Triple H Says Vince McMahon Thought This WWE Fan Favorite T-Shirt Would Never Sell

In 1996, at WWE's annual King of the Ring pay-per-view, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin delivered a promo that would go down as an all-time great, eventually kicking off one of the hottest periods in the history of the business. Though it may be hard to believe, Vince McMahon wasn't immediately thrilled with Austin's performance. Appearing on "Flagrant," McMahon's son-in-law Paul "Triple H" Levesque revealed that the WWE boss had serious doubts about the potential success of Austin 3:16.

"At the time, I believe, Vince was pissed about [the promo] and hated it," Levesque said. "Vince was like, 'Make those shirts. I guarantee none of them sell.'"

McMahon was said to have disliked the fact that Austin took aim at Jake "The Snake" Roberts' Christianity in the promo. Others in the company noticed that the crowd had instantly latched on to Austin's words, however, and successfully convinced McMahon to green-light the merchandise.

"They did it, and they sold, and Vince was like, 'This is great,'" Levesque continued. "To this day, Austin 3:16 shirts are some of our biggest selling merch."

Not only would McMahon eventually come around on Austin's character, but he later became an integral part of Austin's run, serving as his primary foil for years. As Austin's star power continued to rise, McMahon began pushing the company in a more adult-oriented direction, leading to the "Attitude Era."

This period of sustained success lasted until around 2002, with Austin turning heel, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson leaving the company, and rival promotion WCW being bought out. Still, the popularity of "Stone Cold" has endured, and the shirt is still commonly seen in WWE crowds and even in public.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Flagrant" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.