here are some iconic moments in professional wrestling that just happen. They’re not planned, they’re not expected, and yet we click with what’s said or done to the level of making it an historic phrase or moment. On June 23, 1996, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin won the King of the Ring tournament, and as he climbed the stairs to the throne where Doc Hendrix (Michael Hayes) waited, it was the prelude to one of the greatest catchphrases in wrestling being born, and many ofus remember this day in wrestling history fondly.
Climbing the hard way
For years previous, Steve Austin had busted his tail to get ahead in the professional wrestling world to no avail. Everyone agreed he had the look and talent, but they just couldn’t find a spot for him. No matter what they tried in WCW of the WWE, nothing seemed to put him over.
His latest gimmick was as the Ringmaster where he was the Million Dollar Champion and had Ted Dibiase as his manager. It was the WWE’s attempt to create lightning in a bottle and build him into a heel like Ted Dibiase was, but he floundered in the role.
Finally, Vince McMahon and WWE creative threw up their hands and gave up. Austin had one more chance, so he decided to just be himself.
He started gaining steam and after beating Jake “The Snake” Roberts for the King of the Ring, he uttered the now iconic lines:
“The first thing I want to be done is to get that piece of crap out of my ring!” raged Austin, pointing to a broken Roberts as the popular veteran was helped down the aisle.
“Don’t just get him out of the ring, get him out of the WWF! Because I proved, son, without a shadow of a doubt, you ain’t got what it takes anymore!
“You sit there and you thump your bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn’t get you anywhere. Talk about your psalms, talk about John 3:16… Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!”
It marked the turning point in his career from struggling mid-card wrestler to superstar.
Turning a heel into an anti-hero
Austin was meant to be a heel, it was the entire force of WWE creative’s intent to make him into their heel of choice, but the fans just would no cooperate. Instead, our cheers and merchandise sales pushed him into the gray and often misused or misinterpreted anti-hero area.
The harder they pushed him as a heel, the louder we became until once again, they threw up their hands and switched their creative flow into pushing him more as a face/anti-hero than heel. And Austin took off with a flash.
There’s no denying the impact this day in wrestling history had as Austin is credited with saving the WWE during the Monday Night Wars and he carried the WWE banner for the next few years as the promotion flourished and became the singular force in professional wrestling.
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