10 Fascinating WWE Survivor Series 2003 Facts
4. Steve Austin Was Only Off Of Raw For Six Weeks
The more dire stipulation of the Raw Survivor Series match stated that if the babyfaces lost, Austin (the co-general manager of the show) would be fired. That is indeed what came to pass, when Randy Orton eliminated the blood-soaked remains of Shawn Michaels in a real heartbreaker of a finish. The crowd was hushed when Austin gave a rather-strained goodbye speech in the denouement.
But hey, this is WWE, and stipulations are for suckers. Six weeks after Survivor Series, on the 29 December 2003 edition of Raw, Austin returned, now rebranded as a "Sheriff". Austin's act as a babyface boss that dished out punishment and never took it in return (due to his real career-ending injuries) was wearing thin, and the Sheriff deal only continued to dilute what had made Austin special in the first place. Frankly, from a creative standpoint, Austin was better off staying away.