While witnessing Mr. McMahon's attempt to turn WWE Champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin "corporate" in 1998, WWE Hall of Famer "Good Ol' JR" Jim Ross said of Austin on commentary, "Rattlesnakes don't make corporate pets." Although it was a comment made of the on-screen character, JR revealed on "Grilling JR" that, albeit his personal friend, "The Texas Rattlesnake" was not easy to manage behind-the-scenes throughout his career.
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"I learned a long time ago you keep your top guys happy and that was very important in my role and who was the bigger top guy than 'Stone Cold?'" Ross commented. "Steve was not an easy manage. He was challenging 'cause even to me he had questioned the booking at times and so forth."
Austin admittedly refused to work with Jarrett during the late '90s which considerably would have lifted Jarrett's profile and brought in more money for JJ. Austin was a much more popular performer than Jarrett was and despite a few crossings in the ring, a story never developed. Jarrett was not the only person Austin felt that way about.
"I remember once, he had the same issue with Marc Mero He didn't want to work with Marc Mero, he didn't want to work with Marc Mero," Ross recalled. "He didn't think Marc Mero was up to speed and Steve wasn't ready at that time in his career to make guys in that respect; he wanted them made before he got 'em so they could go out and have a good match and a tell a good story."
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If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Grilling JR" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
