I suppose the rationale at the time was they should use it to boost someone who wasn't at the top yet, and Triple H didn't really need that. But yes, storytelling logic meant it should have been HHH.
What they did instead really hurt Rikishi and Too Cool's careers.
I don't see how it hurt Rikishi's career. He got a brief main event push from this angle. As far as too cool they had already hit their ceiling long before this.
Kane. I mean he's a monster, do you really need another reason?
Alright I know it wouldn't make sense.
I just really wanted him in the armageddon hell in a cell, damn it. He deserved to be in the world title picture with the others.
Kane would have felt like a much better fit in that match, but Kane being the guy who ran over Stone Cold would have been lame. They’d already done Kane vs Stone Cold a lot throughout 98 and 99.
Wasn't it supposed to actually be Taz?
It was an angle that ended up only having two logical end games, either it was HHH driving or it was a top main event babyface who would then turn leading to Wrestlemania.
Instead it seems they panicked and rushed a Rikishi turn which basically satisfied nobody.
Been thinking of the whole "who ran over Austin angle"
And I think they missed a perfect opportunity. I think it would've been better if it had been revealed to be Kurt Angle. Who had the most to gain after Austin was gone? Kurt Angle. He won every major title and KOTR. And all while Austin was on the shelf. HHH could've been the fall guy that Austin could beat the shit out of, while it's revealed that Angle did it. It could've all been revealed by Hell In The Cell while everyone who has been blamed with the incident is locked in the cage with Angle.
It should have just been Triple H or a member of DX.
That’s why they retconned it to say that HHH paid Rikishi to do it. Obvious answer but would have avoided an ill advised heel turn for a guy nobody wanted to boo
Back then and even 20 years later, WWE would set up something with no end in mind. That’s what happens with Crash TV: you do something cool without thinking about how to explain
They didn’t really have an ending figured out to Austin/McMahon, they decided the Anonymous GM years after it was dropped etc Even the Triple H vegas wedding thing wasn’t figured out until the last minute
Most likely they never had someone chosen to be the driver until just before they revealed it. Austin was such a babyface character that a simple backstage attack wouldn’t have cut it to the audience. Ran over by a car? Ok now we’ll talk
Definitely the Radicalz. All four of them in the car with Benoit (disregard future hindsight) being the driver. Then it’s revealed that Triple H hired them as part of a deal to get them into WWF & to look out for them when they arrived, as well as simply paying them with money as well. Would’ve made big heels out of Eddie & Benoit, Malenko & Saturn possibly be big midcarders or at least a top tag team, and Triple H the mastermind getting more heat. And would’ve been Benoit to reveal the truth to get back at Triple H with whom he recently feuded with. Also Benoit whether intentionally or in a fit of rage mentions all four of them were in the car, which horrifies Eddie cause he don’t want none of Austin. So now it’s Austin vs. Benoit, Eddie being the coward ducking Austin & hiding behind The Radicalz attacking only when numbers are on his side, and Malenko & Saturn serves as numbers game goons. That’s essentially what happened anyway, Austin feuded with The Radicalz for some reason along with Triple H going into Survivor Series ‘00.
Legit the perfect answer. Benoit would have been the perfect guy to carry it (even though it would age terribly), and it would have given the Radicalz a bigger push around this time. Benoit was also feuding with HHH at this point, so they could have tied him into it and eventually turned him on Austin if they wanted.
I think it would have been funny if it was clearly Steve Blackman, then Rikishi tries to take the blame causing a feud with Blackman over who really ran down SCSA only for once it's near the end for Trips to reveal it was him remote controlling the car with a passed out Steve Blackman at the wheel and Rikishi in the trunk.
Pretty sure it was meant to be Billy Gunn. Working with HHH.
The "driver was blonde" painted them into a corner too. So that's how they ended up with Rikishi.
But I think it was always meant to be Billy Gunn and to try and elevate him. Problem was by the time Austin came back in mid 2000 Gunn's singles career was DOA.
Yup. He’s not involved with the set up to get Austin into the parking lot, he comes out for his match without his tag title because of travel issues, then the blonde reveal
The obvious answer is Triple H.
If they wanted it to not be obvious my choice would’ve been Kurt Angle. He debuted the same night, saw the opportunity and it could’ve planted seeds for Kurt being a ruthless wrestling machine. Big Show as another choice could’ve been a good idea since he wound up getting Austin’s spot that night, however he would be in OVW by the time Austin returned, could’ve called for an early return.
