10 Fascinating Tales From WWE WrestleMania History
Fascinating facts about WWE WrestleMania
7. Stone Cold Swerve
Two decades later, the shock still resonates.
Stone Cold Steve Austin, insisting that he "needed" to beat WWE Champion The Rock more than anything else come WrestleMania 17 in Houston, resorts to enlisting sworn enemy Vince McMahon to help him carry out the deed.
A distinct mixture of cheers and confusion greeted Austin after he used approximately 86 chair shots to batter The Great One unconscious, with the explicit Devil's Advocate handshake that followed making for quite the galling Polaroid.
Initially, Austin was on board with the heel turn, feeling that he'd grown stale as a babyface, and needed something to spruce up the Stone Cold character.
However, Austin later admitted that he felt the excellence of his match with Rock had renewed his spark, and by the time McMahon inserted himself into the match, he was regretting agreeing to the turn.
He also adds that he wishes he'd called an audible and dropped Vince with a Stunner during the celebration, to try and remain a babyface. It wouldn't have explained why super-tough Austin needed help to beat his greatest rival, however, and instead, Austin played it evil for the next eight months.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.
