10 Worst WWE Booking Decisions Of The 2000s (Year-By-Year)

What can be said about Steve Austin’s heel turn at WrestleMania X-Seven that hasn’t already been said? Almost everyone is in agreement that said turn signified the end of the Attitude Era, both from a creative and business standpoint. Not only did the audience significantly drop off, but the shows lost a creative edge, with the Invasion angle being a key example.

In theory, turning Steve Austin and having him align with Vince was a neat idea. Obviously, Austin was feeling creatively stifled in his babyface role, and such a high profile turn in the main event of WrestleMania did very much feel like a #WrestleManiaMoment. However, it was clearly a case of wrong place and wrong time. With The Rock taking time off for Hollywood, there was no clear top babyface to oppose the now heel Austin. They tried with the likes of Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle, but still, nobody got face pops like Austin did.

Moreover, having Austin align with Vince killed widespread enthusiasm for the product, creating an exodus of fans who have yet to return. If the Monday Night War was a storm at sea, and the WWF was a ship, Austin’s heel turn was like if the captain threw away the sail once the storm ended, thus taking away their forward momentum. They’ve been treading water ever since.