10 Ups And Downs For WWE In 2014 5

5. ‘Brass Ring’

The more you dissect “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s podcast interview with Vince McMahon, the more there is to not like about it. One of the most telling comments came when Austin asked Vince about Cesaro, a highly talented wrestler who seems to be misused constantly. Although he won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXX, Cesaro’s career appears to be in freefall right now.

Vince took the opportunity to first say that Cesaro seems to lack “it,” then took to burying most of the current roster by saying that no one since John Cena a decade ago has really grabbed “the brass ring.” Remember CM Punk’s infamous pipebomb promo in 2011? A big part of his frustration in that speech was about reaching for Vince’s “imaginary brass rings” and getting nowhere. No doubt that’s how many of the wrestlers had to feel after McMahon’s comments during Austin’s podcast.

It’s a demoralizing situation when the boss says that no one is stepping up to show they want to be a main event superstar. At least Triple H took the opportunity recently to mock those comments via Twitter. That brass ring comment could haunt Vince as the calendar turns to 2015, showing just how out of touch he really is.