Five Stone Cold Steve Austin Matches You Must Watch
During the Attitude Era, there was no one as popular as Stone Cold Steve Austin, and to be honest, in this article, no wrestler has come close to matching the energy and popularity as Steve Austin. The Texas Rattlesnake has become one of the best wrestlers turned hosts and actors that the world of professional wrestling has ever seen. Before Steve Austin had the injury that nearly ended his career, he put together excellent matches with every wrestler who stepped in the ring with him. When Steve Austin was let go by WCW, it was one of the biggest mistakes that WCW could have made because Steve would come to the WWE and become Stone Cold Steve Austin and go on a legendary run. In this article, I will be discussing the five Stone Cold Steve Austin matches you should watch.
5. Steve Austin vs. The Rock – WrestleMania XIX
Starting the article with Steve Austin’s final match was vital because it was one of the best wrestling matches in his career. Steve Austin’s wrestling career ended when he was only 38 years old, which is still young in the world of professional wrestling. The Rock was always Austin’s greatest rival when looking at Austin’s WWE career aside from Vince McMahon. The two had fought each other many times, but when they were wrestling each other at Wrestlemania, Steve always got the best of The Rock. In the end, The Rock would accomplish his goal, and Austin would end his career against his greatest rival.
4. Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle – SummerSlam 2001
When Steve Austin became a heel in 2001, many wrestling fans wondered why WWE would make their biggest babyface into a heel. Steve Austin would have his best match as a heel against Kurt Angle, who was climbing the ranks as a threat in the company. Steve Austin would beat Angle bloody and would give his all in the match. The match would end in one of the greatest DQ Finishes to a match ever. Austin played perfect into the heel role by getting himself disqualified to make sure he kept the WWE Championship.
3. Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels Vs. Owen Hart And Davey Boy Smith – Raw
One of the best parts about WWE in 1997 was that creative took their time to make sure that fans were invested in the wrestlers in the ring. WWE in 1997 was nothing like the Raw we see in 2021 because back then, Babyfaces and heels really hated each other. Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin are teaming together when they didn’t even like each other made for some good entertainment because the Hart Foundation used that as an advantage to push the storyline. Austin and HBK would win the match, but the title change wouldn’t last long because of some backstage problems.
2. Steve Austin vs. The Rock – WrestleMania X-Seven
If you were to ask anybody who grew up during the Attitude Era who was your favorite wrestler, the answers would probably be The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Attitude era would reach its peak at Wrestlemania X-Seven when two of the era’s biggest stars would face each other in the main event match that would go down in history as one of the best.
When Austin took off for a year to recover from neck surgery, The Rock became the most popular wrestler in the WWE at that time. When Steve returned, he wanted the WWE Championship back more than anything and he proved that in this match. Steve Austin would become a heel and align himself with Vince McMahon, which was a decision that many fans questioned because of the hatred Austin had for Vince the years before.
1. Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart – WrestleMania 13
This match was the most important match of Steve Austin’s career because it allowed fans to see that Austin was the total package in and out of the ring. Steve Austin would face Bret Hart at Wrestlemania 13 in a Submission match that allowed both wrestlers to show they truly hated each other. There can be an argument that this is the best match in the history of the WWE, and many people would agree.
The match would have one of the greatest finishes when Bret locked in the Sharpshooter with Austin covered in blood. When it comes to storytelling in professional wrestling, this match told the perfect story of how Austin refused to submit to Bret, so he passed out instead. This Wrestlemania match had one of the most famous double-turns in professional wrestling history.