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Stone Cold Steve Austin

American professional wrestler and actor (born 1964) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stone Cold Steve Austin
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"Steve Austin" redirects here. For other people with similar names, see Steve Austin (disambiguation).

Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson and later Steven James Williams; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, producer and retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as an ambassador. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he was integral to the development and success of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE) during the Attitude Era, an industry boom period in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Quick Facts Born, Occupations ...
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Austin began his professional wrestling career in 1989, after playing college football at the University of North Texas. He signed with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1991 and adopted the persona of "Stunning" Steve Austin, a villainous in-ring technician, and he won the WCW World Television Championship and the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship twice each, alongside one reign with a double crown of the WCW World Tag Team Championship and NWA World Tag Team Championship, with Brian Pillman (as the Hollywood Blondes). After a brief stint in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Austin signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1995.

In the WWF, Austin was repackaged as a short-tempered, brash and brazen anti-establishment antihero named "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, becoming the most popular wrestler of the Attitude Era off the back of his feud with company chairman Mr. McMahon. He won the WWF Championship six times, the WWF Intercontinental Championship twice, the Million Dollar Championship once, and the WWF Tag Team Championship four times, making him the fifth WWF Triple Crown Champion. He is also a record three-time Royal Rumble winner, won the 1996 King of the Ring, and headlined multiple WWF pay-per-view events, including its flagship event WrestleMania four times (14, 15, 17 and 38). He was forced to retire from in-ring competition in 2003 after multiple knee injuries and a serious neck injury at the 1997 SummerSlam event, making sporadic appearances ever since. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009, and returned for a final match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022.

Austin hosts the podcast The Steve Austin Show (2013–present), and the video podcast Broken Skull Sessions (2019–present) available on the WWE Network and Peacock. He collaborates with El Segundo Brewing on Broken Skull IPA and Broken Skull American Lager. He also hosted the reality competition series Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge (2014–2017) and Straight Up Steve Austin (2019–2021).

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Early life

Steve Austin was born Steven James Anderson on December 18, 1964, in Austin, Texas.[3][4][5] After his parents divorced, his mother moved the family to Victoria, Texas, raising Austin and his two brothers, Scott and Kevin, as a single parent. She later married Ken Williams, who adopted the children; Austin's name was legally changed to Steven James Williams. The family eventually settled in Edna, Texas. Austin also has a third brother, Jeff, and a sister, Jennifer.[6][7]

He attended Edna High School and played college football at Wharton County Junior College before transferring to the University of North Texas.[7] He began as a linebacker but switched to defensive end after a knee injury.[8][9][10][11]

Austin developed an early interest in professional wrestling, regularly watching Houston Wrestling promoted by Paul Boesch.[12][13] While in college, he lived near the Dallas Sportatorium, where World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) held events.[14][15] He legally changed his name to Steve Austin in December 2007.[citation needed]

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Professional wrestling career

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Early career (1989–1991)

Steve Austin began his wrestling training in 1989 under Chris Adams at the Dallas Sportatorium, while Adams was affiliated with World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA, formerly WCCW).[8][16][17][18] Although the training emphasized technical skills, Austin later expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of instruction on the business side of wrestling.[19]

Austin made his in-ring debut later that year in a televised WCWA match using his real name at the time, Steve Williams.[20] During the merger of WCWA and the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association into the United States Wrestling Association (USWA), he began wrestling under the name "Steve Austin," a change made to avoid confusion with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams. He competed primarily in Dallas and was managed by Percy Pringle (later known as Paul Bearer in WWF) during this period. One of his early storylines involved a feud with his trainer, Chris Adams.[18]

World Championship Wrestling (1991–1995)

Austin joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in May 1991 and adopted the ring name "Stunning" Steve Austin.[21][22] He won the WCW World Television Championship on June 3, defeating Bobby Eaton, and later became a member of Paul E. Dangerously’s heel stable, the Dangerous Alliance.[17][23] After briefly losing the title to Barry Windham in April 1992, Austin regained it the following month before dropping it to Ricky Steamboat at Clash of the Champions XX in September. Around the same time, the Dangerous Alliance disbanded.[24]

