6 foot 2, 252 pounds
                        Victoria, Texas
                        Date of birth: Dec. 18, 1964

                        Favorite Quote: "And that's the bottom line,
                        'cause Stone Cold said so!"

                        Finishing Move: Stone Cold Stunner

                        Career highlights: World Wrestling Federation
                        Championship (4), Intercontinental (2), Tag Team
                        (2), 1996 King Of The Ring, 1998 Royal Rumble
                        winner.

                        Stone Cold Steve Austin. The mere mention of his
                        name will bring any sold-out crowd to its feet in a
                        crazed frenzy. Never before has the world of
                        sports-entertainment seen a phenomenon like the
                        one that Stone Cold Steve Austin has created. At
                        any live event you attend, all you see is a sea of
                        Austin 3:16. Why? 'Cause Stone Cold said so!

                        When the Texas Rattlesnake entered the Mecca
                        Arena in Milwaukee, for the 1996 King Of The
                        Ring, he never could have imagined that before
                        the evening was through, he would change the
                        entire face of the wrestling world. After beating
                        the Bible-referencing Jake "The Snake" Roberts to
                        become King Of The Ring, Austin accepted his
                        crown, and upon doing so informed Roberts that
                        "Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your ass!" With
                        that simple phrase, Austin became the most
                        popular superstar to ever compete in this sport.

                        Some peers say Stone Cold Steve Austin is a
                        suicide machine with lack of regard for authority
                        and rules. But you can't deny this superstar is
                        tougher than leather when he steps through the
                        ring ropes. Without a doubt, there are still plenty
                        of unwritten chapters in the book of Austin 3:16!
In 1989, Steve Austin was living in Texas and
                        working on the loading docks unloading trucks.
                        His football scholarship at North Texas State
                        University had run out, and this was his only way
                        of making some cash.

                        During that time, he would often go to the
                        Sportatorium in Dallas to watch the Von Erichs
                        wrestle. Steve had always been a fan of the
                        sport, having watched Paul Boesch’s Houston
                        Wrestling on television while growing up. After
                        work one day, Steve saw an ad for a wrestling
 school run by Chris Adams. He decided to take a shot at it, and five months later
 (in 1990), he had his first professional wrestling match for World Class
 Championship Wrestling. During his tenure in WCCW, Austin and Adams engaged
 in a bitter feud – with the student eventually toppling his teacher.

 In 1991, "Stunning" Steve Austin debuted in World Championship Wrestling. Austin
 spent the next five years in the promotion. As a singles competitor, the Texan
 captured the organization’s Television Championship from Bobby Eaton on June 3,
 1991, and went on to hold that title until April 27, 1992. Austin regained the title
 on May 23 from Barry Windham, and held it until September 2 when he lost it to
 Windham.

 The following year, Austin won the WCW United States Championship, defeating
 Dustin Rhodes on December 27, 1993. He held the belt for eight months, finally
 losing it on August 24, 1994, to Ricky Steamboat. He went on to hold the U.S.
 Championship for a second time later that year.

 Perhaps the highlight of Austin’s WCW tenure was his partnership with "Flyin"
 Brian Pillman. Vocal, tough and exciting, the "Hollywood Blonds" were truly a team
 ahead of their time. On March 2, 1993, the Blonds defeated Shane Douglas and
 Ricky Steamboat to become World Tag Team Champions.

 The Blonds quickly became the most recognizable tandem in the promotion. But
 after they lost their title belts on August 18, 1993, the powers-that-be at WCW
 decided that Austin wouldn’t get over without a gimmick. According to the front
 office, a wrestler in black boots and black trunks wasn’t marketable.

 During a tour of Japan in late 1994, the tough Texan tore his tricep and
 subsequently underwent surgery to repair it. While in rehab, the WCW hierarchy
 decided to fire him. But instead of bringing Steve into the front office to do it face
 to face, they took the cowardly way out and fired him over the phone. According to
 Austin, WCW treated him like a "complete jackass," and he was hell-bent on
 making them pay!

