"Stone Cold" Steve Austin - Road to the King of the Ring - June 1996 [Videos]

June 1996 - This month marked a new beginning for the man known as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Gone was his manager "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, and soon Austin's solo career in the World Wrestling Federation would take off to new levels. By the end of 1996, Austin would be facing true WWF Superstars like Bret "Hitman" Hart, and never look back to his days of facing mid-card talent.

Mr. Perfect interviews "Stone Cold" Steve Austin

Aired on June 2, 1996

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs Bob Holly

Monday Night Raw on the USA Network

Aired on June 3, 1996

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs Jason Arndt

WWF Superstars

Aired on June 8, 1996

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs Savio Vega

Monday Night Raw on the USA Network

Aired on June 17, 1996

Excerpt from The King of the Ring

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs Jake "The Snake" Roberts

Aired on June 23, 1996 

WWF SUPERSTARS on Halloween 1992 [Videos]

 

In a rare simulcast between Vince McMahon and Mr. Perfect on WWF SUPERSTARS, and Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan from WWF WRESTLING CHALLENGE, the World Wrestling Federation presented a special Halloween broadcast featuring a WWF Tag Team Championship match between Champions the Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) and Money Inc. ("Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster).

While there were notable title changes that occurred on television, and important Superstar vs Superstar matchups, the broadcast of WWF SUPERSTARS on October 31, 1992, ushered in a change in format, and featured matches between WWF Superstars against each other rather than the old format of Superstars against enhancement talent (a.k.a. jobbers). While the change primarily was seen as build up to Fox's November edition of Saturday Night's Event and 1992's Survivor Series, this change in format eventually led to the format seen on Monday Night Raw which debuted two months later on the USA Network, albeit to a live audience rather than matches taped in advance as seen on WWF SUPERSTARS and WWF WRESTLING CHALLENGE.

In the weeks to follow, WWF SUPERSTARS and WWF WRESTLING CHALLENGE presented such "main event" matchups as:

• Razor Ramon vs Tito Santana (11/1/92)
• WWF Tag Team Champions Money Inc. vs High Energy (11/7/92)
• WWF Intercontinential Champion British Bulldog vs Repo Man (11/14/92)
• Shawn Michaels vs Big Boss Man (11/15/92)
• WWF Champion Bret "Hitman" Hart vs Virgil (11/21/92)
• "Nasty Boy" Jerry Sags vs the Beverly Brother Beau Beverly (11/22/92)

Natural Disasters vs Money Inc.

PART 1

Natural Disasters vs Money Inc.

PART 2

BONUS FOOTAGE

from WWF SUPERSTARS

which aired on October 31, 1992

King of the Ring: 1985-1996 [Videos]

Beginning in 1985 as non-televised special event, the King of the Ring tournament saw it's wrestling pinnacle with the event conclusion held as a pay-per-view on June 13, 1993 at the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. At the 1993 event, Bret Hart defeated Razor Ramon (Scott Hall), Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig), and Bam Bam Bigelow. King of the Ring winners included such World Wrestling Federation Superstars as Don Muraco (1985), King Harley Race (1986), Randy Savage (1987), Ted DiBiase (1988), Tito Santana (1989), Bret Hart (1991), Bret Hart (1993), Owen Hart (1994), Mabel (1995), and Stone Cold Steve Austin (1996).

There were no events held in 1990 and 1992.

Jerry Lawler confronts King Bret Hart

King of the Ring 1993

At the 1996 pay-per-view event, Stone Cold Steve Austin won the tournament, and left a lasting impression with his victory speech, uttering the infamous words:

"Talk about your Psalms, talk about John 3:16 - AUSTIN 3:16 SAYS I JUST WHIPPED YOUR ASS! All he's gotta do is go buy him a cheap bottle of Thunderbird and try to get back some of that courage he had in his prime. As the King of the Ring, I'm servin' notice to every one of the WWF superstars. I don't give a damn what they are, they're all on the list, and that's Stone Cold's list, and I'm fixing to run through all of them... Steve Austin's time has come, and when I get the shot, you're looking at the next WWF Champion. AND THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE BECAUSE STONE COLD SAYS SO!"

Stone Cold Steve Austin

King of the Ring 1996

Bret Hart vs Mr. Perfect - King of the Ring 1993