In late 1992, Austin began teaming with Brian Pillman, soon called the Hollywood Blonds. The team gained popularity and won the unified WCW and NWA World Tag Team Championship in March 1993, holding the titles for five months.[17][22] Following Pillman’s injury, Austin lost the titles alongside Steven Regal as substitute partner and joined Colonel Robert Parker’s Stud Stable.[22] The Hollywood Blonds dissolved shortly thereafter, and Austin defeated Pillman in a singles match in November.[25][26]

At Starrcade in December 1993, Austin defeated Dustin Rhodes to win the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship.[17] He lost the title to Ricky Steamboat in August 1994, was awarded it by forfeit at Fall Brawl, and immediately lost it to Jim Duggan.[27][28] He was unable to recapture the title in subsequent attempts.[29][30] WCW executive Eric Bischoff later cited the company’s focus on more established stars as a factor in Austin’s declining role.[31] A proposed storyline involving Hulk Hogan was rejected.[32]

After recovering from a knee injury, Austin returned in early 1995 and participated in a tournament for the vacant United States Championship but was eliminated in the quarter-finals. His final WCW match aired on May 21, 1995. During a tour of Japan, he suffered a torn triceps and was released by WCW while recovering on September 15.[17][33]

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995)

After his release from WCW, Austin joined Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he was brought in by promoter Paul Heyman, who had previously managed him in WCW as Dangerously.[17] Using the nickname "Superstar" Steve Austin, he debuted at Gangstas Paradise on September 18, 1995.[34] During his time in ECW, he delivered satirical promos criticizing WCW and its management, including segments parodying its programming. Austin used the ECW platform to develop a more aggressive, anti-authority persona that would later influence his "Stone Cold" character.[17][35] He credited Heyman with helping him refine his promo skills during this period.[36][37]

Before departing the promotion, Austin briefly competed in the ECW World Heavyweight Championship scene, losing to Mikey Whipwreck at November to Remember, and later participating in a three-way match at December to Dismember, which was won by The Sandman.[38][39]

World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE

The Ringmaster and birth of "Stone Cold" (1995–1996)

Steve Austin joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in December 1995.[17][40][37] He debuted on the December 18 episode of Raw under the ring name "The Ringmaster," a character introduced by Ted DiBiase and associated with the unsanctioned Million Dollar Championship.[17][41] Austin’s first televised match saw him defeat Matt Hardy.[42][43]

Unenthusiastic about the Ringmaster persona, Austin soon requested a character change. He adopted the moniker "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, shedding the more traditional wrestling gimmick in favor of a minimalist and cold, no-nonsense persona. With a shaved head, black trunks, and an increasingly aggressive demeanor, the "Stone Cold" identity began to take shape in early 1996.[44][45] Austin entered a brief feud with Savio Vega, defeating him at WrestleMania XII but losing a strap match at In Your House: Beware of Dog. As part of the storyline, DiBiase departed the company following the loss, and the Million Dollar Championship was quietly retired.[46]

Rise to prominence (1996–1997)

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin delivering his iconic promo after winning the 1996 King of the Ring.

Austin’s ascent began in earnest with his victory in the 1996 King of the Ring tournament. After defeating Jake “The Snake” Roberts in the final, Austin delivered a post-match promo mocking Roberts’s religious persona, declaring, “Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass.” The phrase quickly became one of the most iconic slogans in professional wrestling and helped establish Austin’s identity as a brash, rebellious antihero.[17][47]

Later that year, Austin began a feud with Bret Hart, who had returned from a hiatus. Hart defeated Austin at Survivor Series, and their rivalry escalated into the 1997 Royal Rumble match, which Austin won by last eliminating Hart.[48][49] This led to a four-way match for the vacant WWF Championship at In Your House 13: Final Four, which Hart won.[50] Austin retaliated the next night on Raw by interfering in Hart’s title defense, costing him the championship. The feud culminated at WrestleMania 13 in a submission match, where Hart forced a bloodied Austin to pass out in the Sharpshooter. However, his refusal to submit earned established as fan favorite, while Hart’s increasingly aggressive conduct resulted in a shift toward a villainous role.

