Wrestling Recap [3:16 Day]: Austin vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania 13)


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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 by the legendary pro wrestler “Stone Cold” Steve Austin after winning the King of the Ring tournament on 23 June 1996, a momentous wrestling career was about to unfold before our eyes that would see everyone’s favourite beer-swigging, finger-gesturing anti-hero become not just an industry icon but a mainstream icon as well. Here’s to yah, Steve!


The Date: 23 March 1997
The Venue: Rosemont Horizon; Rosemont, Illinois
The Commentary: Jim “J.R.” Ross, Jerry “The King” Lawler, and Vince McMahon
The Referee: “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock (guest)
The Stakes: No disqualification submission match

The Build-Up:
Contrary to popular relief, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s rise to the top of what was then known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) didn’t happen with his infamous “Austin 3:16” promo. After shedding his awful “Ringmaster” persona and winning the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, Austin made a name for himself as a no-nonsense badass during his controversial feud with former tag team partner “The Loose Cannon” Brian Pillman before punching his ticket to a WWF Championship match at WrestleMania 13 by winning the 1997 Royal Rumble. However, this victory was tainted as Austin had already been eliminated by Bret “The Hitman” Hart, leading to Austin’s first-ever main event match at In Your House 13: Final Four for the vacant championship. Since a knee injury saw Austin eliminated in the early-going, the Texas Rattlesnake bit back by costing Bret the WWF Championship, kick-started a prolonged feud between the two that would drastically alter their careers. The son of wrestling legend and hard-nosed trainer Stu Hart, Bret Hart first made his mark in the WWF as part of the Hart Foundation before graduating to notable singles success with his award-winning Intercontinental Championship run. Regarded as the “Excellence of Execution”, Bret eventually became WWF Champion following a shift in direction after a steroid scandal before clashing with brother Owen and pushing himself to the limit in a heated rivalry with the “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels. Following his WrestleMania XII loss, Bret took a hiatus and, upon declining a big payday from rival company World Championship Wrestling (WCW), returned to answer cocksure Austin’s challenge following his King of the Ring win. Frustrated at being overlooked and the fickle fans cheering such an uncouth anti-hero, Bret began one of the greatest turns towards the dark side in wrestling history and was set on a collision course with Austin, who was on the precipice of greatness.

The Match:
The introductory package for this classic, career-making match is heavily focused on Bret Hart’s displeasure with the direction the WWF was taking at the time and the lack of respect he felt he deserved for his in-ring ability. While Bret was absolutely justified in questioning this treatment, and Steve Austin’s rude, foul-mouthed attitude, the crowd knew who they wanted to cheer and Bret was largely seen as a “cry-baby”, leading to Bret lashing out at everyone and anyone, including WWF Chairman Vince McMahon, to get his respect. This pivotal match in Austin’s career stood out not just for the storyline surrounding it and the memorable ending, or for introducing Ken Shamrock to WWF audiences, but also for Austin’s iconic glass breaking entrance, which perfectly summed up his no-nonsense persona. Indeed, while he was universally cheered at this time, Austin was no baby kissing, hand shaking babyface and instead treated them with the same disdain and hostility as he did special guest referee Ken Shamrock. This was in contrast to Bret, who still had his fans on this night and who still gifted his sunglasses to a kid in the front row, but I find it incredibly ironic that McMahon called out Bret’s abusive behaviour and volatile attitude when many of this mannerisms and aspects (especially Bret’s contempt for McMahon) would be so integral to Austin’s developing, anti-authoritarian character. As if getting in Shamrock’s face wasn’t enough, the Rattlesnake demonstrated that he had no fear and far less respect for Bret by pouncing on the Hitman and pummelling him with punches the moment he got into the ring. For his part, Bret answered back with shots of his own, leading to the two rolling around like crocodiles wrestling for territory and spilling to the outside to exchange blows. Although Bret sent Austin flying into a ring post, Austin answered back by dumping him crotch-first on the security railing and then clotheslining him into the crowd. The camera struggled to follow the brawl, which saw Bret drenched in beer, Austin back body dropped onto the steps following a piledriver attempt, and Bret land a flimsy-looking fist drop off a guard rail jump.

Some ringside brawling, chair shots, and innovative offense saw Austin on the backfoot at the start.

Once back at ringside, Austin whipped Bret knee-first into the ring steps, though Bret saved himself from further harm by kicking Austin’s knee out from under him. Once the two returned to the ring, Bret nailed a neckbreaker and an elbow drop from the second rope, before focusing his attack on Austin’s knee and leg in preparation for his patented Sharpshooter. With Austin grounded, Hart pounded, wrenched, and “dissected” Austin’s knee, causing the Rattlesnake to stumble and be spitefully kicked to the canvas whenever he fought to his feet. Even when Stone Cold hit a desperation Stone Cold Stunner to create some distance, it didn’t matter as Bret was right back up and soon had Austin’s legs tied around a ring post with a modified Figure Four Leglock! Despite the agony and the additional leverage afforded by the move, Austin refused to tap out to the hold, so the Hitman tossed his opponent into the ring and brought a steel chair and the ring bell into the match. Bret looped Austin’s bad leg into the chair and teased leaping off the top rope, looking to break Austin’s limb, only for Stone Cold to scramble to his feet and send Bret tumbling from the top rope with a chair shot to the head! Austin then continued the assault, whacking the chair over Bret’s spine and assaulting his foe with slams, whips, and suplexes, firmly targeting the Hitman’s back and landing a sneaky stomp to Bret’s balls to add insult to injury. Despite attacking Bret’s spine, Austin locked in a modified arm lock and seemingly forgot his leg, landing an elbow drop off the second rope and applying a Boston Crab. Despite the pressure, Bret hauled himself to the bottom rope to break the hold (something that shouldn’t have counted as this was a no disqualification match), so Austin tried to slap on the Sharpshooter. However, a thumb to the eye put a stop to that and, though Bret was soon launched to the outside, the Hitman continued his comeback by tossing Austin into the timekeeper’s table and busting him open with closed fists to the forehead.

Austin’s sheer tenacity saw fans turn on Bret and applaud and Stone Cold’s defiant attitude.

