WWE: 8 Embarrassing Early Gimmicks Future World Champions Want You To Forget

1. Steve Austin €“ 'The Ringmaster', 1995-1996

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0hrPgKz7XQ The best guess is that Vince McMahon did not know the potential with Steve Austin. Despite being one of the best talkers (witness his "Flair for the Old" segment with Ric Flair) and best wrestlers (witness his matches with Ricky Steamboat), Steve Austin was let go from World Championship Wrestling in 1995, and proceeded to arrive and raise hell in ECW. He unleashed some highly underrated rants, criticizing Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and WCW in general. Needless to say, when he was finally signed by the WWE later that year, he was the hottest commodity in wrestling. He could wrestle and talk with the best of them. Yet, for some reason, Vince McMahon felt it necessary to make Steve Austin a silent character, and gave him Ted Dibiase for a mouthpiece. "The Ringmaster", as Austin was known, was said to be the prized wrestler that Ted Dibiase (after years of searching) finally deemed worthy of carrying his Million Dollar Championship. No beer drinking, no middle fingers, no Lou Thesz Presses, and no Stone Cold Stunners--it goes without saying it was a disaster. Steve Austin, didn't throw in the towel, and lobbied Vince McMahon to become a "colder character" (which almost landed him the name "Chilly McFreeze"). Stone Cold Steve Austin was born, and after he won the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, he gave his "Austin 3:16" promo, one of the most famous in wrestling history. The train kept moving, and not only did Austin survive his time with a terrible gimmick, he went on to become the biggest star in professional wrestling history.