5 matches that cemented Stone Cold Steve Austin's legacy in WWE

Few performers in the business of professional wrestling, let alone WWE, have carved a legacy like Stone Cold Steve Austin.

The Texas Rattlesnake was the poster boy of one of WWE's most influential and popular eras known as the Attitude Era in the late 90s. The WWE Hall of Famer had some memorable feuds with greats like The Undertaker, Mick Foley, Triple H, The Rock and most famously Vince McMahon. His anti-hero avatar, in which he stood up against the company's tyrannical boss, is often reminisced about by fans.

Stone Cold soared in the business, and is a former six-time WWE Champion, two-time Intercontinental Champion and a four-time Tag Team Champion. Apart from these much-deserved accolades, he also won the Royal Rumble on a whopping three occasions.

Unfortunately, The Texas Rattlesnake had to hang up his wrestling boots in 2003 due to multiple neck injuries. This was disheartening for fans as the WWE great left in-ring action too soon.

With that being said, Austin continued to play an on-screen authority role on Monday Night RAW for the better part of 2003 and 2004 and still makes sporadic appearances in Vince McMahon's promotion.

On the occasion of his 57th birthday on December 18, we dive into five matches that cemented Stone Cold Steve Austin's legacy in WWE:

#5 Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Undertaker - SummerSlam 1998

Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker had one of the most storied rivalries during the Attitude Era.

The two stalwarts locked horns at SummerSlam 1998 for the WWE Championship. Austin not only had to confront the might of the Phenom, but also his kayfabe half-brother Kane who was lurking around in the arena.

The match was an entertaining affair as both superstars gave it their all, with the action even spilling outside the ring. Kane made an appearance during the bout, but was sent away by The Undertaker who would not allow outside interference.

After going back and forth, Austin was able to overcome The Deadman with a Stone Cold Stunner as he retained his WWE Championship. The Undertaker immediately sat up after being pinned and grabbed the belt from the referee as he stared down Austin.

It seemed The Phenom would hit Stone Cold with the belt but instead handed it over to The Rattlesnake in a show of respect. Austin certainly won The Phenom's respect and moreover the respect of the WWE Universe in attendance with this mighty fine showing.

#4 Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania 14

The match against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 14 was one of the biggest stepping stones for Stone Cold Steve Austin to completely usher in The Attitude Era.

HBK entered the contest as the WWE Champion, however he had a severely injured back due to a bump he took on the casket in a match against The Undertaker at Royal Rumble 1998.

'Iron' Mike Tyson was the special enforcer as Austin looked to dethrone Michaels for the WWE Championship. Austin and Tyson had had their differences leading up to WrestleMania 14 and fans wondered if the two would come to blows on the 'Grandest Stage of Them All.'

In a surprising turn of events, Tyson helped Austin secure the pinfall. The Rattlesnake gave his all in this contest as he overcame a resilient Michaels. The match was truly epic, and scenes of Stone Cold celebrating with Tyson over a battered Mr. WrestleMania are remembered by fans to date.

#3 Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Triple H - No Way Out 2001

Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin were not only the fiercest of rivals but also one of the best tag teams during the Attitude Era.

At No Way Out 2001, Stone Cold was out for revenge against The Game, who had instructed Rikishi to run over Austin in a car. This resulted in the first ever Three-Stages of Hell contest.

It was basically a two-out of three falls match. The first fall would be a standard wrestling match, the second fall a street fight and the final fall would be contested in a steel cage.

Austin won the first fall in a standard wrestling match, with Triple H winning the street fight in the second contest. The third contest in the steel cage saw both superstars give their all despite being bruised by the beating they had already lashed out at each other.

In the end, Triple H hit Stone Cold with a sledgehammer as Austin simultaneously hit Triple H with a 2X4 wrapped in barbed wire. The Game then fell onto Austin as the referee counted the pinfall, giving the former a lucky victory.

The match was surely one for the ages. While Triple H might have triumphed 2-1, Austin undoubtedly won hearts with his tremendous showing.

#2 Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock - WrestleMania 17

The Rock and Stone Cold were two of the biggest superstars during the Attitude Era.

The two icons had some classic bouts at WrestleMania, going head-to-head on three occasions with The Rattlesnake prevailing on two. At WrestleMania 17, the two greats locked horns for the WWE Championship in one of the best Mania matches ever.

The superstars were the biggest babyfaces at the time but what happened in the contest left everyone surprised. Austin, for the first time since 1997, turned heel and sided with his arch nemesis, Vince McMahon, who helped The Rattlesnake secure the pinfall.

The match itself was incredible as both superstars dished out punishment to each other in an edge-of-the-seat affair. Seeing Austin shake hands with the boss after the contest is one of the most memorable in WrestleMania history.

#1 Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Bret Hart - WrestleMania 13

Bret Hart and Stone Cold's rivalry has been well documented in WWE. This was the passing of the torch from one great of the past to another great of the present.

At Survivor Series 1996, The Rattlesnake showed The Excellence of Execution that he wasn't a superstar Bret could take lightly. Austin gave it his all in the bout which set this rivalry in motion.

At WrestleMania 13, Bret and Austin's feud reached boiling point with both superstars willing to go the distance to conquer the other. The match was simply awesome as both superstars didn't give an inch. Bret tried to dominate but every time he gained control Austin came back strong.

In the end, Hitman locked Stone Cold in the Sharpshooter, The Rattlesnake didn't tap out but passed out in defiance, giving Hart the victory. The resilience that Austin had shown made him a fan favorite, which also set his WWE domination into motion as The Attitude Era began to take effect.