3. He Would Have Evolved Into The PG Era
At least, he would have had to. He and The Rock represented the first and last vestiges of The Attitude Era, and their eventual departures coincided with the dawning of a new era. The PG era wasn't sumbitch-friendly, nor did it encourage middle finger salutes. What would have happened if Stone Cold was told to tone it down, or change his act to suit the shareholders? Well, he's conducted himself somewhat accordingly during his special appearances, otherwise he wouldn't be invited back on such a regular basis (see: Ric Flair). So it's not as if Steve Austin isn't capable of adapting. We've seen what happens when a wrestler fails to evolve, such as The Rock fumbling and eyebrow-raising his way through parts of his big comeback in 2012. People still love The Rock, but he wasn't winning any new fans, just nostalgic pops. (Please note that Dwayne Johnson, in my opinion, has been a whiz at personal PR and career development, but here I refer to The Rock character). So my jury is out in terms of Steve Austin thriving in the PG Era. Could he survive it? Well yes, especially in the beginning when there was no Senate Campaign or Wellness Policy to consider. He could tone it down and still thrill the crowd. It may have been interesting for us to see how he'd innovate and agitate with a few new rules in place. His legendary feud with Vince (which many feel has been imitated by The Authority and Daniel Bryan) could have morphed into something even more creative. But then again, I am a huge fan of McMahon's feud with HBK I wouldn't trade their No-Holds-Barred Match at WrestleMania 22 for all the beer in Texas. So if Austin hadn't retired, would I have been denied the delights of that match?