8 Ridiculous Fines WWE Gave Wrestlers

In mid-2002, fed up with his card gradually shuffling down WWE's deck, Steve Austin famously stuffed his ball under his arm and headed for the hills (or his ranch, in this case).

The straw that broke the Rattlesnake's metaphorically iffy back was being asked to lose to rookie Brock Lesnar in a King of the Ring qualifier. Austin phoned Vince McMahon, telling him he categorically refused the plan, and would sooner skip his date than lie down for the greenhorn. After a second phone call in which the chairman doubled down on his idea, Austin booked a flight home.

'Stone Cold' was absent from Raw the next night, so WWE began a smear campaign against their most popular star, even releasing a special episode of scoop-show Confidential about the affair. It wasn't until the following year when, thanks to the mediation of good pal Jim Ross, Austin finally ironed out his differences with McMahon. Immediately upon his return, he was slapped with a mammoth $650,000 fine - though that was eventually negotiated to a more reasonable albeit still excessive $250,000.