Stone Cold

'Stone Cold' Steve Austin was born in Victoria, Texas, as Steven James Anderson, on December 18, 1964, the youngest of five children. His mother, Beverly Jane (Harrison), remarried to Kenneth Williams, and he took his stepfather's surname. He played football at the North Texas State University. He was worthy of achieving a free education because of his football skills in school. Williams then began training at Chris Adams's wrestling school as a rookie near the end of 1988, and made his professional wrestling debut at the end of 1989. He then moved over to minor wrestling companies to wrestle for money, and later entered WCW under the name of 'Stunning Steve Austin'. He didn't make a large name for himself in the company, as he only held an embarrassing two TV titles. Austin was fired by WCW and joined the WWF (now known as WWE) in December 1995. Austin left after a while to go to ECW but only stayed for a couple of weeks before he came back to the WWF as 'Stone Cold Steve Austin'. Austin then disposed of his old finishing move the 'Million Dollar Dream', which was the trademark of 'Million Dollar Man' Ted Dibiase, and began racking up the victories with his Stone Cold Stunner (kick to the gut followed by a jawbreaker).

Austin then had a good winning streak going by 1996 and wrestled to become the 1996 King Of The Ring. Austin cut his lip open during one match, and had to get it stitched up in between matches. In the grand final of the KOTR he defeated Jake 'The Snake' Roberts with a Stone Cold Stunner, and invented his famous motto as 'Austin 3:16'. As 1997 rolled around Austin's career soared to new heights. WCW realized Austin's popularity, and tried to make a 'clone' when they invited 'Bill Goldberg' to compete for them. During that year, Austin won the WWF Intercontinental Championship twice and the Tag Team Championships. When Austin successfully defended the IC title against Rocky Maivia (now known as The Rock, real name Dwayne Johnson) on a taping of RAW, he was ordered to defend it again because he drove his pickup truck to the ring and delivered a Stunner to D'Lo Brown ('A.C. Conner') on the roof, which Vince McMahon saw as weapon usage. Austin refused to defend the title again and dumped the old belt in a river, and therefore McMahon crowned Rocky Maivia as the new champion. However, Austin said he didn't care about that title, and set his sights on the Heavyweight Championship. Although Austin had won the 1997 Royal Rumble to qualify as the Number 1 Contender for the championship at WrestleMania XIII, he didn't get the place because he was eliminated but referees didn't notice, so instead, Austin fought Bret Hart in an Iron Man match which Hart won when Austin passed out from blood loss when he was trapped in a Sharpshooter. However, Austin successfully won the 1998 Royal Rumble when he eliminated Rocky Maivia. A stipulation was made for the main event at WrestleMania XIV (Austin vs. Shawn Michaels): the special guest referee would be Iron Mike Tyson! Austin had made a friendship with Tyson, but all though Tyson betrayed him when he joined DX! However, Tyson shocked the world when Austin hit Michaels with a Stone Cold Stunner and covered him while Tyson made the count, to win his first heavyweight title! Austin then went on to enjoy three months as champion when he lost the title to Kane (Glenn Jacobs)in a First Blood match on June 28, 1998, at King Of The Ring. However, Austin regained the title a day later, and was forced to compete for it in a tournament at the 1998 Survivor Series. He was defeated by Mankind ('Mick Foley'), and later that night, The Rock won the championship and joined the Corporation.

As 1999 came around, Austin became embroiled in a feud with The Rock when Vince McMahon eliminated him from the Royal Rumble while The Rock had him distracted. However, Austin still got the place in the main event at WrestleMania XV, and he won his third championship from The Rock with a Stone Cold Stunner. He retained the title against The Rock in a Boiler Room Brawl at Backlash 1999. Austin lost the title to The Undertaker ('Mark Callaway'), but regained it in July 1999. Later that year, at the 1999 Survivor Series Austin was ran over by a car and had to have spinal surgery, and was out of action for the next 11 months. However, Austin returned to the wrestling scene at Backlash 2000 when he helped The Rock win his fourth WWF Championship from Triple H ('Michael Paul LeVesque'). Austin was then welcomed back to wrestle in October 2000 at No Mercy, when he fought Rikishi ('Solofa Fatu') in a No Holds Barred match which had to be stopped when Austin was about to run Rikishi over but was arrested by the police. The mystery was revealed that it was Triple H who had Rikishi run Austin over, and Austin battled Triple H at Survivor Series 2000, and won the match. Steve had a chance to win the WWF title from Kurt Angle, who was reigning at the time, at Armaggedon 2000, in a Six-Man Hell In A Cell Match, which also had Kurt Angle, The Rock, Triple H, Rikishi, and The Undertaker. Austin had the title in his grasp when he hit The Rock with a Stone Cold Stunner, but Angle snuck up and covered The Rock to retain the title.