Following WrestleMania, Austin continued to gain momentum. He briefly held the WWF Tag Team Championship, first with Shawn Michaels and later with Dude Love.[51][52] At SummerSlam in August 1997, Austin defeated Owen Hart to win the Intercontinental Championship, but suffered a neck injury during the match, which sidelined him temporarily and forced him to vacate both the Intercontinental and Tag Team titles.[53]

Austin returned to television in September and delivered a Stone Cold Stunner to WWF Chairman Vince McMahon after being declared medically unfit to wrestle.[54] He reclaimed the Intercontinental title from Owen Hart at Survivor Series and entered a feud with The Rock, who had taken possession of the championship belt. After defeating The Rock at D-Generation X: In Your House, Austin forfeited the title back and threw the belt into a river, symbolically ending the feud.[55]

Feud with Vince McMahon (1998–1999)

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Austin as WWF Champion

Austin’s on-screen rivalry with Vince McMahon became one of the defining storylines of the late 1990s WWF. After winning the 1998 Royal Rumble, Austin earned a WWF Championship match at WrestleMania XIV.[56] At the event, he defeated Shawn Michaels to win the title for the first time, with Mike Tyson serving as a special enforcer.[17] McMahon, portraying a controlling executive, opposed Austin’s defiant attitude and sought to make him a more cooperative, corporate champion. Austin openly resisted, and the tension between the two became the focal point of WWF programming throughout the year. Despite repeated attempts to remove him as champion, Austin successfully defended the title in several pay-per-view events.

He briefly lost the championship to Kane in a First Blood match at King of the Ring, but regained it the following night on Raw. The title was later vacated after a disputed triple threat match at Breakdown, in which both The Undertaker and Kane pinned Austin simultaneously.[17] Appointed as special guest referee for the title match between the other two at Judgment Day, Austin refused to declare a winner and was (in storyline) fired. Shane McMahon reinstated him shortly afterward.

At Survivor Series, Austin was eliminated from a one-night tournament for the vacant title after interference from Shane. He went on to defeat The Undertaker in a Buried Alive match at Rock Bottom: In Your House to qualify for the 1999 Royal Rumble. In the Rumble match, Austin entered first but was attacked backstage and later eliminated last by Vince McMahon, who had entered at number two and was aided by The Rock. However, Austin defeated McMahon in a steel cage match at St. Valentine's Day Massacre despite interference from Paul Wight, earning a title shot at WrestleMania XV. At WrestleMania, Austin defeated The Rock to win the WWF Championship for a third time.[17]

After losing the title to The Undertaker at Over the Edge, Austin was named the on-screen CEO of WWF in a storyline twist. He was later removed from the role after losing a handicap ladder match to Vince and Shane McMahon at King of the Ring. Austin defeated The Undertaker to regain the title on an episode of Raw in June, and again in a First Blood rematch, under a stipulation that required Vince McMahon to leave the company in storyline.[57]

Championship reigns and The Alliance (1999–2001)

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Austin's signature "flipping off" the crowd pose

Austin held on to the WWF Championship until SummerSlam on August 22 when he lost it to Mankind in a triple threat match also featuring Triple H. He failed to regain the championship against Triple H at No Mercy in October after an inadvertent interference from The Rock. At Survivor Series, Austin was written off television after being hit by a car in a backstage segment—a storyline used to explain his real-life departure to undergo neck surgery.[17]

Austin returned in April 2000 at Backlash, costing Triple H to lost the WWF Championship to The Rock. A storyline investigation revealed that Austin’s earlier hit-and-run had been orchestrated by Triple H, leading to a year long feud which concluded in a Three Stages of Hell match at No Way Out in February 2001, which Triple H won.[58]

Austin challenged The Rock for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania X-Seven after winning the 2001 Royal Rumble. In the match’s final moments, Austin turned heel by aligning with longtime rival Vince McMahon to secure the victory and his fifth WWF Championship.[17] The next night on Raw, he formed a short-lived alliance with Intercontinental Champion Triple H known as the "Two-Man Power Trip", with the duo holding the Tag Team Championship once.[59]

