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Was Stone Cold Steve Austin Responsible for Heat Between Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon? WWE Veteran Reveals
WWE veteran has claimed that Stone Cold Steve Austin was the main reason behind heat between Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels. Read on to know more.
Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon have had a great relationship since The Heartbreak Kid's wrestling debut in 1988. However, the bond took a hit when another promising superstar, Stone Cold Steve Austin, made his debut in 1995.
According to WWE veteran Vince Russo, when the star of Steve Austin started to burn brightly, Vince McMahon gave a slight nudge to Michaels. He was willing to move past him to make Steve Austin a massive superstar in the promotion.
While speaking to Sportskeeda’s The Wrestling Outlaws, Vince Russo revealed that this coldness to Michaels from Vince McMahon soured the relationship between the two. Russo even claimed McMahon was ready to kick Michaels’ career to the curb and turn his attention to the next big thing, Stone Cold Steve Austin.
"Bro, I say this all the time. When Austin was on his rise, I watched Vince McMahon kick Shawn Michaels to the curb. That's where all the heat with Shawn came. That's where it all came [from]. He was onto the next thing, bro; that's where the heat started between them," Rusoo said.
By 1997, Dwayne The Rock Johnson had made his WWE debut, which became another thorn in Michaels’ eyes. According to rumors, Michaels and Triple H disliked both of these superstars, and they tried to run down The Rock a number of times, but he was brave enough to overcome all of those dirty jokes they pulled on him.
Also Read: Were Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon Lovers? Exploring the Truth Behind Viral Rumor
However, the coldness between Michaels and Stone Cold persisted for the next few years, and it reached a point when, at WrestleMania 14, The Heartbreak Kid was asked to drop the WWE Championship to Austin, but he refused to do so.
The Undertaker once recalled that event of 1998, when Michaels was reluctant to do that. Taker had even taped his hand to beat up Michaels if he refused to obey the company's commands. However, better sense prevailed over Michaels, and he did drop the belt to Steve Austin.
McMahon and Shawn Michels, who later became members of the WWE Hall of Fame, learned to adapt to bigger personalities in the locker room, like The Rock, The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and many others.
Michaels, in fact, has had real-life heat with several superstars, the most renowned one being Shawn Michaels. He also shared coldness with The Rock and Steve Austin. In fact, The Rock and Michaels have never had a match, and it is rumored that The People’s Champ never wanted to work with Michaels.
The two seem to have made up now, but a match isn’t possible. While The Rock left WWE in 2004 to pursue his acting career full-time, Steve Austin quit wrestling in 2003 after WrestleMania 19. Michaels stayed and retired in 2010.
Also Read: WWE Hall of Famer Recalls Threatening to Kill Shawn Michaels After Backstage Bullying Incident
