Even at 56 years old and retired since 2003, The Texas Rattlesnake remains one of the most popular wrestlers, having transcended the world of professional wrestling. The WWE Hall of Famer was the anti-hero everyone needed amid a transition in the industry, even though he gave off all the characteristics of a carefree villain. Stone Cold Steve Austin was everything Vince McMahon needed to outwork WCW and cement WWE as the major promotion back in the 1990s.
People wanted to watch Steve Austin flip the bird at his boss, and raise hell. Looks easy enough, however, ticket prices were high for viewing it. He completely changed the scene with his overall personality and charisma which more and more audience. There has never been a larger celebrity between the ropes than Stone Cold Steve Austin, with the Mr. McMahon persona serving as the ideal counterbalance.
Austin developed a strong fanbase during the Attitude Era and started it with his famous ‘3:16’ speech after winning the King of The Ring in 1996. He then started a long storied rivalry with the whole WWE management. Austin had a period in his career where he not only became the center of attention during the Attitude Era, but he also assumed leadership of WWE as its Chief Executive Officer.
Not everything in the McMahon family was well, even at the height of Steve Austin’s epic battle with Vince McMahon in 1999. Vince even tormented his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, through the Undertaker’s antics, believing him to be his adversary at the time, to defeat his archenemy. The mystery was finally solved on the Raw Is War episode, when Vince McMahon was exposed as the conspiracy mastermind and the “Higher Power” behind the Undertaker’s Ministry of Darkness.
#OnThisDayInWWE 25 years ago on #WWERaw:
Your new CEO of the WWF: Stone Cold Steve Austin! 🍻
That roar from the crowd!
"Oh yeah! Oh hell yeah! Look at the look on McMahon's face! The Boy Wonder has just wet himself!" – @JRsBBQ
"He's wearing a tie!" – @JerryLawler pic.twitter.com/4xFjkFiBDN
— On This Day in WWE (@OTD_in_WWE) June 7, 2024
Vince was confronted by Linda and Stephanie McMahon as a result, and they were shocked to learn that he had used his daughter as a pawn to get even with Austin. Unexpectedly, Linda and Stephanie chose to hand Steve Austin full ownership of WWE, designating him as the organization’s new CEO.
Steve Austin completely changed the working style of WWE on his first day as CEO
With significant authority to manage the business as he saw appropriate, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin decided to stop by the WWE headquarters in Stanford, Connecticut. On his first day as WWE CEO, Austin was prepared to make impromptu changes, and as soon as he stepped into Titan Towers, he went on a power trip.
https://x.com/90sWWE/status/1801595700876025998
Although the receptionist’s frequent phone attendance suited the corporate image, Austin showed her his no-nonsense approach and encouraged her to adopt it going forward. After that, the Texas Rattlesnake toured his own office, got to know his new staff, and set up a board meeting to tell the top executives about the new work environment he was instituting.
During the board meeting, Austin fired a tenured executive, promoted a junior employee, handed out new Austin 3:16 brochures outlining the company’s new working style, and ended the meeting by starting a traditional beer-drinking competition among the participants. Following that, he went to the accounts department, where he significantly lowered Shane McMahon’s and Vince McMahon’s salaries and demolished their office.
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Austin transformed the whole WWE Headquarters property after the day, starting from scratch. Even though his time as WWE CEO was brief, his iconic moments, savvy use of authority, and action-packed match against Vince and Shane McMahon undoubtedly contributed significantly to Austin’s legendary career in the company.
Steve Austin took Vince McMahon to the limit during the Attitude Era with his rebellious aura
The Texas Rattlesnake was portrayed as a tough, anti-establishment, rebellious character who disobeyed authority and went against social norms. Austin was a real outcast who followed his moral code instead of following the rules. A feud lasting as long as Vince McMahon vs. Steve Austin needs to have plenty of high points to demonstrate that both parties made excellent use of their time. McMahon and Austin have shared countless memorable moments in WWE, some of which have had legendary effects.
Fans still reminisce about incidents like Austin threatening Vince with a toy gun, dousing McMahon with beer via a hose, and damaging his car with concrete. WWE was given enough highlights to maintain the rivalry as the ultimate long-lasting power for eternity. When a great rivalry ends, most of them start something else. When Vince and Austin reconciled in a historic moment, WWE accomplished just that.
With Vince’s assistance, Austin defeated The Rock to capture the WWE Championship in the thrilling main event of WrestleMania 17. During his feud with McMahon, Austin rose to prominence in the WWE, which had a positive impact on business. WWE maintained growing its fan base while regaining the upper hand in the ratings war. The main distinction between WCW and WWE was Austin, who they never caught up with.
