10 Biggest Career Transformations In WWE History
9. Steve Austin - From Cheesy 'Ringmaster' To 'Stone Cold'
Steve Austin had a relatively successful career before joining WWF, but when he first joined, the company was still following the cartoony philosophy of the early 1990s, and Vince soon cast Steve as the ultra-boring ‘Ringmaster’. This was everything Austin hated in a character, and the fans didn’t really take to it either.
Thankfully, the wrestling gods were feeling merciful towards him, and soon afterwards, he convinced Mr. McMahon to change his name to ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, to let him make the character more realistic and based on his own personality, and to go down a more adult-oriented storyline direction.
And the rest is history.
Austin’s character transformation was one of the most significant in WWE history. By shaving his head and growing out his facial hair, his appearance became more intimidating. His personality and charisma were able to shine through because Steve Austin was portraying Steve Austin, not some unrealistic character.
Finally, the transition from the ‘Million Dollar Dream’ submission finisher to the Stone Cold Stunner was one of the most important decisions Austin ever made.
There’s no way he would’ve had the same level of success if he'd have kept Ted DiBiase as his manager and continued using the ‘Ringmaster’ gimmick. The times were already changing, and Austin seized the opportunity to change his character and become a megastar.