10 Things You Didn't Know About The WWE Title
3. Steve Austin Never Defended It At WrestleMania
Nobody was a bigger star than Steve Austin during the 'Attitude' days. 'Stone Cold' was box office, and raced to the tippy top of the industry as the best rebellious babyface on the market. Not even acts like The Rock, The Undertaker or WCW's nWo could top him for solo star power. Austin was the man.
That's why it's so interesting to learn that he never actually wrestled as WWF Champ at WrestleMania. It's true. Steve won the belt in both 1998 and 1999, then again in 2001. He'd never get the chance to walk into ‘Mania with that belt draped over his shoulder, which will come as a surprise to some.
Austin was typically deployed in the challenger role.
It's easy to forget just how short his time as the main man in wrestling was too. Steve shot to prominence as a headliner in 1998, but was retiring from the ring by 2003. There were some significant gaps in those five years due to injuries as well.