Bret maliciously targeted the wound, causing blood to gush from Austin’s forehead, while being sure to work over Austin’s whole body with a backbreaker, another second rope elbow drop, and repeated strikes to Austin’s injured knee with the steel chair. However, Austin frantically fought Bret off when he tried to apply the Sharpshooter and the match descended into a brawl in the corner once again, which ended with a swift kick to the Hitman’s balls! Groggy and suffering, Stone Cold whipped Bret sternum-first into the corner and then stomped a mudhole in the Hitman’s ass (and walked it dry!) in the opposite corner before hitting a top-rope suplex. His face the literal crimson mask, Austin choked Bret with an electrical cord and received a shot to the head with the ring bell in recompense! The Hitman wasted no time in applying the Sharpshooter right in the centre of the ring, locking it in tight and giving Austin nowhere to go. Shamrock dropped to the mat and frantically asked Austin if he wanted to submit, but the Rattlesnake stubbornly refused and desperately tried to ease the pressure, almost powering his way out of it to chants of “Austin! Austin!” and delivering one of the most iconic WrestleMania visuals ever: his screaming, bloody face. In the end, Austin patently refused to tap out or submit and, as a result, eventually blacked out to the pain, losing the match but leaving Bret visibly frustrated since he couldn’t secure the tap out. Bret then took his frustrations out on Austin’s leg, forcing Shamrock to take him down and solidifying perhaps the greatest double turn in the history of wrestling as the crowd unanimously booed Bret and applauded Austin’s resolve! I’m gonna be honest and say that, as much as I like Austin, a lot of his matches can be very formulaic as he primarily relied on brawling and ringside shenanigans. However, this really showcased how his more in-your-face style can nicely compliment a more technical mat wrestler. The story of Austin not knowing any submission holds meant it made perfect sense for him to rely on weapons and underhanded tactics, while Bret’s clinical targeting of his foe’s limbs showed just how methodical the Hitman was and how resilient the Rattlesnake was!

The Aftermath:
This wouldn’t be the end of the rivalry between Stone Cold and Bret Hart, but it did signal a change in their dynamic since Bret was now a dastardly, besmirched heel and Austin was a tenacious babyface. Bret brought in his friends and family to re-form the Hart Foundation to escalate the feud, resulting in another inconclusive finish when the British Bulldog attacked Austin with a steel chair at In Your House 14: Revenge of the ’Taker. However, Austin got the last laugh when he fought off the Hart Foundation and even locked Bret into the Sharpshooter, resulting in ten-man tag team match at In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede. Airing in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the Hart Foundation were cheered as national heroes and ultimately defeated Steve Austin’s team and had the Rattlesnake arrested after he attacked them at the end of the match. The matches between Austin, his allies, and the Hart Foundation earned them the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Feud of the Year” award and Bret Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s “Most Hated Wrestler of the Year” award, though it’s surprising to see that Austin was on the losing end of the feud. Austin and Bret’s issues fizzled out by the 1997 SummerSlam, which kick-started Bret’s long and troubled road back into the fan’s hearts, towards the WWF Championship and, ultimately out of the company. Austin pivoted into feuding with Bret’s brother, Owen Hart, for the Intercontinental Championship, resulting in a sickening injury that shaved years off his career. Thanks to this incident putting Austin on the shelf for some time, and the cataclysmic fallout of the “Montreal Screwjob”, Austin and Bret never wrestled each other again, though both men looked back on this match fondly and regarded it as one of the best matches of their respective careers.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think to the Submission Match between Steve Austin and Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13? Which man were you rooting for at the time, and did your perception of one or both change after the match? What did you think to Austin’s crowd brawling and Bret’s more systematic attack? Can you name another double turn like this, or a similar bloody visual as Austin’s face? How are you celebrating 3:16 Day this year, what are some of your favourite matches and moments from Austin’s illustrious career? 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!

Wrestling Recap [3:16 Day]: Austin vs. Dude Love (Over the Edge ’98)


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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 by the legendary pro wrestler “Stone Cold” Steve Austin after winning the King of the Ring tournament on 23 June 1996, a momentous wrestling career was about to unfold before our eyes that would see everyone’s favourite beer-swigging, finger-gesturing anti-hero become not just an industry icon but a mainstream icon as well. Here’s to yah, Steve!


The Date: 31 May 1998
The Venue: Wisconsin Center Arena; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The Commentary: Jim “J.R.” Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler
The Referee: Vince McMahon (guest)
The Stakes: Initially a main event match for the WWF Championship with Pat Patterson as the guest ring announcer and Gerald Brisco as the guest timekeeper wherein Austin loses the belt if he touches McMahon, later altered to a no disqualification, falls count anywhere match

The Build-Up:
Any wrestling fan worth their salt will be fully aware of the ratings war between the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which became must-watch television thanks to one of the greatest feuds of the WWF’s “Attitude Era”: the rivalry between abrasive anti-hero “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and WWF Chairman Vince McMahon. After the infamous “Montreal Screwjob”, Bret “The Hitman” Hart left the WWF and McMahon’s evil “Mr. McMahon” character clashed with Austin, who had captured the WWF Championship at WrestleMania XIV and refused to conform to McMahon’s vision for the company. After wrapping up his first feud with the Undertaker, the sadistic Mankind debuted a new, carefree persona, Dude Love, with whom Austin briefly held the WWF Tag Team Championships before Dude randomly attacked both Austin and McMahon on weekly TV. This led to McMahon forcing the two to face each other for the WWF Championship at Unforgiven: In Your House, but Dude Love came up short thanks to Austin getting himself disqualified. McMahon punished Dude Love by forcing him to fight his long-time friend and mentor, Terry Funk (who was operating under the “Chainsaw Charlie” gimmick), wherein Dude Love dismantled his friend and forged an alliance with the WWF Chairman in order to curry favour with the boss and capture the elusive championship. McMahon further stacked the deck by not only installing his stooges, Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco, at ringside but also by naming himself the special guest referee in a bid to get the belt off his hated rival.

