10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin
"Michael "PS" Hayes showed Austin the "Ace Crusher", the weapon of choice for Johnny Ace (aka John Laurinaitis), and suggested a sitdown version of the move - and thus the Stone Cold Stunner was born..."
4. TV Star
Austin was the man on top of the WWE mountain when Raw is War took control of the ratings war with WCW's Monday Nitro. His segments were must-see, whether he was destroying somebody's vehicle, doling out a Stunner or two, or even just simply taking part in a match. Austin was a ratings magnet in his time as WWE kingpin, and even in retirement: the Raw 25th Anniversary show did insane numbers, thanks almost solely to Austin abusing the McMahons in the opening bit.
Austin can also take credit for being part of the highest-rated segment in Raw history. While some sources erroneously claim that The Rock's "This is Your Life" skit was Raw's zenith, in truth, Austin's victory over WWE Champion The Undertaker on the June 28, 1999 shows has never been topped. The match did a 9.5 TV rating, accounting for just under 11 million viewers. To put that in perspective, today's episodes of Raw average about 2.7 million viewers a show. When Austin was gunning for the belt, his constituents had his back, even at the 11 o'clock hour.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.
