Shawn Michaels can get with top SmackDown talent and make him "one of the biggest stars WWE has ever seen," says legend (Exclusive)
WWE houses some of the best pro wrestlers in the world, but only a handful can make it to the very top. Teddy Long recently opened up about Austin Theory and explained why the United States Champion needed to work with Shawn Michaels to improve.
He might be among the exciting young talents, but Austin Theory has struggled for momentum recently. His WrestleMania opponent, John Cena, also didn't sound optimistic about Theory's current gimmick, and it was the main topic of discussion on the latest episode of The Wrestling Time Machine.
Teddy Long still had faith in Austin Theory's long-term success in WWE. However, he explained why the 25-year-old needed NXT boss Shawn Michaels' guidance to become one of the greatest ever.
"I think what Austin Theory needs to do is get close to Shawn Michaels. Shawn Michaels is down there, and this is what I see. I see Shawn Michaels getting with him and making him one of the biggest stars WWE has ever seen," said the Hall of Famer. [5:56 - 6:08]
Co-host Mac Davis brought up the differences between talents in the Attitude Era and the present generation. Teddy Long responded to the comparison by saying wrestlers from the past took the business more seriously.
The current crop of talents has wrongly been conditioned to view professional wrestling as an avenue for entertainment rather than a competitive sport, per Teddy Long. The Hall of Famer added that the only way for modern-day superstars to learn was to absorb all the knowledge from the veterans down in NXT.
"The Attitude Era [wrestlers], in my opinion, took it way more seriously than the young kids today. I think they take it today as way more entertainment and a show, not as a competitive sport, and we're here to draw money and look good. Guys like Shawn Michaels and those that are down there in NXT, those guys know! They are hardcore, and if these guys don't get it from them, then they just ain't going to get it." [7:10 - 7:45]
Bill Apter makes an interesting observation about WWE's Attitude Era
To think that 20 years ago, @TheRock vs @undertaker (a match that could have easily headlined a PPV), was a main event for a regular RAW.
We, as fans, were truly spoiled in the attitude era.
Footage from RAW, December 25, 2000. https://t.co/woSEiXY1hh
The legendary journalist chimed in and clarified that unlike how wrestling is these days, the entire WWE programming in the 1990s was based around the Attitude Era.
Storylines were edgier as WWE, WCW, and other companies pushed the boundaries of how pro wrestling could be presented to the audience. Bill Apter noted that WWE no longer follows an overall theme and also explained nWo's example to convey his viewpoint:
"Well, keep in mind also that the Attitude Era was the theme of WWF back then. It was a theme. Right now, there is no theme. Everybody just comes in and does their thing; it's different vignettes, it's different matches. There is no overall thing. nWo, when they were in WCW, that was a theme. Everybody was like, 'Can we beat the nWo?' So WWE doesn't have that currently." [7:46 - 8:12]
Do you agree with Apter and Long about the current state of pro wrestling? Sound off in the comments section below.
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