10 Best Stone Cold Steve Austin Matches Ever
Stone Cold could raise plenty of hell, not to mention the bar.
Who in 1991 would have ever guessed that a skinny, blonde-haired kid with form-fitting Zubaz shorts would one day be the one to reignite professional wrestling's popularity at a Hulkamania-like clip? Granted, Steve Austin had been drawing deserved praise for his keen instincts as an in-ring performer (particularly one with such a minimum of experience at the time), and he was touted as a future star.
Most wagering that would've predicted Austin's rise would max out at a Rick Rude or Ted Dibiase-like level. Nobody in the early-nineties, however, could've seen Austin as the anti-heroic signal for a new generation of fans to turn Monday night wrestling into absolute appointment television, while steering WWE into prosperity that hadn't been seen in years. Austin's reign as a globally-popular property continues even long into retirement, when his presence on Raw's 25th Anniversary show helped the weekly program reach a 3.0 TV rating for the first time in three years.
That rock star-like adulation for his cheerful malevolence has in many ways drowned out an undying truth: Austin was pretty damn great between those ropes. Doling out Stunners and double-fisting beers may have been his signature, but Stone Cold could back up the sizzle with a world of substance. And frankly, there were few who could do it better.
Here are, in one man's opinion, the ten greatest matches featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin.
(Just a quick note that this series of lists (which will cover various wrestling icons) will feature singles, tag team, and even triple-threat matches, but no matches with a greater number of participants (like Royal Rumbles and Survivor Series bouts).)
10. (With Shawn Michaels) Vs. Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith (Raw, 5/26/97)
Just a quick note that this series of lists (which will cover various wrestling icons) will feature singles, tag team, and even triple-threat matches, but no matches with a greater number of participants (like Royal Rumbles and Survivor Series bouts). Throughout his career, Austin has fared well as a tag team wrestler, even in instances where he and his partner were sworn enemies in the story.
The match in which Austin and Michaels captured the Tag Team titles from Hart and Smith (ending their eight month reign) is literally all action, with no time to slow down and catch one's breath. It was a welcome change towards the breakneck pacing that would become an Attitude standard.
The match itself was a byproduct of the "everybody vs. The Hart Foundation" feud that spawned so many mini-rivalries, and the overall energy reflected the angle's potential. It also marked Austin's first official championship win in WWE. So it's got that going for it, which is nice.