WWE Rule Change Did Not Apply to Steve Austin & The Undertaker, Kevin Nash Recalls

Steve Austin and The Undertaker were two of WWE's most popular stars during the Attitude Era. According to Kevin Nash, higher-ups allowed both men to wear whatever they wanted when other roster members were told how to dress.

In the early 2000s, then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon instructed wrestlers to arrive at shows in WWE-branded sports gear. At the time, he wanted talents to look smart while representing the company on the road.

Nash worked for WWE from 1993 to 1996 before returning in 2002 and 2011. On his Kliq This podcast, he said Austin and The Undertaker were given permission to wear clothing that suited their unique on-screen personas.

"They did that for like a year in WWE," Nash stated. "They did like a f***ing sports coat type thing. I know that 'Taker f***ing got exempt, and I think Steve was exempt because it didn't fit their gimmicks."

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Austin's anti-authority persona was widely viewed as the best character on WWE television in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Similarly, many consider The Undertaker's supernatural gimmick to be one of the greatest acts of all time in the Stamford-based promotion.

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Nowadays, WWE shows often begin with footage of wrestlers walking through the backstage area or parking lot. With the WWE-branded sports gear rule no longer in place, talents usually wear their own clothes or merchandise on their way to arenas.

Kevin Nash believes the company struggled to enforce the policy once everyone knew Steve Austin and The Undertaker were exempt.

"As soon as you get that f***ing crack in the dike, f**k that, yeah. I would have never done it. It was one of the reasons I wanted to get into pro wrestling, is not have to wear a f***ing coat."

In the same podcast episode, Nash revealed why he thinks Becky Lynch's run as a top WWE star is over.

Please credit Kliq This and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart