8 Puzzling Things About The Original WWE Draft

8. Steve Austin's "Clause"

People remember Stone Cold's infamous June 2002 walkout and the associated ugliness, but they forget that he also fled the company right after WrestleMania X8, and sat out for two weeks.

When the draft came around, Austin was in his self-imposed hiatus, and it was declared (in kayfabe) that Austin had a "clause" in his contract that gave him draft immunity. It said that if WWE should ever split into two brands, Austin could forego the draft and simply sign with whichever brand he wanted.

How convenient, right? Amazing that Austin would have the foresight in the late-nineties to figure that WWE might split into "brands" one day. Some theorised that Austin's absence had to do with WWE not wanting to pick Rock first and Austin second, or vice versa, and thus render one of the two "second place", but the walkout seems to override that idea.

Stone Cold's absence had to be explained, but what a peculiar solution they came up with.