 After a brief run in ECW, Steve Austin signed a deal with the World Wrestling
 Federation in late 1995. Instead of letting the superstar "tear-ass" through the
 ranks, he was given the moniker of the "Ring Master" and was issued a
 mouthpiece in the form of Ted DiBiase. The Texan knew he was trapped and
 planned a swift escape.
One day Austin was talking with his then-wife
                        when she told him to drink his tea before it got
                        "stone cold" and a name was born.

                        A couple of months later, at the In Your House:
                        "Beware of Dog" Pay-Per-View on May 16, 1996,
                        Austin lost a Caribbean Strap Match to Savio
                        Vega. Due to a match stipulation, DiBiase then
                        had to leave the Federation.

                        With the perfect nickname Austin now had the
                        chance to stand on his own. And on June 23,
 1996, he was given the forum to show what he could do in the squared circle.
 That was the night of the King of the Ring. Austin’s semifinal opponent was
 "Wildman" Marc Mero, who he quickly vanquished. During the course of the match,
 he accidentally bit his lip, and after the war, he needed over a dozen stitches!

 Still, he carried on, and stepped into the ring for the King of the Ring finals against
 Federation legend Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Roberts had his ribs injured earlier
 in the night, and Stone Cold capitalized, eventually pinning Roberts for the King of
 the Ring crown!

 During the coronation ceremony, the superstar was finally given the opportunity to
 speak his mind – and the era of "Austin 3:16" was born! "You thump your Bible,
 talk about John 3:16," said Austin to Jake Roberts. "But Austin 3:16 says I just
 whipped your ass!"

 Over the next few months, Austin scored convincing victories over such superstars
 as Mero, Yokozuna and Triple H. But when gossip started to flare about Bret Hart
 possibly making a return to the Federation, Austin jumped on it. He verbally
 degraded the Hit Man, spitting on his Federation legacy. Finally, the Hit Man
 announced that he would indeed return to the Federation, and that he would face
 Austin at the 1996 Survivor Series.

 The two battled back and forth for a while, before Austin locked the Hit Man in
 DiBiase’s "Million Dollar Dream" sleeper hold. But Bret managed to reverse the
 hold to capture the victory. As Hart celebrated, Austin cursed his former
 manager’s name and vowed to never make the same mistake again.

 Two months later at the 1997 Royal Rumble, Austin vowed to throw the 29 other
 superstars over the top rope to earn a Federation Championship match at
 WrestleMania 13. Although Austin managed to pull out a controversial Rumble win,
 Hart’s whining about the outcome cost the Rattlesnake his title shot.

 The Federation Championship was up for grabs heading into February’s In Your
 House: "Final Four" Pay-Per-View, and Austin and Hart were put into a Fatal Four
 Way Match, along with the Undertaker and Vader. Again, Hart cost Austin the
 match and took the title for himself. But this time, Austin didn’t take it sitting down.
The following night on RAW, Hart defended the
                        championship against Sycho Sid. Late in the
                        match, Hart had Sid in the Sharpshooter when
                        Austin smashed the Hit Man over the head with a
                        steel chair, costing Hart the championship. The
                        stage was set for a showdown at WrestleMania
                        13.

                        But a regular match wasn’t enough. Federation
                        officials booked the match to be a Submission
                        Match, and even went so far as to name
                        submission specialist Ken Shamrock as the special
 guest referee. The winner of the match would be the man to make his opponent
 say, "I quit!"

 Leading up to the Pay-Per-View, Austin swore that he would never utter those two
 words. Indeed, the match at the Pay-Per-View stole the show, and Austin never
 did say "I quit." Late in the match, Austin was bleeding profusely, and Austin
 passed out from the pain. Shamrock stopped the match. But as Austin left the
 ringside area, the sold-out crowd at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago began to
 chant "Austin, Austin."

 The following month, Austin again faced Bret Hart at the In Your House: "Revenge
 of the Taker" Pay-Per-View. Austin won by disqualification, and the next night on
 RAW, he again challenged Hart, this time to a No Holds Barred Street Fight.

