#3 Stone Cold Steve Austin Turns Heel: April 1, 2001
Stone Cold Steve Austin was known for three things; drinking beer, raising hell, and hating Vince McMahon. It was thanks to that simple philosophy that this star exploded, making him the most popular WWE Superstar of all time.
But when he decided to turn heel, he not only shocked the WWE faithful; he disappointed them as well. Of all the possible outcomes of his match with The Rock at WrestleMania 17, siding with Mister McMahon was not one of them.
However that’s exactly what happened, and it was one of the most surreal moments fans had ever seen. Austin shook the hand of the devil when he accepted McMahon’s help that night, and nothing would ever be the same after that.
Stone Cold became a shadow of his former self. Instead of running into battle as he’d always done, he backed down from the fight. Defying authority and living life on his terms was over, and he became nothing more than a protected puppet for his once hated enemy.
Fans still respected him, but the vibe was different. He was no longer there to make them happy; he was there to be the butt of the joke. He became a clown during the Invasion angle, singing and strumming the guitar in one cringe-worthy spot after another. He was having a blast, and fans understood it, but they hated every second of it.
Stone Cold took a big chance by turning heel, and WWE took an even bigger chance by allowing it to happen. Austin did eventually turn babyface again and returned to the Stone Cold of old, but fans that witnessed his shocking change will never forget it.
