I debated with myself for a good 24 seconds as to whether begin this new series of threads on the 2009 Hall of Fame inductees. You don’t need me to tell you anything about Stone Cold Steve Austin so consider this a blueprint for how the rest of the threads will hopefully plan out. For the die hard attitude era fan I hope that I haven’t left out too much about this guy but do bare in mind these threads are supposed to be an overview of the wrestler and with a guy like Stone Cold to mention all the things he accomplished and go in depth about all of his great feuds: Both Harts, The Undertaker, The Rock, Mick Foley, Triple H, Vince Mcmahon to name but a few would have me here all day! So without further rambling let me begin the Jpfizzle hall of fame guide Volume.1. (watch the videos too, none of them are full matches, there all just highlight videos.)
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin-
Although achieving moderate success in WCW (most notably as one half of the Hollywood Blondes tag team with Brian Pillman) and had a brief stint in ECW where some say he sewed the seeds for his much later “Stone Cold” persona. No wrestling fan could be in any doubt that it was in the WWF/E (from now on just WWE) that Steve Austin really became a Megastar. A 6 time WWE Champion, King of the Ring winner in 1996, three time Royal Rumble winner (1997, 1998 and 2001), 2 time Intercontinental Champion, 4 time tag team champion (W/ Shawn Michaels, Dude Love, The Undertaker and Triple H) and winner of countless awards outside of WWE in this time, Steve Austin is largely considered the guy who WAS The Attitude Era.
It was June 23rd 1996 in at the King of the Ring tournament where Austin first made fans sit up and take notice. Using his newly acquired “Stone Cold Stunner”- (Seated three-quarter facelock jawbreaker- to be precise.) and a Bad Ass attitude, Austin defeated Marc Mero in the semi final’s before coming up against Jake “The Snake” Roberts who at the time playing a Christian character, famed for quoting the bible. Austin won and after the match had an interview in which he said the following line-
“You sit there and you thump your Bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn't get you anywhere! Talk about your Psalms, talk about John 3:16... Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!”
The next night on RAW is WAR 3:16 signs begun to crop up all over the stadium. At the time, Austin was still very much a heel character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCmV1eySiIo
On November 4th Austin was involved in the first of his iconic moments that occurred outside of the squared circle. The event has now become known as the “Pillman’s got a gun” segment. Off the back of a heated feud between the two Austin actually turned up at Pillman’s house in Walton, Kentucky! Upon arrival Austin was attacked by a number of Pillman’s friends but Austin soon overcame them and made a beeline for Pillman who was in his house with his wife, interviewer (and Wrestlezone favourite) Kevin Kelly and a WWF camera crew. Upon entering the house Pillman pulled out a gun and pointed it at Austin! The feed was then disrupted and picked up towards the end of RAW with Austin being dragged out of the house by Pillman’s friends. Whilst being one of the most shocking and unpredictable angles in WWE history, WWE was made to apologise for the entire segment (which also included Pillman dropping an F-Bomb on live TV- you won’t catch the fizzle using that kind of language folks.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUdKnp2It1k
Although at this time Steve Austin was STILL a hell character no one could ignore the increasing popularity of the young upstart who was unlike anything ever before seen on WWE television. At Wrestlemania 13 this was all to change in perhaps the most important match of Steve Austin’s career- a submission match with Bret Hart to culminate the year long feud between the two. The end of the match saw Austin locked in the sharpshooter, bleeding and howling in pain but refusing to tap out. After the match despite the beating he took, Austin refused help back to the locker room. The ending of the match produced a real rarity in Wrestling, not only did Hart turn heel as a result of the match, but the Rattlesnake finally turned face. The road to mega-stardom was well on the way!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K0Wpeb9lFQ
