Speaking of Stephanie, the Authority remained in the top heel position throughout all of 2015. Triple H and Stephanie began the year by being brought back on TV only 5 weeks after a stipulation forced them to be taken off following the 2014 Survivor Series. While Stephanie can garner heat like no other, the Authority angle had been going on for over a year and a half at that point and even further when you consider its roots. The whole "heel authority role" has been a staple of WWE programming ever since Steve Austin stunned Vince McMahon in Madison Square Garden on September 22nd, 1997. That's over 18 years ago. Half of the reason why that angle was so damn successful in the first place is because of the legendary Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the other half was Vince McMahon. For the time period, the storyline was interesting and well received, but it was the performers that brought the magic to it. The WWE doesn't have anyone like Austin on the roster today and Vince McMahon hasn't been a full time on-screen performer for years, yet they still push forward with this beaten up storyline and, unfortunately, there's still no end in sight.