The end of Steve Austin’s wrestling career would see him used in a strange manner. WWE started to push Austin aside to build new top stars for the future. The infamous walkout and early retirement due to his neck injuries saw WWE fans losing out on the iconic performer much faster than most anticipated.
Austin’s final stint in the company featured various wrestlers working angles with him. The stories ranged from Austin having a couple of classic moments before hanging his boots up, to these angles completely missing the mark and wasting his time. Find out just how things went when the legend was on the way out. These are the final ten rivals of Austin ranked from the worst to the best.
10 Ric Flair
The storyline of Ric Flair buying Shane and Stephanie McMahon’s shares of WWE during the Invasion angle would see him becoming co-owner with Vince. Flair played a face until the brand split saw him running Raw without Vince present.
Steve Austin’s rebellious nature caused Flair to turn heel, after failing to control the Texas Rattlesnake. WWE hoped to find the same magic as Austin vs. McMahon, but it was a disaster that hurt the Raw brand. Neither man felt right in their roles as this top angle hurt WWE’s concept early.
9 Big Show
Ric Flair picked a few heels to represent him in his battle against Steve Austin. Big Show was coming off a punishment of being sent to developmental when he joined the New World Order faction. Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall leaving the group led to new members joining.
Big Show represented the nWo and Flair during his battles against Austin. The lackluster work of the legend at the time completely missed the mark. Austin continued to waste time, which played a role in his eventual walkout.
8 Scott Hall
The New World Order coming to WWE featured the trio of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Hulk Hogan, with them looking to take over again. Steve Austin did not want the original plan of working with Hogan due to prior personal issues.
WWE placed Hall into a program with Austin heading into WrestleMania X8. It was a disaster that made Austin look weaker by association. The cheap moments of Austin mocking Hall’s sobriety leading to a disappointing match showed how badly it failed.
7 Eddie Guerrero
One promising idea that didn’t find as much success as it should have, was Steve Austin feuding with Eddie Guerrero in 2002. Vince McMahon always saw something special in Guerrero and wanted to highlight it in a program with the icon.
Austin had a few segments and matches with Eddie, that was meant to set up a bigger PPV match. Unfortunately, Austin walked out before the match could happen due to WWE booking him to lose to Brock Lesnar on a random Raw. Guerrero and Austin likely would have had a great match if given the chance on a bigger stage.
6 The Undertaker
The Undertaker turned heel at the end of 2001 and had his first major heel run as the American Badass character in 2002. Steve Austin eventually feuded with Undertaker when they were the two biggest names on Raw after the brand split.
Both wrestlers wanted a shot at the WWE Championship after being removed from the title picture. The feud would see a horrible match ending with Undertaker winning the title shot. Ric Flair helped Undertaker win, to continue his feud against Austin.
5 Chris Jericho
The historic Undisputed Championship win of Chris Jericho saw him defeating Steve Austin and The Rock both on the same night. Vince McMahon wanted Jericho to win, since Austin was still his biggest threat when unifying the WWE and WCW titles.
Jericho and Austin continued feuding into No Way Out 2002. The chemistry wasn’t there, despite the incredible talent of both performers. A disappointing match ended even worse, when the debuting New World Order cost Austin the match and his final title shot program.
4 Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle and Steve Austin had their best matches together with Austin as a heel, but that changed during their last feud. Vince McMahon wanted Angle to win the WWE Championship from Austin, after Angle betrayed the Alliance to end the Invasion storyline.
Austin and Angle continued to target each other after WCW and ECW ended. The rivalry would end with Austin beating Angle to retain the WWE Championship, before he lost it to Chris Jericho in the unification match. Fans had grown tired of the Austin vs. Angle rivalry at the time.
3 Booker T
The end of the Invasion storyline saw Booker T getting a job in WWE, as Vince McMahon’s henchman. Booker returned in the Chris Jericho vs. Steve Austin match for the Undisputed Championship. The interference of Booker on behalf of Vince, cost Austin the title.
There were a few fun and memorable moments in the short-lived Booker vs. Austin rivalry. Everyone remembers the hilarious grocery store fight between the two. Austin also followed Booker to various funny locations like church and to a bingo game. WWE likely would have benefited from running this feud longer.
2 Eric Bischoff
Steve Austin was gone from WWE for almost nine months before his return at No Way Out 2002. Eric Bischoff was the opponent of Austin after he bullied Austin’s close friend Jim Ross. Fans reacted with immense joy when Austin’s music played, and he destroyed Bischoff.
The rivalry continued after Austin’s retirement from the ring when he moved into a co-General Manager role with Bischoff. WWE placed them in many entertaining segments together, adding a new appeal to Raw. This was the final true rivalry of Austin’s career, since it carried the show for months.
1 The Rock
WWE spotlighted a new version of The Rock he returned as a heel in 2002. Rock showed a new look and had new music when embracing the Hollywood side of his life. Fans booed him a few times during his last face run, due to a part-time schedule, with his acting career taking priority.
Steve Austin stepped up to face Rock again heading into WrestleMania XIX. WWE referenced their prior WrestleMania matches, where Rock had been unable to beat Austin. The build was excellent, with memorable moments like Rock having a concert and Austin costing Rock a match against The Hurricane. Fans loved the final match, with Austin putting over The Rock before retiring from the ring.