10 Huge Bust-Ups Between Wrestlers And Bookers

10. Steve Austin Vs. Vince McMahon

In 2002, with their relationship fraught - Steve Austin loathed the new creative direction Vince McMahon oversaw, which triggered Vince's counterproductive instincts to punish disobedient talent - a King Of The Ring qualifying match was set for the June 10 RAW. To spite Austin's infamous comments on Byte This - think WWE Backstage, only candid - McMahon booked him to lose to the unstoppable Brock Lesnar, on free TV, with no build.

"Bottom line is that everything sucks," Austin seethed. "I think the writing has been pretty substandard. I'll go one better than that - it's been piss-poor. Creative can get a hell of a lot better than it is," Austin continued. Typical. There's one set of rules for an authoritative megastar, and another for snarky content producers.

Austin refused to do the job. He felt it would diminish his aura and drawing power, and that a shock, clean job would undermine the box office when the match made pay-per-view. McMahon, and this is sobering, felt people would simply forget. Austin walked out and was given the dreaded "Took his ball" treatment.

Who was in the right?

That creative direction sucked, so Austin.

Less facetiously, the Lesnar push was so effective as a graduating blitzkrieg that a win over Austin - Stone Cold Steve Austin - may have peaked it before the money was made at SummerSlam.