10 More WWE Easter Eggs, References And In-Jokes You Never Noticed
4. Hollywood Gold
Though The Ringmaster's spangly gold chain made perfect sartorial sense worn as a gift from affluent manager Ted DiBiase, the pointless accoutrement was entirely unbefitting Steve Austin's revised, no-frills 'Stone Cold' character in 1996.
There was a very good reason Austin continued to rock the jarring jewellery even once he'd made the transition from entitled ring technician to bad-ass ass-kicker: the trinket was deeply personal.
As Austin explained in his book, The Stone Cold Truth, the necklace was a gift from Brian Pillman during the start of the pair's Hollywood Blonds days:
"Brian said, "We gotta wear some chains," and he got me a deal on one. It's got more sentimental value than anything I own. It's just a gold chain, but it's the chain that Brian got for me when we were the Hollywood Blonds.
Following Pillman's sudden death in 1997, the chain took on even greater significance for Steve:
"I wear that chain all the time. That's the one you see around my neck on WWE television and in many photos, and Brian is right there with me."