10 Best Backstage WWE Stories From Bruce Prichard's Podcast

9. "Happy Accident" (Austin vs. McMahon)

Steve Austin Vince McMahon
WWE.com/Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Vince McMahon was never supposed to turn into the villainous Mr. McMahon character and he wasn't pencilled in to feud with megastar on the rise Steve Austin post-WrestleMania XIV. Those, according to Bruce Prichard, are facts, and he'd know better than anybody outside the bubble what the WWF's plans were for Austin's first title run.

Instead, Bruce called the McMahon vs. Austin bread winner a "happy accident".

The prior year, Stone Cold was written to blast McMahon with a Stunner in the middle of the ring. Contrary to what some might think though, that wasn't part of some elaborate plan to turn Vince from smiling commentator to abhorrent WWF owner. No, it was a throwaway segment designed to get people talking about Austin. Nothing more.

Plans changed once Prichard, Pat Patterson and others backstage egged McMahon on to get more involved. They could see his potential as a character, and they were disappointed when Vince claimed it might not be a good idea to have him on screen full time.

Advertisement
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.