That summer, WWF launched the “Invasion” storyline, featuring talent from the recently acquired WCW and ECW promotions. Although initially positioned as the leader of Team WWF, Austin turned on the company at the Invasion pay-per-view and joined the opposing Alliance faction.[17] He would lose the WWF Championship to Kurt Angle at Unforgiven in September but regained it over a month later. Austin captained the Alliance at Survivor Series in November, in a winner-takes-all elimination match against Team WWF. He was pinned in the final fall by The Rock, resulting in the Alliance's storyline disbandment.[60] The following night on Raw, Austin became fan favorite again when he attacked Angle and McMahon, and celebrated with Ric Flair.[61] He would lose the WWF title in a unification match to World Champion Chris Jericho at Vengeance in December.[62]

Final feuds and retirement (2002–2003)

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Austin (left) faces off against The Rock at WrestleMania XIX, which was Austin's last match until 2022.

At the 2002 Royal Rumble, Austin reached the final four before being eliminated by Kurt Angle. The following month, he challenged Chris Jericho for the Undisputed WWF Championship at No Way Out but was defeated after interference from the recently signed nWo faction.[63] Initially scheduled to face Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania X8, Austin instead wrestled and defeated Scott Hall, following reported creative disagreements over the proposed match with Hogan.[64][65]

Shortly after WrestleMania, Austin walked out of the company for several weeks, citing burnout and dissatisfaction with creative direction. He returned in April as part of the newly launched Raw brand but left again in June 2002 after refusing to lose a televised match to then-rookie Brock Lesnar. His sudden departure was criticized on-air by WWE management and talent, and he remained absent from programming for the rest of the year.[66][67][68][69][70] In an interview with Vince McMahon on his podcast in 2014, Austin publicly revealed for the first time that McMahon had fined him $650,000 upon his return, but he was able to lower the amount to $250,000.[71]

Austin reconciled with WWE in early 2003 and returned at No Way Out, defeating Eric Bischoff. He was soon challenged by The Rock, who sought to avenge previous losses at WrestleMania. At WrestleMania XIX, Austin was defeated by The Rock in what would be his final match for 19 years. Unbeknownst to fans at the time, the bout was intended as his retirement from active competition due to ongoing health concerns stemming from his 1997 neck injury.[72]

On-screen authority figure (2003–2004)

The following month, Linda McMahon brought Austin back to be the co-general manager of the Raw brand, a role he played for the remainder of the year, often getting into physical altercations with talent and personnel. Austin and Bischoff continued to feud over control of the brand. On the July 21 episode of Raw, McMahon informed Austin he could not get physical with anyone unless provoked. At Survivor Series on November 16, Austin's hand-picked team of Booker T, Bubba Ray Dudley, D-Von Dudley, Rob Van Dam and Shawn Michaels faced Bischoff's team of Chris Jericho, Christian, Mark Henry, Randy Orton and Scott Steiner in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match. Austin's team lost after Batista interfered on behalf of Bischoff. After the match Jonathan Coachman came out to gloat and got beat up by Austin. As a result, Austin was "fired" from his position as co-general manager. Mick Foley took over Austin's former role and began petitioning to have Austin re-instated. Austin returned before the end of 2003, appearing at Tribute to the Troops. He posed as Santa Claus before delivering a "Stone Cold Stunner" to both Mr. McMahon and John Cena. Austin returned to Raw on December 29 as its "Sheriff", giving a Stone Cold Stunner to Bischoff and rehiring Michaels, who had just been "fired" by Bischoff.[citation needed] Austin appeared on-and-off as 2004 began, culminating in him being the special guest referee for the Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg match at WrestleMania XX on March 14. Following the match, Austin attacked both Lesnar and Goldberg with Stone Cold Stunners.

Part-time appearances (2005–2020)

On April 3, 2005, Austin made his first appearance on WWE programming in a year at WrestleMania 21 when he appeared with Roddy Piper on Piper's Pit. They were interrupted by Carlito, who received a Stone Cold Stunner. The segment ended with Austin and Piper celebrating with beer until Austin gave Piper a Stone Cold Stunner. Austin was involved in the concluding segment at ECW One Night Stand on June 12 in which he had a beer bash with the ECW locker room and brawled with the anti-ECW invaders, led by Bischoff. He returned at Raw Homecoming on October 3, delivering Stone Cold Stunners to Vince, Shane, Stephanie, and Linda McMahon. An angle including Jim Ross being fired led to a match in which Austin agreed to face Jonathan Coachman at Taboo Tuesday on November 1, with the stipulation of Ross regaining his announcing job had Austin won and Austin losing his job had he lost. Austin hurt his back before the match and could not wrestle unless he was heavily medicated, so the match was canceled. To explain away his failure to appear at Taboo Tuesday, Vince McMahon said on Raw that Austin had been involved in an accident, thus preventing him from competing. Batista substituted for Austin, defeating Coachman along with Vader and Goldust.[73]

