10 Most Rebellious Anti-Heroes In WWE History
1. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Steve Austin is the benchmark against which all other wrestling anti-heroes should be judged. He didn’t invent the character type, but he certainly perfected it, and just like CM Punk, his ascent to stardom started with a promo. King of the Ring 1996’s “Austin 3:16” speech turned Steve Austin, perennial midcard workhorse, into the most potent rebel that WWE’s main event scene has ever witnessed.
It’s difficult to sum-up Stone Cold’s legacy in a few short paragraphs. He was a transcendent character who helped popularise one of wrestling’s most profitable eras, and alongside D-Generation X and a host of others, Austin’s presence was vital in WWE’s survival through the Monday Night Wars. His legendary feud with Vince McMahon might be the most important in WWE history, and while he started as a heel, Austin’s beer-drinking, middle-finger-raising, anti-authority persona struck a chord with WWE’s Generation X audience.
Through Austin, WWE fans were able to live-out their fantasies of telling their bosses to go to hell. He was a straightforward working class American that just wanted to drink and fight, and wasn’t going to take any nonsense from his so-called superiors along the way. Who can’t relate to that?
Wrestling companies around the globe have made countless attempts at copying the greatest anti-hero the sport’s ever scene, and it never works out. Stone Cold was the perfect character at the perfect time, and while his career only lasted a few years at the highest level, his impact is still being felt today. If one single man can lay claim to saving WWE in the ‘90s, it’s Austin.
He unquestionably benefited from working against Mr. McMahon, one of the greatest antagonists of all-time, but it takes a great villain to make a great (anti) hero.