Happy Stone Cold Steve Austin Day

Hope you're giving the authority the bird and pouring back an ice-cold Steveweister because today [...]

By Lan Pitts

STEVE AUSTIN 08
(Photo: WWE)

Hope you're giving the authority the bird and pouring back an ice-cold Steveweister because today is "Stone Cold" Steve Austin Day!

March 16th, 3/16, is the day that wrestling fans celebrate the life and career of the one and only, the Bionic Redneck himself, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Known for one of the staples that kicked off the WWE's infamous Attitude Era, Austin revitalized the WWE, then WWF, by becoming a grittier, tougher, and vulgar Superstar that the company had ever seen before. With the previous generation being accustomed to being told to take their vitamins and say their prayers, Austin was a complete 180 by kicking the bosses in the gut just to bring them down with a Stone Cold Stunner.

Austin, real name Steve Anderson, later Steve Williams, helped catapult the WWE back into mainstream attention with his defiant on-screen antics and in-your-face attitude. So today we take a look at some of the most memorable moments from Austin's career that made him the biggest star in the company's history and a bonafide legend in the sport.

Austin cemented his legacy as being an unpredictable superstar and the first to really get into it with the boss. Vince McMahon's "Mr. McMahon" feud with Austin was the most heated of the Attitude Era, making every Raw a must-watch event because you never know what you might miss. Take for example the now famous beer truck incident where Austin drove a beer trunk into the area and doused members of the sinister Corporation with some ice-cold brew. This was later imitated by Kurt Angle a few years later with a milk truck, but Austin's moment will be forever remembered as nothing fans had ever seen before.

Jim Ross' thundering "Stone Cold! Stone Cold! Stone Cold!" will forever be etched into the minds of fans for numerous reasons. One, of course since it's Jim Ross calling this match, adds the right elements of dramatic storytelling with play-by-play commentary that nobody in the modern era can touch. Austin since winning King of the Ring two years prior had been fighting a career-ending injury at the hands of Owen Hart as well as being seen as the number two up-and-comer, right after Rocky Maivia. Austin's popularity skyrocketed by the time of the Royal Rumble in 1998 and was the most obvious choice to win.

Austin beating Shawn Michaels helped usher in the Attitude Era and the WWE was never the same again. Despite special guest referee Mike Tyson's fast count, it remains one of the most memorable WrestleMania moments of all time.

So fans, what are some of your favorite Austin memories? Sure, there's his King of the Ring speech and several others, but what are some that few might not remember? What stands out in a career like Austin's to you? Let us know in the comments below...

...and give me a Hell Yeah!

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