 During that match, Austin brutalized Bret’s knee, putting the Hit Man in his own
 Sharpshooter. Hart had to be taken off in an ambulance, but Austin wasn’t finished
 yet. He hid in the ambulance and once again attacked Hart, disabling the Canadian
 for the next three months.

 In May 1997, Austin finally received his first shot at the World Wrestling Federation
 Championship, when he took on the Undertaker at In Your House: "A Cold Day in
 Hell." Austin had the match won, but Brian Pillman rang the bell early, which made
 the referee stop his count. Pillman then distracted Austin, allowing the Undertaker
 to Tombstone piledrive the Rattlesnake to successfully defend his title.

 Austin was irate. He declared war on the Hart Foundation – the faction that
 included Pillman, Bret, Owen Hart, the British Bulldog and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.

 On the May 25 episode of RAW, Austin reluctantly teamed with Shawn Michaels to
 take on Owen and the Bulldog, the reigning tag team champions. Although Austin
 and Michaels had their problems, they managed to upset Owen and the Bulldog for
 the belts, and Austin had his first taste of Federation gold.

 But there was no joy in Mudville – Austin and Michaels just couldn’t get along! The
 two co-holders of the Federation Tag Team Championship actually squared off
 one on one at the King of the Ring on June 8, 1997! The match ended in a double
 disqualification.
Due to an injury to Michaels, the duo was stripped
                        of the Federation Tag Team Championship. A
                        tournament was held, with the winners to face
                        Austin and a partner of his choice on the July 14
                        edition of RAW.

                        But before that, Austin was involved in a huge
                        10-man showdown at In Your House: "Canadian
                        Stampede." Austin – who by this point was as
                        hated in Canada as he was loved in the United
                        States – teamed with the Legion of Doom, Ken
                        Shamrock and Goldust to take on the Hart
 Foundation. After a 30-minute war, Austin was pinned by Owen Hart. The
 Rattlesnake swore revenge on Owen, the then Intercontinental Champion.

 Owen and the Bulldog wound up winning the Tag Team Tournament, but when
 Austin came to the ring on the July 14 RAW, he was alone. Suddenly, music
 started to play and Dude Love – one of Mick Foley’s alter egos – strutted his way
 to the ring. A few minutes later, Stone Cold stunned the Bulldog, and Dude pinned
 the Bulldog for the win and the Tag Team Championship.

 One belt just wasn’t enough for Austin. The Rattlesnake’s next target was the
 Intercontinental Championship, in part because he wanted more gold, and also
 because the championship was around Owen Hart’s waist. Austin challenged
 Owen Hart to a championship match at SummerSlam, and he said that if he
 couldn’t beat the Hart Foundation member, he would "kiss his ass" right in the
 middle of the ring!

 The 1997 SummerSlam will go down in history as a memorable night in Austin’s
 career for two reasons. One, he pinned Owen to win his first singles title. The
 second reason is because at one point in the match when Owen attempted to
 execute a piledriver, he landed awkwardly and Austin landed right on his head.
 Austin suffered a "stinger," and was unable to move for more than a minute
 before he miraculously was able to roll Owen up for the 1-2-3.

 Because of the impact of the piledriver, Austin was declared ineligible to compete
 and stripped of both the Intercontinental Championship and the Tag Team
 Championship. Both titles were put up for grabs, the Tag Team Championship in a
 Fatal Four Way Match and the Intercontinental Championship in a tournament.

 The Tag Team Championship was decided at September’s In Your House: "Ground
 Zero" in a match between Owen and the Bulldog, the Headbangers, the Godwinns
 and the Legion of Doom. With only the Headbangers and Owen and the Bulldog
 remaining, it seemed that the Hart Foundation members would regain their titles.
 But Austin made his way to ringside, delivered a Stone Cold Stunner to Owen and
 helped the Headbangers become Federation Tag Team Champions!
One month later at October’s In Your House:
                        "Badd Blood," Owen met Faarooq in the finals of
                        the Intercontinental Title Tournament. But this
                        time, Austin was instrumental in helping the Hart
                        Foundation member win the title, as he smashed
                        Faarooq across the face with the title belt,
                        allowing Hart to capture the pinfall and the title.