He returned to WWE to face John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) in a beer-drinking contest at March 18, 2006, episode of Saturday Night's Main Event XXXII. Austin inducted Bret Hart into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 1, 2006.[17]

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Austin is noted for his signature "beer smash", seen here at WrestleMania 25.

Austin returned to WWE programming in March 2007, partially to promote his starring role in the release of WWE Films' production The Condemned. On March 31, he inducted Jim Ross into the Hall of Fame. At WrestleMania 23 on April 1, Austin was the special guest referee for the match between Bobby Lashley and Umaga. If Lashley lost, his manager Donald Trump's head would be shaved, and if Umaga lost, his manager Vince McMahon's head would be shaved. During the match, Austin delivered Stone Cold Stunners to Umaga, Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, and Trump. Lashley won the match; Trump, Austin, and Lashley then shaved McMahon's head. Austin ended the show by hitting the Stone Cold Stunner on both Vince and Trump.[74] He then appeared in a video on the June 11 episode of Raw as part of "Mr. McMahon's Appreciation Night", where he shared his thoughts on his past feuds with McMahon. Austin appeared on the August 18 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, as a possible illegitimate child of McMahon. He hit McMahon and Coachman with Stone Cold Stunners before leaving. He appeared at SummerSlam on August 26 to aid Matt Hardy in battling MVP in a beer-drinking contest. The match ended in a no-contest after Austin handed a beer to MVP and gave him the Stone Cold Stunner.[75] Austin made another appearance at Cyber Sunday on October 28, where he guest refereed a World Heavyweight Championship match between Batista and The Undertaker. On the November 5 episode of Raw, Austin made an appearance to confront Santino Marella for criticizing The Condemned.[76] The argument ended as Marella received a Stone Cold Stunner from Austin, who then walked backstage only to return with a Budweiser beer truck to hose down Marella and his valet Maria with beer.[76] Austin appeared on the Raw 15th Anniversary special, attacking Vince McMahon.

On October 26, 2008, at Cyber Sunday, Austin was the special guest referee during a match between Batista and Chris Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship.[77] On January 12, 2009, on Raw, Austin was announced to be the first member of the Hall of Fame class of 2009.[78] He was inducted by his long-term on-screen rival Vince McMahon, who referred to Austin as "the greatest WWE Superstar of all time". During the induction, Austin said he was officially closing the door on his wrestling career and starting a new chapter in his life. He would appear at WrestleMania 25 the next night, driving an ATV to the ring. Austin appeared as the guest host of Raw on March 15, 2010, moderating a contract signing between McMahon and Bret Hart for their match at WrestleMania XXVI on March 28.

In early 2011, Austin was announced as the head trainer and host for the revival of Tough Enough. On the March 7 episode of Raw, Austin interrupted the contract signing of the special guest referee for the Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler match at WrestleMania XXVII on April 3, originally scheduled to be JBL; Austin attacked JBL with a Stone Cold Stunner and signed the contract instead.[79] Although Lawler won by submission, the Anonymous Raw General Manager reversed the decision and disqualified Lawler, claiming that Austin had "overstepped his authority". Austin appeared on Raw the following night with the cast from Tough Enough, while also getting into an altercation with The Miz and Alex Riley. On the June 6 episode of Raw, Austin appeared to declare Andy Leavine as the winner of Tough Enough. He also served as the special guest referee in the evening's tag team main event of John Cena and Alex Riley against The Miz and R-Truth, hitting Miz with a Stone Cold Stunner and aiding Cena. However, the Anonymous Raw General Manager awarding the match to The Miz and R-Truth via disqualification. Austin did not take kindly to his decision being overturned and gave Cole a Stone Cold Stunner, which was followed with an Attitude Adjustment by Cena. Austin and Cena closed the show with a beer bash. Austin later appeared as the special guest General Manager on the "WWE All-Stars" episode of Raw, during which he destroyed the Anonymous Raw General Manager's laptop by running over it with his ATV. In July 2012, Austin was announced as the cover star of the special edition of the video game WWE '13. He then began a brief, verbal feud on Raw with fellow cover star CM Punk in the months leading to release.

