But Austin was about to turn classic wrestling rules about who was the good guy and the bad guy right on their heads. There have been many memorable and timeless catchphrases throughout WWE history, but few have altered the very fabric of reality quite like “Austin 3:16.

Stone Cold" Steve Austin cuts his iconic "Austin 3:16" promo with Dok Hendrix at the 1996 King of the Ring, courtesy of WWE. In one promo, Austin created two iconic catchphrases for himself ("and that's the bottom line, cause Stone Cold said so!

A range of t-shirts sold by independent artists featuring a huge variety of original designs in sizes XS-5XL; availability depending on style. On the night of June 23, 1996, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was just trying to get over with an edgy promo and threw in a line to stir it all up. The moment was remarkable and immediately sent shockwaves throughout sports-entertainment before taking pop culture by storm. What happened next, improvised live on the spot by Austin, became the most quoted and iconic promo in wrestling history, generated millions of dollars in merchandise sales, and was the spark to light the rocket that would launch Austin and the WWF into becoming pop-culture phenoms.

About Ryan FassettAs a lifelong fan of movies, comics, wrestling, and collectibles, Ryan is excited to share his thoughts on all of it with you. It was just supposed to be a nasty heel promo, but instead, every week following, "Austin 3:16" signs in the crowd grew and grew. Roberts had earlier cut a promo using bible verses and scripture and upon finding out about this, Austin had an idea. As we all know, Austin would soon after become wrestling's greatest antihero character and become the industry's most popular talent ever, leading the industry into its greatest boom period in history and making wrestling a legitimate part of the entertainment world. He was a smashmouth competitor in and out of the ring who let no one stand in his way, including Mr.

All great things start small, maybe as an off-the-cuff comment or idea and then they evolve and grow into something larger than anyone could have imagined. Choose your favorite Austin 3 16-inspired shirt style: v-neck or crew neckline; short, baseball or long sleeve; slim or relaxed fit; light, mid, or heavy fabric weight. years and millions of dollars in revenue later, it might be hard to think of it as just that simple, but then that's the appeal of the exceptional everyman character that is Austin. It takes time and a lot of work to perfect each of those things, but when they finally come together in a complete package, an icon is born. He would hammer home his new ruthless attitude by mocking Roberts' religious beliefs, surely something that would generate heat in classic wrestling.

Inspired by a TV special on serial killer/mob hitman Richard Kuklinski (known as "The Ice Man"), Austin created his new "Stone Cold" persona, which would see him become a cold, ruthless, and violent wrestler who showed no compassion or humanity for his opponents. It's March 16 (3/16), which means that it's time to celebrate the man that taught us all about Austin 3:16, WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. As someone who was in school at the time, I can honestly tell you that from 1998 through 2001, there probably wasn't a day at school where there wasn't at least one kid rocking some variation of the "Austin 3:16" t-shirt. Video can't be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: "Stone Cold" gives his iconic "Austin 3:16" speech: King of the Ring 1996, only on WWE Network (https://www. Stone Cold" Steve Austin begins his meteoric rise in WWE with an unforgettable speech after winning King of the Ring on June 23, 1996.In a move of marketing genius, Austin then designed a t-shirt to capitalize on his popular new catchphrase. While Austin cut short promos here and there in his new character, he had yet to be given a big stage. Not only did it launch The Texas Rattlesnake’s popularity to new heights, it also marked the beginning of The Attitude Era. In the years that followed, Austin – famously adorned with a black T-shirt with simple, large, white lettering that read “Austin 3:16” – became one of the most popular Superstars of all time.

After defeating Jake “The Snake” Roberts to be crowned the 1996 King of the Ring, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin berated his vanquished opponent in a post-match interview and exclaimed, “Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass! Now totally clad in black, Austin incorporated some of his own personality into his new character, giving him a heavy metal edge. Yet when all those pieces come together at the right time, they create something iconic and unforgettable.Austin was brought into the WWF in 1995 as The Ringmaster, a gifted technical wrestler who barely spoke and was managed by " The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. It's the total package; his abilities, his look, and his promos, that are all so deceptively simple.