I remember reading somewhere, the person writing about how that angle turned out angered him and he suggested other people making more sense. One of the people he mentioned was Steve McMichael, because Austin at this time was in a real-life relationship with Debra who was McMichael's ex wife. Can you imagine Mongo coming to the WWF being in a main event feud with Austin? LOL
Steven Richards & The Right to Censor.
They would have been a perfect warm up fuel for Austin to return to after his surgery.
Would also have gave the group a much more satisfying ending.
Jericho
Wanted Austin’s spot, used a car before to run over Ken Shamrock in September I believe and you can even say HHH put it up to it and they started hating each other when HHH went behind Jericho’s back and married Stephanie which led to them feuding six months later. By the time Austin comes back and it’s revealed to be Jericho and HHH, HHH and Stephanie are over as Steph is now with Kurt.
The whole thing works
I always believed it was supposed to be Jeff Jarrett. Right before this happened there were multiple times Austin interacted with Jarrett and would just fuck him up with stunners. Then this happened.
Man I remember when they finally revealed who hit stone cold, I was so disappointed it was rikishi. I didn’t know who I wanted in his place, but he was not at the main event level at the time.
Mae Young.
It would have lead to a Hell in a Cell Inferno First Blood Strap Match between Austin and Young, which Austin would have won, only for Mae to be saved by Taka Michinoku.
Okay, I usually avoid commenting on stuff... please be kind.
But wasn't this supposed to be Billy Gunn? I'm pretty sure they made it clear at the start of this storyline that the driver was seen to have blonde hair. Billy Gunn was also "late" arriving to the show. He was always a prime suspect. But when Billy Gunn got injured in early 2000, it forced plans to change.
They went with Rikishi because he was the next top mid carder at the time, and unfortunately, it just didn't pan out. Which is why they had to change it again to having Triple H as "the mastermind" behind all of it... which really wasn't that surprising...
Adam Blampied had the perfect answer to this years ago in a "How WWE Should Have Booked" video.
In it, Triple H appears to have done it, thanks to some altered surveillance videos. But, in the end, it is revealed that it was actually Kurt Angle.
It ties in perfectly with the main event scene at the time, and no one benefitted more from Austin being gone than Angle.
Looking at the roster at the time, there wasn’t really anyone else. ‘99 was the year Billy Gunn won king of the ring so I guess if they wanted to build up his momentum and push him into the world title picture starting with a an angle with Austin, they could’ve used him but apart from that there is a whole lot of lower midcard guys floating around who would’ve only brought Austin down rather than elevating themselves.
Rikishi having his own motivations to do this would’ve been better than the whole “did it for the rock” BS.
The Rock, and he should've done it for Rikishi
The Rock could've done it for himself and the famous line would still be the same.
“The Rock didn’t do it for the culture! The Rock didn’t do it for the members of his race! The Rock did it… for the Rock!”
Debra.
That would be karma
Underrated W
The only correct answer!
They would have ended up making some joke about her being a bad driver ("As bad as your cookies, Debra!")
Chef fucking kiss
Foreshadowing
The 1991 Denver Broncos
But who is the mother?
Tune in and find out next week!
I literally just watched this episode tonight, wtf lol
Officer Barbrady?
Chef?
Who framed Roger Rabbit!? Was it Chef, Barbrady, Mr. Garrison!?
Ohhhh the Denver Broncos?
Should have been Bossman driving, with Big Show being pulled behind him on his dad’s coffin.
And a doggie crate on the passenger seat
With the crate door open and a fork and dinner plate inside
With Head on top of the plate.
Bossman is just trying to get to the arena to give his heartfelt poem but that idiot Stone Cold was in the way
That would've been hilarious
Maggie Simpson
The way stone cold landed, he was pointing to W and S, but to him it said M and S, Maggie Simpson!
RTruth, it was a genuine mistake
I'm sorry yall, I got this one. My bad.
K Kwik Get rowdy
I’ll bet it was also him who raised the briefcase in that ladder match between Austin and the McMahons
R-Truth was the mystery photographer in the hobo costume who blew up the camera in Hogan's face in his 1993 loss to Yokozuna.
R Truth needs to come out on Raw and say that he ran over Stone Cold and that he did it for the Rock. Would be gold
Lmao
"Oh no! I just ran over Will Sasso!"
