Virtually every hardcore pro wrestling fan will have heard Steve Austin tell the same story, how he dearly wishes he had "called an audible" at the climax of WrestleMania X-Seven and nailed Mr. McMahon with a well-timed Stone Cold Stunner. If he had done so, fans may have been spared his resultant heel turn, alignment with his arch nemesis and an awkward run as a villain which felt at odds with his core character. For years, Austin was the voice of the people and, without pandering to anyone, Stone Cold was able to become wrestling's top babyface. His anti-hero slant was alluring, and Austin's constant ability to undermine McMahon made for entertaining TV time and time again. That was all thrown under the bus come 'Mania X-Seven, all for the sake of shock value. Right there in his home state of Texas, 'The Rattlesnake' shook hands with McMahon following a huge win over The Rock and embarked on an odd, stilted run as a rogue. For their part, fans didn't really ever seem comfortable with the idea of booing Austin, something the man has acknowledged himself. There was still gas in the tank for Austin as the anti-hero babyface. Fans adored his tough, take-no-prisoners attitude, and didn't want to jeer him.
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.
