After a brief hiatus due to the NFL Draft and other huge sports news…the “Making The Case” series is back! In this edition, we’ll take a look at the career of the “Rattlesnake”, Stone Cold Steve Austin and make his case for being the Greatest of All-Time (GOAT), of Professional Wrestling.
If you want to refresh yourself on the past editions of the series…click below!
Making The Case: Chris Jericho
Making The Case: Shawn Michaels
Making The Case: The Undertaker
Let’s get into Austin’s case for being the GOAT…
Profile
Real Name – Steven James Anderson
Wrestling Name – Stone Cold Steve Austin
Birthday – December 18th, 1964 (Age 55)
Years Active – 14 years (1989-2003)
Championships and Accolades
WWF/WWE – World Championship (6x), Intercontinental Championship (2x), Tag-Team Championship (4x), Royal Rumble Winner (3x), King of The Ring (1x), WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2009)
WCW – Television Championship (2x), United States Championship (2x), Tag-Team Championship (2x)
Pro Wrestling Illustrated – Feud of The Year (2x), Match of The Year (1x), Most Popular Wrestler of The Year (3x), Rookie of The Year (1990), Ranked # 1 Singles Wrestler (1998), Ranked # 1 Singles Wrestler (1999)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter – Best Box Office Draw (2x), Best Brawler (1x), Best Gimmick (2x), Best Heel (1x), Feud of The Year (3x), Match of The Year (1x), Most Charismatic Wrestler of The Year (2x), Rookie of The Year (1990), Wrestler of The Year (1x), Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame (Class of 2000)
Making The Case
The most popular wrestler of his generation and probably ever, is Stone Cold Steve Austin. From being apart of the “Hollywood Blondes” to winning the King of The Ring, to being in a brutal match with Bret Hart that officially put him on the map all the way to feuding for years with the owner of the company in Vince McMahon that captivated the entire Wrestling world, nobody has come close to making the impact that
the “Rattlesnake” made in such a short amount of time. Only in WWF/WWE as an active Wrestler for 8 years (1995-2003), Austin was undoubtedly the biggest star in the company for the last 6 or so years of his run…the reaction from the live crowd (I miss Wrestling having crowds), to kids (like myself) screaming in front of my TV every time we heard the glass shatter and out would come Stone Cold was unmatched in Wrestling history. Couple his popularity with his terrific resume and you have yourself someone who deserves to be in the conversation as the greatest of all-time. Some say his lack of longevity hurts his case but I would argue that in an odd way, it may help his case seeing he had so many title runs and such a popular run in that short-span of time. Whether you love him or hate him (I don’t people exist that hate him), you have to admit that he’s the most popular superstar in WWF/WWE history.
Follow me on Twitter (@TattedCJ) for the next edition of “Making The Case”, where I will delve into the career of “The Game”, Triple H!
