WWE Hall of Famer ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin is widely recognized as one of the greatest professional wrestlers to have ever stepped inside the squared circle. Nevertheless, he didn’t always enjoy the same level of success, as Austin first appeared in the WWE as the Ringmaster. That being said, it seems Austin was not really happy about WCW stars making their way to WWE a couple of decades ago.
In 2002, Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash reestablished the original New World Order faction in WWE, less than a year after Vince McMahon had acquired World Championship Wrestling. The nWo had been a significant ratings draw for WCW in the mid-1990s.
While speaking on The Kurt Angle Show, Kurt Angle stated that Steve Austin was not pleased with the idea of bringing in several politically savvy former WCW wrestlers, such as Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall to WWE.
Kurt Angle claimed that Steve Austin was apprehensive about dealing with their political tactics, and this was partially why he was hesitant about their arrival. With so many big names joining the roster, Austin was unsure about where he would stand on the card and worried that these newcomers might try to climb above him through political means.
“I mean, he wasn’t the happiest person in the world. We would talk every once in a while, and I think he was a little bit hesitant as far as getting all these guys in here at one time because they were very political in the past, and I don’t think Steve wanted to deal with that. And I think that was a little bit of the reason. But you know, when you have Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and everybody else coming in all at once, it’s kind of overwhelming. Like, ‘Okay, where am I going to be on the card?’ … I think that Steve was a little bit hesitant on the politics of it, what they would do politically to try to make their way up above him.”
At WrestleMania 18 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Austin faced off against Scott Hall, a member of the nWo. The Texas Rattlesnake emerged victorious after hitting Hall with two stunners. Kevin Nash, who had been interfering throughout the bout, was sent to the backstage area. Angle shared that Austin “made sure he got the win,” which the Olympic gold medalist believes demonstrated how strongly Austin felt about the situation.
What’s your take on what Kurt Angle said? Are you surprised Steve Austin was worried? Sound off in the comments!
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