10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Oct 22)
9. Steve Austin Was Shooting In Promos Before WrestleMania X-Seven
Several times during interviews and on his own podcast, Steve Austin has remarked that he wishes he hadn't turned heel at WrestleMania X-Seven. The 2001 pay-per-view had Austin facing The Rock in the main event, going on to win the WWF Heavyweight Title with help from Vince McMahon. Then, Austin shook hands with his long-standing enemy.
That's old news, most fans know that Austin regrets going rogue. A new piece of information came to light during one of Steve's podcasts recently though, as the legend reflected on the build towards his match against Rock. In promos, Austin uttered the line, "I need that belt, Rock. I need it more than anything you could ever imagine".
On the surface, this looked like standard hyperbole to sell the importance of the title. According to Austin himself, his words meant more than that and actually transcended mere storyline fluff.
Straight up, Austin claims that the line was a shoot statement. He really believed that the title would help re-energise his babyface character and extend his run on top. That's fascinating to learn.