Stone Cold Steve Austin

Lore & Background

Austin began his professional wrestling training in 1986 under Chris Adams at the Dallas Sportatorium, after playing college football at the University of North Texas. He signed with WCW in 1991 and adopted the persona of 'Stunning' Steve Austin, winning the WCW World Television Championship and WCW United States Heavyweight Championship twice each, and the WCW World Tag Team Championship and NWA World Tag Team Championship with Brian Pillman as the Hollywood Blondes. After a brief stint in ECW, he signed with the WWF in 1995. In the WWF, he debuted as The Ringmaster before being repackaged as 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. He won the 1996 King of the Ring and delivered the Austin 3:16 promo, becoming the most popular wrestler of the Attitude Era off the back of his feud with Vince McMahon. He won the WWF Championship six times and the Royal Rumble a record three times (1997, 1998, 2001), and became the fifth WWF Triple Crown Champion. He was forced to retire from in-ring competition in 2003 primarily due to a broken neck suffered from the piledriver at SummerSlam 1997, making sporadic appearances including one final match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame individually in 2009.

In Their Own Story

The arena lights dimmed, the smell of stale beer and sweat hanging heavy in the air. Suddenly, the crowd erupted into a deafening roar as the opening riff of 'Stone Cold' hit the speakers. Steve Austin emerged from the curtain, a cold Bud Light can in hand, his eyes locked on the ring. He didn't walk; he stalked, every step a promise of chaos. As he climbed the turnbuckle and raised that middle finger to the heavens, the tension was palpable—a silent agreement between man and mob that tonight, authority would fall.

Reader's Guide

Austin hosts the podcast The Steve Austin Show (2013–present) and the video podcast Broken Skull Sessions (2019–2022). He collaborates with El Segundo Brewing on Broken Skull IPA and Broken Skull American Lager. He hosted the reality competition series Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge (2014–2017) and Straight Up Steve Austin (2019–2021). Since 2023, he has competed in desert racing with a UTV.

Did You Know?

• Austin legally changed his name to Steve Austin in December 2007.
• He was born in Austin, Texas, and raised in Victoria and Edna, Texas.
• He attended Edna High School and played football there, then played at Wharton County Junior College and the University of North Texas.
• He began wrestling training in 1986 under Chris Adams at the Dallas Sportatorium.
• His early ring name 'Steve Austin' was chosen to avoid confusion with 'Dr. Death' Steve Williams.