It was unfathomable that the beer drinking, finger-flipping Steve Austin that revolutionized the wrestling industry during the Attitude Era would ever allow himself to be portrayed in a scenario in which his real life relationships bled over into television. Yet that is exactly what happened at the turn of the Millennium when it was revealed on WWE television that Austin and the vivacious Debra were officially husband and wife. By the time Austin turned heel and joined the Alliance in 2001, she was the perfect addition to the paranoid villain. Austin's accomplishments prior to the revelation that he and Debra were married are the stuff of legend. He won the 1996 King of the Ring, captured four WWE Championships and was the driving force behind the revival of WWE. His feud with Vince McMahon defined an entire era of professional wrestling and helped the company win the Monday Night Wars. He was an iconic performer who drove in ratings and pay-per-view buys, set merchandise records and broke out into mainstream media. Debra was one of the most popular Divas of the Attitude Era. She was sex appeal personified and was not above showing off her "puppies" if it meant securing a win for her men. A sweet Southern belle, she managed Jeff Jarrett to the Intercontinental Championship and Jarrett and Owen Hart to the tag titles.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
