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Welcome to PWInsider.com's ongoing coverage of the Steve Austin podcast with Vince McMcMahon on the WWE Network.
Austin welcomed Vince to the podcast,which is on the Network. Austin asked him how the Network was doing and Vince said it was doing great both from a subscription and a content standpoint. Austin asked him about the UK and Vince said it's been a stop/start thing and they hope to have it wrapped up by the first of the year, but noted that wasn't a promise.'
Austin asked him how in tune Vince was with the wrestling fans right now. Vince said that they don't do wrestling but sports-entertainment. Vince said that not every match is going to "hit" and no one else does the content weekly that they do and then broadcast it worldwide. Austin said he'd like to see more in-ring over the course of the show and asked Vince if he's wrong in wanting too much wrestling. Austin said that sometimes the early segments take too long. Vince acknowledged that and said that you do have to give the audience a hook or they won't care about the matches.
Austin said that there are no other big leagues for other talents to go to and there are talents who are walking on eggshells afraid to do anything. Vince said, "Well don't piss anyone off." Vince said that there isn't as much camaraderie and silliness backstage as there was in Austin's era. He described the locker room as "less ambitious" because they are "Millenials."
Vince said the last guy to really try and reach for the brass ring was John Cena. He sees potential in Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns but they aren't there yet. He said the talents don't do what Austin did. Austin challenged the roster to take chances and try to get over. Vince said the roster is thin and he wants to see guys do it as well. Vince said there are those who are afraid of failure.
Vince was asked what he was looking for in Superstars. Vince said he's looking for someone who's hungry and wants to learn and keep learning every day. Austin told a story about a wrestler getting a bigger than usual pop at MSG and Austin pointed it out to Vince and Vince said that he hoped that person got over. That told Austin it wasn't just Vince with a magic wand but Vince hoping guys took the reigns.
Austin asked why Cesaro hasn't clicked yet. Vince said that perhaps it's because he's Swiss but he hasn't shown the charisma but Vince hopes he eventually does. Vince said it could be his style. Austin pointed out that the momentum was lost for Cesaro based on the way he was booked. Vince said he doesn't have all the answers and Cesaro isn't being given up on.
Austin talked about the Creative Team and how different it was from the days of Vince working from his pool. Austin asked why creative got so complicated. Vince said that the company grew in leaps and bounds and went public and it's not going to be a one man show. Vince said he can't do it all and joked that he used to work Pat Patterson to the bone. He talked about how when people would come by his house, they'd end up in the pool because Vince loves ribs and described it being one of the funniest things in the world. Vince said you have to have fun to make fun. Austin told a story about Shane tossing Vince in the pool.
Austin asked where Shane McMahon is. Vince said he's a happy camper and has his hands in a lot of pots and is in Japan. He said Shane's departure was something of a mutual thing. He said being a family in business is difficult. Vince said he tried to do what was right for business. Vince said his dad didn't want him in the business and he wanted his kids to do what they wanted to do.
Vince told the story of an announcer holding his father up for money and his father refusing, then deciding Vince would be the announcer with no experience, "and you're going to do a good job." Vince gave him a partner and it was Arnold Skaaland. Skaaland was a man of few words so Vince asked him father for someone else to help him. There were a number of individuals who helped him.
Austin asked him if he wanted to talk about CM Punk. Vince said he wanted to personally apologize for Punk getting his termination papers on his wedding day. He said that in a company their size, the different areas of the company didn't know what was going on in the other areas. He said he was very sorry about the timing of when Punk received his paperwork.
Vince then said that he didn't want to go through dirty laundry. Vince said there have been others who were disgruntled and they said things they later regretted and he hoped he and Punk would one day work together again. Vince said he didn't listen to the Colt Cabana interview but heard Punk used a lot of expletives and things were said that were his perspective on things. He said that he had issues with Austin and Hulk Hogan but they eventually came back. Vince said he was willing to work with Punk again and admits that while Vince has a big ego, he is willing to put it aside and work with Punk down the line. Vince later said Punk worked really hard for the company.
Austin talked about working with Vince and being in a similar situation. Vince said Austin was difficult to work with at times. They talked about Austin walking out when he was asked to put over Brock Lesnar, Austin said he was hard-headed and never returned Vince's calls. Finally, Jim Ross sent him a card in the mail and offered to talk with Steve anytime Ross put them back in touch. Austin asked if there was someone who could bridge the gap between Vince and Punk. Vince said that unfortunately there is not and Punk is pretty much a loner and has a lack of communication. Vince said that when attorneys get involved it's going to "hell in a handbasket."
Austin told a story about Vince fining him $650,000 when he returned. Vince then told him what he thought was fair. He settled on $250,000. Vince said when you walk out, not on the company but the fans you have to do something or else the next time you don't like the creative, you walk out again.
Vince said that Austin had the communications, perhaps not with Vince but with others and Punk was a loner. Vince admitted he himself can be introverted and shy and he understands it and talked about feeling uncomfortable when he was at political events for his wife and would often find himself talking to the bartender, who was more his kind of people.
Continued on Page 2.
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