Stone Cold Steve Austin was one of the most confident, arrogant, and unbelievably likable athletes irrespective of whether he played the good guy or the bad. The career that Stone Cold has had, is what many young athletes can only dream of.

As glamourous as Stone Cold’s career looks with the Numerous title reigns, rebellious moments, rivalries with Vince McMahon, his early career wasn’t nearly as alluring and captivating.

Austin started out in WCW and ECW, however, he didn’t amount to too much there. A few championship wins and mid-card rivalries were all he got in WCW. In addition, he was fired as Bischoff didn’t see him as a marketable wrestler.

At ECW Austin put forth his Stone Cold Persona we know and love today but didn’t fulfill his potential.

Steve Austin joined the then WWF in 1996. The big break for the Rattle Snake came when he defeated Jake ‘The Snake” Roberts to win the King of the Ring tournament.

Stone Cold cut the famous Austin 3:16 promo that became one of the popular catchphrases and was on every piece of Stone Cold merchandise.

Following a series of promos and direct insults to Bret Hart for over a couple of months, Bret Hart accepted Steve Austin’s Challenge.

The Survivor Series match in 96 is regarded as one of the most iconic wrestling matches in WWE history. Bret Hart went on to win the match and became number one contender for WWF title.

But Austin’s popularity grew with the evolving audience who now wanted more rebellious characters on their screens.

Bret Hart looks back

Appearing on WWE Backstage this week, The Hitman revealed Austin would get a little nervous before they locked up back in the day.

“I had wrestled Steve a few times before, but not in any big matches,” Hart began. “I actually was really looking forward to working with Steve.

“I would say back in those days that [1996 Survivor Series match] was the first real consequential match that we ever had. I would think that in all fairness to Steve, he would get a little nervous. He was pretty intense. Anxious – I think – about working with me.

“It showed when I worked with him that he was going to come at me with everything he had, at the same time I could tell that he was nervous, if that is the right way to put it.

“There was a little bit of nerves there that I sensed – later on when I worked with him that he didn’t have. He was still maybe finding himself a little bit. It was one of my favourite matches that I had with Steve; it was very close, or on par, with the match we had at WrestleMania 13.”

Stone Cold Responds

Austin clearly saw Hart’s comments and while he paid him the respect he is due, he had to correct him a little bit too.

Stone Cold didn’t hesitate to take to Twitter to respond to the comments of Bret Hart. Austin said he was confident and not nervous at all and his intensity game on point.

No, not nervous. Just running on the edge of a razor blade. Confidence was sky high. Intensity was on point. Great time working with the best there is, was, and ever will be.

— Steve Austin (@steveaustinBSR) June 17, 2020

Austin also acknowledged the honour and a wonderful time he had working with Bret Hart who is known as The Best there is, The Best there was and The Best there ever will be.