Steve Austin, known by the ring name “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as an ambassador. He is widely seen as one of the greatest wrestlers in history and was a major figure during the Attitude Era, a time when wrestling became extremely popular worldwide.
Austin first appeared in WWF with a short-lived character called “The Ringmaster.” Later he was repackaged as the rebellious anti-hero “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. His rivalry with Vince McMahon became one of the most famous storylines in wrestling. During his career, Austin also won the Royal Rumble three times, which is a record. He won the King of the Ring 1996 and headlined WrestleMania four times.
He retired from regular wrestling in 2003 because of knee injuries and a serious neck injury suffered at SummerSlam 1997. He was later inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. Austin returned for one final match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022.
Steve Austin Awards and Achievements
Steve Austin received the Iron Mike Mazurki Award in 2012 from the Cauliflower Alley Club. He also holds a Guinness World Records record for the most wins in the WWE Royal Rumble, winning the match three times.
At the Teen Choice Awards, Austin won Choice Pro Wrestler in 1999. He was also nominated in 2005 for Choice Movie: Rumble for his role in the film The Longest Yard alongside Bob Sapp.
In the PWI 500 rankings, Austin was placed No.1 in both 1998 and 1999, and later ranked No.19 among the top 500 wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003. He was also ranked No.50 among the top 100 tag teams of the PWI Years with Brian Pillman.
He received the Stanley Weston Award in 2019 from Pro Wrestling Illustrated, recognizing his lifetime impact on wrestling.
In sports media, Sports Illustrated ranked Austin No.1 among the 20 Greatest WWE Wrestlers of All Time.
Steve Austin Championships
His biggest success came in WWE where he won the Undisputed WWE Championship six times. Across those six reigns, he held the title for a combined 529 days. He also won the WWE Intercontinental Championship two times. In tag team competition, he captured the World Tag Team Championship four times.
Before becoming a huge star in WWE, Austin also won titles in World Championship Wrestling. There he won the WCW United States Championship two times for a total of 240 days. He also held the WCW World Television Championship two times. In tag team action, he won the WCW World Tag Team Championship once for 168 days.
Steve Austin Personal Life
Steve Austin played college football at the University of North Texas as a linebacker before moving to defensive end after an injury. He left college to chase a wrestling career even though he had only about 17 credit hours left to finish a degree in physical education.
When he first trained with Chris Adams, a class cost $45. Austin paid for it by working on a loading dock. Early matches paid only about $15–$20 a night, so he often survived on cheap food like potatoes and canned tuna for months.
Austin originally had long blond hair, but it began thinning. After watching the film Pulp Fiction and seeing Bruce Willis with a short haircut, he decided to cut his hair short and later shaved his head completely. The bald head and goatee became his signature look.
After retirement, Austin turned his famous beer-drinking image into a business. In 2015 he partnered with El Segundo Brewing Company to release Broken Skull IPA, and later the Broken Skull American Lager.
Steve Austin Contract
During the peak of the Attitude Era, Stone Cold Steve Austin was one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling. Because of his popularity, he was earning far more than most wrestlers on the roster.
According to Kurt Angle, Austin was making around $16 million a year at the height of his run in WWE. At that time, only a small group of top names had million-dollar guaranteed contracts. That group included Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, Triple H, and Angle himself.
Angle often praises Austin and even said that wrestling him would have been his dream match at WrestleMania.
FAQs
Q. Why did Steve Austin leave college early?
A. Steve Austin left the University of North Texas with about 17 credit hours left to follow a wrestling career.
Q. How did Steve Austin get the name “Stone Cold”?
A. His wife noticed his tea had gone “stone cold,” and he liked the sound of it.
Q. When did Steve Austin create the famous “Austin 3:16” catchphrase?
A. Steve Austin said it after defeating Jake Roberts at the King of the Ring 1996.
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