10 Shocking WWE Angles That Crossed The Line
9. Crucifying Austin
Back in 1996, ECW drew negative press for their crucifixion angle involving Raven and The Sandman. Nevertheless, Vince McMahon's is clearly a subscriber to the belief that "any publicity is good publicity" as he did the very same angle himself just two years later.
At the tail end of 1998, Steve Austin and The Undertaker were embroiled in a heated feud en route to the their "Buried Alive" match at In Your House: Rock Bottom. With Undertaker fresh off a heel turn and reunion with Paul Bearer, 'The Rattlesnake' had his work cut out for him. Leave it to 'The Deadman' to make matters biblical.
At the conclusion of the 7 December episode of Raw, Austin took the fight to The Undertaker following a tag match also involving Mankind and The Rock. Austin and 'Taker continued to brawl after the bell, leading 'The Phenom' to carry the unconscious Austin up the ramp-way.
To the soundtrack of religious chanting, 'Taker's gang of hooded druids tied Austin to The Undertaker's symbol - that was eerily reminiscent of a cross - and raised him up for all to see. The religious connotations were off the scale and the obvious comparison to the crucifixion of Christ inevitably caused backlash from religious groups in the aftermath.