The Match:
I became a wrestling fan at the end of the nineties, pretty much in the year 1999. Around then, my friends and I were playing the games on Nintendo 64 and PlayStation, and I would occasionally catch the odd episode or segment whenever I was at the house of my one friend with a Sky subscription. All this is to say that I came in at around the time of the Cactus Jack/Triple H feud and that, as much as my friend being a big Mick Foley fan, was enough to make Foley one of my favourite wrestlers at the time. As the years passed and I got my hands on more WWF content, I marvelled at his early matches in Japan and his bizarre promos as Mankind and his later Hell in a Cell antics, but it was his character work that really won me over and, to this day, I can’t help but watch the “Three Faces of Foley” segment from 1997 without chuckling. However, Dude Love is probably my least favourite of Foley’s three personas, simply because I enjoy his more extreme and surreal antics, but it’s definitely one of the most complex and peculiar since this is the façade he adopted to try and get in McMahon’s good graces, and which McMahon happily manipulated simply to try and get the WWF Championship off Steve Austin. Much of this is expressed at the start of this match, where Pat Patterson spent a couple of minutes bigging up both McMahon and Dude Love as they entered the ring and Foley (blue blazer and all) happily shook hands with the boss and his stooges, although their jovial mood was immediately soured right before the match started as the Undertaker came down to ringside to level the playing field.

The brawl quickly became extreme as McMahon changed the rules to favour Dude Love.

Austin and Dude Love kicked things off with a bit of a tie-up and Austin immediately showed the boss exactly what he thought of him by flipping him off after McMahon physically separated the two. Dude Love won the second tie-up and scored a two count off a clunky-looking shoulder block, which raised Austin’s ire as he accused the WWF Chairman of counting too fast on the pinfall. Austin and Dude Love tangled again and again the Dudester got the upper hand with a knee to the gut and a series of side headlock takedowns that earned him a couple of one counts, before Austin knocked him down with a back elbow and gave him a taste of his own medicine with a ground headlock of own. Austin brought Dude Love to his knees off an awkward Irish whip exchange and knocked Foley’s false teeth out; Austin then crushed them under his heel, but this distraction was enough for Foley to start beating on the champion in the corner. Austin exploded back into action with his patented Lou Thesz Press and then sent Dude Love tumbling over the top rope and to the outside with a clothesline, however Foley quickly regained the upper hand by tossing Austin into the steel steps at ringside. After rolling back into the ring, Austin fell victim to a Russian leg sweep, kicked out at two, and then found himself being choked and even chewed on in the ring corner! Despite Dude Love’s tenacity, Austin continued to kick out and even countered an Irish whip into a neckbreaker, which finally allowed him to build some momentum with a series of clotheslines. Austin even tied Foley up in the ring ropes after countering his signature nerve hold, the Mandible Claw (or should I say the “Love Handle”?) When the two resumed brawling around the announce tables, J.R. just about blew a gasket when Patterson announced that McMahon had changed the rules from a simple one-on-one contest to a no disqualification bout so that Dude Love could choke Austin with a piece of cable.

Austin and Dude Love battled on the outside, crashing into cars and concrete alike.

However, as much as Mick Foley thrived in a no disqualification environment, this stipulation also greatly favoured Austin; he launched Dude Love into the timekeeper’s table and hammered on his forehead with closed fists, bashed his head off the steel barricade, and then clotheslined him into the braying crowd. Back in the ring, Austin choked Dude Love on the bottom ropes but missed his trademark running rope knee attack, which allowed Foley to kick him to the outside with a baseball slide and then deliver a neckbreaker on the entrance ramp. Sensing the tide turning in favour of his flunky, McMahon frantically had Patterson announce that the match was falls count anywhere and dove in to count the pin, only for Austin to twice kick out at two. Austin answered back with another clothesline, kicking off a brawl around the cars dotted around the entrance ramp; Austin was launched into a windshield and had his head bashed off a car hood, but returned the favour with a flapjack into another car for a couple of close two counts. Austin then forced Dude Love onto a car roof and ended up taking a nasty tumble to the floor before Foley performed a sunset flip (which had to hurt him more as his tailbone bounced right on the concrete) for another near fall. Dude Love’s attempts to assault Austin with a metal pipe were thwarted by another flurry of punches from the champion, though Foley was able to counter a piledriver attempt into a back body drop. With Austin down and bloody from the challenger’s assault, Dude Love clambered onto a car and went for a diving elbow but ate nothing but concrete when the champion rolled out of harm’s way (though Foley was still able to get his shoulder up off the pin fall).

Thanks to a stray chair shot and the Undertaker’s assistance, Austin triumphed over the odds.

Austin battered Dude Love back into the ring, where Patterson tripped Austin off an Irish whip, allowing Dude Love to get back in control and further split open Austin’s head wound by driving him head-first into the exposed steel ring bolt. Defenceless, Austin was easy prey for Dude’s stomps and patented running knee strike in the corner; Austin tried valiantly to rally against Foley’s assault but ate two more shots into the exposed bolt. However, when the champion still kicked out, McMahon ordered Patterson to hand the challenger a steel chair and Dude Love wasted no time putting it to good use, driving it into Austin’s gut, cracking him across the spine, and then planting him head-first into the chair with his signature Double-Arm DDT. Incredibly, inexplicably, Austin still kicked out; he then booted the steel chair back into Foley’s face, grabbed it for himself, accidentally smacked himself in the face with it, and then damn near caved Foley’s skull in with a massive shot to the head! However, McMahon refused to make the count, enraging the Texas Rattlesnake, who barely kept himself from lashing out at his hated enemy. He did get a measure of revenge, however, when he dodged Dude Love’s sneak attack, resulting in McMahon getting brained by a chair shot, but this backfired on him as there was no one to make the count when Austin nailed Dude Love with a Stone Cold Stunner! Referee Mike Chioda tried to step in but he got taken out by Patterson; when the stooges tried to interject their own officiating to count a pin fall off the Mandible Claw, the Undertaker finally stepped in and sent Patterson and Briscoe crashing through the announce tables with a couple of chokeslams! Dude Love tried to reapply the Mandible Claw but ate another Stunner; Austin then made the cover and grabbed McMahon’s lifeless hand to count the pin fall, thereby awarding himself the match. The crowd were very happy with this ending, and on their feet for most of the match, but it was a bit overbooked and plodding at times; I don’t know if Foley was wrestling hurt (but it’s a safe bet he probably was) or if it was just his purposely subdued in-ring style as Dude Love but he seemed a bit ungainly and a step or two behind here. The brawling out by the cars was quite fun, but it does bug me when a falls count anywhere match ends in the ring like normal and I think Austin was booked a little too strongly here as he kicked out of so much stuff, like hitting the ring bolts and being walloped by a steel chair, when the story of him overcoming the odds was strong enough, I think.

