5. Turning Steve Austin Into A Comedy Character (2001)
As 'Stone Cold', Steve Austin was the biggest draw the WWF had during the whole 'Attitude Era'. His rise to prominence as a character can be directly linked to Vince McMahon. If there hadn't been a killer heel like McMahon to play off of, there's a chance Austin may not have connected to fans quite like he did. Sadly, Vince would also be responsible for ruining the mystique. At WrestleMania X-Seven, McMahon and Austin joined forces. The story told was that Austin was so desperate to be WWF Heavyweight Champion that he'd even 'shake hands with the devil himself' in order to defeat The Rock. That's exactly what transpired, Stone Cold had turned from anti-hero babyface into full-blown corporate patsy. Worse, he started relying on comedy. In truth, the segments produced by Austin, McMahon and Kurt Angle remain some of the best comedy ever seen in the company. Unfortunately, they also served to ruin the aura 'The Rattlesnake' had spent years building up. By the time the promotion decided to turn Austin back into a babyface post 'Invasion' angle, damage had been done. His career was never the same again.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