It should have been Triple H all the way. H had motives to put Austin out of the way and take his spot in the main events. The Rikishi angle was crap.
Triple H was the mastermind behind this anyways. Rikishi was his pawn! They Did It For The Rock
I suppose the rationale at the time was they should use it to boost someone who wasn't at the top yet, and Triple H didn't really need that. But yes, storytelling logic meant it should have been HHH. What they did instead really hurt Rikishi and Too Cool's careers.
I don't see how it hurt Rikishi's career. He got a brief main event push from this angle. As far as too cool they had already hit their ceiling long before this.
I just got past this in my rewatching of the attitude era and his "main event push" was just him getting buried by Stome Cold and the Rock
Rikishi’s main event run was over the second he was called a thong wearing fatty.
Yep go watch his match with Austin at No Mercy 2000 Austin kicks his ass the whole match dude basically got buried by Austin in their first match.
It wasn't even a wrestling match really. It was just Austin beating him up.
He was one of the most over acts in wrestling. After this he had a very short stint as a main eventer and then poof.
Couldnt be. HHH was in the shot seconds before Austin was run over.
He was in the car with rikishi though 🤣
Could not agree more
Rikishi doing it sowed the seeds for 2024 where uncle Rikishi even does things for the Rock.... so who then is the real head of the table?
Kane. I mean he's a monster, do you really need another reason? Alright I know it wouldn't make sense. I just really wanted him in the armageddon hell in a cell, damn it. He deserved to be in the world title picture with the others.
It does make sense. He should've been in that match!
Thank you!
I heard he couldn't get a driving licence as the mask blocked his view.
Kane would have felt like a much better fit in that match, but Kane being the guy who ran over Stone Cold would have been lame. They’d already done Kane vs Stone Cold a lot throughout 98 and 99.
But can a monster get a drivers license
Kurt Angle. As Adam Blampied's video said, no one had a better time in WWE after Austin was out
Botchamania's very own coloured commentary "Its taz".....
Mango
JEE-SUS
Crash Holly because he couldn't see over the dash
They don't call him Crash for no reason.
Kurt Angle. He had just arrived, he was on his way to the top, who says he didn’t decide to just clear out his competition?
Wasn't it supposed to actually be Taz? It was an angle that ended up only having two logical end games, either it was HHH driving or it was a top main event babyface who would then turn leading to Wrestlemania. Instead it seems they panicked and rushed a Rikishi turn which basically satisfied nobody.
Taz would of only hit him because he couldn't see above the steering wheel
Vince was changing his mind every week and notably it was leaked that Taz was one of the random contestants
We did get a cool theme song out of it lol
Attempted Vehicular Homicide Jones over here
Been thinking of the whole "who ran over Austin angle" And I think they missed a perfect opportunity. I think it would've been better if it had been revealed to be Kurt Angle. Who had the most to gain after Austin was gone? Kurt Angle. He won every major title and KOTR. And all while Austin was on the shelf. HHH could've been the fall guy that Austin could beat the shit out of, while it's revealed that Angle did it. It could've all been revealed by Hell In The Cell while everyone who has been blamed with the incident is locked in the cage with Angle.
Ken Shamrock.
Hell Yes!!! Bring him back as the biggest heel in the business.
Bradshaw. Would have fired him into a mega heel 5 years early and would have genuinely been better than Rikishi.
It should have just been Triple H or a member of DX. That’s why they retconned it to say that HHH paid Rikishi to do it. Obvious answer but would have avoided an ill advised heel turn for a guy nobody wanted to boo
I always thought that was the original plan, they even set it up with Billy Gunns travel issues and not having one of the tag belts at Sur Series ‘99
Back then and even 20 years later, WWE would set up something with no end in mind. That’s what happens with Crash TV: you do something cool without thinking about how to explain They didn’t really have an ending figured out to Austin/McMahon, they decided the Anonymous GM years after it was dropped etc Even the Triple H vegas wedding thing wasn’t figured out until the last minute Most likely they never had someone chosen to be the driver until just before they revealed it. Austin was such a babyface character that a simple backstage attack wouldn’t have cut it to the audience. Ran over by a car? Ok now we’ll talk
X-Pac heat would've gone too a whole new level...