The Aftermath:
This would be Dude Love’s last shot at the WWF Championship; the very next night on Raw is War, Austin pivoted into a feud with Kane, who defeated his brother, the Undertaker, to become the number one contender and McMahon’s newest weapon in his war against the champion. Austin’s rivalry with Kane quickly escalated, with the Big Red Machine showcasing supernatural powers and even vowing to set himself on fire if he lost his first-blood championship match at the King of the Ring. Since this presented quite the quandary as the WWF overdelivered on the stipulation for this match, Kane would defeat Austin for the WWF Championship only to stupidly drop the belt back to Austin the very next night! Dude Love was disgraced by his loss here and reverted back to his Mankind persona, now sporting a dishevelled corporate appearance that would become his most iconic look. He rekindled his feud with the Undertaker, which resulted in their infamous Hell in a Cell match at that same King of the Ring. This match would cement Foley as a hardcore icon, facilitating not only him becoming a beloved babyface but also another shot at the main event, where he was far more successful in realising his championship dreams in bouts against the Rock. Although the Over the Edge branding returned the following year, Over the Edge 1998 would be the last time the WWF used the In Your House moniker for over twenty years, though the Over the Edge pay-per-view itself would be discontinued after the tragic events of the 1999 event.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

What did you think to the bout between Steve Austin and Dude Love at Over the Edge: In Your House? Which of Foley’s personas is your favourite? What did you think to the brawling and the innovative ending? How are you celebrating 3:16 Day this year, what are some of your favourite matches and moments from Austin’s illustrious career? What dream match would you have liked to see him involved in? Whatever your thoughts, share them below or drop a comment on my social media to let me know what you think about “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and check out my other wrestling content across the site!

Wrestling Recap [3:16 Day]: Austin vs. McMahon (St. Valentine’s Day Massacre)


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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 by the legendary pro wrestler “Stone Cold” Steve Austin after winning the King of the Ring tournament on 23 June 1996, a momentous wrestling career unfolded that would see everyone’s favourite beer-swigging, finger-gesturing anti-hero become not just an industry icon but a mainstream icon as well. Here’s to yah, Steve!


The Date: 14 February 1999
The Venue: Memphis Pyramid; Memphis, Tennessee
The Commentary: Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler
The Referee: Mike Chioda
The Stakes: Main event steel cage match to decide Austin’s WrestleMania fate

The Build-Up:
Ask any wrestling fan and they’ll tell you about the ratings war between the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and one of the greatest feuds of the WWF’s “Attitude Era”: the rivalry between the loud-mouthed, anti-authority “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and WWF Chairman Vince McMahon. After the infamous “Montreal Screwjob” saw Bret “The Hitman” Hart leave the WWF, McMahon’s evil “Mr. McMahon” authority figure frequently clashed with Austin’s rebellious ways. McMahon consolidated his power by ensuring that The Rock captured the WWF Championship and reigned supreme as the “Corporate Champion”, and personally ensured that Austin’s goal of recapturing the belt at WrestleMania XV: The Ragin’ Climax wouldn’t come to fruition by winning the annual Royal Rumble for himself! However, as he was a businessman and figurehead rather than a full-time wrestler, McMahon’s victory was forfeited and Steve Austin was awarded the WrestleMania XV match by default. Enraged, McMahon had only one option left; he goaded Austin into getting what he really wanted, a one-on-one match with the WWF Chairman (inside a steel cage, no less!), if Austin would put his WrestleMania opportunity on the line. Thus, after months of drama, tension, and confrontations between the two, the stage was finally set for Steve Austin and Vince McMahon to face-off for the first time.

The Match:
It’s easy to forget these days, in an era where World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) likes to push that crowds have mixed reactions to their top guys, just how absolutely white-hot Steve Austin was back in the day; anticipation would build in arenas to a fever pitch and then the people would literally explode into rapturous applause and non-stop cheering once they heard that familiar glass shattering, and that was more than evident in this match when Austin made his way down to the ring. Interestingly, as unanimous as the crowd’s support for Austin was here, they don’t exactly descend into a chorus of boos for Mr. McMahon’s entrance; instead, there was largely a feeling of apathy, potentially because they were just itching to see the WWF Chairman finally get his ass handed to him despite the fact that he was jacked up to the nines! Something else worth noting here is that this is the old black-bar cage, before the WWE switched to the much safer and more forgiving mesh-style cages, which not only makes it a lot easier for the competitors to climb (Austin perched himself at the top of the cage to beckon McMahon in) but also much more hazardous to their health.

McMahon taunted Austin and they brawled at ringside before the chairman crashed through the announce table!

Of course, Austin was practically frothing at the mouth as McMahon approached the cage, desperate for his hated rival to get into the ring, but McMahon purposely made him wait by loitering at ringside and taking his sweet time to enter. Naturally, this whipped the crowd into an uproar and incensed Austin, who chased the chairman around the ringside area before the two get into a bit of a slap fight on the cage wall. After toying with each other for a bit, Austin took a tumble to the floor and seemed to twist his ankle. Delighted, McMahon left the cage to try and capitalise on Austin’s injury, only to walk right into a trap! Austin decked McMahon with a clothesline and pummelled him across the announce table, slamming him into the steel cage, and then choking him out with a piece of extension cord. Firmly in control, Austin dumped McMahon over the barricade and put a beating on him in the crowd, refuelling with a cheeky brewski before running McMahon into the steel stairs. McMahon mounted a comeback, however, with a cheap shot and then lured Austin into the crowd for a brawl. McMahon tried to escape amidst the sea of people, but Austin caught him and dragged him back to ringside, slamming him into the barricade and the cage bars over and over, yanking the boss down from the cage when he tried to climb to safety and stomping right on his crotch. When McMahon tried one more time to climb into the ring and escape Austin’s wrath, Austin followed him and, after a bit of back and forth, knocked Vince from the cage and sent him crashing through the Spanish announce table!

McMahon continued to goad Austin and was left a bloody, beaten mess as a result.

Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler prattled on about how shocked and concerned they were at how quickly the match had turned brutal, and the doctors and referees rushed down to ringside to strap Vince onto a stretcher; when Howard Finkel tried to announce Austin as the winner by default (despite the match not having officially started yet), Austin cut him off and demanded that the match continue. Austin commandeered the stretcher and drove the helpless McMahon into the steel cage, pummelling him with the back board, and finally tossing him into the ring so the match can officially begin. The minute the bell rang, Austin wrecked McMahon with a clothesline, ripped off his neck brace, and decimated the defenceless chairman with repeated second-rope elbow drops. Seemingly satisfied, Austin went to leave via the door but McMahon goaded his rival back into the ring by flipping him the bird, receiving Austin’s trademark mudhole stomps in the corner for his troubles. However, McMahon managed to turn things around with a low blow and tried to clamber out of the cage, but Austin recovered fast enough to stop him and fling him back into the ring from the top of the cage wall. The crowd was loving it as Austin rammed McMahon into the cage wall over and over, busting him open and leaving him a bloody mess, but Vince continued to flip Austin off and stop him from leaving the ring. Incensed, Austin returned to the ring and left the chairman a bloody, crumpled heap.

Things come to a blessed and dramatic end when Paul Wight accidentally awarded Austin the victory.

The glorified brawl started to drag a bit as McMahon was completely helpless and fell victim to a big Stone Cold Stunner. However, Austin was so distracted with taunting his bloodied foe that he didn’t notice Paul Wight literally bursting up from under the ring right behind him! The massive giant manhandled Austin, launching him into the cage walls and helping McMahon to his feet so he can taunt his surprised rival. McMahon demanded that Wight throw Austin into the cage wall one more time, desperate for some retribution, but this proved to be his downfall as Wight’s throw was of such force that the cage wall breaks open, which allowed Austin to tumble out to the floor and be declared the winner. Wight was seething and McMahon was absolutely distraught that his grand plan had failed; Austin won the match and secured his WrestleMania championship match after a pretty lacklustre contest. Obviously, I don’t expect too much from Vince McMahon; the guy’s built and clearly know how to take a bump, but his role in his matches is simply to wind up his opponent (and the crowd), take as many cheap shots and shortcuts as possible, and to get the living shit kicked out of him and that’s definitely what happens here but it’s also a whole lot of stalling and mindless brawling. The match really didn’t do too much with the steel cage, and the guys were hardly even in it that much, so the gimmick ends up being a prop for some blood and Austin’s dramatic victory at the end. I think that match might’ve been paced a bit better if we hadn’t had the whole stretcher spot and the longer brawl in the crowd, and this was little more than a drawn out beatdown of a largely defenceless middle-aged man notable primarily for being their first time in the ring together and Paul Wight’s big debut, meaning that you could probably just watch a five minute highlight and see everything this match has to offer.

The Aftermath:
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre would end up being the last In Your House event as the WWF changed to permanent pay-per-view names with Backlash the following April, and the In Your House concept wouldn’t be seen again until 2020. Of course, the big story coming out of this match was the addition of Paul Wight to McMahon’s Corporation stable; soon renamed the Big Show, Wight began a tumultuous career flip-flopping between being a good guy and a bad guy depending on the situation and storyline. The Big Show ended up getting into a rivalry with Mankind over which one of them would be the special guest referee for the WWF Championship match at WrestleMania XV, with Mankind winning the match by disqualification and the Big Show seemingly turning against McMahon after being berated for his loss. Austin, of course, went on to have the first of three WrestleMania matches against the Rock, capturing the WWF Championship in the process, and continuing to feud with the Rock, McMahon, and the Corporation in the months that followed. McMahon’s issues with Austin would continue to escalate, leading to the WWF Chairman forging an alliance with the Undertaker to try and get the belt off the Texas Rattlesnake, which ultimately saw McMahon being forced off WWF television for some time as he continued to put more and more on the line in an effort to out Austin. Ultimately, their feud would be abruptly cut off after Austin took time off for neck surgery, but their paths would continually cross as they entered an ill-advised alliance and butted heads continuously even after Austin’s official in-ring retirement.

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

What did you think to the contest between Steve Austin and Vince McMahon at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre? Which of their encounters, matches, and moments is your favourite? What did you think to Paul Wight’s shocking debut? How are you celebrating 3:16 Day this year, what are some of your favourite matches and moments from Austin’s illustrious career, and what dream match would you have liked to see him involved in? Whatever your thoughts, share them below or drop a comment on my social media to let me know what you think about “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

Wrestling Recap [3:16 Day]: HBK vs. Austin (WrestleMania XIV)


“Talk about your psalms, talk about “John 3:16”…Austin 3:16 says I just whupped your ass!”

With those immortal words, spoken by the legendary pro wrestler “Stone Cold” Steve Austin after winning the King of the Ring tournament on 23 June 1996, a momentous wrestling career was about to unfold before our eyes that would see everyone’s favourite beer-swigging, finger-gesturing anti-hero become not just an industry icon but a mainstream icon as well. Here’s to yah, Steve!


The Date: 29 March 1998
The Venue: FleetCenter; Boston, Massachusetts
The Commentary: Jim “J.R.” Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler
The Referee: Mike Chioda, with “Iron” Mike Tyson as the special enforcer
The Stakes: Main event singles match for the WWF Championship

The Build-Up:
As any self-respecting wrestling fan will tell you, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) was clawing back to prominence in 1999. After being beaten in the weekly ratings by World Championship Wrestling’s (WCW) Monday Nitro in the weekly television ratings for nearly two years, the WWF’s “Attitude Era” kept fans glued to the product, many of whom were deeply invested in the rivalry between the loud-mouthed, anti-authority “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and WWF Chairman Vince McMahon. Another crucial factor in getting eyes back on McMahon’s product was the outrageous antics of D-Generation X, a group of wrestlers led by then-current champion, the “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels, who wielded incredible backstage influence and whose members were often involved in some of the WWF’s most controversial storylines. After the infamous “Montreal Screwjob” saw Bret “The Hitman” Hart part ways with the WWF, McMahon appeared on television more frequently as the evil “Mr. McMahon” and frequently clashed with Austin’s rebellious ways. Hot off a feud with The Rock over the Intercontinental Championship, and despite McMahon’s efforts, Austin won a shot at the big belt, and a slot in the main event of WrestleMania XIV (also billed as WrestleMania X-raided) by winning the Royal Rumble event. He further raised the ire of the chairman when he publicly insulted legendary boxer Mike Tyson on an episode of Raw Is War, though the deck appeared to be stacked against Austin as Tyson revealed himself to be in league with D-Generation X. There was also a great deal of behind the scenes drama surrounding this match as, at the time, Shawn had a bit of a reputation for being unprofessional and, despite nursing a legitimate back injury that would scupper his career for some time, there was some doubt as to whether he would actually lay down for Austin as planned, to the point where the Undertaker was prepared to take matters into his own hands if necessary.

