5 WWE Superstars who refused a title reign
Every WWE Superstar dreams of winning multiple Championships throughout their career to cement their name as a top player for the company. There are many WWE Superstars on the current roster who are yet to taste championship gold of any sort. They are just waiting for the top brass to give them the opportunity and have a title around their waists.
But can you believe that there have been several instances in the past where WWE Superstars have turned down a title reign which was pitched to them by the officials? Why would someone do that? Who doesn't want to become a champion, right? Well, we have a compilation of five WWE Superstars who denied this glory.
So without further ado, let's take a look at these WWE Superstars who refused a title reign and the reason why!
#5 Stone Cold Steve Austin refused the ECW Championship
Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the most decorated Superstars in WWE's history, having multiple world title reigns to his name. But before joining WWF/WWE, Austin spent some time in ECW in 1995. It was Paul Heyman, who offered him a run with the ECW Championship, but the Texas Rattlesnake surprisingly denied the honor, stating that he didn't want the title to be handed over to him.
While appearing on Lillian Garcia's Chasing Glory podcast, he revealed the following -
"It was also because I figured if I rolled in there and Paul [Heyman] wanted to put the strap on me; but, Mike [Whipwreck] had it. I said, ‘No man.’ Here I just came waltzing in and because I came from WCW. I was a very good mechanic in the ring; but, I wasn’t a superstar yet although we’d call myself “Superstar” Steve Austin there in ECW – I said, ‘Man, everybody’s expecting me to take the Title. Let me chase it. Let me earn it.’ I want to get over with that ECW crowd or wherever it is from a television standpoint. Those people in that sh*t hole arena, the ECW Arena – it was a dump and when I say that I mean it as a compliment. It was just this raw crazy atmosphere with a lot of guys working their asses off to build that place up and doing a hell of a job with all those great promos. I just didn’t want to waltz in there and get handed a belt. I wanted to earn it through the boys in the company and earn the fans respect. I just didn’t want it handed to me….I wanted to earn it and I wanted to work for it."
He later joined WWF/WWE the next year, and the rest is history. Though he never won the ECW Championship, considering the career that he had, he surely does not regret jumping ships to WWE.