Fighting Spirit Magazine is featuring quotes from a recent article by WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in a recent issue of the magazine where Austin talks about WWE needing to better prepare younger wrestlers before they are put in high profile situations on television.
“Today’s guys are very impressionable, and don’t really call it in the ring anymore. Some of the guys don’t know whether to shit or wind their watch; when they get in the ring, they have some basics, but they’ve always been told exactly what to do before they go out there. Back in the day, we were calling it all in the ring; we didn’t have anything to be nervous about, because we didn’t have to remember anything. All I had to do was listen to a hellacious worker like Billy Joe Travis or Jimmy Jack Funk, trusting them to help lead me through it.
“The guys today are on a big stage, and none bigger than WWE. It’s up to the promotion to bring these cats in light, establish them, and help them get over. You can’t just bring in someone new and expect them to work a Wrestlemania calibre match right away. If you give someone a monster push right off the bat, but don’t give them the base knowledge, it makes no sense to wonder why they shit the bed. These kids are exposed after a few weeks of TV, because they don’t have the experience of what to do in that situation. The more knowledge you have, the better chance you have of being successful.”
Source: Fighting Spirit Magazine