The Match:
Fans today would probably hate the promo package for this match as the majority of it was focused entirely on “The Baddest Man on the Planet” but Mike Tyson was a massive get back then and really helped to put more eyes on the product. The package emphasises not only that Tyson is an absolute bad-ass but that he is D-X through-and-through and Austin barely features at all in it which, considering he was white-hot at this time, I can only assume is all part of the larger story of McMahon not wanting to put any spotlight on Austin and his rebellious ways. Tyson, garbed in a D-X shirt, is the first out and clearly seems to be enjoying his involvement with the product, which is always good. The crowd is, however, largely apathetic towards Tyson, especially once they catch a glimpse of Austin prowling around backstage, to say nothing of when his iconic glass shatters and he enters. After performing his signature rope taunt, Austin immediately gets all up in Tyson’s face, establishing right away that he isn’t afraid of or intimidated by Iron Mike. Shawn Michaels, “the greatest champion of all time” according to J.R., then makes a grandiose entrance; accompanied by some chump named Triple H (who was the WWF European Champion at the time) and Chyna and played to the ring by the Chris Warren D-X band, he expertly played the role of the cocky, arrogant heel by dancing about and wearing the smuggest grin on his face. And why not? Not only did he have the muscle in his corner, Tyson was also in his pocket so he had every advantage in the world except for the unanimous crowd support that Austin received. Tyson makes his presence known from the moment the bell rings by nonchalantly swiping at Austin’s ankles as he (as in Austin) is pacing the ring. When HBK hops about and taunts Austin, Austin gives him the traditional two-finger salute but HBK’s game plan, early on, is to wind Austin up into a frenzy by ducking and jiving away from him.

A great deal of the match involves the two brawling on the outside.

Austin, however, puts a stop to that by throwing some punches in the corner, yanking down Shawn’s tights to expose his ass (much to the delight of the crowd), and finally tossing him out of the ring and into his D-X buddies. When Austin follows to press his attack, he is assaulted by Triple H and tossed into the metal barricade. For his efforts, referee Mike Chioda has Shawn’s running buddies ejected from ringside. All of this was still enough for HBK to gain the advantage and a ringside brawl ensues that sees Shawn slam Austin with the band’s equipment and toss him into a dumpster but, the moment they get back into the ring, Austin regains control by countering HBK’s driving axe-handle and whipping the WWF Champion into a corner for Shawn’s signature flip spot. Austin starts to work on Shawn’s arm with a series of stomps; he shuts down Shawn’s speedy offense by dumping him into the ropes but, though he takes a dive to the outside and onto the table, HBK is still wily enough to avoid being hit with the Stone Cold Stunner. Austin presses his advantage, putting a beating on Shawn and going for a series of pins before wearing Shawn down with a headlock. Seems a bit early into the match for a rest hold but, considering Shawn’s injury and the bumps he’s already taken, it’s perhaps not surprising. HBK counters out of the hold and is finally able to gain some momentum by enduring a beating and walloping Austin in the face with the ring bell, which the referee conveniently misses.

The pace is a bit all over the place, possibly because of Shawn’s injury, making for quite a dull match.

Back in the ring, HBK starts working over Austin’s head despite clearing struggling with the pain of his back injury; more uninspired and slow-paced holds and moves follow before Austin springs back to life, tackles HBK, and tosses him outside again! HBK recovers and starts smacking Austin’s left leg and knee off the ring post and the steel steps, as though the match needs to slow down any more, and continues the assault when he gets back in the ring to put Austin’s leg through the wringer for a bit. Austin surprises HBK with a kick up the ass and a roll-up but this isn’t modern-day WWE so Shawn easily kicks out and continues to wear down Austin’s leg using stomps and the ring ropes. When Austin rolls to the outside for a reprieve, Shawn hits him with a baseball slide and Tyson hefts Austin back into the ring so that HBK can lock in the Figure Four Leglock. Despite HBK grabbing the ropes for additional leverage, Austin refuses to tap out and successfully reverses the hold and buy himself some breathing time. Austin almost catches HBK with a pin off a catapult into the corner and then Shawn transitions into a sleeper hold; in his desperation to get out of the hold, Mike Chioda gets squashed in the corner and taken out of the match.

Austin captures his first World Championship thanks to Tyson revealing his true colours.

The match’s pace finally picks up a bit as Austin hammers on HBK, does his Mudhole Stomp in the corner, and fires back with a flurry of offense. Shawn desperately knocks Austin down with his flying forearm/kip up spot and then clambers up to the top rope for his big elbow drop. After landing the move, Shawn begins tuning up the band for the knockout shot but, when he flies in with Sweet Chin Music, Austin ducks it, and goes for the Stunner! Shawn counters out of it, goes for the Superkick again but Austin catches his foot, spins him around, and hits the Stunner! Tyson then slides into the ring and counts a quick three count to give Austin the WWF Championship in a very sudden end to a fairly lacklustre match. Afterwards, Tyson reveals that he was an Austin 3:16 fan all along, a point he emphasises by laying HBK out with a big right hand and then leaving the ring with the new champion.

