10 Biggest Stone Cold Steve Austin "What Ifs" In WWE
6. What If Shawn Didn't Do The Job?
Before the main event of Wrestlemania XIV, Shawn Michaels made it apparent his reluctance to put over Austin, effectively passing the torch to someone more capable of leading the WWE. Thanks to the Undertaker and his intimidating taped fists, Shawn had gone out and did the job as well as any wrestler could have dreamed, taking plenty of abuse on his already tortured back, even managing his iconic kip-up despite his problems.
Fans can't help but wonder, knowing how petty he can be and his ability to ruin good matches like his SummerSlam bout with Hulk Hogan, how bad Shawn could have made it for Austin. Shawn could have dominated the offense, leading to Austin not being able to go over strong. Like his match with Hulk Hogan, he could have dramatically oversold for Austin, turning the entire match into a messy joke, or he could have just refused to stay down.
Regardless, this was a win that WWE needed in more than anyone, potentially even Austin. It ended that failure that was the New Generation era which Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart attempted to lead. WWE could not take another two years of Shawn's penchant for backstage politicking, and could have been dead in the water if the Austin era didn't begin at Wrestlemania XIV