10 Worst WWE Moments Of 2001
6. Steve Austin Sides With WCW
Most reading this would agree that Steve Austin’s heel turn shouldn’t have happened. Sure, it is defendable and did lead to some cracking comedy skits with Kurt Angle, Debra and Vince McMahon, but he probably should’ve hoofed McMahon in the grapefruits and hit him with a stunner at WrestleMania X-Seven instead.
In truth, Austin turned a surprising 4 times in 2001. He went baby to heel at ‘Mania, heel to baby before the Invasion pay-per-view, back to heel again at Invasion by becoming crown jewel of the Alliance, then he was face again by the end of the year. OK, do you think that’s enough, WWF writers?! No wonder he was disillusioned by 2002.
The fact Steve rejoined the WCW team at Invasion at all made zero sense given his backstory. Austin disliked WCW after being fired by Eric Bischoff in 1995, and he became a huge star on the WWF side without using his 'Superstar' characterisation harnessed in Atlanta. His jump to become in-ring leader of the Alliance was pure panic stations due to the failing invasion angle and little more.
Seeing 'Stone Cold' march around the place with WCW t-shirt on in 2001 was weird. He'd changed his familiar entrance track to one penned by Disturbed too. That song was badass, but it only pushed Austin further away from the rebellious poster boy he'd become in 1998. Whether the WWF liked it or not, that's the character fans wanted him to play.
No-one was ready to embrace Steve as a cowardly heel best-suited to delusional comedy, and they didn't want to see him champion anything WCW.