5 underrated Stone Cold Steve Austin matches
Stone Cold Steve Austin is reportedly in talks with WWE to make an in-ring return at WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, Texas. If it happens, it will mark his first time in the squared circle in 19 years. The Rattlesnake is arguably the biggest superstar in the history of the company. He was the face of the promotion during its most successful period, the Attitude Era.
Austin was a box office draw like no other and helped WWE defeat WCW in the ratings during Monday Night Wars. He was a perfect blend of tremendous character work and an excellent talker.
On top of all that, though, Stone Cold could also deliver in the ring. He was a great worker for years and became a brilliant brawler after his neck injury.
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Austin's in-ring brilliance sometimes gets understated. He could deliver a technical wrestling clash with the likes of Bret Hart the same way he could brawl with Mick Foley.
This will not include some of his more acclaimed matches, though. In this article, let's look at five underrated Stone Cold Steve Austin matches.
5) Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. "Wildman' Marc Mero in a King of the Ring Semifinal Match (WWE King of the Ring 1996)
On this day in history āStone Coldā Steve Austin beat Marc Mero and Jake āThe Snakeā Roberts to win the 1996 King of the Ring. In the promo after the match Austin would coin his Austin 3:16 catchphrase which would go on to be one of the best selling t-shirts of all-time https://t.co/08LwJwIFyl
When fans think of Stone Cold's iconic King of the Ring victory that propelled him to superstardom, they will bring up the legendary promo that Austin cut following his win over Jake 'The Snake' Roberts. However, those individuals are missing the entire story. The Texas Rattlesnake had one other contest that evening.
Earlier in the night, Austin went one-on-one with Wildman Marc Mero. As two of WWE's newest superstars, both men came out motivated. Their spirited bout was filled with well-paced action and athleticism. Mero caught Austin with a boot to the face on a rollup during the contest. This busted Stone Cold's lip open, which he rushed to the hospital following the match.
However, Austin hit his Stone Cold Stunner on Mero to get the pin and advance to the King of the Ring Finals. This was the best match of the tournament and showed why both men were booked to be future main eventers. Austin's path to that destiny began on this very night.