How Good Was 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin Actually?
Promos
“If you put an ‘S’ in front of the word ‘Hitman’, you have my exact opinion of Bret Hart.”
This was the moment - that, and “I think you are completely pathetic” - when fans started to really believe that this Steve Austin fella was really about to do something major. Nobody talked to, of all people, Bret Hart like that. Some questioned Bret’s moral facade, Some came after his family. Others might have suggested that Bret wasn’t quite as good as he said he was. But to say Bret was outright bad? A relic?
The sheer disdain Austin felt towards his main event gatekeeper was electrifying. The build to Survivor Series 1996 was an almost scary drift into darker, unknown terrain. This of course followed what is possibly the greatest promo ever cut: Austin 3:16.
At King Of The Ring 1996, Austin was crowned. He was interviewed by Dok Hendrix as Jake Roberts shuffled to the back. Austin’s invective was frightening. He buried Roberts as a past-it drunk before outlining his mission statement. The promo lasted all of two minutes. In that time, he mangled the phrase “WWF Superstars” to tell everybody watching closely enough that was indeed going to tear through all of them. He also, spontaneously, invented two of the best catchphrases ever: Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your ass, and That’s the bottom line, ‘cause Stone Cold said so.
The intensity, unwavering conviction, brutally caustic wit, the blue eyes glaring with power: Austin took another 18 months to evolve into a megastar, but Jesus Christ, son, if he started a religion right then and there, some people would have worshipped him.
Hell, Austin was in such phenomenal, driven form, when he was rising to the top of the card, that he cut better promos on Livewire than most wrestlers cut on national television. In an absolutely fantastic moment, totally improvised, Austin responded with utter disgust when a caller questioned Austin’s use of foul language. “I really think,” the caller said, “that this could hinder your chances of success in the World Wrestling Federation”.
Austin’s quick-witted, blackly hilarious response was outrageous: “I will hinder your life.”
Austin was still an amazing promo in his peak drawing years, but Vince Russo’s wild creative approach allowed Austin to soar, and sell his most famous matches, with stunts, swerves, and angles.
Austin’s mic work declined as he crept towards the end of his career. Understandably, he no longer had to try that hard. He became reliant on catchphrases, but his catalogue of soundbites was incredible, and that’s what the fans wanted to hear when they paid money to see it. Austin was also plain annoying at times. Of course, there’s the “What?” chant. Austin wasn’t to know that he had sparked the most profoundly irritating and obnoxious crowd interaction of all-time, but even before it plagued virtually every WWE event thereafter, it was crap on its own terms. It was as if Austin knew how easy it was to get a reaction and simply indulged himself with it, knowing that his days as the most determined man in wrestling were all but behind him. Austin was doing panto.
Austin didn’t book his own material. He can’t be blamed for his output across 2001, necessarily - but the fire inside of him was extinguished before he lashed out at the creative team on Byte This a year later.