Steve Austin himself has went on record to say that his character may not have been as wildly successful had it not been for Mr. McMahon's madcap villain. 'Stone Cold' needed a great, strong heel to go up against, and his anti-authority gimmick was perfect for the overbearing, power-mad Vince McMahon on television. In the wake of the 'Montreal Screwjob' and departure of Bret Hart, McMahon became the top heel in the company. For his part, Austin showed many traditional heel nuances. The wrestling industry had changed however, meaning may fans embraced him rather than hating him. Instead, they despised the idea of McMahon trying to hold their hand-picked star down. It was a simple story, but remains one of the best. WWE have even tried to replicate it over and over, but things rarely work as well as Austin vs. McMahon. There's a simple reason for this, Steve Austin and Vince McMahon had chemistry like pretty much nobody else in history. Not only were their characters a perfect fit, but both guys shared the mindset that the then-WWF had to push the envelope in order to retake the crown of top dog back from WCW. Fans never really tired of seeing Austin undermine his on-screen boss. McMahon and Austin's characters were polar opposites, which made them natural foes.