                        But why would Austin help his archrival win the
                        title? Simple. Mere weeks later, Austin was
                        proclaimed fit to compete, and he challenged
                        Owen to a title match at the Survivor Series!
 Austin had helped Owen to win the title so he could once again take it from him!
 The cocky Hart – still confident after the damage he’d inflicted at SummerSlam –
 agreed to a match.

 At the 1997 Survivor Series, Austin made quick work of Owen, taking just over
 four minutes to win the Intercontinental Championship for a second time. The era
 of Austin, which had been on hold three months earlier, was now right back on
 track.

 At December’s In Your House: "Degeneration X," Austin retained the title from The
 Rock. But the following night on RAW when Austin was forced to once again
 defend the title against the third-generation superstar, Austin refused and instead
 forfeited the belt! According to Austin, he had bigger fish to fry – his pursuit of the
 World Wrestling Federation Championship!

 Heading into the 1998 Royal Rumble, Austin knew he was a marked man. So he
 took every opportunity he could to attack his fellow superstars! At the
 Pay-Per-View, as soon as the glass broke in Austin’s entrance music, every
 superstar battling in the ring stopped and awaited Austin’s entry into the ring. But
 the Rattlesnake surprised everyone by attacking from behind. At the end of the
 Rumble, Austin was the one man left standing, earning a WrestleMania title match
 against the "Heartbreak Kid," Shawn Michaels!

 Austin’s world was in a tailspin in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania XIV. First,
 it was announced that Mike Tyson would be the special enforcer for the match.
 Then, Tyson revealed that he had joined D-Generation X, the faction led by
 Michaels! And then, World Wrestling Federation owner, Vince McMahon, revealed
 that he didn’t want to see Austin become champion, much to the surprise of
 Federation fans everywhere!

 The Rattlesnake went into Boston’s FleetCenter for WrestleMania XIV, and pinned
 Michaels to win the World Wrestling Federation Championship! To add insult to
 Michaels’ injury, it turned out that Austin and Tyson had been in cahoots all along!
 The win ushered in a whole new era of "Attitude" in the Federation!

 It took "eight long f’n years" for Stone Cold Steve Austin to make it to the top –
 and now that he was there, it seemed that everybody wanted to knock him off!
 Steve Austin was on top of the world. Little did he know that his greatest enemy
 was waiting in the wings, ready to take him down.
Although the relationship between Austin and
                        Federation owner Vince McMahon had always
                        been less than cordial, the hatred between the
                        two men intensified after Stone Cold won the
                        Federation Championship.

                        Austin did not fit McMahon’s idea of a champion,
                        and he tried to mold Stone Cold into some kind of
                        "corporate suit," but the Rattlesnake spat on his
                        every attempt. So, the Federation owner
                        immediately set out to take the title away from
                        the Rattlesnake.

 The first competitor to step up to the plate was Dude Love, who attacked Austin
 when he was set to take on McMahon on RAW. Dude was unable to defeat Austin
 for the title at either April’s "Unforgiven" or May’s "Over the Edge."

 Next up was Kane, who actually defeated Stone Cold for the championship in a
 First Blood Match at the 1998 King of the Ring. But the Big Red Machine lost the
 title back to Austin just one night later on RAW!

 Austin was able to successfully defend the title for the next three months, and
 even had a brief Tag Team Championship reign with the Undertaker as his
 partner. But Austin could never fully trust the Undertaker, as he felt he was in
 cahoots with his brother, Kane. Austin’s theory proved correct.

 Mr. McMahon knew he needed a plan, so he hired the Undertaker and Kane to
 take the title from Austin. At September’s "Breakdown," Austin fought the
 Undertaker and Kane for the championship in a Triple Threat Match. Even the
 Rattlesnake himself could not overcome these seemingly insurmountable odds,
 and he lost the title when the Undertaker and Kane simultaneously pinned him.

