Stone Cold Steve Austin | |
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Austin at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con
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Born |
Steven James Anderson December 18, 1964 Austin, Texas, United States |
Residence |
Tilden, Texas, United States Los Angeles, California, United States |
Alma mater | University of North Texas |
Occupation | Professional wrestler, actor, producer |
Years active | 1989–2003 (wrestler) 1998–present (actor) |
Spouse(s) |
Kathryn Burrhus (m. 1990–92) Lady Blossom (m. 1992–99) Debra Marshall (m. 2000–03) Kristin Feres (m. 2009) |
Children | 3 |
Website | BrokenSkullRanch.com |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | The Ringmaster Steve Austin Steve Williams Stunning Steve |
Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
Billed weight | 252 lb (114 kg) |
Billed from | Victoria, Texas |
Trained by | Chris Adams |
Debut | September 26, 1989 |
Retired | March 30, 2003 |
Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson on December 18, 1964, later Steven James Williams), better known by the ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American actor, media personality, producer, and retired professional wrestler who is signed to a legend's contract for WWE.
He gained significant mainstream popularity in the WWE (then known as the World Wrestling Federation) in the late 1990s as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, a disrespectful, beer-drinking antihero who routinely defied the establishment and his boss, company chairman Vince McMahon; this persona of Austin's became the top star and "poster boy" of the Attitude Era, a boom period in WWF business in the late 1990s and early 2000s and was one of the biggest factors in helping the WWF win the ratings war against their competition, World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Several prominent industry figures, including McMahon, have since declared Austin to be the biggest star in WWF/E history, while stressing that he surpassed the popularity of Hulk Hogan. Austin also devised the long-standing "What?" chant in pro wrestling.
Austin held 19 championships throughout his wrestling career; he is a six-time WWF Champion, a two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion, and a four-time WWF Tag Team Champion, thus making him the fifth Triple Crown Champion in WWE history, while also being a two-time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion, a two-time WCW World Television Champion, a one-time WCW World Tag Team Champion, and a one-time NWA World Tag Team Champion in WCW.