10 Fascinating WWE Backstage Facts About 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin
9. He Refused To Work With Marc Mero Because Of The Sable Bomb
Refusing to work with a wrestler is the kind of luxury afforded to those who are at the top, and Austin was known to use it every now and again if he felt it was right. He famously blocked programs with Hulk Hogan and Jeff Jarrett, but another (much more damaging) use of this power was with Marc Mero, whose connection to Sable cost him a run in the main event.
There was a time when Sable's pairing with Marc Mero was moved in a different direction, after she started gaining intense popularity and the fans wanted to see her as a solo act. Mero was thus positioned to take on the role of a heel, offering a challenge for Austin in his 1998 WWF Championship run. But, Austin put a stop to it before it could get started.
You see, during the Sable/Mero breakup feud, Mero infamously took a Sable Bomb from the female athlete and sold it appropriately. This was fine in isolation, but Austin thought it ruined his credibility and didn't want to have his character getting beaten up by someone who was powerbombed by a woman.
Thanks to this, the program never came to life, and Mero's career in the WWF went downhill faster than a toddler on roller skates.