10 Insane Details Wrestlers Put Into Gimmicks (And WWE Didn’t Care)
8. Steve Austin's Knee Braces
Stone Cold Steve Austin really, really believed that turning heel in 2001 would work.
It was one of the only times 'The Rattlesnake's business instincts were off at the height of the Attitude Era, but typically he was still right to try. His 2000 return with the old "DTA" gimmick felt incredibly passé, such was the pace at which everything moved back then. Turning heel was something, even if it was nothing compared to the height of his run.
When battering Jim Ross failed and hugging Vince McMahon drew laughter rather than vocal hatred, Austin started changing up what had previously been an untouchable aesthetic. Gone were the black knee braces, instead replaced red, white, gold and snakeskin, along with adjusting the details on his vest to match.
This - like so much else he was trying to get over with - was sacrilegious, but the commentary team bizarrely failed to mention that he was no longer simply the man in black.