 At October’s "Judgment Day," Austin was named the special guest referee in a
 match between the Undertaker and Kane to determine the undisputed Federation
 Champion. Austin vowed that he would not award the belt to either man.
 McMahon promised that if he didn’t, he would fire Austin on the spot!

 At "Judgment Day," both Undertaker and Kane lay unconscious on the mat. Austin
 counted both of their shoulders to the mat, and declared himself the new World
 Wrestling Federation Champion! McMahon was livid, and screamed, "Screw you,
 you’re fired!"

 The next night on RAW, McMahon declared that there would be a 14-man "Deadly
 Game" tournament at the ’98 Survivor Series to crown an undisputed Federation
 Champion. Later that same night, an irate Austin took the owner of the company
 hostage, placing a gun over his head.

 The Rattlesnake promised Vince that he wouldn’t feel a thing. Finally, with Vince
 on his knees in the middle of the ring, Austin shoved an envelope into his pocket,
 put the gun to McMahon’s head and pulled the trigger. A little flag with the words
 "Bang 3:16" popped out of the gun! Austin had threatened McMahon with a toy
 gun and caused the owner to wet himself!
The following week, it was revealed that the
                        envelope Austin put in McMahon’s pocket was a
                        brand-new contract guaranteeing Stone Cold at
                        least one title shot! Austin revealed that Shane
                        McMahon – tired of living under his father’s
                        intense scrutiny – had signed the contract behind
                        his father’s back. Irate at Shane, Mr. McMahon
                        demoted his son to a lowly referee.

                        At the Survivor Series, Stone Cold earned a
                        disqualification win in the opening round against
                        the Big Boss Man. In the second round he was
 pitted against Mankind, a superstar who many fans thought was Mr. McMahon’s
 choice to win the tournament. Austin hit a Stunner on his opponent, but before the
 referee could count Mankind out, Mr. McMahon pulled the ref out of the ring and
 knocked him out cold.

 Shane soon ran down the aisle, seemingly coming to the aid of the Rattlesnake.
 But after smacking the mat a second time, the younger McMahon simply smiled
 and flipped Austin the middle finger. It had been a conspiracy all along! As Austin
 chased Shane, Mankind leveled the Rattlesnake with a chair and pinned him to
 move on in the tournament.

 As it turned out, the McMahons were just using Mankind, and The Rock became
 the corporate champion that night. But invoking a clause in his new contract, the
 Rattlesnake got a title match against The Rock the very next night on RAW! In this
 confrontation, Austin hit a Stunner on the "Great One," but Corporation member
 Ken Shamrock pulled the ref out of the ring, earning Stone Cold a win via
 disqualification.

 In the following weeks, McMahon made it known that the only way Austin would
 qualify for the Royal Rumble was if he were to defeat the Undertaker … in a Buried
 Alive Match! Austin did exactly that at December’s "Rock Bottom"!

 Mr. McMahon made Austin a promise heading into the Royal Rumble: There was
 "No Chance In Hell" that Austin would win the 30-man spectacular. McMahon even
 announced that Austin would be the first superstar to enter the ring, meaning that
 to win, the Rattlesnake would have to survive for more than one hour!

 Commissioner Shawn Michaels threw a wrench into McMahon’s plan, however,
 when he announced that McMahon himself would be the second entrant into the
 Rumble, meaning that the owner of the company would have to face off against
 Stone Cold!

 At the Rumble, Austin and McMahon battled furiously for the first two minutes of
 the contest. After a Stunner, Stone Cold had the opportunity to throw McMahon
 over the top rope, but elected instead to inflict more pain onto the Federation
 owner. The two battled through the crowd and into a restroom, where the
 Corporation was waiting for Austin. It had been a trap all along!
Austin was taken away in an ambulance. The
                        Rumble match continued, and later in the match,
                        Austin returned to the arena! The Rattlesnake got
                        back in the ring and opened up a "can of
                        whoop-ass," eliminating numerous superstars
                        before finally eliminating the Big Boss Man,
                        making the final participants himself and
                        McMahon!

