Why Steve Austin Demanded WWE Change His WrestleMania X8 Finish

You won't believe the original plan...

Steve Austin Scott Hall WrestleMania X-8

Steve Austin was p*ssed at how WWE were handling his character in 2002, and Jim Ross can see why.

The AEW announcer said on the latest episode of his 'Grilling JR' podcast that Steve wasn't exactly receptive to the promotion's original plans for WrestleMania X8. There, on an event he'd headlined just 12 months before, Austin was set to lose to Scott Hall.

JR wasn't having any of it, and he was quick to tell Vince McMahon that it was a "bad idea". The boss listened, and then revealed he'd already decided to change tact and go with an Austin win anyway. The thing is, nobody had told 'Stone Cold'.

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He turned up in Toronto for the show thinking he was doing the honours. Then, a visibly dishevelled Hall arrived and Austin decided to speak up. The nWo man had been out drinking the night before, and the company weren't happy. Their annoyance couldn't match Austin's frustration.

Ross said Austin demanded that the finish get changed. McMahon, who wanted to placate one of his top stars, pretended that he'd do things Steve's way even though he'd already put a pen through Hall's name.

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Politics, politics, politics.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.