Austin's hopes raised yet again when he eliminated Kane from the 2001 Royal Rumble, therefore becoming the first and only ever three-time Royal Rumble winner, and the Number One Contender for the WWF Championship. At No Way Out 2001, Austin lost a 2-Out-Of-3 Falls match to Triple H, when they both knocked each other out, but Triple H fell on top of Austin. Later that night, The Rock defeated Kurt Angle to become the first-ever six-time WWF World Champion, therefore deciding that the main event at WrestleMania X7 would be The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin defeated The Rock on April 1, 2001, for his fifth WWF title, but turned heel when he joined forces with Vince McMahon. The Rock was suspended from the WWF for almost four months. Austin's reign as Champion lasted for 5 months and 22 days, which was the longest championship reign in several years. Austin won the Tag Team Championship with Triple H at Backlash 2001, but they lost them again on May 21, on a taping of RAW to Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit. In that same match, Triple H tore his quadricep muscle and had to go to hospital for eight months of surgery. At King Of The Ring 2001 on June 24 Austin retained the title successfully from both Jericho and Benoit in a Triple Threat match.

Austin shocked the world by turning heel again on July 22, 2001 when he joined the WCW/ECW Alliance, helping them win the Inaugural Brawl against the WWF, and also invented the catchphrase of 2001, which was "What?". However, Vince McMahon reinstated The Rock on July 30. In August, Kurt Angle started feuding with Austin and was determined to take the championship back from him at Summerslam. Austin disqualified himself to remain the champion, however, Angle won the title back from him at Unforgiven on September 23, 2001. Austin then regained the title from Angle on RAW in October, when William Regal came to his aid. In November, Austin narrowly escaped losing the title to The Rock at Rebellion, with a little help from Kurt Angle. Later that month, The Rock put the WCW/ECW Alliance out of business in the Winner Take All match, which was also Austin's first loss to The Rock. However, Austin returned to the federation, still as the heavyweight champion the night after, but lost it to Chris Jericho on December 9, 2001, when Jericho became the first-ever Undisputed Champion when Austin was defeated in the grand finals. Austin then challenged Jericho for the Undisputed title at No Way Out 2002 in February, and would have won the match, but the nWo interfered and attacked Austin, helping Jericho retain the title. Austin then feuded with the nWo's Scott Hall and faced him in a match at WrestleMania X8, which Austin won, even putting away the difficulty that was made by the constant interfering of Kevin Nash. At Backlash 2002 Austin faced the Undertaker in a Number 1 Contender match for the Undisputed Championship, but Austin was screwed out of the decision when The Undertaker booted a steel chair into his face and covered him for the pinfall. Austin had his foot on the rope, but special referee Ric Flair didn't notice. Austin began feuding with Flair and faced him in a 2-On-1 Handicap match at Judgment Day 2002 - Flair's partner was Big Show Paul Wight. That would be Austin's last PPV match, as early in June, he did not show up for a taping of RAW. Austin has not been seen since. He is 6'2", and when he first entered the federation he weighed 241 pounds, but boosted up to 252 later on in his career. He says that his weight "depends on how much beer I drink".

Steve Austin, also known as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, is best known as a Championship-winning professional wrestler in the WWF. After retirement, Austin pursued acting with roles on TV and film.
Steve Austin is an American professional wrestler and actor born on December 18, 1964 in Edina, Texas. Known as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the pro wrestler won the WWF Championship from 1995-1999. After retiring, he went into acting where he starred in the TV show Nash Bridges (1998-1999) and films The Longest Yard (2005) and The Condemned (2007).
Professional wrestler, born Steve Anderson, on December 18, 1964, in Victoria, Texas. Raised by his mother and stepfather, Ken Williams, he never knew his biological father, and soon took Williams's name, Steve grew up in Edna, Texas, as part of a big family. In high school, he was inducted into the National Honor Society before winning a football scholarship to the University of North Texas. In 1987, just a few credits shy of a degree in physical education, Steve Williams dropped out of college and began working on a loading dock near Houston, Texas.
In 1989, after developing a serious interest in professional wrestling, Williams joined a new wrestling school in Dallas. After graduation, he joined the United States Wrestling Association and in 1990 had his first professional match. During his first year on the tour, Williams traveled around the southern United States, earning $20 a fight and living in his car. In 1991, having dropped his good guy persona and taken on a new name, "Stunning" Steve Austin, he made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut.

During his career with WCW, Austin formed a partnership with "Flyin" Brian Pillman; as the "Hollywood Blonds, they won the 1993 World Tag Team Championship. Austin also won the 1993 WCW United States Championship. In 1994, he tore his tricep while wrestling in Japan and was subsequently fired by WCW, a rejection he would not forget easily. After a stint in Extreme Championship Wrestling, Austin signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in late 1995. Another revamping of his image resulted in a new name, "Stone Cold," a new bald-headed look, and a new signature finishing move, the "Stone Cold stunner."
From 1995 to 1999, Austin won four federation championships and numerous other tag team and individual titles. His persistence became legendary: after suffering a serious nerve injury to his neck in early 1997, Austin came back to win the WWF championship that year. He has a reputation among his fans as an aggressive rebel who defies all authority, especially the infamous owner of the WWF, Vince McMahon. Austin's long-running feud with McMahon, extending to several bouts within the ring, has raised WWF television ratings and increased Austin's popularity. Also known as the "Texas Rattlesnake," Austin is widely considered one of the WWF's most popular wrestlers. In 1998 alone, he made an estimated $1.2 million salary plus a huge sum in merchandising royalties.
In addition to his success in the WWF, Austin has pursued an interest in acting. In 1998 and 1999, he appeared on several episodes of the TV series Nash Bridges as Jake Cage, a renegade policeman assisting the show's good guys.