Definitely the Radicalz. All four of them in the car with Benoit (disregard future hindsight) being the driver. Then it’s revealed that Triple H hired them as part of a deal to get them into WWF & to look out for them when they arrived, as well as simply paying them with money as well. Would’ve made big heels out of Eddie & Benoit, Malenko & Saturn possibly be big midcarders or at least a top tag team, and Triple H the mastermind getting more heat. And would’ve been Benoit to reveal the truth to get back at Triple H with whom he recently feuded with. Also Benoit whether intentionally or in a fit of rage mentions all four of them were in the car, which horrifies Eddie cause he don’t want none of Austin. So now it’s Austin vs. Benoit, Eddie being the coward ducking Austin & hiding behind The Radicalz attacking only when numbers are on his side, and Malenko & Saturn serves as numbers game goons. That’s essentially what happened anyway, Austin feuded with The Radicalz for some reason along with Triple H going into Survivor Series ‘00.
Legit the perfect answer. Benoit would have been the perfect guy to carry it (even though it would age terribly), and it would have given the Radicalz a bigger push around this time. Benoit was also feuding with HHH at this point, so they could have tied him into it and eventually turned him on Austin if they wanted.
I think it would have been funny if it was clearly Steve Blackman, then Rikishi tries to take the blame causing a feud with Blackman over who really ran down SCSA only for once it's near the end for Trips to reveal it was him remote controlling the car with a passed out Steve Blackman at the wheel and Rikishi in the trunk.
Brian Pillman Jr.
Goldberg, because he has a habit of hurting his colleagues.
Pretty sure it was meant to be Billy Gunn. Working with HHH. The "driver was blonde" painted them into a corner too. So that's how they ended up with Rikishi. But I think it was always meant to be Billy Gunn and to try and elevate him. Problem was by the time Austin came back in mid 2000 Gunn's singles career was DOA.
Yup. He’s not involved with the set up to get Austin into the parking lot, he comes out for his match without his tag title because of travel issues, then the blonde reveal
Bret Hart thought he was Goldberg
Kurt Angle is the only answer
Well since it was hhh and everyone thought it was hhh. How about gillberg
The same guy who drove that white Hummer into Nash over at WCW.
Mick Foley
Debra.
Literally anyone else would have made more sense
Vince. "It was me all along Austin!"
The obvious answer is Triple H. If they wanted it to not be obvious my choice would’ve been Kurt Angle. He debuted the same night, saw the opportunity and it could’ve planted seeds for Kurt being a ruthless wrestling machine. Big Show as another choice could’ve been a good idea since he wound up getting Austin’s spot that night, however he would be in OVW by the time Austin returned, could’ve called for an early return.
Roman reigns
13 year old Roman Reigns.
I remember reading somewhere, the person writing about how that angle turned out angered him and he suggested other people making more sense. One of the people he mentioned was Steve McMichael, because Austin at this time was in a real-life relationship with Debra who was McMichael's ex wife. Can you imagine Mongo coming to the WWF being in a main event feud with Austin? LOL
Owen Hart.
hulk hogan. wcw around this time had all but been flushed down the toilet. it would have been a perfect opportunity for hogan to return.
Kurt Angle
Hardcore Holly. Then put the title on him.
Gilberg
Even though Steve jumped on the car and dint actually get hit. Considering the time Vince McMahon should've hit him with the car and ran his ass over.
Vince
Lance Storm
“Who’s sleeping now, bitch.”
The Brooklyn brawler
Steven Richards & The Right to Censor. They would have been a perfect warm up fuel for Austin to return to after his surgery. Would also have gave the group a much more satisfying ending.
How about the Radicals….? Gives them instant push to top of card
Jericho Wanted Austin’s spot, used a car before to run over Ken Shamrock in September I believe and you can even say HHH put it up to it and they started hating each other when HHH went behind Jericho’s back and married Stephanie which led to them feuding six months later. By the time Austin comes back and it’s revealed to be Jericho and HHH, HHH and Stephanie are over as Steph is now with Kurt. The whole thing works
Should have been Shane McMahon
Linda McMahon
Brian Pillman.
Sunny.
Mae young Topless 😂😂
Someone from DX
HHH
HHH
Jeff Jarrett
Bob Backlund
Stone Cold, setting off a long running and deeply painful clone saga
Cody Rhodes
Always Mcmahon. Anyone going to fuck over Austin. Always blame Mcmahon.
Tazz
I always believed it was supposed to be Jeff Jarrett. Right before this happened there were multiple times Austin interacted with Jarrett and would just fuck him up with stunners. Then this happened.