The Aftermath:
WrestleMania XIV was a monumental night in WWF history; not only was this the first of six WWF Championship runs for Austin, it was also the night that the WWF “scratch logo” became the new logo of the company; the “winged eagle” world championship belt was also replaced with a new design the following night, and Shawn Michaels took a four-year hiatus to recover from his injuries and get his shit together (which, in turn, saw Triple H succeed him as the leader of D-Generation X and truly begin his own ascent to the main event scene). Of course, the most prominent thing to come out of this event was Austin/McMahon feud; for the next five months or so, McMahon did everything he could to try and get the belt off Austin by either screwing him out of it or throwing challengers and obstacles his way. This led to the creation of the Corporation stable, Mankind’s transformation into Dude Love, the debut of Kane, and a series of successful title defences on Austin’s behalf before he was finally forced to vacate the belt when he was pinned by both the Undertaker and Kane. Austin and McMahon also got into a series of verbal and physical altercations, including a steel cage match at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and the war between the two helped the WWF to overtake the competition and establish themselves as the hottest game in town. Sadly, Austin’s white-hot run came to a premature end when he was written off television to get neck surgery and, while he did reappear in the company some time later, it was clear that his career was winding down thanks to fatigue and mounting injuries.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

What did you think to the contest between Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIV? How would you rate it compared to their other bouts and which of their feuds, matches, and moments is your favourite? Were you a fan of HBK, D-X, and Tyson? How are you celebrating 3:16 Day this year, what are some of your favourite matches and moments from Austin’s illustrious career, and what dream match would you have liked to see him involved in? Whatever your thoughts, drop a comment below and let me know what you think about “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

Wrestling Recap [3:16 Day]: Rock vs. Austin (WrestleMania X-Seven)


“Talk about your psalms, talk about “John 3:16”…Austin 3:16 says I just whupped your ass!”

With those immortal words, spoken by the legendary pro wrestler “Stone Cold” Steve Austin after winning the King of the Ring tournament on 23 June 1996, a momentous wrestling career was about to unfold before our eyes that would see everyone’s favourite beer-swigging, finger-gesturing anti-hero become not just an industry icon but a mainstream icon as well. Here’s to yah, Steve!


The Date: 1 April 2001
The Venue: Reliant Astrodome; Houston, Texas
The Commentary: Jim “J.R.” Ross and Paul Heyman
The Referee: Earl Hebner
The Stakes: Main event, no disqualification match for the WWF Championship

The Build-Up:
Man, I tell you what, if you were a wrestling fan between 1998 and 2001 you were living the high life! After losing to World Championship Wrestling’s (WCW) Monday Nitro in the weekly television ratings for nearly two years, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) finally began to turn a corner by ushering their “Attitude Era”, a central focus of which was the rivalry between the loud-mouthed, anti-authority “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and WWF Chairman Vince McMahon. One key aspect of this feud also involved Austin’s various run-ins with the Rock; the two had previously clashed over the WWF Championship at WrestleMania XV: The Ragin’ Climax, where the Rock (then endorsed as McMahon’s “Corporate Champion”) dropped the belt to Austin but the two had plenty of history prior to that as they had feuded over the Intercontinental Championship some years prior. After Austin won the Royal Rumble and the Rock recaptured the belt from Kurt Angle at No Way Out just a few months prior, tensions began to boil between the two now-friendly rivals; Austin’s wife Debra was forced to be Rock’s manager for a while, the two frequently brawled or left each other at the mercy of other wrestlers, and Austin, still on his big comeback from a career-threatening neck injury, famously warned the Rock: “I need to beat you, Rock. I need it more than anything you could ever imagine”.

The Match:
Of course, it’s hard to talk about this match without mentioning the excellent video package that told the story of the tumultuous build-up towards it by charting Austin’s big comeback, Rock’s WWF Championship win, and the rising tensions between the two following Austin’s Royal Rumble win. Originally set to Limp Bizkit’s “My Way”, even without this music this is one of the best hype packages the WWE has ever put together and really sold the intensity of this confrontation. Emotions were high going into this match thanks not just to the clearly partisan crowd but also J.R.’s rousing commentary and personal investment in the match; J.R. was widely recognised as Austin’s best friend and, as such, he spends the majority of the match selling the story of Austin’s big comeback and that this match is this the culmination of Austin’s journey through spinal surgeries, injuries, and adversity. Accordingly, he was outraged by the unexplained, last-second announcement that the match had been made a no disqualification contest, believing that there is some kind of conspiracy behind that decision despite the fact that both he and Heyman mention more than once that a no disqualification stipulation actually gives Austin, known for his wild brawling, the advantage.

Austin was noticably more aggressive, utilising many underhanded tactics throughout the match.

Austin came to the ring first to a raucous reception; this was during the time when Austin was coming out to Disturbed’s “Glass Shatters”, a rockin’ version of his iconic theme, though the massive ovation he received largely crowned out any music and even the commentary at times. Given that Austin was the home state hero, and that audiences were still high on rediscovering their love for him after all of his time out with injuries, this isn’t all that surprising and meant that the Rock, arguably the most popular wrestler in the WWF at that time, received a showering of boos not only during his entrance but also throughout the match. Honestly, this match was loud and boisterous right from the word “Go!” thanks to the crowd, who are a sea of cheers, reluctant boos towards the Rock, and a cacophony of emotion all throughout. You could feel the tension and anticipation in the air from the moment the match begins and it stayed at a constant level throughout, rising to a crescendo whenever Austin is on the attack. Accordingly, there was no standing on ceremony here and the match began with a full-on slugfest between the two. Austin even went for a belt shot in the early going, which might seem surprising but, watching the match in hindsight, you can see how Austin is pulling out all kinds of heel tactics throughout (shots with the ring bell, using his knee braces to attack the Rock’s forehead, undoing the corner turnbuckle pad, choking Rock with the ropes, among other notable moments). Though J.R. largely glossed over a lot of these elements, Heyman sold it well to remind audiences that Austin is driven, obsessed, with becoming the WWF Champion and willing to do anything and everything to emerge the victor.

Despite the no DQ stipulation, Hebner tried to appeal to each man’s reason and maintain order.

Austin dominated the match in the early going thanks to hitting a Lou Thesz Press, escaping the Rock Bottom, and taking the fight to the outside after Rock avoided being hit with a Stone Cold Stunner. The two brawled by the announce table for a bit before heading over the barricade and into the crowd; this wouldn’t be the first time the action spilled to the outside and, if anything, that tactic is a little over-used in this match but it plays to Austin’s strengths since he was largely a brawler by this point and his matches were more about high intensity, a series of punches, stomps, and recognisable spots, and, of course, the Stunner. The emotion of the contest wasn’t lost on the Rock, either, though, and this cost him during their ringside scrap as he allowed himself to get distracted by Hebner, giving Austin the chance to bash him in the head with the ring bell and bust him open. Hebner, easily my favourite referee and, arguably, the WWF’s most recognisable official, could always be counted on to be a big part of every match he was in but in a way that remained professional and subtle. Here, he spends the majority of the match appealing to each man’s reason; it was no disqualification but he still admonished the two for fighting at ringside, using weapons, and forced them to break submission holds when their opponent was in the ropes. However, because of how high the stakes and the personal animosity between the two rivals were, he often found himself being accosted or threatened by both men.

