10 Wrestling Images That Will Make You Feel Really Old
9. Punk'd
The Attitude Era was so popular because it was the perfect time for millions of boys and young men to get into wrestling. Middle and high school students dealing with the angst of growing up may not have had a constructively destructive way to express themselves, but Stone Cold Steve Austin did, and they could live vicariously through him. That's why - just as Austin became popular with adult men who wanted to beat up their bosses - he was also a hit with the kids.
One of the many adolescents who looked up to Austin as he rose up WWF's ranks was CM Punk. It's not really surprising, given that Austin was clearly an influence on 'The Straight-Edge Superstar'. Punk's in-your-face, tell-it-like-it-is promo style and attitude were always evocative of Austin, and once he became a top heel in WWE, he would repeatedly try to coax Austin into coming back to action against him.
Their first meeting, though, came earlier than anyone anticipated. Back during Austin's initial rise - 1996 or '97, judging from the picture - Punk and family met the star at an autograph signing, and a photo of the encounter was preserved for posterity. That kid is now a wrestling legend who was able to parlay his fame into a shot in UFC, and Austin is an old man with no eyebrows.