5 Heel Turns That Did Not Work...
5. Steve Austin (2001)
After discussing just how popular Austin feuding with Vince McMahon was, it should come as no surprise that when Austin made amends with the boss it did not go over well with the fanbase. Wrestlemania X-7 ended with an infamous handshake between the two rivals, and it was almost as if that handshake signified a significant downturn in business for the WWE. Steve Austin went from a rebel who drove a beer truck into the arena, to an unconfident whiner who constantly needed validation and even hugs from Vince McMahon. The fans were not buying this change, and ratings started to slip. Austin may have had some great matches during this time (against the likes of Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, and Kurt Angle), but that was not enough to overcome how bizarre it was to see the Texas Rattlesnake as a heel. Even Austin himself does not look back fondly at this period. He has gone on record on numerous occasions and said that if he had his time back, he would have called an audible at the end of Wrestlemania, and stunned McMahon. Most fans wish that audible had indeed been called.