10 Times WWE Completely Abandoned Their Talent
General Neglection.
WWE has, in recent years at least, made a point of trying to build bridges with talents from time gone by. Or at very least, not trying to burn them in the first place.
Triple H has allegedly been instrumental in fixing many relationships long thought broken over the past decade or so. Bruno Sammartino and Vince McMahon were never to speak again until 'The Game' got in between them both. He let bygones be bygones with The Ultimate Warrior as the formerly face-painted star linked back up via trusted confidant Vince McMahon. He rehired virtually all of his mates at one point or another on the proviso that they clean up and the promise that they could play at being in D-Generation X again. He's gone from heel to healer amongst internet fans, "complex legacy" be damned.
But he's not in charge yet. His Father-in-law is, and that 74-year-old billionaire still looks at a longterm professional relationship like he does a stack of crushed leaves - ready to be f*cked.
He'll do it to your favourite one of these days. He had no problem doing to their biggest ever star...
10. Stone Cold Steve Austin
A harsh reminder that WWE will always be about "What have you done for me lately?" rather than "thanks for saving my f*cking entire company yesterday", the panicked 2002 character assassination of Stone Cold Steve Austin looked even thicker when 'The Rattlesnake' was back on television within a year.
With tensions high for months between Austin and Vince McMahon as the commercial and creative wheels came off the company following WrestleMania X-Seven, Stone Cold's last straw was being asked to lose to Brock Lesnar on an unannounced King Of The Ring qualifier. He'd been notoriously protective over his character for years, but had earned the right alongside the mountains of cash and - crucially - he was bang right on this particular stance. Enough was enough though, and he was off. In a rash act of self-preservation, McMahon used his weekend Confidential show as an elongated "Bret Screwed Bret" promo on Austin has became just another spoke rather than what he actually was - the whole g*ddamn wheel.
Austin has openly regretted his decision to leave ever since, but agreeing to his own personal wrong has never vindicated the company's own.