10 shocking moments from WWF (WWE) 2001

#3 Stone Cold joins the Alliance

Stone Cold turncoat.

With the WCW and ECW Alliance taking control of WWF, Vince McMahon turned to his once arch nemesis, Steve Austin, who was playing the role of a heel following his actions at Wrestlemania 17. McMahon pleaded with Austin to revert back to his old ways and unleash the type of no-nonsense, badass character who humiliated and ridiculed McMahon throughout much of the Attitude Era.

After a period of inactivity in which Austin refused to become involved in the happenings inside the ring, "The Rattlesnake" eventually made his presence known at the July 16th episode of RAW, providing some much-needed back-up to team WWF going into the Invasion PPV.

At the event, Austin teamed up with Jericho, Undertaker, Kurt Angle and Kane to take on DDP, Booker T, Rhyno and the Dudley Boys. As Angle had Booker T in the ankle lock, Stone Cold dragged a referee into the ring in order for a decision to be called. But instead of assisting his team mates, Austin performed his second major turncoat moment of the year by joining the Alliance, helping Booker score a pinfall victory over Angle.

Many see 2001 as the last great year for the Stone Cold character. He spent most of the rest of the year as a weak-looking character, sucking up to the man he once tormented and then turning his back on the WWF altogether, joining the rival team for no particular reason. In many ways, Austin would become the personification of the chaotic, confused Invasion Angle itself and much of that comparison started here.