At In Your House 15, (May 11 1997) Austin received his first WWE championship shot against the Undertaker. The match lasted just over 20 minutes and Austin lost following a tombstone piledriver- considered one of the best tombstones of all time- Austin reversed the first attempt, only to have his attempt at the move reversed in a dramatic, physical and outstanding ending. Over the coming years Austin’s feud against the Undertaker would become one of the most famous of his career.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr9jqN7RjUc
At the 1997 SummerSlam in a match against Owen Hart, a tragic botched piledriver saw Austin break his neck. The stipulations of the match stated that if Austin lost he’d have to kiss Owen Hart’s ass the next night on RAW. Despite being unable to move immediately after the incident, Austin somehow managed to roll Owen Hart up for the win (Owen had been taunting the fans whilst the referee had been helping Austin.) Austin was sidelined until the Survivor Series of 1997 where he regained the Intercontinental Championship which he had vacated as a result of the injury. The same PPV saw the infamous Montreal Screwjob.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOkYrgHEDGo
Austin’s infamous feud with Vince McMahon begun on Raw is War soon after his neck injury in the match against Owen Hart. McMahon tried to explain to Austin why he could not compete but was met with a stone cold stunner. The rivalry soon intensified and was PWI and the Wrestling Observer’s feud of the year for 1998 and 1999.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0C7dKuhw-Y
In 1998 Austin won his first royal rumble. This was followed up the next night by Austin interrupting Vince McMahon and his introduction of Mike Tyson. At Wrestlemania Austin won his first WWE Championship in a match against Shawn Michaels with Mike Tyson as special guest enforcer. The Victory is considered by many wrestling fans the beginning of the Attitude era.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do_3eJavqFM
Over the following weeks Austin’s feud with McMahon really came into its own scoring some of the highest ratings the WWE had ever had before or since.
There is a darker side to Steve Austin. On June 15th 2002 police were called Steve Austin’s house to find his then wife, Debra Marshall (Debra in the WWF) in what’s described as a “hysterical state.” On August 14th Austin was arrested and charged for domestic abuse.
In 2002 Austin’s spot as the top face in WWE was not as safe as it once had been. At Wrestlemania X8 Austin was scheduled to wrestle Hulk Hogan but the idea was abandoned as the two could not agree on a finish. Hogan wrestled the Rock instead and Austin wrestled Scott Hall. Austin refused to show up to RAW the next night returning on April 1st edition of RAW for the Brand Extension- the show was built around the hype over who Austin would sign for.
Austin wrestled his last match against the Rock at Wrestlemania 19.
These days Austin usually appears in one off specials such as taboo Tuesday or Cyber Sunday. In 2007 he played the lead role in WWE films “The Condemned.” But the movie proved a big loss for WWE films. The critical response to the film is described as “overwhelmingly negative.” Austin also had a cameo in “the Longest Yard,” and is down to appear in 2010 film “Damage.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfn8AExtgkA
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin-
Although achieving moderate success in WCW (most notably as one half of the Hollywood Blondes tag team with Brian Pillman) and had a brief stint in ECW where some say he sewed the seeds for his much later “Stone Cold” persona. No wrestling fan could be in any doubt that it was in the WWF/E (from now on just WWE) that Steve Austin really became a Megastar. A 6 time WWE Champion, King of the Ring winner in 1996, three time Royal Rumble winner (1997, 1998 and 2001), 2 time Intercontinental Champion, 4 time tag team champion (W/ Shawn Michaels, Dude Love, The Undertaker and Triple H) and winner of countless awards outside of WWE in this time, Steve Austin is largely considered the guy who WAS The Attitude Era.
It was June 23rd 1996 in at the King of the Ring tournament where Austin first made fans sit up and take notice. Using his newly acquired “Stone Cold Stunner”- (Seated three-quarter facelock jawbreaker- to be precise.) and a Bad Ass attitude, Austin defeated Marc Mero in the semi final’s before coming up against Jake “The Snake” Roberts who at the time playing a Christian character, famed for quoting the bible. Austin won and after the match had an interview in which he said the following line-
“You sit there and you thump your Bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn't get you anywhere! Talk about your Psalms, talk about John 3:16... Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!”
