10 Fascinating WWE Backstage Facts About 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin
3. He Cost Chyna A Chance At A World Championship Match
Chyna was a groundbreaking superstar who tore down the walls of the industry and made history as one of the most dominant women in wrestling. Her involvement with inter-gender matches was a massive part of this, and she was even poised to reach the absolute top until Austin, like he did with Marc Mero, put his boot to the idea.
Chyna was booked to face off against Austin for the World Championship in a triple threat match alongside Triple H at SummerSlam 1999 after winning a number one contender's match. However, when the event came to be, Mankind switched out for her and won the Championship instead.
According to Jim Ross on an episode of his Podcast, Austin had a hand with this as he didn't want to face off against a woman. He claimed that the pair were friends but that Austin was "old school enough that he's not gonna do that."
Ultimately, Chyna ended up never challenging for the title after this and would eventually part ways with the company before her untimely death in 2016. Austin spoke positively about her impact on the business after her passing.