Obviously the character evolving from Ringmaster to Stone Cold was necessary but the speech as a whole it's importance is greatly exaggerated. He was already being referred to as Stone Cold Steve Austin & using the stunner

It wasn't over-exaggerated. If the WWF was going to move into the 'Attitude Era' it needed something. Yes Austin was using Stone Cold and the Stunner, but he still didn't have licence to use 'ass' in interviews and this started that. The speech took that gimmick to new heights. It rid of any boundaries that was holding his gimmick back.

Brady12 wrote:

legendkillar wrote:

He'd of made it there anyway with or without the speech so I don't get the importance

I doubt it.

The Ringmaster gimmick nearly killed his career in the WWF. The speech was necessary to tie in with his persona. Would HHH have reached the top had he continued the 'Blue Blood' theme? Nope. You should never under-estimate the importance of such an event that changes one's gimmick.

I felt the most over-rated thing was the HITC KOTR 1998 where Undetaker threw Mankind off the cell. I think the hype was well over the top. It was documented that The Undertaker had a broken foot at the time and it was hyped like it was a massive match when in fact it was Mankind just selling every move possible. Mick Foley had already been involved with some massive wars in Japan and ECW and plus ECW was already putting on matches that made that HITC match look like a backyard brawl.

Obviously the character evolving from Ringmaster to Stone Cold was necessary but the speech as a whole it's importance is greatly exaggerated. He was already being referred to as Stone Cold Steve Austin & using the stunner

Listen to the reaction when he delivers the "...Austin 3:16 says I just whopped your ass!" line. The crowd half pops and half gasps that he even said such a thing, from there on out the Attitude era was inevitable.

The WWF in 1996 was a completely different company to the one it was 2 years later with Austin at his peak. The venom of the speech (pun intended) is directed at Jake Roberts and what he represents is the old WWF a thread his feud with Bret Hart continues as Austin puts the whole Federation on notice.

The timing of the speech is significant too as it happens a week after Nash's WCW at The Great American Bash 1996. People were already jumping to WCW in huge numbers so Austin's speech was symbolically the first of many attempts by the WWF to regain the ground they were losing once the nWo plot kicks into gear.

Also significantly is that the speech lent its Austin 3:16 motif to the t-shirts, and that very shirt was the biggest selling t-shirt in the WWF/E's history.

The adult theme I would argue started earlier than this late 95, the Goldust character began making overtures to Razor Ramon character.

This speech in my opinion just seems like a good starting point as legend would have it....his fued with Bret Hart was a million times more important than this speech

More adult themed storylines in the WWF pre-date 1995, see Savage-Flair or Roberts-Rude. But the anarchic "WWF Attitude" was born with that speech.

Yes the Bret Hart feud got Austin over as a legitmate threat and a big fan favourite, but without Austin's delivery and the reaction to the speech, does Austin's character take off as the foul mouthed badass?

Remember it was HHH that was originally booked to win the King of the Ring that year (until the Curtain Call), but once it was rebooked for Austin to get a push, it was up to Austin to run with the ball, and the execution of the speech lit the fuse.

Yes the feud with Hart was million times better, but imagine for one second that Austin did not deliver that speech and he became a lot less 'profound' on the mic, I don't think he could've gone over as much as he did without the 3:16 behind him. Yes Goldust and even to an extent HBK gimmick was moving in that adult 'direction' but it needs something that is going to ignite the crowd and that did it. If anything it got over much more than they ever imagined it would. The WWF at the time were trying to get as many identities with their wrestlers as the 'gimmick' was an old and tried act. When WCW introduced NWO and even to an extent the 're-packaged' Sting prompted the WWF produce identities as wrestlers then needed an 'edge' and that is what was lacking from the talent in the WWF. Goldust was more of a 'curiosity' gimmick, similar to Mankind. Austin/Pillman/D-X took it even further forward for the WWF as it needed acts with that 'edge' it made Bret better on the mic when he turned heel, The Rock then got that 'edge' with NOD and HHH and Owen were able to fall into that group at the time without any major changes to their gimmicks to begin with.

I personally believe that Hulk Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior is one of the biggest matches of all time

I'd be suprised if it featured in 50% of the posters on this forum's Top 10s to be honest.

Probably but I think that's more down to age, I'm not saying that it was the best match but definitely one of the biggest, it was just monumental, two of the most famous Wrestlers worldwide in the main event of the most famous Wrestling event for the WWF World Title, it still feels monumental all these years later

If Austin/Goldberg could have had a match in 99 it might have matched it for sheer magnitude

I wouldn't say the Austin 3:16 speech kicked off the attitude era at all, I just feel thats what people want to believe, liked 'Brady12' I think they have just made up its importance over time (E.G. on the Monday Night Wars DVD) the Austin 3:16 character only hit its peak in late 1997 when his fued with Mcmahon actually started which is over a year later. DX have as much, if not more to do with the whole attitude era in my opinion.

VoiceOfTheVoiceless wrote:I wouldn't say the Austin 3:16 speech kicked off the attitude era at all, I just feel thats what people want to believe, liked 'Brady12' I think they have just made up its importance over time (E.G. on the Monday Night Wars DVD) the Austin 3:16 character only hit its peak in late 1997 when his fued with Mcmahon actually started which is over a year later. DX have as much, if not more to do with the whole attitude era in my opinion.

Completely agree pal....

Unfortunately LK & Don you've fallen for the WWE propoganda machine... Don't believe everything you see on one of those WWE produced DVD's. Austin's credibility didn't begin until his fued with Bret Hart. They also liked to sell King of the Ring pay per views on the strength of the interview also which again was complete BS. If it was so important & the begining of something big please tell me why Austin was on the 'free for all' at Summerslam 96 just two months after the King of The Ring, the companys number 2 event of the year??? & why he didn't even make the card for the next pay per view at In your House 10 Mind games?