The two men traded Sharpshooters and Austin even busted out the Million Dollar Dream!

As Heyman was fond of saying during this time, Austin was “like a shark that smells blood” the moment the blood began flowing and began to relentlessly target the Rock’s lacerated forehead with a barrage of fists, shutting down a potential comeback with a Neckbreaker, and stomping away on the Rock in the corner of the ring. It was only when Austin found himself distracted by Hebner’s interference that the Rock was able to finally make a proper comeback by launching Austin into the exposed turnbuckle and gaining a little retribution by bashing Austin in the head with the ring bell, busting him open before Austin was able to regain control of the match with a wicked catapult into the ring post. Rock sold the hell out of that move, snapping his head back at the very last second to really sell the idea that he had collided with the post in a sickening way, which more than made up for the announce table simply collapsing under his weight and, potentially, ruining a planned table spot. Austin continued his assault by bashing Rock in the head with a monitor but Rock managed to finally turn the tide by locking Austin into the Sharpshooter; the crowd was thrust into a tumultuous sea of conflict as Austin screamed in agony, refused to quit, and desperately reached for the ropes but Rock shifted him back to the middle of the ring! Austin, though, was able to reach the ropes and then put the Rock into a Sharpshooter, with the crowd being far less divided about this and even less impressed when the Rock powered out of the move. Annoyed, and growing increasingly frustrated, Austin followed up with the Million Dollar Dream!

McMahon cost the Rock his best opportunity to win the match.

J.R. was as surprised as anyone else about Austin dusting off this long-forgotten piece of his arsenal but it was enough to drive the Rock to his knees and set up for the old “three arm” spot. The Rock, of course, kept his arm up at the last second (has this spot ever gone any other way?) and uniquely kicked himself off the corner of the ring to first counter into close two count and then hit a Stunner out of nowhere! Unfortunately, the Rock was too fatigued and hurt to cover quickly enough so Austin kicked out at two and it was at this point that Vince McMahon wandered down to ringside, much to the anger of both J.R. and the crowd. In the ring, Rock and Austin went back to exchanging blows and trading their signature Spinebusters; Rock, of course, followed his Spinebuster up with the People’s Elbow but McMahon broke up the pin. Incensed, the Rock chased McMahon around the ring and ran right into a Rock Bottom from Austin, though he managed to kick out at two for a dramatic near fall.

Austin sold his soul to the Devil himself to once again become the WWF Champion.

After the Rock countered out of a Stunner attempt, Hebner got knocked out of the ring and, in the carnage, Austin ordered McMahon to bring a steel chair into the ring. In a sickening moment, Austin held the Rock in place so that McMahon could deliver a vicious chair shot right to his head. It still wasn’t enough to keep the Rock down, though, and Austin was so infuriated that he got caught with a Rock Bottom. Luckily for Austin, though, McMahon distracted Hebner, and the Rock, long enough for Austin to recover and hit the Rock with a massive Stunner (which, of course, the Rock sold with a theatrical panache). Driven to the limit by the Rock’s tenacity, Austin began assaulting him with McMahon’s steel chair; he then delivered another sick shot to the head before driving it into the Rock’s chest and bashing him over the spine with it over and over and over, beating him to a pulp, and finally scoring the three count! The crowd erupted into thunderous applause but they, and J.R,, soon reacted in shock and anger as Austin and McMahon shook hands and shared a beer over the Rock’s bloodied and prone body. When the Rock stumbled to his feet, Austin put him down with one last belt shot to emphasise his sudden and unexpected change of character. J.R. was disgusted, appalled, and betrayed by the alliance between Austin and McMahon but Heyman, though shocked, believed that this was totally in character since Austin had promised to do anything to win and was always fond of the mantra: “DTA – Don’t Trust Anybody!”

The Aftermath:
The very next night on Raw is War, Austin and the Rock faced off in a rematch inside of a steel cage. It was during this match that Triple H forged an alliance with his much-hated rival and he and Austin came to be known as the “Two-Man Power Trip”. The Rock was subsequently assaulted by the two and suspended by McMahon to allow him the time off required to film The Scorpion King (Russell, 2002). After Triple H won the Intercontinental Championship, the Two-Man Power Trip went on a…well, a power trip, dominating the WWF and coming into contact with the only team big, mean, and powerful enough to oppose them: the WWF Tag Team Champions, Kane and the Undertaker, the Brothers of Destruction. Austin and Triple H were able to best the Brothers, though, but their reign of terror was cut short when Triple H suffered a horrific quadriceps tear. Austin continued on as a heel regardless, however, changing his music and becoming a more paranoid, unpredictable, and cowardly bad guy who turned his back on both the fans and his friends (resulting in a vicious beat down of J.R.). Although he briefly seemed to be returning back to the “old Stone Cold” in the face of the invasion from WCW and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Austin ultimately joined forces with the WCW/ECW alliance and became this erratic, overbearing, narcissistic heel obsessed with the belt and being treated like the star of the show. Eventually, after the collapse of the WCW/ECW alliance, Austin would return to his roots as a babyface and begin the final stage of his career. Mounting injuries began to take their toll and Austin began to lose his passion for the sport, culminating in one last match against the Rock at WrestleMania XIX but that is a story for another day.

My Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Fantastic

What did you think to the contest between the Rock and Steve Austin at WrestleMania X-Seven? How would you rate it compared to their other bouts and which of their feuds, matches, and moments is your favourite? Were you a fan of Austin’s unexpected heel turn or do you think he should have called an audible and remained as a tweener? How are you celebrating 3:16 Day this year, what are some of your favourite matches and moments from Austin’s illustrious career, and what dream match would you have liked to see him involved in? Whatever your thoughts, drop a comment below and let me know what you think about “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.