Unseen Turning Point: The Promo That Quietly Rewrote Steve Austin's Legacy!

Pro Wrestling Stories Learn more

Paul Heyman recalls the night when a young, down-on-his-luck Steve Austin delivered one of the greatest promos of all t ime. Learn more

"It was about 1 am, or a half-hour after we started taping interviews when [Steve] leaned into semi-whisper with that unmistakable gravelly voice."

[{"selector":"#anim-26cf3bf3-5371-4c0b-a41c-77b4dd7af3fb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-53fc0780-baa7-446a-8ab0-0b5889942918","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(97.22991%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b5ac4eaa-7d58-4541-a531-42b777aa9cbe","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

"As a courtesy, I offered Austin the opportunity to do his promos early. I always thought Steve was a first-class promo guy who was just never given the opportunity to let his real persona come out."

[{"selector":"#anim-ceede495-fa4b-4233-b42a-e4699395b019","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9f71fafa-994e-4a6b-a2d4-f32f4d642222","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f200d53f-f927-4b2a-a98e-0415a7547ddb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(121.32964%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

"But Austin didn’t want that courtesy. He wanted to be competitive. ‘If it’s all right with you,’ he said, ‘I’ll go last!’"

[{"selector":"#anim-602ecd48-026a-4941-b064-2f0f41c5c327","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-73230646-ec20-4798-a8ae-182ffb6900cf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-029fe17b-c8b6-4c36-af67-1723f2ffd512","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(95.01385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

"At around 4 am. Steve turned to me and asked, ‘What do you want me to say?’ The answer was easy. ‘Tell everyone the truth. Tell them you’re going to be the biggest superstar this industry has ever seen.’"

[{"selector":"#anim-2ba4e224-6a32-4c3d-b852-f80cf596224a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a4bad1cd-d9bd-4fb3-a519-acc33a012626","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2f23ca6e-e7b6-4f74-8470-eadd42e3fa79","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(96.95291%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

“He sat down and said, ‘Alright, I’m ready.’ What happened next is one of those moments you never forget. It left everyone in the room speechless.”

[{"selector":"#anim-08544552-89b5-4a79-af7f-bf6f44b4a903","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2130ce20-eb24-4151-ac06-a5411adb5fe3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f32b8a36-0aa4-4cd2-be45-874aec819052","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(121.32964%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

SWIPE UP TO READ THE FULL POST

[{"selector":"#anim-c50f798f-89f8-4059-9eed-58622894725e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a7c490b4-3fc1-4ad3-a727-41b74ed8ec4a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1fc2a42b-4e27-4f71-bd08-c48d54962242","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

More Stories

[{"selector":"#anim-f012d874-d14b-42c8-a713-92d1d2e684dc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3a8957aa-e214-46c0-8681-a28ff8f99b5e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -149.51989%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cddcc51b-8975-462e-880d-5ad3746133f5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 50%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-18742966-b215-4f3a-a2bc-3e6e1c582457","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9d66e0db-4377-4657-b857-b77a1d74b87a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 50%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5f503cb0-72fc-4511-88b5-d749d73191e5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-92243e63-0e9e-431d-b133-b734e2f2a51d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 50%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-309c1982-8f06-4384-a897-f1e952a9115e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ae34d24e-29fc-4130-86ea-5f6a05c5ce64","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0b39d9cd-1fef-4e28-a519-c26ad783cc56","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 200%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5adde9d4-e3e6-4f40-9179-9338e05ba1cb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bb209fd7-1a31-4dcf-b970-2e41383a4cfa","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 200%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-71aba709-af28-4805-be79-30d01d4e66c1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9238caa2-64c4-4277-9c2b-1c470886b913","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 200%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-266a5f59-2b73-4392-bbfe-862cc1915674","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-de5b0dd4-0d26-4b18-9346-d8f032a0a603","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 200%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0d97d064-6a2f-4222-ad6a-a1ff1a4e323a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-313c0c4a-7bba-44cf-beb0-5ead7ff85f10","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 200%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5e9e8b87-ee9a-4d62-bbf2-db5b34598586","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4499e345-9a73-41db-b866-b68f9a76c4bc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 225%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ca008593-ecc8-4010-b56a-02b48c03f6cb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e046b113-1c38-4d60-95a4-66885db1ce73","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 200%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e0c9b32b-858e-4acd-811a-4d5209c8884d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0cf3e595-31d1-4552-8440-6626195bd153","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 200%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6ba47ce6-e73a-419b-a7ea-2a75737265c0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-05fbc15d-ed2e-4f56-9991-333b4e8fbc9e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 225%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-90689746-66d5-4a6c-bf1e-2c4e6c83b280","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2172895a-6f53-40d6-aaf2-8b87633cd437","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 200%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-81b259dd-1a9d-41cd-b285-4f8f620ec588","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2b4bd7ce-eacd-4b44-a0ce-da0efa2f9b6b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 200%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2208579a-8123-4581-bc54-ae68dbfd2026","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.47, 0, 0.745, 0.715)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a09f1edb-6621-4d2a-9608-08b2a6766f94","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 225%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"direction":"normal","duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1)","fill":"both"}] Steve Austin – How He Became “Stone Cold” in 1996 Steve Austin and Brian Pillman | The Hollywood Blonds Story Eric Bischoff Firing Steve Austin – ‘Totally Disrespectful’ See More See More See More