9 WWE Stars Who Were Turned By The Fans

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Look, we all know the story by now, but to recap: Steve Austin was wrestling in WWE as an undercard guy with the nothing gimmick of The Ringmaster (literally the master of the ring - yawn), when he decided to make a change and, inspired by a documentary on notorious hitman Richard Kuklinski, alias 'The Iceman'.

So he ditched the Ringmaster, dropped Ted DiBiase as his manager and became 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. He was a take-no-prisoners badass, who did what he wanted when he wanted, without remorse. Now who wouldn't want to cheer that? Austin officially turned at WrestleMania XIII in 1997, but the cheers had been loud and clear for months beforehand.

So loud, in fact, that WWE were forced to acknowledge them in matches where Austin was supposed to be a heel. It's no real surprise that the audience were ready and willing to reject a clean-cut goody two shoes like Rocky Maivia while embracing a middle-finger-giving guy like Steve Austin.

Austin, for his part, was horrified that he was getting the cheers because he really wanted to be a top heel. Austin's former Hollywood Blonds teammate Brian Pillman would tease Stone Cole with cries of 'Austin's a babyface! Austin's a babface!' as Stone Cold was getting the then-unwanted cheers.

It certainly turned out well for Austin. His bank account wasn't complaining, anyway.