Austin's marriage to his first wife, Kathy, was annulled. His second wife Jeannie, whom he married in 1995, once served as his valet, Lady Blossom. They have two children, Stephanie and Cassidy.

In January 2000, Austin underwent spinal surgery in order to correct damage done during his years of wrestling, putting him out of commission for six months to a year.
Proudly raising his middle fingers in the faces of everyone who dared oppose him, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was the blue-collar warrior for the common man. Clad in jeans and black leather often soaked in beer foam, Austin was defiant, brash and dared anyone to try and tell him what to do. When the signature sound of shattering glass erupted throughout the arena, everyone there knew that it was time to raise hell. And if you happened to be on the receiving end, well, you have our sympathies.

Trained by "Gentleman" Chris Adams, Steve Austin broke into the wrestling business in Texas in 1990, as part of the USWA. After a year he moved on to WCW, where he won the WCW Television Championship under the name "Stunning" Steve Austin. An elbow injury lead to his firing from WCW, but Austin found a lifeboat in ECW, and, with the freedom afforded him by Paul Heyman, began crafting a voice that would later lead to superstardom in WWE.

Austin joined WWE in January 1996 as Ted DiBiase's "Million Dollar Champion." Debuting as "The Ringmaster," he defeated Savio Vega in a forgettable WrestleMania contest. Soon after, "Stone Cold" was born.

In June 1996, The Texas Rattlesnake became King of the Ring, defeating Jake Roberts in the tournament final. To cap off the victory, "Stone Cold" delivered a riveting promo, pillorying Roberts and his religious beliefs, and heralding the birth of the “Austin 3:16” era. His words gave way to Austin's WWE destiny, ushering in the famed Attitude Era. This violent Superstar would stop at nothing until he reached WWE’s top tier, and pummel anyone who dared cross his path.

The first Superstar to but heads with the new, meaner Austin was Bret Hart. Their rivalry reached its apex at WrestleMania 13, in a Submission Match. Austin was not the technical wunderkind that Hart was, but matched the mat general strike for strike in front of the Rosemont crowd. But the moment that separated Austin from his peers in the locker room came at the matches end. "Stone Cold" was nearly broken, trapped in Hart’s Sharpshooter. But he refused to break the hold, and as seconds ticked into minutes, he still would not tap. Referee Ken Shamrock called the match as Austin passed out from the pain, with 18,000 people cheering the defeated Superstar.

But Austin’s momentum, and WWE career, nearly halted in a freak injury at 1997’s SummerSlam. During a match against Owen Hart, Austin was dropped on his head during a piledriver from Hart, fracturing his neck.

"Stone Cold" ultimately recovered from the injury, and soon began his torrid rise to the top of the WWE heap. Austin’s matches against Superstars such as Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker, but he’s best remembered for his battles against two men — The Rock, and the WWE Chairman himself, Mr. McMahon.

The latter rivalry began in late 1997, when Austin, furious at McMahon for stripping him of the Intercontinental Title, delivered a "Stone Cold" Stunner to his boss in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd. It wouldn’t be the first time Mr. McMahon tasted Austin’s leather boot, as the pair’s hostile feud epitomized the Attitude Era.

The Rock and Austin criss-crossed just as often as Austin and Mr. McMahon. To put the rivalry in perspective, "Stone Cold" and the Rock, together, headlined three WrestleMania pay-per-views from 1993 to 2003, a feat no other Superstar has ever even come close to accomplishing. The two stars couldn’t have been more different, but no two men were ever as popular at the same time as Austin and Rock.

Austin retired from in-ring competition at the end of WrestleMania XIX, but continued to make memorable WWE appearances, usually at the expense of the McMahon. WWE crowds were never as long as when that glass shattered, and "Stone Cold" made his way to the ring, either in his leather boots, a Zamboni, or a beer truck.

At the end, his in-ring accomplishments were many: six WWE Championships, two Intercontinental Championships, a record three Royal Rumble victories and Triple Crown Champion credentials. His 2009 induction to the WWE Hall of Fame was a “no-brainer.”

Outside the ring, he continued to thrive; he starred in WWE Studios The Condemned in 2007, and gone on to rub shoulders with some of Hollywood’s biggest action stars, including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and recently, Danny Trejo. He also shined as host in the re-imagined series WWE Tough Enough, where his tirades toward contestants quickly became must-see television.

On April 6 in New Orleans, Austin made his triumphant return to WWE at WrestleMania 30 when he added another WrestleMania moment to his legendary resume, joining Hulk Hogan and The Rock in the ring to kick off The Showcase of Immortals.