The next night on RAW is WAR 3:16 signs begun to crop up all over the stadium. At the time, Austin was still very much a heel character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCmV1eySiIo
On November 4th Austin was involved in the first of his iconic moments that occurred outside of the squared circle. The event has now become known as the “Pillman’s got a gun” segment. Off the back of a heated feud between the two Austin actually turned up at Pillman’s house in Walton, Kentucky! Upon arrival Austin was attacked by a number of Pillman’s friends but Austin soon overcame them and made a beeline for Pillman who was in his house with his wife, interviewer (and Wrestlezone favourite) Kevin Kelly and a WWF camera crew. Upon entering the house Pillman pulled out a gun and pointed it at Austin! The feed was then disrupted and picked up towards the end of RAW with Austin being dragged out of the house by Pillman’s friends. Whilst being one of the most shocking and unpredictable angles in WWE history, WWE was made to apologise for the entire segment (which also included Pillman dropping an F-Bomb on live TV- you won’t catch the fizzle using that kind of language folks.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUdKnp2It1k
Although at this time Steve Austin was STILL a hell character no one could ignore the increasing popularity of the young upstart who was unlike anything ever before seen on WWE television. At Wrestlemania 13 this was all to change in perhaps the most important match of Steve Austin’s career- a submission match with Bret Hart to culminate the year long feud between the two. The end of the match saw Austin locked in the sharpshooter, bleeding and howling in pain but refusing to tap out. After the match despite the beating he took, Austin refused help back to the locker room. The ending of the match produced a real rarity in Wrestling, not only did Hart turn heel as a result of the match, but the Rattlesnake finally turned face. The road to mega-stardom was well on the way!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K0Wpeb9lFQ
At In Your House 15, (May 11 1997) Austin received his first WWE championship shot against the Undertaker. The match lasted just over 20 minutes and Austin lost following a tombstone piledriver- considered one of the best tombstones of all time- Austin reversed the first attempt, only to have his attempt at the move reversed in a dramatic, physical and outstanding ending. Over the coming years Austin’s feud against the Undertaker would become one of the most famous of his career.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr9jqN7RjUc
At the 1997 SummerSlam in a match against Owen Hart, a tragic botched piledriver saw Austin break his neck. The stipulations of the match stated that if Austin lost he’d have to kiss Owen Hart’s ass the next night on RAW. Despite being unable to move immediately after the incident, Austin somehow managed to roll Owen Hart up for the win (Owen had been taunting the fans whilst the referee had been helping Austin.) Austin was sidelined until the Survivor Series of 1997 where he regained the Intercontinental Championship which he had vacated as a result of the injury. The same PPV saw the infamous Montreal Screwjob.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOkYrgHEDGo
Austin’s infamous feud with Vince McMahon begun on Raw is War soon after his neck injury in the match against Owen Hart. McMahon tried to explain to Austin why he could not compete but was met with a stone cold stunner. The rivalry soon intensified and was PWI and the Wrestling Observer’s feud of the year for 1998 and 1999.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0C7dKuhw-Y
In 1998 Austin won his first royal rumble. This was followed up the next night by Austin interrupting Vince McMahon and his introduction of Mike Tyson. At Wrestlemania Austin won his first WWE Championship in a match against Shawn Michaels with Mike Tyson as special guest enforcer. The Victory is considered by many wrestling fans the beginning of the Attitude era.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do_3eJavqFM
Over the following weeks Austin’s feud with McMahon really came into its own scoring some of the highest ratings the WWE had ever had before or since.
There is a darker side to Steve Austin. On June 15th 2002 police were called Steve Austin’s house to find his then wife, Debra Marshall (Debra in the WWF) in what’s described as a “hysterical state.” On August 14th Austin was arrested and charged for domestic abuse.
In 2002 Austin’s spot as the top face in WWE was not as safe as it once had been. At Wrestlemania X8 Austin was scheduled to wrestle Hulk Hogan but the idea was abandoned as the two could not agree on a finish. Hogan wrestled the Rock instead and Austin wrestled Scott Hall. Austin refused to show up to RAW the next night returning on April 1st edition of RAW for the Brand Extension- the show was built around the hype over who Austin would sign for.
Austin wrestled his last match against the Rock at Wrestlemania 19.
These days Austin usually appears in one off specials such as taboo Tuesday or Cyber Sunday. In 2007 he played the lead role in WWE films “The Condemned.” But the movie proved a big loss for WWE films. The critical response to the film is described as “overwhelmingly negative.” Austin also had a cameo in “the Longest Yard,” and is down to appear in 2010 film “Damage.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfn8AExtgkA
