Stunning Steve Austin was nowhere near the level of the later Stone Cold persona. However, that is not to say that Austin was not a talented wrestler or important part of WCW programming. Despite his hard work, dedication, and ability, it seemed that Austin was never truly looked at as a key player in WCW. He was just a solid, midcard talent that could be used for whatever was needed, and therein lay the problem. Austins career with WCW saw him go through many changes and shifts in direction. Quite frankly, it never truly seemed that the Southern promotion had any idea what to do with Austin. As he later said in ECW, Eric Bischoff and WCW kept the biggest potential superstar on the Goddamn ground. Stunning Steves tried his hardest despite the lack of direction, but even he couldnt turn things around for the better. Austin had some brief, glimmering moments while in WCW, but generally speaking, he floundered in relative obscurity. The company seemed content on keeping Austin in the midcard without ever providing him with an opportunity to grow -- a problem which many homegrown WCW talents faced, especially as the years went on.
Douglas Scarpa is a freelance writer, independent filmmaker, art school graduate, and pro wrestling aficionado -- all of which mean he is in financial ruin. He has no backup plan to speak of, yet maintains his abnormally high spirits. If he had only listened to the scorn of his childhood teachers, he wouldn't be in this situation.
