Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Most Iconic Catchphrase of All Time: Austin 3:16

By DeQwan Young
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Updated: March 16, 2020

The Texas Rattlesnake

Steve Williams was born in Austin Texas in 1964. Though he would move to Edna, Texas and spend his youth playing football, baseball, and running track. He grew up watching Houston Wrestling, and by age 7 he knew he wanted to be a professional wrestler.

“There are so many things that I’ve forgotten in my career, things I’ve done, but I’ll never ever forget the moment I changed the channel, and found professional wrestling”.

At that moment He fell in love with the business. After graduating high school in Edna, Stone Cold would go on to attend the University of North Texas, on a full scholarship to play football (after a small stint at Wharton Jr college). North Texas was 30 minutes away from Dallas; home of the Von Erich’s, who also attended North Texas to play football, and the Fabulous Freebirds.

Every Friday and Saturday they would wrestle at the world-famous Dallas Sportatorium. The same place Steve and his college teammates would spend their Friday nights. Stone Cold then figured out exactly how he would make his dreams a reality.

He saw a commercial for the Gentleman Chris Adams wrestling school. He progressed really slowly, and in his words, he sucked. But he had the look, he had the will, and the determination; and he picked up some attitude along the way. He was given his first opportunity by Jerry Jarrett and USWA wrestling.

It would be in Nashville, Tennessee, where he would meet Dutch Mantell. Upon meeting Dutch, Steve would introduce himself, but there was a problem. There was already a Steve Williams wrestling. To avoid confusion Mantell gave Steve a new name, Steve Austin. Citing Austin, Texas, and an old heel wrestler, Killer Buddy Austin. Steve didn’t like it. Because of Lee major’s and the 6-million-dollar man.

It stuck anyway.

Austin would become a student of the craft watching every match on every show. Gaining experience and getting better. He would then get his biggest shot, turning heel and becoming “Stunning” Steve Austin, as Jerry Jarrett put him in a feud against his mentor, “Gentleman” Chris Adams. Through that rivalry people started to take notice; with Austin winning the 1990 Rookie of the Year for Pro Wrestling Illustrated. WCW would then come a knocking.

Stunning

Stunning Steve Austin would rise quickly through the ranks in WCW, winning the Television Title from “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton in just a few weeks after his debut. But along with two United States Title reigns and another TV title reign, he would hit his ceiling as a singles competitor in WCW. WCW brass didn’t feel that Steve Austin was marketable. He was a blue collar guy and that’s it. He’d win Tag Team gold with Brain Pillman as a part of the Hollywood Blondes, and later be fired by a young executive named Eric Bischoff after suffering a triceps tear.Austin was unemployed.

He’d be contacted by Paul Heyman, formerly Paul E. Dangerously of the Dangerous Alliance. Austin couldn’t wrestle due to the triceps tear, but Heyman would give Austin a platform to talk. He used ECW to develop the character of Stone Cold Steve Austin, cutting promos about his frustrations in WCW. Because that’s who Steve Williams was. He showed up for work. He’s a blue-collar guy that gives you 100% and WCW didn’t recognize that. In His ECW promos he developed a chip on his shoulder and would use those frustrations along with the ECW platform to get signed by the WWF.

The WWF

The Ringmaster debuted with Ted Debiase as his mouthpiece. When Vince signed Austin, he said he was impressed with his skills but not overly impressed with his charisma. It was a step back for Austin and he thought the character was weak. So, he proposed a name change to “The Iceman” based on a hitman in the Chicago mob, Richard Kuklinski. Vince countered with three names based on the character Austin just pitched.

Otto Von Ruthless

Ice Dagger and

Fang McFrost.

Austin’s wife at the time would drop a line on him about “drinking his tea before it got stone cold”. Stone Cold Steve Austin was born. With his new persona and the loss of Ted Dibiase who had to “kayfabe” leave town because Austin lost a strap match to Savio Vega. Austin would shave his head and adapt the moniker of “Stone Cold Steve Austin”. Austin would build momentum over the next few months as his stock began to rise. King of the Ring 1996 would be where his star would take off.

Thanks to a small gaffe by Triple H notoriously known as the curtain all stone old would be net in line for a big push. He would defeat Jake the Snake Roberts and deliver the most iconic catchphrase in wrestling history. It would be his famous Austin 3:16 promo that would lead him to the stratosphere. A 6-time WWE champion, and the undisputed number one wrestler of all time on everybody’s list, Steve Williams was born on December 18th, 1964, but we celebrate Stone Cold Steve Austin on 3:16. Happy 3 16 day folks.

Happy 3:16 day folks.