2. Steve Austin joins WWF after being fired by WCW (1996)
In 1995, Steve Austin was fired by WCW Vice President Eric Bischoff, after suffering a triceps injury while wrestling on a tour of Japan. Bischoff and WCW did not see Austin as a ‘marketable’ wrestler, and the decision infuriated Austin. Austin described his opinion on being fired over the phone by Eric Bischoff as having taken the coward’s way out.
Eventually, Austin was contacted by Paul Heyman of ECW, who had managed him in WCW. Heyman hired Austin to do in-ring interviews, as he still had not recovered from his injury enough to wrestle. While in ECW, Austin used the platform to develop his future “Stone Cold” persona, as well as a series of vignettes running down WCW and Bischoff in particular. Most memorably, Austin appeared in several promos that mocked his then-status as WCW Monday Nitro host by introducing Monday NyQuil, where he was joined by “Bongo” (a set of drums, meant to represent Steve “Mongo” McMichael), and promoted the show “where the big boys play with each other.”
In late 1995, Austin joined the WWF after Kevin Nash and Jim Ross helped convince WWE’s owner Vince McMahon to hire him.
After several months as The Ringmaster, Austin was repackaged as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and at the King of the Ring 1996, Austin 3:16 was born. Austin feuded with Bret Hart, which led to Austin’s face turn.
As 1997 progressed and with the Montreal Screw Job, the Attitude Era was born and Austin was fully engaged as the leader and there wasn’t a better choice for the job.
