10 Worst Things Stone Cold Steve Austin Has Ever Done
8. He Brutalised Michael Cole
Strange to think of a time when beating the sh*t out of Michael Cole would be considered a heel move, but Stone Cold Steve Austin's assault on the SmackDown announcer was yet another act of pure cruelty during a multi-month campaign to get the 'Toughest S.O.B' over a broken version of his former self.
With the tones of Jim Ross' blood now reflected in his bright red leg braces, the heel 'Rattlesnake' struck Cole across the head first with a slap during a long diatribe against the commentator relating to remarks he'd made about Vince McMahon.
Parroting J.R's WrestleMania X-Seven assessment, Cole had suggested that Austin had "sold his soul to the devil" - a satanic comparison that didn't sit at all right with McMahon's new best mate.
Stripping Cole of his shirt and his dignity as he wailed on him with punches and kicks, Austin left the still-skinny still-young announcer in a broken heap on the floor before tromping backstage to touch base with his beloved boss.
His paranoia with announcers extended long into the latter half of 2001 too. Yet another broadcaster had the hard-as-nails previous to do something about it too, even though he rarely did...