|
SLAM! Wrestling Rumors
The July 6 edition of the newsstand tabloid "National Examiner" has a cover feature about Stone Cold Steve Austin entitled "Steve Austin Stole My Wife!". The article details how Austin ruined the relationship between (current WCW midcarder) "Gentleman" Chris Adams, and his ex-wife Jeannie. Adams claims that he and Jeannie originally remained on good terms after their divorce. However, when she sided with Austin during an in-ring feud between the men, her attitude towards her ex changed into real-life rage, often manifesting itself in a level of violence that went way beyond the script. According to Adams, "... the anger she directed toward me was anything but play acting." Austin and Jeannie's relationship grew during the feud, and after a stint as Austin's valet "Lady Blossom", the former Mrs. Adams eventually married the current WWF champ. STEVE AUSTIN: Real Name: Steve Williams Birthday: 18th December, 1962 Hometown: Victoria, Texas Stats: Height: 6'2". Weight: 262lbs Alias: Stunning Steve Austin, Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Ringmaster, Superstar Steve Austin Most Notable Titles: 2 time WWF Heavyweight Champ, 2 time WWF Tag Team Champ, 2 time WWF Intercontinental Champ, WCW/NWA US tag champ, WCW World Tag Champ, NWA/WCW TV Champ, WCW US Champ Famous Feuds: Ricky Steamboat, Brian Pillman, Chris Adams, Vince McMahon, the Undertaker, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Mikey Whipwreck History He may be "Stone Cold" but he's still "Stunning" to many. The self-declared "meanest S.O.B." on the wrestling scene today is known world-wide as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, but early in his career he answered to "Stunning" Steve Austin. Now he needs no man or woman.Then he relied onthe services of valet Lady Blossom and later managers Paul E. Dangerously and Colonel Robert Parker. Currently the most popular man in the sport does what he wants and says what he wants because "Stone Cold said so!" Before coming to WWF, he held WCW U.S. title and was two0time WCW World TV title holder as a single, and WCW World tag-team champ as a member of the Hollywood Blonds with the late Brian Pillman. He was trained by transplanted Englishman Chris Adams, who became a staple on the Texas scene. Austin, aided by Jeannie Clark (later to become Lady Blossom and Steve's wife) soon feuded with his mentor and his wife, Toni Adams and beat him in a series of matches. Austin was being heralded as the next Ric Flair, mainly to his long blonde hair, his great ring ability, and his interviewing skills. Soon after Austin left for WCW with Lady Blossom leading him to the WCW TV title, which he won from Bobby Eaton in June of 1991. When she stepped aside, Steve joined the Dangerous Alliance, managed by Paul E. and reclaimed the TV title from Barry Windham in May of 1992 to begin his second championship reign. He then joined Brian Pillman and formed the Hollywood Blondes tag team that many, including Mark Madden of WCW, call the greatest tag team of the decade. In March of 1993, Austin and Pillman took the WCW World tag belts from Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas and held them for over five months. The Blonds never really lost the belts. Loard Steven Regal replaced an injured Pillman the night Arn Anderson and Paul Roma won the title. After the loss Ausin went back to the single's circut and , managed by Col. Rob Parker, copped the WCW U.S. Crown, downing Dustin Rhodes (Goldust) on December 27th, 1993. He had a long reign, eventually losing the title to Steamboat on August 24th, 1994. Austin had two reigns as WCW U.S. champ, as he was awarded the title on September 18th, 1994 after a great feud with Ricky Steamboat which ended quickly when Steamboat took a bad bump from a slip off the top rope, and had to retire and hand the belt to Austin. Austin lost the US belt to Jim Duggan in 1994, and began having problems with the company. When he was injured in early 1995, Eric Bischoff released him from his contract, and Austin went on to ECW where he became Superstar Steve Austin. He started off by taking shots at Hulk Hogan and WCW, and worked on his interview skills with the company before returning to the ring. After getting beat by Mikey Whipwreck for the ECW title, he went on to the WWF where he became the Ringmaster. After his manager Ted Dibiase left the WWF, and the Ringmaster gimmick died, Austin went to Vince McMahon, and asked him what they were going to do with him. McMahon replied by saying that Austin could do whatever he wanted, because the WWF had no idea what to do with him. Austin started using his old ring name, except this time with Stone Cold as his monicker. He quickly got attention by bashing Dibiase for holding him back, and by using profanity. His attitude was definitely heelish, but he started gaining a huge following after winning the King of the Ring in 1996. After beating the scripture-quoting Jake "the snake" Roberts, Steve gave it back to him in spadesdes, spouting his own scripture: "Austin 3:16 says I just whooped you @$$!" He proved himself to be the toughest S.O.B. in wrestling at WrestleMania XIII where he faced Bret Hart in a submission match which had Ken Shamrock as the special guest referee. Hart caught Austin, who was bleeding from a cut above his eye, in his famed submission hold "The Sharpshooter," and applied pressure for what seemed to be forever. But Austin never tapped out. Austin eventually passed out from the loss of blood. Austin might have lost but he gained alot of respect. He then continued his vendetta with Hart. When Bret was side-lined with a knee injury, Austin focused on Bret's brother Owen Hart and brother-in-law "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Austin was forced to team with Shawn Michaels, and the combination worked when they came away with the victory and the belts. He came face-to-face with Owen at SummerSlam with Hart's Intercontinental title on the line and won, but he suffered a high price. In August, Austin suffered a career and life threatening neck injury known as "spinal shock syndrome," when Owen put him in the "tombstone piledriver." The night after that happened he challenged Hart to a rematch. WWF officials refused to allow Austin back into the ring until he got a doctor's clearance. He was even forced to give up the title. Austin took all of his anger out on people such as Jim Ross, Sgt. Slaughter and Vince McMahon. Austin retuened to the ring on October 3rd. He wonce again faced Owen for the belt, which Owen won in a tournament after Austin was forced to relinquish the belt. On that night he defeated Owen for his second reign as Intercontinental champion. Just over a month later, Austin shocked the world when he defeated Rocky Maivia and then handed over the belt to him, claiming that he had "bigger fish to fry." He explained his actions on Raw when he said to McMahon, " I done been the Intercontinental champion, I done been the Tag-Team champion. Hell son, there ain't but one belt in the Federation I'm interested in." So began Steve's quest for the WWF World championship, which he culminated in his WrestleMania XIV match against Michaels with boxer Mike Tyson as the special guest. No man can hold back this Texas tornado. The only thing that can put a damper on his brilliant career are the nagging neck injuries that have side-lined him before. Currently Steve Austin, carrying the WWF on his back, has been feuding with the Undertaker and Kane, and WWF owner Vince McMahon since he won the WWF belt. He lost the title at a first blood match against Kane, but regained it the next night on RAW. Right now, it looks like he will be teaming up with the Rock against the two brothers from the Darkside. Austin refereed the main event at IYH Judgement Night PPV and when both the participants, Kane and the Undertaker, were flat on their backs Austin declared himself to be the winner. This action provoked Vince McMahon to fire Austin, which ended the PPV with the announcers speculating whether it was the last time the Rattlesnake would be seen in a WWF ring. The next night on RAW, Austin kidnapped Vince using a gun and a bow and arrow. Stone Cold has now been reinstated behind Vinces back by his son, Shane McMahon. |