View source for Stone Cold Steve Austin

{{Infobox US topic
| topic = Stone Cold Steve Austin
| image = Stone_Cold_Steve_Austin.png
| caption = Stone Cold Steve Austin in his prime
| category = Pop culture
}}

= Stone Cold Steve Austin =

'''Stone Cold Steve Austin''', born '''Steven James Anderson''' (later Steven Williams), is a retired American professional wrestler, actor, and television host. He rose to superstardom in the late 1990s as the rebellious anti-hero of WWE’s ''Attitude Era'' and is widely regarded as one of the most influential and popular wrestlers of all time.

== Early Life ==
* Born on '''December 18, 1964''' in '''Austin, Texas'''
* Played college football at North Texas State University
* Trained as a professional wrestler in 1989 by Chris Adams in Texas

== Wrestling Career ==
* Started in '''World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW)''' and '''WCW''', where he was known as "Stunning" Steve Austin
* Joined WWE in 1995 and rebranded as "Stone Cold"
* Breakthrough came at '''King of the Ring 1996''' with his famous promo:
  > "Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your!"

== Signature Traits ==
* Known for his anti-authority character and feud with [[Vince McMahon]]
* Famous catchphrases include:
  - “And that’s the bottom line, ‘cause Stone Cold said so!”
  - “What?”
* Trademark actions:
  - Smashing beer cans in the ring
  - Delivering the '''Stone Cold Stunner''' finisher

== Achievements ==
* '''6-time WWE Champion'''
* '''3-time Royal Rumble winner''' (1997, 1998, 2001)
* WWE Hall of Fame inductee (2009)
* Main-evented several [[WrestleMania]]s, including iconic matches vs. [[The Rock]] and Bret Hart

== Retirement and Legacy ==
* Retired due to neck and knee injuries in 2003
* Remains involved with WWE through guest appearances, podcasts, and hosting roles
* Starred in movies like ''The Condemned'' and hosts reality shows like ''Broken Skull Challenge''
* Widely considered the face of the **Attitude Era** and a major contributor to WWE's 1990s boom

== Personal Life ==
* Known for his blue-collar Texan persona, Austin owns a ranch called the “Broken Skull Ranch”
* Runs the '''Steve Austin Show''' podcast and his '''Broken Skull IPA''' beer line

== Legacy ==
* Consistently ranked among the greatest WWE superstars of all time
* Credited with helping WWE defeat WCW in the “Monday Night Wars”
* Inducted into the [[WWE Hall of Fame]] by Vince McMahon himself

== See Also ==
* [[WWE]]
* [[Attitude Era]]
* [[The Rock]]
* [[WrestleMania]]
* [[WWE Hall of Fame]]
* [[Professional wrestling]]