10 Most Poisonous Backstage Influences In WWE History

9. Steve Austin

Admittedly, Steve Austin may not be the first person that springs to mind when discussing the most poisonous backstage influences, but he has had his moments. In 2002, Austin point blank refused to put over Brock Lesnar. This was the culmination of a lot of frustration from the man towards the creative team. Disagreeing with the short-term plan to lose to Brock in a King Of The ring qualifier, Austin fled the company. This was a very dark time for the man, who was also involved in a serious domestic abuse incident with his then-wife, Debra. Steve Austin was not the best person to be around in the Summer of 2002, but it wasn't the first time he had refused to work with another wrestler. In 1999, Austin was disinterested in a program opposite Jeff Jarrett, and was apparently less-than-discreet with his opinion. In fairness to the guy, Steve Austin has done far more good than harm to WWE as a company. As one of the biggest-grossing stars of all time, he genuinely deserved his standing as a top name in the promotion. That said, it'd be unfair not to acknowledge that he was involved in some unsavoury moments behind the curtain.