How Good Was 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin Actually?

Range

Is there anything Steve Austin could not do? Is there anything Steve Austin could not do brilliantly, for that matter?

Austin was one of the very best technical wrestlers of his generation, and one of the better brawlers.

Austin’s character range was so good that, if you first knew him as ‘Stone Cold’, hopping onto the Attitude Era fad in 1998 after cooling off during the New Generation years, the very sight of ‘Stunning’ Steve Austin was positively surreal when you first encountered him. That’s the same guy? The stooging, cocky, wannabe pretty boy?

This wasn’t some daft, early misadventure, either, like Oz becoming Diesel. Austin was incredible and convincing in both wildly different roles.

Austin was really funny when he was ‘Stunning’ in WCW, too - in a very different way to his gruff ‘Stone Cold’ deadpan. As part of the Hollywood Blonds alongside Brian Pillman, his taunts were a riot. With an obnoxious cackle, he’d pretend he was a camera operator on a film set, getting right in the faces of his opponents. This worked to particularly comedic effect during the programme with Ric Flair and Arn Anderson - the idea being that no director would want to cast the old-looking Arn as a leading man in the early ‘90s.

Austin was no high-flier, but then, recognising one’s limitations and carving a distinctive, more credible specialist persona should be an asset. Austin knew what he could do, stressed his best attributes, and was not self-conscious.

Austin could wrestle and brawl. He was great as a heel, and was so transcendent as a babyface that nobody could ever jeer him with a full heart ever again. Austin was funny in a way that delighted the most broad of minds, but was also funny, on occasion, in such a weird way that he could probably star in an experimental high-brow comedy. He enjoyed creeping people out. Strange guy, but also: funny.

Austin is probably the best all-rounder ever, and while he was legitimately hilarious, there were times when he overdid it.

He was self-indulgent during 2001. His snivelling toady character, while well-performed - he was so quick to repeat endorse everything that Mr. McMahon said - collided with the dour psycho character he tried to portray in the ring. Also, that ‘Margaritaville’ segment with the Rock ahead of Survivor Series 2001 was better left to the bar after the show. Austin’s self-indulgent streak was detrimental to what the WWF was trying to achieve - but then, the promotion had no idea itself. Perhaps Austin couldn’t be blamed for trying to have some fun while the ship sank.