During WWE’s Attitude Era, getting a storyline with Stone Cold Steve Austin was a huge opportunity for any mid-card wrestler. In the late ’90s, former WWE star Marc Mero and Steve Austin’s feud came close, but a storyline twist changed everything.
In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Mero disclosed how his feud with his real-life wife, Sable, ended up costing him a program with Austin in 1998.
At that time, Mero had turned heel, known as “Marvelous” Marc Mero. His story focused on being jealous of Sable, who was becoming very popular. While Austin was busy in the main event scene with stars like Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, and The Undertaker, Mero was part of a very entertaining mid-card storyline with Sable.
Marc Mero Says He Was Taken Out Of Planned Steve Austin Program
During the podcast, Mero admitted that WWE wanted to give him a push. “They really wanted to push me and give me some momentum. So they have me enter this Intercontinental tournament where I had to beat Owen Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ron Simmons. I mean, these are some top guys that you’re they’re putting you over to win the Intercontinental title. So I was thinking, ‘Now they’re really going to start giving me that push I always dreamed about,’” he said.
Mero’s story with Sable was working well. He made himself look weaker on purpose so Sable could shine. Many segments showed him putting her down, but Sable would end up outsmarting or embarrassing him, which fans loved.
But things changed during an episode of Raw is War, when Sable hit Mero with the “Sable Bomb.”
Mero revealed that this moment played a big role in canceling his planned feud with Austin. Austin reportedly didn’t like the idea of working with someone who became overpowered like that on TV.
“I was ready to go into a program with Steve Austin too, which that’s top of the top of the food chain, right there. When she Sable bombed me, now she’s a good athlete, but I basically Sable bombed myself. But it took me out of the program with Steve, because Steve thought, ‘If a girl’s going to do that to him, I’m not going to let him get in the ring with me,’” Mero said.
Even though the cancellation of the Marc Mero-Steve Austin feud may seem like he missed a massive opportunity, Mero doesn’t seem upset about it. He understood the situation and saw it as part of the business.
At the time, he and Sable were married. So, her success helped them both financially. Mero also had a strong contract when he joined WWE in 1996, so he was still earning well, no matter his position on the card.
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