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“Stone Cold” Steve Austin
- Birthdate:
- 1964-12-18
- Birthplace:
- Austin, Texas, USA
- Birthname:
- Steven James Anderson
- Height:
- 6 feet 2 inches
- Weight:
- 252 lbs
- Debut:
- 1989-09-30
- Championships Held:
- WWE Championship (x6), Intercontinental Championship (x2), World Tag Team Championship (x4), Million Dollar Championship, WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (x2), WCW World Television Championship (x2), WCW World Tag Team Championship
- Finisher:
- Stone Cold Stunner
- Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/steveaustinBSR
- Notable Allies:
- Triple H, brian pillman
- Notable Rivals:
- The Rock, Vince McMahon, The Undertaker, kurt angle
- Instagram:
- https://www.instagram.com/steveaustinbsr/
- Eye Color:
- Blue
- Hair Color:
- Bald
Quick Links
UPDATE: 2024/05/08 17:00 EST BY BENJAMIN VIEIRA
Many wrestlers would struggle to get noticed with such simple looks like black trunks, black boots, and black knee braces. However, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was not like any other wrestler. At many points, “The Texas Rattlesnake” was a tremendous and larger than life figure. Austin’s appearance throughout his WWE run did not change too much. It was very simple, but it complimented his WWE persona very well. He was anti-authority and a rebel against the system. However, on occasion, he did change his knee braces during his 2001 heel run.
Unlike the majority of superstars, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, arguably the most popular of them all, had a simple appearance. Hogan had his red and blue color scheme. The Rock had the Brahma bull tattoo and the expensive hardware. John Cena was a walking merchandise stand. But Austin wore a simple wrestling outfit of just black boots and trunks. The only extra accessories were the knee braces he wore later on in his career.
Of course, the knee braces became a part of his character. For some reason, that extra hardware made him look even more of a badass and added to his anti-hero persona. The knee braces definitely looked cool, but Austin didn’t get those purely for the sake of looking cool.
Steve Austin Had A Number of Knee Injuries Well Before His Wrestling Career
- Steve Austin needed the braces to support his knees.
- Steve Austin also had numerous neck issues.
- Steve first wore the knee braces at SummerSlam 1999.
In actuality, Austin started wearing knee braces because his body was breaking down from years of wear and tear. During his matches, Austin often had to stop to buckle them in place. During a match against the Undertaker, Austin threw a knee to the side of the head and the braces ended up busting his opponent’s ear, so they weren’t really practical in a wrestling ring, but Austin could not wrestle without some form of support to his knees.
Steve Austin had the greatest peak of any superstar ever but during his rise and walk through fame, he was constantly under a tremendous amount of pain. His neck issues are well documented, but Austin had struggled with knee issues that predated his pro wrestling career. Before WWE and pro wrestling, Steve Austin was a talented football player in high school and college. During this time, Austin had a series of knee injuries.
Steve Austin tore his ACL and left knee during a football game in college. The doctors decided not to fix his knee, so Austin went through rehab and actually played the next season. When he started in the wrestling business, Austin tore the ACL and PCL of the other knee and had to go through a lot of procedures and surgeries to get his knees good enough to wrestle.
These knee issues started soon after he started in the big companies, and it is a testament to his toughness that he was able to wrestle for a number of years without any sort of hardware to help him. The first time Austin came to the ring wearing knee braces was SummerSlam 1999 and from that point on, the knee braces became a part of his attire.
Steve Austin Wore Different Color Knee Braces During His Heel Run In 2001
The New Knee Braces Added To The New Persona Of “The Texas Rattlesnake”
- Steve Austin turned heel in 2001.
- Stone Cold’s knee braces featured a variety of new colors.
- Some of Steve Austin’s knee braces were white, red, and gold.
During an episode of his podcast, Austin stated that the braces were not for looks, but because he really needed them for stability. He also mentioned that the nickname of “Bionic Redneck” reflected his need for additional hardware to keep his body from breaking apart, but over time it became a part of his character and accented his persona.
During his run as the anti-hero, the braces were black, but following his heel turn at WrestleMania 17, Austin came out with different colored braces from time to time, swapping out the black with red, gold and white. Austin’s knees were messed up well before his “Stone Cold” days, and he wore braces to keep his joints from falling apart, but knee braces eventually became a part of his iconic character.
Steve Austin returned to WWE in 2022 for his first match in 19 years with Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38. He won the match despite wearing two hindering black knee braces.
