5 WWE Superstars who were compared to Stone Cold Steve Austin

It has been over 16 years since possibly the greatest Superstar to ever step foot inside the squared circle retired from Professional Wrestling. Stone Cold Steve Austin met his arch-rival The Rock for the third time at a WrestleMania, with The Brahma Bull finally bagging a win over his toughest foe ever. He wrestled a couple more matches before hanging up his boots for good. Ever since his retirement, dirt sheets and the WWE Universe have clamored for someone to excite and entertain them as much as Austin did.

Over the years, several Superstars have emerged who were compared to The Texas Rattlesnake. While none of them managed to match the intensity, charisma, and drawing power that Austin once possessed, this didn't stop many from drawing comparisons between them and the Hall of Famer. Let's take a look at 5 Superstars who have been compared with Stone Cold Steve Austin.

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#5. Randy Orton

Orton and Austin

The former Legend Killer turned Viper was the most hated heel in WWE back in 2009 when he targeted the McMahon family on the road to WrestleMania 25. Soon after, he turned babyface after splitting with his Legacy lackeys and went on to defeat Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase at WrestleMania 26.

Orton's cold and calculated demeanour became an instant hit among the fans and the fact that he was the most unpredictable Superstar at that time was instrumental in fans and wrestling experts drawing comparisons between him and Austin.

Additionally, Orton's finisher, the RKO looked incredibly similar to Austin's Stunner. Both men had feuded with the McMahon family and were what many would call 'lone wolfs'. A potential matchup between these two Superstars soon began being dubbed as a dream match, a generational clash if you will. Sadly, we never got to see these two square off, due to Austin not being fit enough to come back.

#4. Dean Ambrose

Ambrose on Austin's podcast

The comparisons between Dean Ambrose and Stone Cold Steve Austin took off after the implosion of The Shield. Seth Rollins betrayed his brothers to join forces with Triple H and Randy Orton, resulting in Ambrose looking to exact revenge on him. The two Superstars met in a Lumberjack match at SummerSlam, which Ambrose lost, followed by two more losses, after which he kicked off a feud with Bray Wyatt.

At the time, Ambrose truly embraced the gimmick of "The Lunatic Fringe", someone who was uncontrollable and unpredictable, similar to what Austin was back in the day. At Money in the Bank 2016, Ambrose cashed in his briefcase to defeat Rollins and win the WWE World Heavyweight title, seconds after the villain had won the same by putting down Roman Reigns. Ambrose also appeared on Austin's podcast, and it was nothing short of intriguing to see two very similar personalities chat and share stories from their careers.

#3. Becky Lynch

Lynch with Stone Cold

Becky Lynch was the last person anyone would ever compare with someone like Stone Cold Steve Austin. This was back in 2018 when she was still donning the persona of a cheerful, joyous babyface.

Lynch's heel turn at SummerSlam 2018 gave a much-needed change to her character. She soon became "The Man", and the rise in her popularity resulted in WWE giving her an opportunity of a lifetime. Lynch went on to defeat Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair to win the Raw and SmackDown Live Women's titles in the main event of WrestleMania 35.

Comparisons between Austin and Lynch began soon after she became "The Man". Lynch went on to address Austin on several occasions on Twitter and recently appeared on his new show. Lynch's no-nonsense attitude, her ruthless demeanour, and the fact that she is more of an anti-hero than a babyface makes it easier for the fans to draw comparisons between the two.

#2. Kevin Owens

Owens: The new Austin?

A few weeks ago on SmackDown Live, Kevin Owens turned babyface after losing a tag team match and attacking his partner Dolph Ziggler with a thunderous Stunner. Soon after, Owens cut a scathing pipe bomb on the evil authority figure, Shane McMahon. Ever since then, Owens has stunned Shane on various occasions and a recent report suggested that WWE is grooming him to become this generation's Stone Cold Steve Austin.

The comparisons between these two athletes stemmed from the fact that Owens is using Stone Cold's Stunner as his finishing move. Both are incredibly talented trash talkers, and the WWE Universe is beginning to get behind Owens as the vigilante babyface who is trying to rid them of the evil boss. If handled correctly, Owens could very well establish himself as this generation's Austin. He is all set to face Shane McMahon at SummerSlam, with the stipulation stating that a loss would result in his departure from WWE.

#1. CM Punk

CM Punk with Steve Austin and Jim Ross.

Here comes the guy who established himself as his generation's Stone Cold Steve Austin, more than anyone else ever did. CM Punk went from a dastardly heel to the voice of the voiceless, over the summer of 2011. His pipe-bomb promo on an episode of Raw shook the wrestling world to its core and turned him into a top star overnight.

CM Punk spent the next several months feuding with Vince McMahon and Triple H, clamouring for bringing in a change to the company. He soon won the WWE title again, kicking off a 434-day reign that ended at Royal Rumble 2013 when The Rock dethroned him.

Punk was the definition of an anti-hero, who took it upon himself to face the authority and try to change things around him. The comparisons between him and Austin led to WWE teasing a potential match between the two, during a heated-up sitdown interview with Jim Ross.