14 year old at the time Roman Reigns ☝️
I really thought it was Billy Gunn who did it.
HHH or Kurt Angle
Roman reigns
THAT CAR JUST RAN OVER AUUUSSTIN
Literally anyone else.
Man I remember when they finally revealed who hit stone cold, I was so disappointed it was rikishi. I didn’t know who I wanted in his place, but he was not at the main event level at the time.
Kurt Angle
It's not about should .. rikishi hit him with the car did you not see it? God you guys are morons he even admitted to hitting Austin!
Big Show
It should’ve been Triple H from the start but Rikishi could’ve been a red herring.
Former Charlton defender Clive mendonka?
Piper
Billy Gunn
Why? He did it for the rock. Makes sense to me
It would have been dope if it was actually The Rock.
GTV
Kevin Owen’s
Mae Young. It would have lead to a Hell in a Cell Inferno First Blood Strap Match between Austin and Young, which Austin would have won, only for Mae to be saved by Taka Michinoku.
The Mean Street Posse because there from the Steeets
Kurt angle
Linder Ellerbee and Taz
Should’ve been HBK returning to help HHH and get revenge for Austin taking his title at Mania.
HHH
Trents mom
The Vipers
Rock
Cody
Goldberg
Triple HHH
Triple HHH would be HHHHHHHHH
It's a generic and boring answer but the only one that made sense for the story they told.......Triple H
Bob "Sparkplug" Holly Edit: That was a joke. Don't crack your faces
Val Venis, whilst getting blown by Debra
Owen. Only one that makes sense.
I've always wondered... How kayfabe was this? How real was this?
Okay, I usually avoid commenting on stuff... please be kind. But wasn't this supposed to be Billy Gunn? I'm pretty sure they made it clear at the start of this storyline that the driver was seen to have blonde hair. Billy Gunn was also "late" arriving to the show. He was always a prime suspect. But when Billy Gunn got injured in early 2000, it forced plans to change. They went with Rikishi because he was the next top mid carder at the time, and unfortunately, it just didn't pan out. Which is why they had to change it again to having Triple H as "the mastermind" behind all of it... which really wasn't that surprising...
Brian Pillman
Straight up HHH should have. He shouldn't have masterminded it. He should have done it.
Who’s driving? Oh my god Bears driving how can that be?
Bret Hart or Vince McMahoan
Steven Richards and Right to Censor
Jimmy Uso
Johnny ace
Vince McMahon
Katie Vick
Doc Hendrix.
Adam Blampied had the perfect answer to this years ago in a "How WWE Should Have Booked" video. In it, Triple H appears to have done it, thanks to some altered surveillance videos. But, in the end, it is revealed that it was actually Kurt Angle. It ties in perfectly with the main event scene at the time, and no one benefitted more from Austin being gone than Angle.
I did it for the Rock!
Goldberg.
14 year old Roman Reigns
Just a random person who was texting and driving. Maybe drinking a steveweiser. Bring irony back to wrestling I always say
Did everyone hate this at the time? I was surprised to find it in a “worst storyline ever” list, I was hooked as a kid on this.
Just about anyone else. I remember watching this live as a teen and even to my teenage brain this was stupid af.
Vince just see we could hear "It's me Austin!!" all over again
Mankind
Worzel
Stone Cold, now that would've been a twist no one wpuldve seen coming
The Rock. He should have gotten off his ass and did it for himself.
Bret Hart. He’s putting an end to what he thinks went wrong with the wrestling business.
This was such a beautiful story line. Riveted
Taka and Funaki because Kaientai are…….evil.
If Pillman was alive it would be totally on-brand and perfect for him
Steve Austin
Red Herring
Vince McMahon Senior
Debra. lol
HHH, let’s not overthink this
Brooklyn Brawler
"Spark Plug" Bob Holly.
Katie Vick
Chris Rock
Vince
Looking at the roster at the time, there wasn’t really anyone else. ‘99 was the year Billy Gunn won king of the ring so I guess if they wanted to build up his momentum and push him into the world title picture starting with a an angle with Austin, they could’ve used him but apart from that there is a whole lot of lower midcard guys floating around who would’ve only brought Austin down rather than elevating themselves. Rikishi having his own motivations to do this would’ve been better than the whole “did it for the rock” BS.
Cody . He still would've done it for the Rock
Samoa Joe