3. Steve Austin Refused To Drop WWE Title To Triple H In 1999
Steve Austin is one of the greatest WWE superstars (or professional wrestlers, as he likes to call them) of all-time. His accomplishments speak for themselves, but Austin didn't get to the top of the business by always being a nice guy and playing by the rules. While never a backstage politician per say, he was highly protective of his character, especially during his 1998/99 peak years. Can you blame him? While Austin was setting records and selling out arenas, WWE writers were proposing programmes with the likes of Billy Gunn and Jeff Jarrett. Austin nixed those programmes, and he also nixed dropping the belt to Triple H at SummerSlam 1999. Austin was originally meant to clash with The Game in a singles match on the show, but when Vince and co asked Austin to lay down for the 1-2-3, he said 'no chance'. So Mick Foley was added to the match instead, ostensibly to take the pin. Then Governor of Minnesota (where the PPV was taking place) and former WWE star Jesse 'The Body' Ventura got involved as special guest referee and the result was flipped to Mankind winning the WWE Title, since Ventura didn't fancy raising a top heel's hand. Triple H won the belt, his first WWE Title, from Mankind the next night but he was originally booked to leave SummerSlam with the gold.
