Why the legacy of 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin can never be replicated
Stone Cold Steve Austin will easily go down as one of the greatest Superstars in the history of the WWE. The crowd went absolutely berserk every time his music hit, and he was one man who took on the ‘Authority’ like no other Superstar ever could.
Stone Cold Steve Austin was an enigma, and was one of the cornerstones of WWE’s most successful period ever, the Attitude Era. The ‘Texas Rattlesnake’ has feuded with the very best in the business including the likes of The Rock, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Big Show, Mick Foley, Hulk Hogan, Triple H and of course Vince McMahon.
No Superstar (barring the Rock) could match Stone Cold on the mic, no Superstar exuded the charisma that he had. In a career spanning a decade and a half, Stone Cold entertained the WWE Universe and produced promos unmatched till today. And that is why, Stone Cold can legitimately stake claim to be one of the greatest Superstars of all time.
Who can ever forget that epic match between The Rock and Stone Cold at WrestleMania 19, when these two iconic Superstars headlined probably the biggest WrestleMania ever, and The Rock prevailed after four Rock Bottoms? Or that iconic match at WrestleMania 14 against Shawn Michaels, where both these legendary Superstars rallied back and forth before Stone Cold finally won the title?
And of course, his numerous feuds with the Chairman himself, Vince McMahon, where Austin took on Vince and challenged the Authority in a way no other Superstar till today has matched? Or of course his epic battle with the legendary Undertaker for the WWF Title in 1998, where he beat ‘The Phenom’ with two Stunners?
Stone Cold had a career that lasted around a decade and a half, and retired in the year 2003. But the impact that he had on the pro wrestling world is felt even today. It was evident from the way the crowd went berserk, when in 2014, Stone Cold returned to kick start WrestleMania XXX, along with his long-time friend and rival, ‘The Rock’ and ‘The Immortal’ Hulk Hogan.
He suffered a devastating neck injury in 1998, when Owen hart botched a pile driver, and it ultimately led to his permanent retirement from the ring in 2003. But, the legacy of Stone Cold endures till today. He has left behind a legacy that can never be replicated, and he was from an era, that we will never return to.