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Austin (center) with Hulk Hogan (left) and The Rock at WrestleMania XXX

Austin appeared at WrestleMania XXX on April 6, 2014, with Hulk Hogan and The Rock in the opening segment.[80] Austin made an appearance on the October 19, 2015, episode of Raw, introducing The Undertaker and promoting the WrestleMania 32 event.[81] Austin again appeared on Raw the following week, where he promoted the WWE 2K16 video game in a backstage segment.[82] At WrestleMania 32 on April 3, 2016, Austin (alongside Mick Foley and Shawn Michaels) confronted The League of Nations, with Austin delivering Stone Cold Stunners to Rusev and King Barrett. While Austin was celebrating with Michaels and Foley, The New Day tried to convince Austin to dance with them in celebration. While Austin reluctantly danced along at first, he soon hit Xavier Woods with a Stone Cold Stunner.[83]

During Raw's 25th anniversary episode on January 22, 2018, Austin appeared and performed a Stone Cold Stunner on Shane and Vince McMahon.[84] On July 22, 2019, Austin appeared on the Raw Reunion episode and raised a toast alongside Triple H, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and various other wrestlers from his era.[85] On September 9, he made an appearance on Raw at Madison Square Garden for the contract signing between Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman. Having been interrupted by AJ Styles, he hit Styles with a Stone Cold Stunner.[86] On the March 16, 2020 episode of Raw, Austin made an appearance to promote "3:16 Day" as a holiday. He shared a beer with commentator Byron Saxton before giving him a Stone Cold Stunner. He then shared a beer with Becky Lynch and The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins, and Montez Ford) before giving The Street Profits Stone Cold Stunners.[87]

One-off return to competition and sporadic appearances (2022–present)

After 19 years away from in-ring competition, Austin defeated Kevin Owens in an impromptu No Holds Barred match at Night 1 of WrestleMania 38 in 2022.[88] He made a second appearance the following night, delivering stunners to Vince McMahon, Austin Theory, and Pat McAfee.[89] He made another brief appearance at WrestleMania 41 in 2025, crashing an ATV into the ringside barricade.[90]

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Legacy

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Austin with a fan

Since his retirement in 2003, Austin has been widely regarded and cited as one of the greatest and most influential professional wrestlers of all time. Sports Illustrated ranked him third on their top 101 greatest wrestlers of all-time list.[91] In 2020, SPORTbible ranked Austin as the greatest wrestler of all time.[92] He has been described as the most influential wrestler in Raw history,[93] and the poster boy for the Attitude Era.[94][95][96] Several former world champions have named Austin as part of their "Mount Rushmore" of wrestling, including The Rock,[97] The Undertaker,[98] Hulk Hogan,[99] Ric Flair,[100] and John Cena,[101] and a 2012 poll conducted by WWE saw Austin picked second on a fan voted version of the concept.[102] When Vince McMahon inducted Austin into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009, he referred to Austin as "the greatest WWE superstar of all time".[103]

Austin was the biggest box office draw in WWE since Hulk Hogan. His contributions in saving WWF and winning the Monday Night Wars against WCW helped future superstars like John Cena, who would go onto establish WWE as a global brand. He headlined WrestleMania X-Seven, the first WrestleMania to achieve a 1 million buy rate. The event was universally acclaimed and is often regarded as the greatest pay-per-view in professional wrestling history. It is also noted as the pinnacle of the Attitude Era, occurring just a week after WWE bought out their competition, WCW.[104]

