WWE Nearly Killed Stone Cold Steve Austin Before His Rise

TLDR

WWE producer David Sahadi revealed that Vince McMahon nearly killed the Stone Cold Steve Austin character during the mid-1990s because fans were cheering him instead of booing him as intended. According to Sahadi, McMahon held a meeting where he considered turning Austin back into his previous Ringmaster character with "stubbly hair and powder blue tights," but Kevin Dunn suggested letting the crowd reaction guide the character's direction instead. Sahadi said this decision may have saved both Austin's career and WWE's future, as McMahon had warned staff that the company could be out of business in two months due to losing in the ratings to WCW.