It’s hard to argue that there is any wrestler in the history of WWE who feels bigger than Stone Cold Steve Austin. As big as WWE is today and as big as some wrestlers are today, much of WWE’s current success could not be possible without the impact of Stone Cold Steve Austin.

The six-time WWE Champion was the biggest selling point and star during the Attitude Era, revitalizing the company at a time when it was in jeopardy of going under. Thankfully, Austin was able to help generate newfound interest in the product not only because of his charismatic, beer-guzzling persona or his captivating storylines with the likes of Vince McMahon, but due to the fact that he was having some of the most must-see matches of that era. Here are some examples.

10 Stone Cold vs. The Undertaker – WWF Championship Match

In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell

This match deserves a mention for one main reason: it’s the only memorable encounter between Stone Cold and the Undertaker. As two of the biggest faces of the company during its arguably most popular time, one would expect that Steve Austin had with the Undertaker a similar amount of great matches as he had with the Rock and Triple H, but that is not the case. Both performers admitted that the in-ring chemistry simply wasn’t there, but one match stands out as the exception.

This was Taker’s second title defense, and Austin was still at the best of his in-ring ability, before the neck injury. The stakes were there, and the two superstars managed to click for one night, delivering what can be considered one of the hidden gems of the Attitude (or pre-Attitude, technically) era.

9 Stone Cold vs. Shawn Michaels

King of the Ring 1997

Most readers will remember Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania14, the match that officially rings in the Austin Era. However, what most don’t remember is their contest from a year earlier atKing of the Ring 1997. This match arrived when both men were very much still in their prime, months before Austin suffered his career-changing neck injury and a year before Michaels sustained his career-ending back injury on the road to that same WrestleMania.

This makes a significant difference to their Mania contest and, despite a double DQ finish, it manages to be better than their celebrated match at the Showcase of Immortals. Both men’s chemistry is hypnotic, and it’s clear that they are at the peak of their in-ring performances.

8 Stone Cold vs. The Rock vs. Kurt Angle vs. Triple H vs. Rikishi vs. The Undertaker – WWF Championship Hell in a Cell Match

Armaggedon 2000

Although this match may not be the best possible showcase of Stone Cold’s talents considering he is in there with five other men, it is the best possible showcase of the Attitude Era. The Attitude Era was Stone Cold’s backyard to thrive in, but obviously, he didn’t thrive alone. All six men in this match hold notable positions in wrestling history, especially during this time period, so in many ways, this feels like a time capsule.

If the Attitude Era and its main event scene could be summarized in one match, it would have to be this one: blood, sweat, tears, chaos left and right, and death-defying falls from above (not unlike Mick Foley’s in another Hell in a Cell match).

7 Stone Cold vs. The Rock (III)

WrestleMania 19

It is rare to see a wrestler get the perfect swan song or retirement match, but until returning for a WrestleManiamatch with Kevin Owens, Austin’s final match of his WrestleMania trilogy with The Rock was such a sendoff. He got the chance to fall on his sword one last time against his wrestling soul mate on the Grandest Stage of Them All, and then quietly ride off into the sunset. He’d return later in the year as a General Manager, but in his goodbye to in-ring competition for 19 years, Austin could not have asked for a better finale for his wrestling career.

While there was no such stipulation to the match or announcement beforehand claiming this would be Austin’s final match, there was an atmosphere in the air that seemed to signal some kind of ending. Maybe not to Austin’s career, but perhaps thanks to the final pairing of the Attitude Era’s biggest stars at the turn of the Ruthless Aggression Era, this felt like the end of an era, and a satisfying one at that.

6 Stone Cold vs. Triple H – Three Stages of Hell Match

No Way Out 2001

On the road to WrestleMania, Stone Cold had punched his ticket to the main event for the third time in his career and the first time in a year since his career-threatening injury. It was becoming all the more evident that The Rock vs. Stone Cold II was on the horizon and at this point in their careers, it would be difficult to try to top the magnitude of that match. The only match that could come close was if the Texas Rattlesnake had, instead, played The Game.

To tie up loose ends before Mania, he would do just that the month before, wrestling the man who (in storyline) orchestrated Austin’s year-long injury by hiring Rikishi to run him over with a car. The only way to settle this beef was with a Three Stages of Hell match. The stipulation proved vicious enough and the beef brewed intense enough for a true classic.