During his early years as a wrestler, Austin was a technical wrestler. However, after Owen Hart accidentally injured Austin's neck in 1997, Austin changed his style from technical to brawler.[105][106] His most famous finishing move is the Stone Cold Stunner,[107] and he credits Michael Hayes with introducing the move to him.[108] Following his retirement, he gave permission to Kevin Owens to use the move as his own finisher, but both have downplayed comparisons between the two.[109][110][111] During his time as The Ringmaster, he used the Million Dollar Dream as a finishing move since it was Ted DiBiase's finisher. During his time in WCW, Austin used the Stun Gun (a move innovated by Eddie Gilbert as the Hot Shot) and the Hollywood & Vine (a standing modified figure-four leglock) as his finishers.[112]

Sporting a bald head and goatee, coupled with his ring attire which consisted of plain black trunks and boots,[113][114] Austin relied solely on his personality to become popular.[113][115] As "Stone Cold", Austin was portrayed on-screen as an anti-authority rebel who would consistently cuss and defy the company rules and guidelines of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. One of Austin's taunts during the Attitude Era was to show the middle finger.[116] To complement his persona, Austin was the recipient of two additional nicknames, commentator and real life friend Jim Ross dubbed him "The Texas Rattlesnake" due to the character's "...mannerisms, the motivation, the mindset, you can't trust this son of a bitch",[117] while Austin later named himself "The Bionic Redneck" on account of the injuries he had suffered to his arms, neck and knees.[118] Austin has said he is "eternally indebted" to Ross for helping his character become popular.[119]

On both his podcasts, Austin credited Bret Hart as the wrestler who got him over the most, had most influence on his early wrestling style, and who he had his best matches with.[120][121] Austin would later go on to induct Bret Hart into the WWE Hall of Fame.[122] The match between Austin and Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13 has been widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestling matches of all time,[123] and has been voted by IGN as the greatest match in WrestleMania history, and was number 1 among their list of top 20 WrestleMania matches of all time.[124] The match would later receive the inaugural "Immortal Moment" Award at the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.[125]

A 12-minute match between Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin drew a 9.5 rating on June 28, 1999. It stands as the highest-rated segment in Raw history.[126]

According to the data collected by US-bookies, Stone Cold Steve Austin is still WWE’s best merchandise seller earning an estimated $3,600,000 from merchandise on WWE Shop site. John Cena takes the #2 spot, earning almost $2,700,000 from WWE Shop.[127] 'Austin 3:16' T-shirt is amongst the best selling T-shirts in wrestling history[128]

In August 2001, Austin began using his catchphrase "What?" to interrupt wrestlers who were trying to speak and to allow fan participation chants.[129] Audiences at WWE shows have since widely used this chant during performer promos,[130][131] and Austin has stated his regret at inventing the chant.[132] Austin's entrance theme was composed by Jim Johnston, who said that in composing the song, he looked upon Austin's persona as an "ass-kicker guy who did not enter a room with subtlety. He needed something that reflected that".[133] Looking to capture the unpredictable nature of the character, Johnston thought of using the sounds of a car crash and smashing glass, and recalled that he instantly felt the theme fit the character and that "it felt like it had already been his theme for years".[133] Austin says the song was inspired by Rage Against the Machine's song "Bulls on Parade".[134] The theme song was revamped in 2000, with the rock band Disturbed recording the new version, used for the first time at the Unforgiven PPV event in September.[135] Austin's entrance theme is regarded as one of the greatest of all time,[136][137][138][139] and one which defined the Attitude Era.[140]

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Other media

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Acting and hosting

Austin had guest roles on Celebrity Deathmatch and Seasons 4 and 5 of CBS's Nash Bridges, where he played San Francisco Police Department Inspector Jake Cage. He has appeared on V.I.P and Dilbert. His motion picture debut was in a supporting role as Guard Dunham in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard. Austin had his first starring film role, as Jack Conrad, a dangerous convict awaiting execution in a Salvadoran prison, who takes part in an illegal deathmatch game that is being broadcast to the public in the 2007 action film The Condemned.[citation needed] In 2010, Austin appeared in The Expendables as Dan Paine, the right-hand man for the primary antagonist of the film James Munroe, played by Eric Roberts, and bodyguard with Gary Daniels who plays The Brit. Shortly after Austin re-teamed with Eric Roberts and Gary Daniels in Hunt to Kill.[citation needed] It was his last American theatrical release film until 2013. Austin appeared as Hugo Panzer on television series Chuck. He has also starred in Damage, The Stranger, Tactical Force, Knockout, Recoil, Maximum Conviction, and The Package.[141]

