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Post by nintendologic on Feb 20, 2021 16:44:12 GMT -5
I don't think Austin had the size or high-end offense necessary to be a main event player in All Japan. Baba was a mark for size, and almost all the Americans he gave big pushes to were hosses. Austin's ceiling there likely would've been a rich man's Johnny Ace. In other words, how well he would have done would have depended on how cute Mrs. Baba thought he was.
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Post by bossrock on Feb 20, 2021 18:32:59 GMT -5
Not saying he would've gotten a Triple Crown run, but I think he absolutely would've gotten some Champion Carnival runs and be part of a pushed tag team.
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Post by elliott on Feb 20, 2021 18:51:11 GMT -5
It's difficult to bet against Austin knowing his work ethic and what happened in real life. But I do suspect "lower ranked tag partner for Gary Albright" is the likely outcome. And it's not like AJPW was famous for elevating guys out of the mid card.
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Post by fxnj on Feb 20, 2021 19:09:22 GMT -5
A big thing to consider is that if he went to AJPW, he probably wouldn't have had the same neck issues he ended up with in the WWF, which is ironic considering how taxing the style was on the neck.
I think he could have slipped in pretty well into Patriot's spot as Kobashi's big white guy tag partner who wasn't quite as huge as the other gaijin. He wouldn't be main eventing, but it would have been pretty cool to see him working Akiyama and Misawa in tags. I have a feeling he would have been able to keep up his end better than Patriot. He'd also probably get a decent push after GET is formed.
Another thing is that without Steve Austin joining the WWF and ushering in the Attitude Era, they'd probably have just continued downsizing and wouldn't have had the cash to make the big money offer to lure away Patriot that they ending up making. With Patriot not leaving and Austin in there, Kobashi's GET stable probably could have been a much bigger deal.
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Post by elliott on Feb 20, 2021 22:23:14 GMT -5
I feel like his neck breaks way sooner.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2021 9:41:48 GMT -5
Austin is my favourite wrestler but I couldn't see him as the top foreigner in AJPW at all. If WCW had stuck with him we probably would have got Austin v Hogan. Thankfully not!
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