10 Wrestlers Who Crossed Vince McMahon For Real

7. Stone Cold Steve Austin

The leading face of the Attitude Era is amongst the most popular and successful professional wrestlers of all time. Throughout his main event run in the WWF, Austin was booked as a borderline unstoppable force with next to no one picking up a clean win on him. By 2002, WWE were gearing up for a new generation of stars to take over. WWE and McMahon himself were especially high on a young up and comer by the name of Brock Lesnar.

With King of the Ring still in full swing, the plan was for Lesnar to crush Austin in the first round on an episode of RAW. Austin refused, considering it an abysmal booking and business decision. Earlier in 2002, Austin was pencilled in for a dream match with the returning Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania X8. Austin refused the match (despite the seeds already being planted with the nWo costing Austin a title match at No Way Out) and it was ultimately changed to the classic Rock vs. Hogan match. After months of similar booking issues, Lesnar was the last straw and Austin walked out on the company.

Vince McMahon would subsequently bury Austin on TV and get the likes of JR and The Rock to do the same. Having refused various booking decisions that had major implications on the product, one can see why McMahon had grown so frustrated, even if the on-air burial seemed petty.

Austin would eventually return the next year to squash Eric Bischoff and be retired by The Rock. Given his many appearances in the years since, it is safe to say all has been forgiven.