The Many Faces Of Steve Austin - Ranked From Worst To Best
1. The Anti-Hero
Despite the severity of his SummerSlam injury, Steve Austin peaked as a character shortly after concluding his feud with Owen Hart. After tossing the Intercontinental Championship into a river in late 1997, Stone Cold started feuding with Vince McMahon, and the most successful rivalry in WWE history was born.
Austin vs. McMahon was absolutely instrumental in turning WWE’s fortunes around during the Monday Night Wars. It was an Attitude Era cornerstone, and without it, WWE would have struggled to overcome WCW’s ratings dominance. It made Austin the beer-swilling, anti-authority badass we all know and love, pushed him as the biggest star in the business, and created countless memorable moments.
Stone Cold’s war against his evil boss reflected the audience’s own frustrations and the time, and Austin was a perfect avatar. The multi-year rivalry saw Austin become WWE Champion on a number of occasions, and after over a year of McMahon’s corporate stooging, Stone Cold finally got the chance to beat him from pillar to post at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1999.
Austin’s popularity endured even when he was written out after being hit by a car at Survivor Series 1999 (in reality, Austin needed immediate neck surgery), and he became a real folk hero. WWE have tried to recreate the Texas Rattlesnake’s rebellious anti-hero persona ever since, marking it not only as the best character of Austin’s career, but one of the most influential in wrestling history.