3 WWE Superstars who loved 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, and 3 that hated him

Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Arguably the greatest WWE Superstar of all time, the man from Victoria, Texas led an incredible wrestling career. After being fired from WCW who believed he could never be a draw, Austin eventually found his way to the WWF in 1996, and with his first WWF Title win, ushered in the Attitude Era two years later.

Despite the Stone Cold character living by the 'Don't Trust Anybody' mantra, the truth is that Austin has had a select few he has allowed into his inner circle. At the same time, there are some Superstars who despise the Rattlesnake, for a multitude of reasons.

Here are three WWE Superstars who loved Stone Cold Steve Austin, and three that hated him.

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#3: Loved Stone Cold: Brian Pillman

Though they may have feuded on-screen Austin and the Loose Cannon Brian Pillman were very close friends.

Brian Pillman may have never reached the same highs as Austin in the WWF, but for a while the pair were inseparable.

Teaming together as the Hollywood Blondes, the duo would go their separate ways when Austin joined the WWF, though when Pillman came to the McMahon-led promotion, things got interesting.

Hoping to help his friend out, Austin teamed briefly with the Loose Cannon before feuding with him. In one of WWE's most shocking moments, Pillman would brandish a gun on RAW, threatening to shoot the Rattlesnake if he entered his home.

On-screen rivals, it's clear the pair were close friends, and Pillman would enjoy success in the WWF as part of the Hart Foundation. Sadly, Pillman would tragically die on October 5, 1997, mere hours before being scheduled to perform at the In Your House: Bad Blood event. He was 35.

#3: Hated Stone Cold: Brock Lesnar

Austin refused to face Brock in a KOTR Qualifying match.

When Brock Lesnar debuted in WWE on the RAW after WrestleMania X8, it was clear a lot was planned for The Next Big Thing.

Along the way, the rookie Lesnar demolished everyone in his path, and in June 2002, was set to demolish another megastar: Stone Cold Steve Austin. The only problem was Austin, who refused to lose to Lesnar on free TV, and after being told that the match couldn't be changed, the Rattlesnake took his ball and went home.

Though Austin would return eight months later, that hasn't stopped Lesnar from being vocally critical of the Rattlesnake in interviews, saying Austin was afraid to fight. Though it's unclear whether the pair have made amends since Lesnar saying he doesn't like people in an interview with the Rattlesnake implies that things may still be frosty.

#2: Loved Stone Cold: Shawn Michaels

Austin's victory over HBK at WrestleMania 14 changed wrestling forever.

Shawn Michaels departed the wrestling world in 1998 a broken man, both physically and mentally.

After losing the WWF title to Austin, Michaels' real-life issues would plague the Showstopper, until the Heart Break Kid would find religion and return to WWE a changed man in 2002. A much calmer man, Michaels was clearly not the same man who allegedly threatened to Screwjob the Bionic Redneck at WrestleMania 14, but found an ally in Stone Cold.

Nowadays, the pair have nothing but good things to say about each other, and rightly so, as both Michaels and Austin are considered two of the greatest Superstars in WWE history.

In his book 'Wrestling for my Life', the foreword is written by Austin, showing a certain level of respect and trust the pair share that is hard to fabricate.

#2: Hated Stone Cold: 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper

Austin and Piper at WrestleMania 21.

Roddy Piper may sadly no longer be with us, but what is even sadder is the actions between the Hot Rod and Austin shortly before Piper's death in 2015.

Much like Austin, Piper had his own podcast and during one episode, invited comedian Will Sasso to entertain the listeners. Sasso did just that, partly because of his hilarious Stone Cold impression.

This didn't go down well with the Rattlesnake, who spoke to host Podcast One, and not only was the episode taken down, but Piper's entire podcast was shut down as well.

A huge loss for Piper, who was making money via sponsorships on the show, this can't have gone down well, though Piper did address the controversy months later on a different station. It's difficult to think what Piper thought of Austin in the following weeks before his death.

#1: Loved Stone Cold: Mick Foley

Austin and Dude Love briefly held the WWF Tag titles.

Mick Foley's career, whether it be competing as Mankind, Cactus Jack or Dude Love, has always been connected to Stone Cold Steve Austin. Both rose to the main event scene at roughly the same time, and though Austin would hold more World titles, the pair were still able to create magic in the ring together.

Outside of the ring, the two Hall of Famers are close friends, with Austin speaking fondly about the Micker on multiple occasions on his podcast.

"He is one of the toughest guys ever in this business and one of the funniest and nicest as well."

Clearly, a lot of respect is held between these two, as Foley has been equally praising of the Rattlesnake in interviews, and was happy to be Austin's first real feud as WWF Champion when they collided at Unforgiven: In Your House.

#1: Hated Stone Cold: Ahmed Johnson

Ahmed Johnson had made some huge accusations about the Rattlesnake's behaviour.

The WWF career of Ahmed Johnson may have been brief, but the powerhouse did a lot during that time, famously becoming the first African-American Superstar to win singles gold (the Intercontinental Championship).

In interviews since his career though, Johnson has been vocally critical of Austin, claiming that the Rattlesnake was racist to him backstage.

In one interview, Johnson recalled finding a racist slur being written into his rental-car, and though he did not see who it was, Johnson believes that it was Austin who etched in the hateful world.

Of course, without proof, it's hard to say if this report by Johnson is true, though if it is, the fallout would be greatly damaging to the Rattlesnake's legacy in WWE.

Either way, it doesn't seem like Johnson and Austin are making amends anytime soon.