The McMahon-Austin rivalry quite literally saved the WWE. They were getting beaten in the ratings every night by WCW Nitro, and much of their talent was either retiring or jumping ship. But then along came Steve Austin, a beer drinking, pickup driving badass with an axe to grind against authority. He became the stand-in for anyone who's ever hated his boss, and Vince played up the evil authoritarian heel better than anyone has, before or since. This shot captures the violence and rage that Austin and McMahon shared towards with one another. Things were bad, and they quickly got much, much worse.
Kevin is an AP English Language teacher and freelance writer from Queens, NY. His focus is on American pop culture and American issues. He wrote a weekly column for Complex called "Throwback Thursdays," which spotlighted video games and trends from previous console generations. Kevin has also been published in VIBE, Salon, PopMatters, Joystiq, and Racialicious. Follow him on Twitter to learn more.
