Dr. K's Waiting Room

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“Talk about your psalms, talk about “John 3:16”…Austin 3:16 says I just whupped your ass!”
With those immortal words, spoken on 23 June 1996, beer-swigging, finger-gesturing anti-hero “Stone Cold” Steve Austin became a mainstream icon!

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The Build-Up:
One of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s most persistent foes was “The Game” Triple H, and their feud became deeply personal in 2001, when Triple H revealed he orchestrated the hit-and-run attack that put Austin on the shelf for most of 2000. This seemingly came due to a lukewarm reception to the driver being revealed as Rikishi, leading to Austin attempting to kill both men as recompense. Austin and Triple H continued to screw with each other in the build, leading to this match being signed to settle their differences once and for all.

The Match:
After years of battling for the Intercontinental and World Wrestling Federation (WWF) Championships in all kinds of matches, Steve Austin and Triple H sought to end their blood feud in this “Three Stages of Hell” match. Essentially a two out of three falls match, the contest was specifically set up to have a different stipulation for each round. First, the rivals fought in a regular one-on-one match; then, the rules were thrown out for a street fight; and finally, if necessary, they would battle in a steel cage. Given how heated the issues were between Austin and Triple H, the match naturally began with a slugfest as Austin unloaded on the Game, kicking the shit out of Hunter in a corner. Although Triple H reversed a whip into another corner, Austin immediately knocked him down with a clothesline and went for the mounted punches, awkwardly pouncing on Triple H after the Game dodged a Stone Cold Stunner. Though momentarily stunned from landing on the ropes, Austin countered a Pedigree attempt and followed Triple H to the outside, bashing his head off the steel steps and focusing on his left arm, repeatedly ramming it into a ring post. This meant Triple H couldn’t hook the Pedigree on the second attempt and Austin continued to wear down the arm with kicks and an uncharacteristic armlock, wrenching on the arm and finally landing the Lou Thesz Press and scoring the first two count. Austin followed up with a spinebuster but ate a boot when he went for his signature second rope elbow drop, which allowed Triple H to build a comeback with neckbreakers and repeated knees to the back of the Rattlesnake’s head.

After a few kicks to the gut in a corner, Triple H thumbed Austin in the eye and knocked him down with a chop block, switching his focus to Austin’s left leg and smashing it against a ring post. Although Austin rammed Triple H’s shoulder into the same post to relieve the pressure, Triple H returned to targeting Austin’s leg once back in the ring, slapping on the Figure Four Leglock and grabbing the ropes for extra leverage. However, Austin successfully countered the move to put pressure on Triple H, leaving himself hobbled and helpless to stop Triple H dropping some elbows to the damaged joint. After scrambling upright and bashing Triple H’s nose off a turnbuckle pad, Austin hit another Lou Thesz Press and his running elbow for another two count but settled for a clothesline when the Game countered another Stunner attempt. Triple H countered a third into another neckbreaker for a near fall before they countered roll up attempts. Despite kicking Austin in the balls, Triple H finally ate a Stone Cold Stunner when he went for a diving axehandle, losing the first fall and kicking off the street fight stipulation. Austin immediately capitalised by tossing Triple H outside and landing suplexes on the rampway, bashing Hunter with a miniature television monitor, and tossing a few steel chairs into the ring before pursuing Triple H through the crowd and dumping him back in the ring. Austin whacked a steel chair across Triple H’s spine and then battered him with it as he writhed on the canvas for a two count. After more brawling at ringside, Austin brought out Mick Foley’s barbed wire 2×4, only to take a shot to the face and get busted open. However, he still reversed a Pedigree to send Triple H crashing through the Spanish announce table.

After hitting Triple H with a beer can, Austin chucked him back in the ring, only to just barely kick out after taking a shot from the ring bell and a neckbreaker onto a steel chair. Triple H then countered a sleeper hold with a back suplex onto a steel chair and still couldn’t put Austin away, so he tried to Pedigree Austin onto the chair and was tossed back outside. Austin then split Triple H’s head open with a chair shot and the steel steps and desperately fought back when Triple H tried to hit him with his trusty sledgehammer. Back in the ring, Triple H countered another Stunner with a sledgehammer shot and then finally hit the Pedigree to take the second fall. Thus, the steel cage lowered and Triple H instantly took advantage by launching Austin into the mesh walls. Triple H then thrust the barbed wire 2×4 into Austin’s face, earning himself a chair shot to the head, a trip into the cage wall, and that same razor wire weapon to his face. When Triple H kicked out at two, Austin choked him with the weapon and ate a DDT to a steel chair when Triple H fought back. After kicking out of the follow-up cover, Austin unloaded with a slugfest, causing Triple H to scramble up the cage. After fighting on the ropes and smashing each other’s heads off the steel supports, Austin landed crotch-first on the top rope but immediately answered back by tossing Triple H to the mat for a near fall. Things escalated further when both men hit their finishers, only to kick out before the three count, driving Austin to grab the barbed wire 2×4 and Triple H to grab his sledgehammer. Both bashed each other at the same time, but Triple H happened to collapse on top of Austin, scoring the win in this hellacious match (though Austin got the last laugh by landing a final Stunner as Triple H staggered up).

The Aftermath:
Interestingly enough, this was the last time Steve Austin and Triple H faced each other in a one-on-one match. As Austin had won the Royal Rumble the previous month, he switched his focus to his main event WWF Championship against the Rock, which saw him capture the belt but sell his soul in the process. Triple H, meanwhile, complained that his victory meant he should be in the main event of WrestleMania X-Seven and thus drew the ire of the Undertaker. Despite losing to the American Bad Ass at that event, Triple H bounced back by forming the most unlikely alliance of all time, joining forces with Steve Austin as the “Two Man Power Trip” and dominating the WWF thanks to the backing of WWF Chairman, Vince McMahon. Triple H captured the Intercontinental Championship and teamed with Austin against the Undertaker and his half-brother, Kane, defeating them for the Tag Team Championships. Unfortunately, Triple H’s 2001 ended abruptly after a horrendous quadricep tear, meaning he missed the ill-fated “Invasion” that saw a paranoid and erratic Steve Austin desperately cling to his beloved WWF Championship. Although Triple H returned in time for the 2002 Royal Rumble, he and Austin never faced each other in the ring again as Austin briefly parted ways with the WWF before retiring in 2003. Still, this match is widely regarded as one of the best matches the two ever had.

My Rating:

Great Stuff

Did you enjoy the Three Stages of Hell match between Steve Austin and Triple H at No Way Out 2001? Which fall or stipulation was your favourite and who did you want to win? Were you disappointed that all the limb targeting was forgotten by the end? Did you enjoy seeing the two resort to extreme weapons? Which of Austin and Triple H’s matches is your favourite and how are you celebrating 3:16 Day this year? What dream match would you have liked to see him involved in? Let me know what you think about “Stone Cold” Steve Austin down in the comments, send me £3.16 on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other wrestling content across the site!