In April 2013, Austin started a weekly podcast named The Steve Austin Show which is family-friendly, while his second podcast The Steve Austin Show – Unleashed! is more adult-oriented.[142] As of May 2015, the podcasts averaged 793,000 downloads a week and had nearly 200 million overall downloads.[143] In February 2018, Austin announced that the "Unleashed" version of the podcast had been dropped and merged with the family-friendly version in order to appeal to more sponsors.[144] The podcast has also transitioned to a live broadcast for the WWE Network (podcasted after a short exclusivity period) with monthly specials since 2014.[145] In November 2019, Austin began an interview segment on the WWE Network called the Broken Skull Sessions, taking its name from the ranch owned by Austin.[146] The premiere episode featured The Undertaker.[147]

Austin hosted the reality competition show Redneck Island on CMT, which began in June 2012[148] and concluded with its fifth season in April 2016.[149] In July 2014, his reality competition show Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge premiered on CMT.[150] The show entered into its fifth season in September 2017.[151]

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Filmography

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Personal life

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Austin played college football at the University of North Texas. Austin married his high school girlfriend Kathryn Burrhus on November 24, 1990. However, he later pursued a relationship with English wrestling manager Jeanie Clarke, with whom he was working. His marriage to Burrhus was annulled on August 7, 1992, while he was in Japan[154] and he married Clarke on December 18, on his 28th birthday. They had two daughters, Stephanie (born 1992) and Cassidy (born 1996), before divorcing on May 10, 1999.[155][156] Austin also adopted Clarke's daughter Jade from a previous relationship with Chris Adams.[155][156] In 2010, Austin became a grandfather for the first time when Jade gave birth to a son.[157] Since then, Jade had two more children with her husband Adam Bryniarski, a British independent wrestler.[158] Bryniarski died in 2022 at age 41.[159]

On September 13, 2000, Austin married wrestling manager Debra Marshall.[160] On June 15, 2002, Marshall called the police to the couple's home. She told officers that Austin had hit her and then stormed out of the house before police arrived.[161][162] An arrest warrant was issued by the Bexar County district attorney's office on August 12 and Austin turned himself in the following day, at which point he was charged with domestic abuse.[163][164] He pleaded no contest on November 25, and was given a year's probation, a $1,000 fine, and ordered to carry out 80 hours of community service.[165] In 2007, Marshall told Fox News that[166] WWE knew of the abuse, but worked to keep her from revealing that Austin had hit her as it would cost the company millions of dollars.[167] Austin responded to the incident in 2003 through WWE Raw Magazine, citing his regret over their relationship breaking down and stating his love for Marshall. He also ridiculed allegations that the incident was alcohol-related.[168] He filed for divorce from Marshall on July 22, 2002, which was finalized on February 5, 2003.[169]

In March 2003, during the hours leading up to WrestleMania XIX, Austin was rushed to the hospital for twitchiness and a high heart rate.[170]

In 2003, Austin denied allegations that he was an alcoholic, stating that wrestling fans had mistaken his character's excessive consumption of beer as a real-life trait of his and insisting that he drinks responsibly.[168] In March 2004, he was accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend Tess Broussard during a dispute at his home in San Antonio, Texas, according to a police report. No arrests were made and no charges were filed in the case.[171]

In 2007, the Wrestling Observer newsletter reported that Austin had legally changed his name to Steve Austin.[172]

In late 2009, Austin married his fourth wife, Kristin Feres.[7][173]

In 2014, Austin voiced support for same-sex marriage on his podcast.[174] Also in 2014, Austin released his first beer, Broken Skull IPA, with El Segundo Brewing Company in California. In March 2022, they released another collaboration, Broken Skull American Lager.[175][176] The beers are distributed in 35 states with El Segundo brewing over 5,000 barrels of Broken Skull annually.[177]

Austin has owned two large ranches, the first, the Broken Skull Ranch was near Tilden, Texas.[178] In 2018 he purchased the Broken Skull Ranch 2.0 in Gardnerville, Nevada.[179]

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Championships and accomplishments

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Austin is a six-time WWF Champion...
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...and a WWE Hall of Fame inductee (class of 2009).

References

Further reading

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