5 Stone Cold vs. The Rock (II) – WWF Championship Match

WrestleManiaX-7

At the time, this was promoted as the biggest WrestleManiamain event of all time between two of the most popular, beloved babyfaces not only at that time but in the entire Attitude Era. Not only did it truly feel like the biggest of its time, but to this day, it still holds a spot among the greatest WrestleMania main events. Two gladiators with years worth of history who share a mutual respect, but would do anything for the title that would crown them as the better man and the top dog of the wrestling food chain.

To loosely echo the immortal words of Paul Heyman, both men had everything to win and neither could afford to lose. This tagline would contribute to a controversial heel turn that continues to divide audiences, but is nonetheless a twist indicative of the unpredictable Attitude Era.

4 Stone Cold vs. Kurt Angle – WWF Championship Match

SummerSlam2001

Like with the Michaels match mentioned earlier, this one ends in DQ. There are a lot of matches from the Attitude Era that would end in a disqualification, but it’s truly a testament to the athletes involved that the match would still manage to be incredibly entertaining and crowd-pleasing despite the controversial finish. This match is a prime example of that fact. Even if their rematch at the following month’s Unforgiven would have a more conclusive, feel-good ending, this match remains the superior of the two.

Stone Cold’s performance in this match is also a testament to just how good of a heel he was, even when the heel turn was met with criticism. As loved as he was in this era, even after the turn, he was able to capture the venom of the WWE Universe in this match, endearing them to an American Hero who produced his own vile as a heel not long before SummerSlam.

3 Two-Man Power Trip vs. Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho – WWF Tag Team Titles Match

Monday Night Raw, May 21, 2001

This is another match that comes with an asterisk, this time mostly because of one of Stone Cold’s opponents in this match, for obvious reasons. The presence of Chris Benoit prevents WWE from so much as mentioning this match or showing highlights. This, to some degree, is a shame because this is a top contender for being the greatest match in Raw history, Triple H suffering a legitimate and career-threatening injury, tearing his left quadriceps, and still completing the match.

It arrived at a time when the team of Stone Cold and Triple H had become the roster’s most dominant duo, at one point holding the World Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and the Tag Titles all at once. They were running roughshod on every show and fans were ready to see them dethroned. On this particular night, the feeling was in the air that the crowd wanted the Two-Man Power Trip vanquished, and when that promise was delivered, it became one of Raw’sbest moments.

2 Stone Cold vs. Bret Hart – #1 Contender For The WWF Championship Match

Survivor Series1996

Before his first WWE Championship reign, before his big break at WrestleMania, and mere months after his famous Austin 3:16 promo, the first time Stone Cold truly looked as if he belonged in the main event picture was atSurvivor Series 1996 against Bret “The Hitman” Hart. They say to be The Man (woo), you’ve got to beat The Man. As arguably the best wrestler on the roster at the time, Bret Hart was the Man to beat to solidify one’s superstardom. Although Austin wouldn’t beat Hart on this night, he looked strong enough in defeat to kickstart the first seeds for the Austin Era.

The ending especially solidified this as a classic, as the Cobra Clutch reversed into a pin attempt was memorable enough to spawn multiple attempts at duplicating the finish in modern wrestling. Austin in his prime was one of the best technical wrestlers on the planet, and putting him in the ring with the best technical wrestler on the planet? That’s hard to beat.

1 Stone Cold vs. Bret Hart – WWF Championship Match

WrestleMania 13

And yet, somehow, Bret Hart and Stone Cold were able to beat that. All they needed was to add Ken Shamrock as the Special Guest Referee and add a Submission only stipulation, and magic took place. If their match the previous Fall was more of a technical masterclass, this match added more of a brawling element that better suited the Bionic Redneck character. This also resulted in a more violent, bloody contest that gifted the wrestling industry with one of its most iconic images.

The blood dripping from Austin’s mouth as Jim Ross would scream, “Austin will not surrender!” was all it took. Just like that, a star was born. Without this match, Stone Cold Steve Austin likely would not go on to become the face of the WWE, thus launching the company into a whole new stratosphere for years to come.