10 Bold decisions by Vince McMahon to push up the ratings

#8 The phenomenon: Stone Cold Steve Austin

His best creation

Austin donned various gimmicks as part of World Championship Wrestling and his crossover to their fierce rivals WWE didn’t bring him any glory during his formative years as “The Ringmaster”. It was only after a close revamp of his persona and the adoption of a new gimmick that he turned into the bald anti-hero who took the United States by storm.

The Stone Cold character became synonymous with the success of the WWE, trumping WCW to a rather uneasy secondary spot, courtesy the storylines involving the boss and the anti-establishment Texas Rattlesnake. Arguably, Austin’s emergence onto the scene is what infused the “attitude” in the Attitude Era on which the WWE’s laurels still rest, unperturbed.