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Stone Cold Steve Austin is arguably the greatest WWE Superstar of all time. He helped usher in a new era at a time when the competition was stiff from WCW. Steve Austin is known for a lot of things including his feud with Vince McMahon, which was the main storyline during The Attitude Era.
Austin is a six-time WWE Champion, the only three-time Royal Rumble winner, and the 1996 King of the Ring winner. His career was unfortunately cut short following the devastating neck injury he suffered at the hands of the late Owen Hart at SummerSlam 1997. However, he recovered from this setback only to retire just over five years later.
As always, there has been debate on who the greatest of all time is. Many names come to minds such as Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Ric Flair, John Cena, and The Texas Rattlesnake himself. But, is Austin the best to ever step inside the squared circle? All things considered, let's look at why Stone Cold is not the greatest of all time.
#3. Stone Cold Steve Austin had a short stint at the top
Unlike his predecessor, Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold’s stint at the top was a short one. He didn't even have long title reigns. His longest title reign, which lasted five months, came in 2001 after he defeated The Rock to capture the gold at WrestleMania 17.
Vince has always given its top guy long title reigns to cement their place as a major player. The likes of Cena, CM Punk, Hulk Hogan, and Brock Lesnar had significant title reigns that helped solidify them as the face of the company. Stone Cold had an exciting first title reign that commenced at Wrestlemania 14 but only lasted for three months.
A yearlong title reign would have made Austin stand out on the list of all-time greats. It is a shame that the man who ushered in The Attitude Era never had a long title reign that he so deserved. However, Steve Austin is still among the all-time greats.
#2. Stone Cold Steve Austin had few marquee matches
Stone Cold Steve Austin did not have 5-star matches but is given credit for his anti-establishment persona and attitude. Stars like Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart are always apart of the all-time greats conversation following the magnificent matches they had throughout their careers. This is not the case with Stone Cold, as the Texas Rattlesnake had decent matches, but very few are viewed as the greatest matches of all-time.
His most memorable match was at Wrestlemania 13 against Bret Hart in what many considered to be the moment that turned Austin into a fan favorite. The picture of Stone Cold sobbing in a pool of his own blood is legendary.
His bouts against The Rock at WrestleMania were huge but they weren't five-star matches. Despite this, the feuds he had were thrilling and the storylines were breathtaking. If the storylines were as good as the physical contests, then Steve Austin would have been in a class of his own as an all-time great.
#1. Stone Cold Steve Austin was forced into an early retirement
Stone Cold had a great WWE run. Most pundits believe that Stone Cold would have had an even bigger career if he stayed with the company longer. The neck injury he suffered SummerSlam in 1997 undoubtedly shortened his career. Many wonder what could have been if Austin didn't injure his neck. He probably would have won more championships and have more memorable matches. He could have possibly participated in a few more WrestleMania main events.
Austin made his WWE in-ring debut in January 1996 and rose to stardom at the 1996 King of the Ring tournament after he defeated Jake "The Snake" Roberts. He became immensely popular and helped The Attitude Era become the most lucrative period in pro wrestling history in 1998. Stone Cold wrestled his last match at WrestleMania 19 against his long-time adversary The Rock and quietly retired afterward. If he never suffered the neck injury, his legacy would have been on another level, but much respect to Austin for everything he achieved within a short time.
