If Steve Austin stayed with his original WWF gimmick, its very likely wed all be watching WCW right now. When he began wrestling for Vince McMahon, it was under the name of the Ringmaster, a technically gifted wrestler aligned with the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, who held the Million Dollar Championship, and who used the Million Dollar Dream submission hold as his finisher. Austin himself thought the gimmick sucked and he needed something better. So, he brought his own personality into a more realistic, edgy personality, called himself Stone Cold Steve Austin, started using the Stunner as his finisher, and turned into a surly, beer-drinking redneck. This coupled with his infamous Austin 3:16 speech turned him into an overnight sensation, multi-time World Champion, Hall of Famer, and bona fide legend. Within a year, he was the most popular wrestler in the entire company, and his feud with Vince McMahon is considered the best of all time. To this day, the words Stone Cold instantly conjure images of a bald, tough-as-nails redneck who gave out Stone Cold Stunners left and right, to the sheer joy of the crowd; having beer bashes at the end of his matches or promos; and raising the middle finger to the authority. He is also remembered for his What chants, which have become commonplace in todays WWE. All in all, Stone Cold Steve Austin is the most popular wrestler of all time, and that wouldnt have happened if he stayed as the Ringmaster.
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