                        The two tussled back and forth before the
                        Corporate Champion – The Rock – made his way
                        to ringside. The Rock distracted Austin, allowing
 McMahon to throw him over the top rope. Vince McMahon had won the Royal
 Rumble.

 The next night on RAW, McMahon relinquished his rights to the position of No. 1
 contender, saying that he didn’t want to fight The Rock. Big mistake! Austin and
 Commissioner Michaels appeared on the TitanTron, citing a clause in the
 Federation rulebook which states that "if the Rumble winner relinquishes his rights
 to the WrestleMania title shot, then the runner-up gets the shot!"

 Austin also issued Vince a challenge: If Vince could defeat him in a Steel Cage
 Match, then Austin would give up his title shot. The two met at "St. Valentine’s Day
 Massacre." Austin took advantage of his opportunity, brutalizing McMahon, at one
 point throwing him off the cage through a table!

 Austin seemingly had the match at hand, when seven-foot, 500-pound Big Show
 came out from under the ring! Showing allegiance to McMahon, the Show attacked
 Austin. But the plan backfired – Big Show threw Austin into the cage with such
 force that the cage broke, and Austin fell to the floor and won the match!

 The scene was set for a WrestleMania XV showdown with The Rock. Austin vowed
 to check into Room 316 at the SmackDown Hotel, and to "burn the son of a bitch
 to the ground!" Indeed, Austin came out of the title match in Philadelphia’s First
 Union Center as a three-time World Wrestling Federation Champion, much to the
 dismay of Mr. McMahon!

 The next night on RAW, Austin demanded the return of his "Smoking Skull"
 championship belt, which Shane McMahon refused. Shane instead gave the belt,
 which is Austin’s personal property, to The Rock! Also, Shane announced that he
 would be the special referee for the rematch between the two adversaries at
 April’s "Backlash."

 At the Pay-Per-View, Shane’s biased officiating was almost able to strip the title
 from the Rattlesnake. But thanks to Vince McMahon’s assistance, the Rattlesnake
 was victorious!

 The next superstar to set his sights on the Rattlesnake was the Undertaker.
 Besides vowing to take his title, the Undertaker promised to sacrifice Austin’s body,
 mind and soul to his "Greater Power." With the help of Shane McMahon, who
 again named himself the special guest referee, Undertaker was able to win the
 title from Austin.

 Weeks later, the Undertaker revealed his "Greater Power" to the Rattlesnake –
 Vince McMahon! The man who Austin thought had changed his colors had been
 plotting against him all along! But Austin was one step ahead of the male
 McMahons, and thanks to help from the female McMahons, Austin was named the
 new Chief Executive Officer of the World Wrestling Federation!

 The McMahon boys just couldn't tolerate the Rattlesnake at the C.E.O., so they
 challenged him to a match with full control of the Federation on the line. Under
 controversial circumstances, Shane and Vince were able to come away with a win
 at the King of the Ring, and they promptly fired the Stone Cold C.E.O.

 Knowing that he would no doubt get screwed by Vince and Shane, Austin made
 sure to book himself a Federation Championship Match while he was still C.E.O.
 He got that match the night after King of the Ring, downing the Undertaker on
 RAW IS WAR, to become a four-time Federation Champion.

 One month later, he beat the Undertaker again, this time in a "First Blood End of
 an Era Match" at Fully Loaded. Under the stipulations of the match, Vince
 McMahon was forced to leave Federation television forever!

 But although his archnemesis was banished from television, Austin still had many a
 challenge as the Federation Champion. Insisting that it was "his time," Triple H
 stepped up to the plate and earned himself the title of No. 1 contender. But in a
 wild turn of events, Mankind wiggled his way into championship contention, and a
 Triple Threat Match was ordered at SummerSlam. Mankind walked away with the
 title, and a furious Triple H brutally attacked Austin after the match.

 No doubt, in the weeks and months to come, Stone Cold will be gunning for Triple
 H, not to mention the Federation Championship!
 

    THE END