The Many Faces Of Steve Austin - Ranked From Worst To Best
7. Stunning Steve
Having moved on from the USWA the previous year, Austin joined WCW in 1991. Originally paired with a valet named Vivacious Veronica, he maintained the “Stunning” Steve Austin gimmick he’d developed in his formative years, and won the WCW Television Championship from Bobby Eaton just weeks after debuting.
A classic arrogant heel, Stunning Steve worked his way into a comfortable upper-midcard position, and went from a fringe prospect to one of the best young workers in the sport. He joined Paul Heyman’s Dangerous Alliance, aligning himself with the likes of Rick Rude and Arn Anderson, and worked a series of lengthy feuds with Ricky Steamboat. In 1993, Austin formed the Hollywood Blondes with Brian Pillman, and the duo enjoyed a five-month WCW Tag Team Title reign later that year.
Pillman eventually betrayed Austin, however, and his career took a downturn as the years progressed. Austin was a two-time United States Champion, but his second reign lasted just a few minutes, and ended in a 35-second squash to Jim Duggan. Sadly, Eric Bischoff branded Stunning Steve “not marketable” enough, and he was let go after suffering a triceps injury in 1995. Oh, how wrong he was…