WWE's Biggest Nightmare Is Coming True

Stone Cold Steve Austin Vince McMahon
WWE

Vince McMahon the character had his greatest ever feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin, with much predicated on the weekly and monthly ways the two would try and get the upper hand on each other. By the end of a transcendent 1998, McMahon had formed The Corporation stable around The Rock off the back of an ingenious and devious Survivor Series plot. 'The Rattlesnake' had played a Deadly Game and lost, but it wasn't just McMahon's labyrinthian masterpiece that foiled Austin. It was his own mantra.

"DTA" was first uttered by Stone Cold in late-1996 following his brutal attack on former friend Brian Pillman. Austin was a vicious heel, and trust is a virtuous and noble trait. Yet, as he morphed into the anti-hero that returned the entire organisation to the promised land, he took the philosophy with him. Cooly reframed as a gesture of fortitude, "Don't Trust Anybody" was baked in to the idea that McMahon had everybody out to get him.

The top - and perhaps most relatable - babyface was a man that walked alone and got what he needed through self-confidence, street smarts and emotional and physical toughness. It's since been said that McMahon "got" the gimmick so well because he supposedly saw a lot of the character in his real-life self.

Can this be true? Of course. But is it something to boast about? Only if you're Vince McMahon. A person without trust would loathe collectivism of any kind. Not least if there's power and a minuscule percentage of a vast fortune to be sacrificed over it. This isn't just another hit piece on The Chairman - him and his kind are diametrically opposed to any of unionisation's benefits. They all think they can stomp the mudholes of their staff and walk them dry, and they don't trust anybody.

CON'T...

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett