what ever happened????

Question

ultimo dragon
kahli
zack gowen
brock lesner
tajiri
stone cold
and do you think that the rock will come back this monday
or undertaker help kane beat umaga

Answer 1

ultimo dragon=wrestles in Japan & sometimes in Mexico
kahli=Needed surgery on his knees & may come back to WWE
zack gowen=Doing independents from time to time
brock lesner=Left new Japan Wrestling & is supposed to do MMA soon
tajiri=Wrestling in Japan. Recently fought the Great Muta
stone cold=finished doing his WWE movie & may come back at least for one evening on Raw this Monday night.

Answer 2

Ultimo Dragon has a myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/calaveracomics/

Announces his retirement from Wrestling

http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingEditorial/oct28_molinaro.html/

Great Kahli has a xanga site:

http://www.xanga.com/The_Great_Kahli/

http://www.2xzone.com/messages/8651.shtml/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Kahli

Zach Gowen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zach_Gowen/

Brock Lesnar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brock_Lesnar

Tajiri

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshihiro_Tajiri

Stone Cold Steve Austin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_cold_steve_austin

I have no clue about the Rock coming back to Wrestling on Monday, no other info about the Undertaker to help Kane beat Umaga either.

I hope all of this helped!

Answer 3

You'd be on the set of coronation highway! In concept i assume if no longer something ever happend,there could have been no great Bang which might propose that situations for all times would not have been created!! In physics isn't there a regulation that states each and every action HAS AN equivalent AND OPPOSITTE reaction?? subsequently if there replace into no preliminary action,evoloution would not exist.... Cool! Existential questions:)

Answer 4

Ultimo dragon got realised and khali i think took time off and zack gowen got fired or realeded and brock lesnar went to nfl and tajiri retired, stone cold is making movies,.

Answer 5

Not sure but they were Awsome I Loved Stone Cold

Answer 6

Injuries and too Rich to wrestle

Answer 7

kahli has drop out of sight and so did his magager dirvia

Answer 8

all sucked

Answer 9

Yoshihiro Asai (born December 12, 1966 in Nagoya, Aichi), better known as Último Dragón, is a Japanese professional wrestler. In addition to having trained in Japan, Asai learned to wrestle in the lucha libre style while working in Mexico. Asai is credited with popularizing the "Asai Moonsault", although, contrary to popular belief, he did not invent the move.

Contents [hide]
1 Career
2 Wrestling facts
2.1 Finishing and signature moves
3 Championships and accomplishments
4 External links



[edit]
Career
Asai debuted in New Japan Pro Wrestling in 1987, but left the promotion along with his mentor, Gran Hamada, to help form Hamada's Universal Lucha Libre promotion. When the ULL went into decline, he moved to WAR.

Asai made his American debut in 1996 as Ultimate Dragon (a mistranslation of his Último Dragón ring name, which properly translates as "The Last Dragon") for the now defunct World Championship Wrestling promotion. He suffered an arm injury in 1999 that required surgery. The operation was botched, causing nerve damage. It was thought that this would force an end of his career and he announced his retirement.

In 1997, Asai then became a trainer where he trained three classes of students, "Toryumon Japan", "Toryumon 2000 Project" (T2P) and "Toryumon X". His first class of students worked for WCW early in their career. In 1999 a promotion named Toryumon opened, with the vast majority of the roster having been trained by Asai. Toryumon was later renamed Dragon Gate, with Asai parting ways with the promotion. He continued to train students at his gym.

In 2002, Asai underwent another surgery to repair the damage done to his arm and returned to wrestling. In the spring of 2003, he signed with World Wrestling Entertainment as the Último Dragón, seeking to realize his two lifelong goals of competing in Madison Square Garden and performing at WrestleMania. Asai made his WWE debut at Madison Square Garden on the June 26, 2003 episode of SmackDown! in a match with Shannon Moore, and wrestled there again at WrestleMania XX (where he had two bloopers; one being him slipping on his cape when coming out, and slipping on the turnbuckle). His contract expired in 2004, with Asai leaving on good terms. He has indicated that he may return maskless for another run in the WWE [citation needed].

Since leaving the WWE, Asai has occasionally wrestled for the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. In September 2005, he was reported to be in talks with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling about signing a contract. But the contract was never signed because Asai wanted a written contract, not a pay-per-appearance contract.

[edit]
Wrestling facts
[edit]
Finishing and signature moves
Dragon DDT / Asai DDT (Standing shiranui)
Dragon sleeper
Dragon Tornado (Corkscrew moonsault)
Dragonsteiner (Stands behind opponent who is seated on the top rope then twists around the opponent into a frankensteiner)
Dragon Bomb (Running slingshot Liger bomb)
Asai Moonsault (Springboard moonsault on the outside of the ring on a standing opponent)
Ultimo Dragon Suplex / Ultimate Dragon Suplex (Dragon suplex)
Aztec Suplex (Cross-arm German suplex)
Dragon Swing (Giant swing)
Tiger suplex
La Magistral cradle
[edit]
Championships and accomplishments
Image:Ultimo Dragon.jpg
Yoshihiro Asai with Sonny OnooNew Japan Pro Wrestling
2-Time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
1-time WWF Light Heavyweight Champion
1-time NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion
2-time NWA World Welterweight Champion
3-time WAR International Junior Heavyweight Champion
2-time British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Champion
2-time UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship
1-time WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Champion
World Championship Wrestling
2-time WCW Cruiserweight Champion
2-time WCW World Television Champion
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
2-time NWA World Middleweight Champion
Universal Wrestling Association (Mexico)
5-time UWA World Middleweight Champion
1-time UWA World Welterweight Champion
WAR
1-time WAR World 6-Man Tag-Team Champion (with Genichiro Tenryu and Nobutaka Araya)
Michinoku Pro
1-time Michinoku Pro Tohuku Tag-Team Champion (with Jinsei Shinzaki)
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI ranked him # 61 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
He is a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (inducted in 2004)
2003 Most Underrated Wrestler
[edit]
External links
The Official Website of Ultimo Dragon
Ultimo Dragon's MySpace
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshihiro_Asai"
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | 1966 births | Living people | People from Aichi Prefecture | Japanese professional wrestlers | World Championship Wrestling alumni
Dalip Singh Rana (born August 27, 1972) is an Indian wrestler, better known by his ringname The Great Khali or Khali for short. he is currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its SmackDown! brand. Before embarking on his professional sports career, Singh was an officer in the Punjab state police, a champion bodybuilder, and a Pehlwan athlete.

Contents [hide]
1 Biography
2 Professional wrestling career
3 World Wrestling Entertainment
4 In wrestling
5 Acting career



[edit]
Biography
Dalip Singh was born in the village of Dhirana in the state of Himachal Pradesh in India, the third of eight children in the Rana family. At a young age, he earned a daily wage as a roadside stone breaker to help provide for his family. When asked about the size of his family members, Singh said that all other members of his family, including his parents and siblings, are of normal height. He pointed out, however, that his grandfather was tall.

In 1993, Singh was working in the Himalaya hills when his life's circumstances began to change. By this time he had tried his hand at many sports. He excelled in all of them, but showed exceptional talent in bodybuilding. The Director General of the Punjab Police Department took notice of Dalip and helped him join the police force. The change in employment allowed Singh to further his body building training and he subsequently won titles of Mr. India in 1995-96.

His success and hard work led him to train as a wrestler in the United States of America in 1996, where he developed the skills necessary to compete on a global stage, enabling him to win numerous wrestling titles in Japan, where he is currently a very popular figure.

Dalip Singh's goal in life is to support his family and aid the entire village that is his home. He is an active mentor to young people in Punjab, encouraging them to stay away from drugs and urging them to find discipline, health and success by taking up sports.

He married Harminder Kaur on February 27, 2002.

[edit]
Professional wrestling career
Under the ring name "Giant Singh", Dalip Singh became a pro wrestler for All Pro Wrestling in the United States of America, making his first appearance in October 2000, when teaming with Tony Jones against the West Side Playaz 2000.

On May 28, 2001, Brian Ong volunteered to receive a flapjack from Singh. Singh did this move with two others in the gym that night, including one of the trainers, so Ong could see how it was done. Ong botched receiving the move, as he grabbed Singh's shirt instead of pushing off his back as the coaches had instructed him. He landed wrong and incurred a severe injury. Ong had suffered a previous concussion, and this second concussion ultimately proved fatal for him. As Singh inadvertently caused his death, Ong's family brought a lawsuit against All Pro Wrestling and were awarded damages of over $1.5 million.


Dalip Singh & Giant Silva with Masahiro Chono, as "Club 7".In August 2001, Singh was brought into New Japan Pro Wrestling by Team 2000 leader, Masahiro Chono, along with another big man, Giant Silva. They were the tallest tag team in pro-wrestling history at an average height of 7 ft 2 in, and a combined weight of 805 lb. The two teamed for the first time at the Tokyo Dome in October, labelled "Club 7" by Chono, and they defeated Yutaka Yoshie, Kenzo Suzuki, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Wataru Inoue in a Handicap Match when Silva pinned Tanahashi and Inoue at the same time. Singh suffered his first loss in a tag match at the Tokyo Dome in January 2002, being cradled by Hiroyoshi Tenzan. He suffered another big tag defeat during March, being pinned by Manabu Nakanishi, and falling to a German suplex hold. His most critical loss came in August at Tokyo Nippon Budokan though, when, after a falling out, he was pinned by Silva in a singles match.

[edit]
World Wrestling Entertainment
On January 2, 2006, Singh was signed to a contract by WWE and assigned to the Deep South Wrestling developmental territory for training. With Daivari by his side, the un-named Singh debuted on WWE television on the April 7, 2006 episode of SmackDown!, attacking The Undertaker and leaving him out cold during his match with Mark Henry, and thus causing a no-contest. The next week he was introduced as "The Great Khali". He made his in-ring debut on the April 21, 2006 edition of SmackDown! defeating Funaki in a Squash match.

On the May 5, 2006 edition of SmackDown!, Khali signed a contract to face The Undertaker at Judgment Day on May 21, 2006. Later that night, he interrupted a WWE Cruiserweight Championship No. 1 Contender's Triple Threat Match between Super Crazy, Kid Kash and Nunzio, and attacked all three men, as well as Vito. Rey Mysterio came in and decked the great khali and put him out for a month. So he didnt wrestle the undertaker.

On the May 12, 2006 edition of SmackDown!, JBL put Khali against Rey Mysterio. Khali had a height advantage of almost 2 feet and a weight advantage of 250 pounds, and gained an easy victory over the World Heavyweight Champion. In his match against The Undertaker at Judgment Day 2006, Khali landed a series of blows on his opponent, and finally defeated The Undertaker with a boot to the head. Khali continued on a rampage for several weeks, winning handicap matches, beating superstars up in a display of power, and mocking the Undertaker's signature pin and victory pose. He also helped the The Big Show beat down the Undertaker with a Double Chokeslam, continuing his feud with The Undertaker.

Khali then challenged the Undertaker to a Punjabi Prison Match, and the two were scheduled to meet in such a match at The Great American Bash. However, Dave Meltzer reported on July 22, 2006 that Khali would be taken off the road by WWE due to liver disease and would not participate in that match.

But as Khali continued to team up with the Big Show and attack the Undertaker, Theodore Long announced that the Big Show would have to fight The Undertaker inside the Punjabi Prison. During the course of the Punjabi Prison match at The Great American Bash, Khali did show up at ringside and watched in disbelief as the Undertaker emerged victorious over The Big Show.

On the August 4, 2006 episode of Smackdown, Khali was challenged by The Undertaker to a Last Man Standing match at SummerSlam. However, the match was moved to the Smackdown! just prior to SummerSlam. On the August 18, 2006 episode of Smackdown!, The Undertaker defeated Khali after hitting him with the steel steps, and following it up with several chair-shots to the head (which cut Khali's forehead open) and a chokeslam. After the match, a profusely bleeding Khali was administered nine stitches to the forehead to close the gash. This marked Khali's first ever WWE defeat.

On August 29, 2006 it was reported that Khali will be out of action for several months due to surgery on both knees.

As of September 6, 2006, Khali was suspended from the Punjab Police Department as a result of his absence and time spent working with the WWE, but reinstated him within hours. [1]

[edit]
In wrestling
Finishing and signature moves
Two Handed Chokeslam
Overhead chop
Big boot
Headbutt
Gorilla press slam
Powerbomb
Single arm choke
After his knee surgery, he was reportedly back in india to shoot for a music video.

[edit]
Acting career

Singh at the premiere of The Longest Yard.Singh played the role of "Turley" in the 2005 remake of the film The Longest Yard co-starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and Burt Reynolds. He played an unstable prison inmate with an insecure attitude. In addition, the character of Turley is shown to be virtually unstoppable and limitless in strength. He easily grounds the second biggest man, Switowski, played by the 6'5", 350 lb Bob Sapp.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalip_Singh"
Categories: 1972 births | Indian professional wrestlers

ViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsSign in / create account Navigation
Main Page
Community Portal
Featured articles
Current events
Recent changes
Random article
Help
Contact Wikipedia
Donations
Search
Toolbox
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Printable version
Permanent link
Cite this article
In other languages
Deutsch

This page was last modified 13:18, 7 October 2006. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers

Zach Gowen, (born Zachary Mark Gowen on March 30, 1983 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American professional wrestler. Gowen has worked for both World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on their SmackDown! brand, and for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).

Gowen was diagnosed with cancer as a child. Because of that, he lost his leg at the age of 8. It was a necessary move: according to his doctors and parents, had the amputation not been done, Zach would have died.

Contents [hide]
1 Career
2 TNA
3 WWE
4 TNA 2nd Time
5 Profile
5.1 Finishing and signature Moves
6 Championships and accomplishments
6.1 Independent Wrestling Revolution
6.2 Pro Wrestling Illustrated



[edit]
Career
Gowen was determined to become a wrestler since he was a young child, and he spent a good portion of his teenage years training towards that goal. On March 16, 2002, he finally achieved his dream, when he debuted in the Independent Wrestling Revolution, losing to Truth Martini. On April 26, 2002 , he earned his first win, over Almighty Ray.

[edit]
TNA
Gowen first gained national exposure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the name Tenacious Z but soon left that promotion for World Wrestling Entertainment.

[edit]
WWE
He made his WWE debut on the May 15, 2003 episode of SmackDown! as a planted fan in the audience. While in WWE, wrestling under his own name, Gowen was involved in an angle with Vince McMahon, Roddy Piper and Mr. America (a masked Hulk Hogan). Gowen wrestled McMahon at the 2003 Vengeance. On July 31, 2003, Gowen was the object of a feature report on SmackDown!. He also beat the WWE Champion Brock Lesnar (by DQ) in Detroit before being released from WWE in February 2004.

[edit]
TNA 2nd Time
On May 15, 2005, Gowen returned to TNA at their Hard Justice pay-per-view event, as the second entrant in the 20-Man Gauntlet for the Gold match. He lasted just under five minutes in the ring before being eliminated by Shark Boy. Gowen left the promotion once again later that year.

Gowen walks with a prosthesis and claims he can wrestle with or without it. However, he wrestles most of his matches without it due to the inherent marketability of seeing a one-legged wrestler compete. Known for his high-flying ability as well as his "one-legged" moonsault, Gowen was a fan favorite simply for the spectacle.

As of December 2005, Gowen has taken a hiatus from the world of professional wrestling to pursue other work and school.

[edit]
Profile
Height: 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight: 155 lb (71 kg)
Birthday: March 30, 1983
Hometown: Livonia, Michigan
Trained By: Truth Martini and Tommy Johnson
Professional Debut: March 16, 2002
Previous Identities: Zach Gowan, Zach Gowen, Tenacious Z
[edit]
Finishing and signature Moves
One-legged Moonsault
Asai Moonsault
Dropkick
Modified Figure Four Leglock
Swinging neckbreaker
[edit]
Championships and accomplishments
[edit]
Independent Wrestling Revolution
1-time IWR Tag Team Champion (with Kamikaze)
1-time IWR King of the Indies Champion
1-time TZW Tag Team Champion (with Super Meetsee)
[edit]
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI Rookie of the Year Award (2003)
PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler Award (2003)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zach_Gowen"
Categories: 1983 births | Living people | American professional wrestlers | People from Michigan | Amputees | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling alumni

Brock Edward Lesnar (born July 12, 1977 in Webster, South Dakota) is an American professional wrestler, former professional American football player and aspiring mixed martial artist.

Before entering professional wrestling, Lesnar wrestled at Webster High School in Webster, South Dakota. His coach throughout grade school and high school was John Schiley. He qualified for the state wrestling tournament several times, but was unable to get first place.

Lesnar later attended the University of Minnesota on a full wrestling scholarship, where his roommate was fellow future professional wrestler Shelton Benjamin. Lesnar won the 2000 National Collegiate Athletic Association wrestling championships as a heavyweight after placing second in 1999. Prior to joining the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Lesnar also wrestled at Bismarck State College in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Lesnar began wrestling in 2000, and debuted on World Wrestling Entertainment television in 2001. Between 2002 and 2004 he held the WWE Championship on three occasions, main-evented WrestleMania XIX and won both King of the Ring and the Royal Rumble. Following an acrimonious departure from WWE in 2004, Lesnar played several preseason games for the Minnesota Vikings before returning to professional wrestling in 2005, this time in Japan, where he wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling and won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. After leaving NJPW in 2006, Lesnar announced his intent to become a mixed martial artist.




Contents [hide]
1 World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
2 National Football League
3 Lawsuit with WWE
4 New Japan Pro Wrestling
5 K-1 Hero's / Mixed Martial Arts
6 In wrestling
7 Championships and accomplishments
8 Personal life
9 References
10 External links



[edit]
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
Lesnar went on to form a tag team known as the Minnesota Stretching Crew (a reference to the Minnesota Wrecking Crew) with his former college roommate, Shelton Benjamin. Lesnar and Benjamin won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship on three occasions before Lesnar was called up to the active roster.

Image:Brockshelton.jpg
Brock Lesnar and Shelton Benjamin in OVWLesnar wrestled several dark matches in 2001 and 2002 before debuting on WWF television on the March 18, 2002 episode of RAW, attacking Al Snow, Maven and Spike Dudley in the course of a match. He was accompanied by Paul Heyman, who referred to Lesnar as "The Next Big Thing." After the World Wrestling Federation was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment, Lesnar was drafted to the RAW brand of WWE.

Lesnar was pushed strongly, squashing his opponents and frequently winning his matches by knockout. He remained undefeated until November 2002, although he lost to Rob Van Dam via disqualification.

Lesnar's first feud was with the Hardy Boyz. Lesnar was seen giving Matt Hardy an F-5 on the steel ramp, which led to an angered Jeff Hardy wanting revenge on Lesnar. In Lesnar's first official televised match, the two squared off at Backlash 2002, where Lesnar was able to kick out of Hardy's finisher. He would go onto to destroy Hardy and win the match by TKO. The Hardy Boyz would continue to face Brock over the following months, with Lesnar always ending up victorious, aside from one DQ loss that ended his "undefeated streak", a loss inflicted upon him due to his poor behaviour on the infamous "plane flight from hell". At Judgment Day 2002 , Lesnar gained the upper hand on the Hardy Boyz tag team before tagging his partner Heyman in to take the win for the team.

In June 2002, Lesnar won the 2002 King of the Ring tournament, defeating Rob Van Dam in the final round. This victory earned him a shot at the WWE Undisputed Championship at SummerSlam 2002 where he defeated The Rock to then become the youngest WWE Champion. Shortly afterwards during an open season between the RAW and SmackDown! brands, Lesnar defected along with Heyman to the SmackDown! brand.

While on SmackDown!, Hulk Hogan challenged Lesnar for his #1 Contendership for the title, reminding him that he (Hogan) has always overcome the odds. Lesnar would go on later that night to destroy Hogan, winning when Hogan passed out in a bear hug.

In the main event of SummerSlam 2002, Lesnar defeated The Rock to become the new and final WWE Undisputed Champion. Lesnar, at age 25, was then the youngest WWE Champion ever (as of 2006, he is still technically the youngest WWE Champion ever, but Randy Orton is the youngest world champion in WWE history, having won the World Heavyweight Championship at 24). Due to the requirements of the Undisputed Champion defending on both shows, RAW general manager Eric Bischoff expected Lesnar to be able to return on RAW the next night. However, SmackDown! general manager Stephanie McMahon announced that Lesnar's contract required that he would defend the title only on SmackDown!, forcing Bischoff to separate the World Heavyweight Championship from the WWE Championship and in turn making the title lose its "Undisputed" name.

In the autumn of 2002 Lesnar feuded with The Undertaker. Lesnar and The Undertaker wrestled to a no-contest at Unforgiven on September 22, when they started fighting and ignored the authority of the referee. A rematch was set for No Mercy on October 20. General Manager Stephanie McMahon made the match at No Mercy a Hell In A Cell match, which was The Undertaker's specialty. Lesnar would defeat The Undertaker at No Mercy, winning by countering The Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver into an F-5, giving him the victory.

Image:Brockcell.jpg
Lesnar wins Hell in a CellBrock's next opponent was then the 500 lb Big Show. Lesnar's agent, Paul Heyman, was convinced more than anyone that Lesnar couldn't win, as he tried to talk him out of defending the title. Lesnar refused, and went on to lose the championship in November at the Survivor Series 2002 pay-per-view to The Big Show in under six minutes when, after giving an F-5 to the 500-pounder, he was betrayed by Paul Heyman.

Following Survivor Series, Heyman made it clear that Lesnar would not get a rematch, even going so far as to sneak a special clause in his contract. Prior to entering the Royal Rumble on January 19, 2003, Lesnar faced The Big Show in a qualification match where the winner could enter the Rumble and the loser couldn't. Despite interference from Paul Heyman, Lesnar defeated The Big Show with a F-5. He would go on to enter the Rumble as the #29 entrant.

After winning the 2003 Royal Rumble match in January 2003, Lesnar spent the next two months feuding with Kurt Angle. Angle had Paul Heyman, The Big Show, and Team Angle (Shelton Benjamin, Lesnar's former partner, and Charlie Haas) behind him, but Lesnar overcame all these opponents. The match between Lesnar and Angle going into WrestleMania XIX was considered a dream match by traditional fans, as it marked the first time in WWE history that two accomplished amateur wrestlers (Angle with his Olympic gold medal and two NCAA Heavyweight Championships, Lesnar with his 2000 NCAA Heavyweight Championship) met in a ring. Lesnar regained the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania XIX from Kurt Angle. Toward the end of the match, he botched a shooting star press; despite having landed the move successfully in OVW, in this match he overestimated the distance he was capable of jumping for the move and under-rotated, slamming his head into Angle's side and ribcage. This stunned Brock and forced Angle to improvise the finish of the match. Lesnar suffered a concussion. Later Brock admitted in interviews that this event took away some of his confidence and led to him realizing that he could get seriously hurt in the ring. This realization made him second guess his vocation and eventually helped in his decision to briefly leave professional wrestling and try out for the NFL (particularly the Minnesota Vikings; see the National Football League section).

In August on SmackDown!, Lesnar faced amputee wrestler Zach Gowen in Gowen's hometown. To cement his character's new "mean streak", he "broke" Gowen's remaining leg in front of his little brother and mother and later, Lesnar kidnapped him, and pushed him down a flight of stairs from his wheelchair. This was all an attempt to make Brock a heel to build toward a rematch with Kurt Angle. Despite his newfound aggression, Lesnar would lose to Kurt Angle in a rematch at SummerSlam when Angle made Lesnar tap out to the Ankle Lock. Angle was the first (of two wrestlers) to gain a submission victory over Lesnar. Chris Benoit would be the only other wrestler to make Brock tap out at Survivor Series 2003 (this, however, was a tag-team match where no title was on the line).

The rematch was an Iron Man Match. Brock there defeated Angle five falls to four, making Brock a 3 time WWE Champion. The match, overall, was considered their best and it won PWI Match of the Year honors for 2003. Angle and Lesnar also won Feud of the Year honors for their war over the WWE Championship and their great matches at WrestleMania, Vengeance, and SummerSlam, as well as the Iron Man Match on "SmackDown!"

Lesnar realigned himself with Paul Heyman after Heyman became general manager of Smackdown, and had a brief feud with Hardcore Holly. In this storyline, Holly got some revenge from Lesnar for breaking his neck (during a previous match between the two, a botched powerbomb resulted in Holly needing neck surgery and being out of action for several months). The feud however ended when Lesnar defeated Holly to retain the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble 2004. In February he lost the title to Eddie Guerrero at the No Way Out 2004 event in what was considered Guerrero's biggest career win.

Before losing the WWE Championship to Guerrero, Lesnar had begun a feud with RAW's Goldberg. Lesnar had called Goldberg, a 'Brock wanna be'. A confrontation between the two had been highly anticipated from Brock's debut, due to the way Lesnar was pushed. Goldberg was regarded as the WCW phenom of 1998, whereas Lesnar was regarded as the WWE phenom of 2002. The crowd even chanted "Goldberg! Goldberg" in some of Brock's early matches. The feud began at Survivor Series 2003, while both men were champions of their respective brands. Lesnar attacked Goldberg at the Royal Rumble 2004, with Goldberg retailiating at No Way Out in Lesnar's match against Guerrero. This set up an interbrand match for WrestleMania XX between the two.

Image:Brockcold.jpg
Brock Lesnar and Stone ColdDuring the feud with Goldberg, Lesnar also was feuding with RAW's "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (who was shown suggesting to Goldberg that he attack Lesnar at No Way Out 2004). When Lesnar stole Stone Cold's four-wheeler, Austin was inserted as the Special Guest Referee for the WrestleMania match. Behind the scenes, it was widely known that the match would be Goldberg's last in WWE, however only a week before WrestleMania rumours surfaced Lesnar too was leaving, in order to pursue a career in the NFL. As a result, the fans at Madison Square Garden jeered both wrestlers with chants of "you sold out." Neither man was thought to have given his best effort in the match in what was supposed to be a clash of titans, and crowd support was mostly given to special referee Austin. Many critics and fans even go as far as to say this was one of the worst WrestleMania matches ever. Lesnar was said to be particularly shaken by this reaction, and after beeing booed by fans following the match, gave the crowd the finger before leaving the ring. Because both men were leaving WWE, it was clear that the only man who would go over in the match would be Austin. Sure enough, although Goldberg won the match, both men were given Stone Cold Stunners by Austin on their way out.

[edit]
National Football League
After his final match at WrestleMania XX, Lesnar sidelined his career in WWE to pursue a career in the National Football League. This move upset many people, as WWE had invested heavily in Lesnar. After playing in a few pre-season games for the Minnesota Vikings, Lesnar was eventually cut from the team. Lesnar had suffered injuries in a motorcycle accident during the summer of 2004, which along with lack of football practice prevented him from performing well enough to remain in a Vikings practice squad position. He declined to accept an invitation to play as a representative of the Vikings in NFL Europe. He made no attempts to sign with an AFL or CFL team. Lesnar is listed as a free agent in Madden NFL '05. There was a producer-made model of Lesnar in Madden NFL 05. Despite the name, the model looked almost nothing like the real Lesnar.

[edit]
Lawsuit with WWE
Lesnar had previously signed a no-compete clause in order to be released from his contract with WWE, which prohibited him from working for any other sports entertainment or mixed martial arts companies before 2010. Lesnar had anticipated leaving wrestling entirely, but his inability to secure a career in professional football led to him challenging this ruling in court. WWE responded by demanding damages as a result of Lesnar allegedly breaching the agreement by appearing at a New Japan Pro Wrestling show in 2004. In July 2005, the two sides dropped their claims and entered negotiations to renew their relationship. Recently, WWE had offered Brock a contract, but on August 2, 2005, WWE's official website reported that Lesnar has withdrawn from any involvement with the company.

The lawsuit was entered into settlement on September 21, 2005, but talks broke down.

On January 14, 2006, Judge Christopher Droney stated that unless WWE gave him a good argument between then and January 25, 2006, he would rule in favor of Brock Lesnar, giving him a summary judgment. This would have enabled Lesnar to work anywhere he wanted immediately. WWE was later granted a deadline postponement. WWE reportedly doesn't want to settle out of court with Lesnar, and didn't want to take any actions that might be seen as "backing down".

On April 25, 2006, World Wrestling Entertainment has announced on their official website WWE.com, "WWE and Lesnar have mutually come to a settlement and have decided, due to its confidentiallty, not to discuss the details of the case."

On June 12, 2006, A federal judge dismissed Lesnar's lawsuit against WWE after both parties requested for the case to be dismissed.

[edit]
New Japan Pro Wrestling
On October 8, 2005, Lesnar won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in a three-way match at a New Japan Pro Wrestling show in the Tokyo Dome, which included the then-champion Kazuyuki Fujita and Masahiro Chono. He won the match by pinning Masahiro Chono after an F-5, which he had renamed "The Verdict", since WWE owns the trademark on the F-5 name. After the match, he stated that this name was referring to his lawsuit against WWE. The match was his first pro wrestling match since leaving WWE.

On December 6, 2005 WWE filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to prevent Lesnar from continuing to work with NJPW, but the court did not grant it, and thus Lesnar had two non-title victories against Manabu Nakanishi and Yuji Nagata. Lesnar successfully defended his championship on January 4, 2006 against former champion Shinsuke Nakamura.

On January 13, 2006. WWE once again filed an injunction against Lesnar to stop him from defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on March 19, but evidently this was not enforced (nor granted), as he would go on to have both a tag team match with Shinsuke Nakamura against Akebono and Riki Choshu on February 19, 2006 which was won after a Verdict to Choshu.

On March 19, 2006, Brock Lesnar retained his championship, defeating Akebono with a DDT and not a Verdict, but while the referee was down on the mat he hit the former Sumo wrestler with the IWGP belt. This was the first American vs American title match in NJPW since Vader vs Stan Hansen in 1990.

Lesnar successfully defended his title against the winner of the New Japan Cup, Giant Bernard, on May 3, 2006 in Fukuoka.

On July 15, 2006, New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that Brock Lesnar had been stripped of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship as he will no longer be returning to defend the title due to "visa issues". A tournament was held on July 16 to determine the new champion, which was won by Hiroshi Tanahashi, the man Lesnar was originally scheduled to face.

[edit]
K-1 Hero's / Mixed Martial Arts
On April 28, 2006, Brock Lesnar appeared inside the ring after the final match of K-1 Hero's Las Vegas and has since signed a deal with the K-1/Hero's. He is currently training with Miletich Fighting Systems under UFC legend Pat Miletich. Brock Lesnar announced on 12 August 2006 in Las Vegas that he has joined the K-1 promotion and will have his first Mixed martial arts match in 2007. Royce Gracie then announced that he will serve as Lesnar's trainer.

[edit]
In wrestling
Image:Brockf5.jpg
Brock Lesnar performs the F-5 on Jeff HardyFinishing and signature moves
F-5 / Verdict (Spinning fireman's carry facebuster)
Brock Lock (Argentine leglock crab or side bearhug)
Shooting Star Press - OVW
Overhead belly to belly suplex
Triple powerbomb
Rolling powerbomb
Triple rib breaker
Repeated turnbuckle thrusts
German suplex
Spinebuster
STO
Vertical suplex
Top rope superplex
DDT
Gorilla press drop
High angle belly to back suplex
Knee lift to gut
Repeated elbow drops
Managers
Paul Heyman
Royce Gracie
[edit]
Championships and accomplishments
World Wrestling Entertainment

3-time WWE Champion (First reign was as WWE Undisputed Champion; Final WWE Undisputed Champion)
2002 King of the Ring winner
2003 Royal Rumble winner
Ohio Valley Wrestling
3-time OVW Southern Tag Team Champion (with Shelton Benjamin)
New Japan Pro Wrestling
1-time IWGP World Heavyweight Champion
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
2002 Most Improved Wrestler
2002 Wrestler of the Year
2003 Feud of the Year (versus Kurt Angle)
2003 Match of the Year (versus Kurt Angle at WrestleMania XIX)
PWI ranked him #1 in the 2003 PWI 500
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
2002 Most Improved Wrestler
2003 Feud of the Year (vs. Kurt Angle)
2003 Most Improved Wrestler
2003 Best Brawler
[edit]
Personal life
Lesnar has one daughter, Mya Lynn who was born on April 10, 2002, with an ex-fiancée, Nicole. He left Nicole in 2003 to begin a relationship with Rena "Sable" Mero. Lesnar and Mero were engaged, separated in 2005, then reconciled later that year and married on May 6, 2006. Lesnar has 1 step-child with Mero: a step-daughter born to Mero and her late husband, Wayne Richardson.

Lesnar has numerous tattoos, with the most prominent being a stylized skull in the center of his back and a large sword on his chest, which he received following his debut in New Japan.

[edit]
References
↑ Brock Lesnar at Vikings.com
↑ Brock Lesnar The Next Big Thing
↑ Brock Lesnar Article
↑ Brock Lesnar Biography
[edit]
External links
OWW Profile
TV.com Profile
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brock_Lesnar"
Categories: 1977 births | American football defensive linemen | American professional wrestlers | American sport wrestlers | Entertainers who played football | Living people | Minnesota Vikings players | People from South Dakota | People from Minnesota | Professional athletes who wrestled professionally | University of Minnesota alumni | World Wrestling Entertainment alumni

Steven James Williams (born December 18, 1964 in Victoria, Texas), better known by his ring name Stone Cold Steve Austin, is an American actor and former professional wrestler currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment. His birth name was Steven James Anderson; he took on the name of Williams when he was adopted by his stepfather, Ken (his biological father had left the family when Steven was a child).

After debuting in 1989, Williams wrestled for promotions such as World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. His greatest success came perhaps in the late 1990s, when the World Wrestling Federation, with Austin at its helm as one of the promotion's marquee stars, went public. Austin was forced to retire from the ring in 2003 due to a variety of chronic injuries, since which time he has pursued an acting career.

Contents [hide]
1 Early life and career
2 World Championship Wrestling
3 Extreme Championship Wrestling
4 World Wrestling Federation
4.1 1996
4.2 1997
4.3 1998
4.4 1999
4.5 2000
4.6 2001
4.7 2002
5 World Wrestling Entertainment
5.1 2003
5.2 2004
5.3 2005
5.4 2006
6 Wrestling facts
7 Championships and accomplishments
8 Acting career
8.1 Filmography
8.2 Television appearances
9 Personal life
10 Video/DVD
11 Books
12 References
13 External links



[edit]
Early life and career
Williams played football at North Texas State University. After holding down various odd jobs, he began his wrestling career in the late 1980s in Texas, competing in World Class Championship Wrestling, which at the time was called the USWA. Austin was trained by "Gentleman" Chris Adams among others (including Skandor Akbar).

At the start of his early career, he used his real name Steve Williams for wrestling. However, another wrestler of that name - "Dr. Death" Steve Williams - was already nationally known so he was then assigned the name Steve Austin, in accordance with his hometown of Austin, Texas. At first he was reluctant because he didn't want the fans to associate him with the hero from TV's The Six Million Dollar Man.

He wrestled in the USWA for the first year of his career, most of the time either teaming or feuding with his former trainer Adams, with the teacher/student aspect of their relationship being added into the angle. Also added was the fact that Austin in real life was dating Adams' ex-wife Jeannie, whom they also incorporated into the feud along with Adams' then-wife Toni Adams in a series of mixed-tag matches.

[edit]
World Championship Wrestling
Austin debuted in World Championship Wrestling in 1991 as "Stunning" Steve Austin. Managed by Lady Blossom, Austin defeated Bobby Eaton for the WCW Television Championship on June 3, 1991 in Birmingham, Alabama. In late 1991, Austin joined Paul E. Dangerously's Dangerous Alliance. As a member of the Alliance, Austin regularly teamed with Larry Zbyszko, feuding with Barry Windham and Sting. Austin lost the WCW Television Championship to Windham in a two out of three falls match on April 27, 1992. He regained the title from Windham on May 23, 1992. He enjoyed a second lengthy reign before losing to Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat on September 2, 1992. The Dangerous Alliance disbanded shortly thereafter.


Steve Austin and Brian Pillman as The Hollywood Blondes.Austin went on to form a tag team with Flyin' Brian Pillman known as the Hollywood Blondes. The Blondes won the WCW World Tag Team Championship on March 3, 1993, defeating Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas. The Hollywood Blondes held the titles for six months. On June 5, 1993 the Blondes lampooned Ric Flair's talk show, "A Flair For The Gold" with their own version, "A Flare For the Old". The Blondes went on to face Flair and Arn Anderson in a two out of three falls tag team title match at Clash of the Champions XXIII on June 17, 1993. Flair and Anderson defeated the Blondes, but were not awarded the titles as one fall had been determined by a disqualification.

On August 18, 1993 at Clash of the Champions XXIV, Austin and Pillman were scheduled to defend the titles against Arn Anderson and his new partner, Paul Roma. However, Pillman was injured, and was replaced by Steven Regal. Austin and Regal went on to lose to Anderson and Roma. With Pillman still injured, Austin went on to join Colonel Robert Parker's Stud Stable. After Pillman returned, Austin betrayed him, and went on to defeat him in a singles bout at Clash of the Champions XXV on November 10, 1993.

On December 27, 1993 in Charlotte, North Carolina in a two out of three falls match at StarrCade 1993, Austin defeated "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes in two straight falls to win the WCW United States Championship. He lost the title to Ricky Steamboat on August 24, 1994. Austin was scheduled to face Steamboat in a rematch for the title on September 18, 1994 at Fall Brawl 1994, but Steamboat was unable to wrestle due to a back injury (suffered during the Clash Of The Champions match where Steamboat won the title, and forcing Steamboat into retirement), and Austin was awarded the title by forfeit. His second reign ended just minutes later when he lost to Steamboat's replacement, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan in a match that went just 29 seconds. Austin went on to challenge Duggan for the WCW United States Championship at Halloween Havoc 1994 on October 23, 1994 and at Clash of the Champions XXIX on November 16, 1994. On both occasions, Austin lost to Duggan by disqualification.

While on a wrestling tour of Japan, Austin tore his triceps brachii muscle. While he was injured, Austin received a fex ex letter that he had been realeased from Eric Bishoff.

[edit]
Extreme Championship Wrestling
In 1995, Steve Austin was fired by World Championship Wrestling Vice President Eric Bischoff. Bischoff and WCW didn't see Austin as a 'marketable' wrestler. Eventually, Austin was contacted by Paul Heyman, who had managed him in WCW. Heyman told Austin that since he had a TV show and Austin had a grievance, it would be a great opportunity to go on ECW television to air it.

While at ECW, Steve Austin used the platform to develop his future "Stone Cold" persona. Thus, what came was a series of humorous and biting vignettes which featured Austin lampooning such WCW luminaries as Hulk Hogan, Dusty Rhodes and, most notably, Bischoff, as well as referring to WCW's flagship TV program as "Monday NyQuil".

While with ECW, "Superstar" Steve Austin feuded with The Sandman and Mikey Whipwreck. Whipwreck, who was the ECW World Heavyweight Champion at the time, scored a win over Austin at November To Remember, on November 18, 1995. Years later, Paul Heyman stated that he originally wanted to book Austin to win the World Championship, but Austin disagreed, feeling it would be better for business if Austin was the "hunter" instead of the "hunted."

[edit]
World Wrestling Federation
[edit]
1996
On January 8, 1996 Austin joined the World Wrestling Federation. Initially, Austin used the moniker "The Ringmaster", and managed by Ted DiBiase, who awarded him with his "Million Dollar Championship Belt". The Ringmaster defeated Savio Vega at WrestleMania XII. Austin grew to greatly dislike The Ringmaster character, so he asked WWF writers to come up with a new name for his character that would suggest a ruthless, cold-hearted persona after being inspired by an HBO documentary about mafia hitman Richard Kuklinski. The writers offered him a list of many temperature-based names, such as 'Ice Dagger' and 'Chilly McFreeze', none of which impressed Austin. Austin's then-wife Jeannie Clark (the same woman who managed Austin in the USWA and WCW) then came up with the name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, after she advised him to drink his tea before it became "stone cold." To continue the cold-hearted image, Austin shaved his head bald, a look he has maintained for a decade now. At an In Your House pay-per-view event subtitled "Beware of Dog", Austin lost a "Caribbean Strap Match" to Savio Vega. In accordance to the pre-match stipulations, DiBiase was forced to leave the WWF, giving Austin the opportunity to forge his own path. He would later tell announcer Dok Hendrix he purposely lost the match in order to rid himself of his manager.

Austin's genuine rise to superstardom began on June 23, 1996, when he won the King of the Ring tournament, receiving the push originally intended for Hunter Hearst Helmsley. After toppling Marc Mero in the semi-finals (a match after which he legitely required 16 stitches in his lip), Austing defeated Jake "The Snake" Roberts in the final. After the match, Austin cut a promo during his coronation which viciously mocked Jake's reformed lifestyle, telling Roberts:

"You sit there and you thump your Bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn't get you anywhere! Talk about your Psalms, talk about John 3:16 ... Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ***!"
Austin 3:16 ultimately became one of the most popular catchphrases in wrestling history and is often regarded as marking the beginning of the Attitude Era. Austin would later turn face, as spontaneous fan support for him grew larger by the week. His attitude and his modus operandi- using heel tactics in a face role - would come to define the tweener role in professional wrestling.

Austin, still a heel, was somewhat underused by the WWF for the next few months, and was mired in midcard feuds with the likes of Yokozuna and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. The one thing drove Austin on, however, was Bret Hart, who was taking a sabbatical from the WWF. Austin spoke about Hart constantly and taunted him relentlessly on TV (one quote had Austin saying "If you put the letter 'S' in front of 'Hitman', you have my exact opinion of Bret Hart"), with the one-sided taunting drawing him even more fans despite still being a heel. Hart finally accepted Austin's challenge and returned to the WWF in October 1996. At the Survivor Series, Hart pinned Austin in a match which helped create the foundations for the eventual intense year-long feud between the two. In spite of his loss, Austin's ever-growing popularity multiplied after his strong showing. The match came hot on the heels of a highly controversial incident broadcast live on RAW, which saw Austin "break into" Brian Pillman's house, with Pillman allegedly brandishing a gun.

[edit]
1997
In January, Austin won the 1997 Royal Rumble match; he was eliminated by Bret Hart, but the officials did not see it, and he sneaked back into the ring and eliminated Hart. This would lead to the first-ever PPV main event of Austin's WWF career at In Your House: Final Four, which due to real-life events largely revolving around Shawn Michaels, the match would be for the suddenly vacant WWF World Championship. Austin would be eliminated from the 4-way match early after injuring his knee, but was involved in the finish which saw Bret Hart win his 4th WWF Title, which Hart lost the next night on Raw due to Austin's interference, leading to the continuation of their feud, with Austin being cheered more.

At WrestleMania 13 in March 1997. Hart defeated Austin in a Submission match. The iconic image of the night was Austin's grimacing, bloody face being massively cheered on by the live Chicago crowd, as the relentless Hart refused to release his patented Sharpshooter, ending in Austin passing out. Despite his wounds he refused any assistance back to the locker room, which made Austin the new fan favorite. This match put the exclamation point on a double-turn that had been building since Survivor Series.

He would then replace Bret Hart as the new hero of the WWF. One of the main distinguishing features about Austin's character was that he was one who broke the rules and defied authority, and thus was considered to be an "anti-hero," or as a fan put it, "He was a hero that didn't try to be one."

Austin would eventually get his revenge on Hart when he injured Hart's leg in an impromtu no disqualification match, which featured Austin refusing to let go of his own Sharpshooter, beating Hart while on a stetcher in the back of an ambulance. After his feud with Bret Hart he had a WWF Championship shot against The Undertaker, at the May 1997 pay per view "Cold Day In Hell". Austin had the Undertaker down with the stunner but due to distraction from Brian Pillman, Undertaker nailed Austin with a Tombstone Piledriver and got the victory. He also had a brief tag team runs with both Shawn Michaels and Mick Foley where he would get his first taste at WWF gold when he won the WWF Tag Team Championship during those runs. Then Austin challenged Bret Hart's younger brother, Owen Hart. The sight of a handcuffed Austin being led out of the arena by "policemen" while giving the finger - the "Stone Cold Salute" - to the fans is one of the resounding images of his career. Austin wanted to gain revenge on Owen he challenged him for his Intercontinental Championship at Summerslam 1997 and vowed that if he couldn't beat him he would kiss his rear end in the middle of the ring.

In that match at SummerSlam 1997, Austin suffered a near-career ending neck injury as a result of a botched Hart Driver by Owen Hart. A piledriver is a move in which the receiver is lifted up in the air by the attacker and dropped vertically onto their head. The attacker holds the receiver's body so that the receiver's head is just high enough off the ground to ensure that the move looks realistic, but also poses no danger to the receiver. Austin's head was seen to be six to eight inches lower than the safe level for a piledriver, and as a result Austin was driven legitely into the ground head first, taking the full force of his 252 lbs. of body weight into his neck. After being briefly paralyzed, Austin recovered and was able to win the match and the Intercontinental title as planned, but the incident would force him to take time off for surgery in 1997. In fact, during that match of SummerSlam 1997, after realizing that Austin was hurt, Owen pranced around the ring claiming that Austin was going to "Kiss his ***" . In reality though, he was shocked and scared of the possibility that he may have ended Austin's career. This injury was played up on WWF TV afterwards, to explain why Austin did not wrestle for several months forcing him to forfeit the Intercontinental championship. During this time, though, Austin was kept on television by way of viginettes and being an anti-authority nuisance to WWF officials during in-ring interviews, with all segments ending with the offending party receiving a stunner, leading up to Madison Square Garden, where WWF Chairman Vince McMahon asked him to sign a waiver in order to return to the WWF and ended with McMahon taking a stunner in the middle of the ring to the joy of the MSG faithful.

At the 1997 Survivor Series, Austin got another shot at Owen when he once again challenged him for the Intercontinetal title. Owen Hart would walk into the Montreal arena wearing a T-Shirt mocking Austin's "3:16" moniker: "Owen 3:16" and the back said "I Just Broke Your Neck". Owen would lose the WWF Intercontinental Championship that night at the Survivor Series again to Stone Cold. Austin never harbored a grudge against Hart for injuring him.

"Austin 3:16" T-shirts were becoming the hottest item in wrestling and the "Austin 3:16" interpretation of the classic "#1" foam hand, now flipping a middle finger to the world, was also a best seller.

[edit]
1998
With Bret Hart's departure from the company, Austin was clearly the top face in the company, and after managing to ruffle the feathers of every WWF superstar, he entered and won the 1998 Royal Rumble. This led to his WWF Championship match against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIV where he won his first WWF Championship with help from Mike Tyson. This victory ushered in the Austin Era, and with it, the Attitude Era.


Steve Austin celebrates with Mike Tyson after winning the WWF Championship at WrestleMania XIV.On the RAW before WrestleMania, McMahon gave an in-ring interview making the point that for personal reasons, he did not approve of the notion of Austin being "his" champion, sealing the thought with an emphatic "Oh HELL NO!". The RAW after Austin won the title, McMahon presented him with a new belt and warned Austin that he didn't approve of his rebellous nature and warned Austin that things could be done "the easy way or the hard way". Austin gave his answer in the form of another stunner to the WWF's chairman.

This led to a segment a week later where Austin had pledged a few days prior in a meeting (mentioned, but not shown on-camera) to "play ball" with McMahon, appearing in a suit, tie and loafers, with a beaming McMahon taking a picture of himself and his new corporate champion. The whole thing was a ruse by Austin who in the course of the segment proceeded to tear off the suit, tell McMahon it was the last time he'd see Austin dressed like this, punched his boss in the "corporate grapefruits" and took another picture of the two of them while McMahon was doubled over in pain.

On April 13, 1998, it appeared the WWF fans would finally get to see Stone Cold and Mr. McMahon battle out their differences, but the match was declared a No-Contest when Dude Love made an appearance, coming between the boss and Stone Cold. This led to a match between Dude Love and Austin at Over The Edge for the WWF Championship. Austin managed to retain the title despite McMahon acting as the referee and his "Corporate Stooges" Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson as timekeeper and ring announcer respectively.

McMahon continued to do everything he could to ruin The Rattlesnake, and he finally scored a big victory for his side at the 1998 King of the Ring tournament. There, Stone Cold lost the WWF Championship to Kane in a First Blood Match. McMahon couldn’t savor the victory for long. Stone Cold further infuriated his nemesis by winning back the championship the next night on RAW. Stone Cold delivered another blow to McMahon by taking away the World Tag Team Championship a month later alongside the Undertaker. It was a combustible combination, leading to a match between them at SummerSlam. Stone Cold emerged victorious — something Mr. McMahon couldn’t tolerate. So, the boss set up a Triple Threat Match at Breakdown in September. It proved to be more like a Handicap Match in the end, as half-brothers Undertaker and Kane pinned Stone Cold simultaneously.

Mr. McMahon decided to vacate the WWF Championship and award it based on a match between Undertaker and Kane. Since former champion Stone Cold was also involved in the original match, he was made special referee. In typical Stone Cold fashion, he screwed both competitors. Feeling he had no other recourse, Mr. McMahon fired The Rattlesnake for his actions, although Austin got a measure of revenge by kidnapping McMahon and dragging him to the middle of the ring at "gunpoint", which ended up being a toy gun with a scroll that read "Bang! 3:16". Stone Cold re-emerged having inked a brand-new five-year contract. It was revealed that his son, Shane McMahon, was the McMahon that re-signed The Rattlesnake. With Austin back, there was a Survivor Series tournament to award the vacant WWF Championship. In the semifinals against Mankind, Austin lost to him thanks to Shane McMahon (demoted to referee in the storyline) as part of the Corporate Master Plan where Shane's insolence against his father turned out to be a ruse. The Rock would win the tournament to become WWF Champion. The next night on Raw, Judge Mills Lane ruled that the Rock had to defend his just won WWF Championship against Austin that night. The Undertaker interfered and hit Austin with a shovel, earning Austin a disqualification victory. At In Your House: Rock Bottom, Steve Austin defeated The Undertaker in a Buried Alive match due to Kane's interference. With this victory, Steve Austin was now qualified to enter The Royal Rumble match.

[edit]
1999
On the January 4, 1999 episode of Raw (taped a week earlier), Austin helped Mankind win the WWF title when he knocked out the Rock with a chair. He then put Mankind's arm on top of the Rock and the referee made the three count.

The Rattlesnake’s next definitive chance to exact revenge from Mr. McMahon came during the 1999 Royal Rumble Match. Stone Cold drew entry No. 1, while McMahon drew No. 2. Despite a vicious attack from McMahon’s Corporation, both lasted until the end. The odds proved insurmountable, however. With the assistance of the Corporation, Stone Cold was eliminated. On February 14, 1999, at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, Stone Cold got a one-on-one match against Mr. McMahon in a steel cage. With a WWF championship opportunity at WrestleMania at stake, Mr. McMahon devised a large surprise. During the match, Big Show made his shocking debut, breaking through from the under the ring and attacking Stone Cold. But Show’s attack propelled Stone Cold into the side of the cage forcing the cage to give way and dropping Austin to the floor first, technically making him the victor. Stone Cold made the most of his chance, defeating "The Corporate Champion" The Rock at WrestleMania XV for his third WWF Championship.

The WWF then took an ominous turn when Undertaker’s Ministry of Darkness and McMahon’s Corporation merged in an effort to overpower Stone Cold. Undertaker won the WWF Championship thanks to McMahon’s meddling. Austin would soon win back the WWF Championship on RAW. Austin would hold on to the Championship belt until SummerSlam 1999 when he lost it to Mankind in a Triple Threat Match which also involved Triple H. By Survivor Series in 1999, Triple H was champion, and Stone Cold was supposed to get his chance to reclaim gold in a Triple Threat Match which featured Austin, Triple H and The Rock. Instead, he was run down by a car in the parking lot. What followed was neck surgery and a nine-month rehabilitation with the car angle his reason for leaving: in reality, Austin's neck surgery was a long time coming dating back to the Owen Hart incident in 1997. But Stone Cold Steve Austin would eventually return for payback.

[edit]
2000
Five months later, at Backlash, Austin appeared during the main event, attacking Triple H, Vince McMahon, helping The Rock reclaim the WWF Championship. He was brought into the picture by Linda McMahon. On September 24, 2000 at Unforgiven, Austin tried to find out who ran him down at the Survivor Series the previous year. Rikishi finally admitted to being the driver on the October 9th episode of Raw.

At No Mercy, Stone Cold was back to annihilate Rikishi. But in the process of beating him down, Stone Cold learned that it was actually Triple H behind the whole scheme, devised to shield the WWF Championship from Austin and end his career. Meanwhile, Austin's short feud with Rikishi ended when Austin defeated him in a Steel Cage Match on the October 30, 2000 episode of RAW. At Survivor Series 2000, Triple H had plotted to run Austin down again (thus repeating the events of the previous year's Survivor Series) but his plot failed when Austin lifted Triple H's automobile with a construction crane, then let it drop 30 feet.

[edit]
2001
Austin won his third Royal Rumble in January 2001, last eliminating Kane. As of 2006, he is the only wrestler to win the Royal Rumble three times. His rivalry with Triple H ended at No Way Out 2001 in a 3 Stages of Hell match. Austin lost but his feud with Triple H had come to an epic conclusion. Then, on April 1, 2001 at WrestleMania X-Seven, Austin made one of the most shocking heel turns ever, hitting The Rock with a steel chair (handed to Austin by his old nemesis Vince McMahon) fourteen times to win the WWF Championship, then shaking hands and sharing beer with McMahon. With the victory, Austin became a five time WWF Champion. The next night on RAW, after teasing a quick face turn, the heel turn continued as during a cage match with The Rock in a rematch for the title, Triple H came down to the ring with a sledgehammer. Many thought he was coming to help The Rock but it transpired that he had joined the Austin/McMahon partnership by hitting The Rock instead. Austin and Triple H became a Tag Team and called themselves The Two-Man Power Trip.

The WWF positioned Austin and Triple H as the villains of the company and had them feud with Undertaker and Kane for April and May of 2001. The Two-Man Power Trip had many rivalries, most notably being against The Undertaker and Kane, and against The Hardy Boyz. After Backlash 2001, they held the WWF Tag Team Titles, the WWF Championship (Austin), and the WWF Intercontinental Title (Triple H) all at once.

Hastily, Steve Austin was paired with popular rookie wrestler Kurt Angle and feuded with Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit (who opted to wait until after that month's PPV to have his surgery). Austin's matches with Jericho and Benoit were widely praised. Indeed, as soon as July 2001 began, with Benoit out for surgery, the Austin/Jericho feud was dropped without a mention.

With Triple H out and Rock still away making movies, the WWF desperately rushed out the plans for the WCW/ECW Invasion.

As the Invasion storyline began and progressed, Vince McMahon had been begging for Stone Cold to return to his old "Texas Rattlesnake" persona. Austin refused though, as he was developing into a more comedic character. But the week before the Invasion Pay-Per-View, the old Stone Cold Steve Austin "returned", delivering stunners to the Alliance members. This was all part of a swerve at the event, where Austin betrayed the WWF team and partner Kurt Angle to help the Alliance win, as Austin assumed leadership of the group.

Austin lost and regained his title in a feud with Kurt Angle in a feud that many fans enjoyed, partially due to Angle being put over by Austin as a legitimate threat. Austin lost the title to Kurt Angle at Unforgiven 2001 before regaining it on the October 8, 2001 episode of Raw. As the Invasion angle dragged on, it was ultimately decided to bring the plotline to an end with Austin and a group of ECW and WCW wrestlers facing the Rock and a group of WWF wrestlers at that year's Survivor Series. Austin and his team lost and that was the end of the Invasion angle. Austin would hold the WWF Championship for another month before losing it to Chris Jericho at the Vengeance Pay-Per-View in December 2001. Jericho beat both The Rock and Austin consecutively in that night winning the World Title and later the WWF Title and combining them to create the WWF Undisputed Championship.

[edit]
2002
By 2002, Austin's spot as top face in the WWF was not as secure as it had been in previous years, as Triple H was set to return from injury. At the time, Vince McMahon had re-signed Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash for a storyline that would bring the nWo back. They feuded with Austin and The Rock. At WrestleMania X8 Austin defeated Scott Hall, but was angered by the fact that he was becoming an increasingly mid-card wrestler. He then no-showed for the next two weeks.

Austin returned on the April 1, 2002 episode of RAW, the first of the new "brand extension" era. The show was centered on which show he would sign with. Ultimately, he chose RAW. Austin's last appearance was on June 3, 2002, when he defeated Ric Flair in a match where Flair would become Austin's servant. The angle wasn't furthered because Austin had decided to walk out again on bad storylines that were presented to him by the creative team. This time though, he wouldn't return for almost 9 months.

Bored and run down, Austin began to create problems backstage as WWE rehired Eddie Guerrero for Austin to feud with, while prepping Austin for a feud with Brock Lesnar. However, Austin was vetoing any matches that would result in him losing and ultimately walked out of the company when the writing staff wanted Austin to lose to Brock Lesnar. This act was at first viewed as unprofessional and in a negative light by fans. But viewpoints changed when Austin later explained that he thought hot-shotting a victory did no favors to either side, as it made Austin look weak losing to a rookie, and didn't give Lesnar a proper stage for such a big win over a star of the magnitude that Austin holds.

Austin later publicly stated that at the time, his anti-social attitude behind the scenes were the result of him dealing with chronic knee and neck injuries that had never properly healed. Further fanning the flames amongst Austin's growing number of detractors was a well-publicized domestic dispute incident between Austin and his wife Debra, which led to his evasion of the police. Austin served probation time for the offense, and has not discussed it publicly since.

[edit]
World Wrestling Entertainment
[edit]
2003
In February 2003, he returned to WWE at No Way Out in a short match against Eric Bischoff. Austin was finally defeated by the Rock at WrestleMania XIX, which would ultimately become his last official match in WWE to date. The night after on RAW, Bischoff "fired" Austin on medical grounds, however he was brought back by Linda McMahon as the "Co-General Manager" for RAW. The move to the role of "Co-General Manager" (and later "Sheriff") was a way to keep Austin on-camera while limiting Austin's in-ring performance. On the November 16, 2003 edition of RAW, Austin was "fired" from RAW as the result of a stipulation in a match at WWE's Survivor Series PPV where Austin's hand-picked team of wrestlers failed to beat Eric Bischoff's team of wrestlers. He sat out TV shows for several weeks to sell the storyline and make it appear like a real firing, but quickly returned to WWE television before the end of 2003, when he was part of a WWE Christmas special taped live in front of U.S. troops in Iraq, posing as Santa Claus and stunning Mr. McMahon. He finally came back on RAW on December 29, 2003 as its "Sheriff".

[edit]
2004
Austin appeared on and off as 2004 began, culminating in him being the special guest referee for the match between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg at WrestleMania XX. Then on April 17, 2004, WWE put out a press release on their website claiming that Steve Austin and WWE were unable to settle long-running contract disputes and had again parted ways, reportedly over a contract dispute about WWE's control of Austin's non-WWE projects, such as movies and music. Austin could thus no longer use "Stone Cold" to promote himself, as that name is trademarked by WWE. Austin had to correct many people in interviews to ensure they did not refer to him by that moniker. Another issue that may have influenced WWE in its decision is Austin's recent history of domestic violence incidents, which WWE saw as tarnishing their popular image.

[edit]
2005
Steve Austin made his first appearance on WWE TV in a year on April 3, 2005 at WrestleMania 21 in Los Angeles. Austin was interviewed by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in a Piper's Pit segment and then Stone Cold Stunned both Piper and Carlito.

Austin appeared at the WWE-promoted ECW One Night Stand 2005 event, sharing beer at the end with ECW wrestlers, and encouraging some of them to beat up Eric Bischoff. The following night on RAW, Austin acted as a special guest enforcer in an Intercontinental title match and cost Muhammad Hassan a submission victory against then-Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin. The appearance did not soothe many critics of Austin, especially when Austin called Hassan and Daivari "sand people" during a promo that set up the match between Hassan and Benjamin.


Steve Austin Peforming a "Stone Cold Stunner" on Vince McMahon at WWE Homecoming.At WWE Homecoming, Austin again returned to RAW, delivering stunners to all four members of the McMahon family. The following week, Linda and her family united in the ring and 'fired' announcer Jim Ross, a good friend of Stone Cold. This angle led to a match in which Austin agreed to face Ross's replacement, Jonathan Coachman, at Taboo Tuesday, with the stipulation of Ross regaining his announcing job if Austin were to win, and Austin losing his own job if he lost the match. However, Austin went against his word, backing out on an agreement to wrestle the match, and once again walking out on the company after storyline disagreements. To explain away his failure to appear at Taboo Tuesday Vince McMahon said on Monday Night RAW that Austin had been involved in an accident, thus preventing him from competing. A substitution for Austin was made in the form of Batista, who faced the Coach along with Vader and Goldust, brought in to generate some last minute interest in the match. To explain away the stipulation regarding Jim Ross, it was stated that the stipulation was conditional on Austin competing and that since Batista instead was the one who wrestled, that the match would have no stipulations attached to it.

[edit]
2006
Austin revealed in an interview he was considering acting. Austin went on to face John Bradshaw Layfield in a beer drinking contest at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event on March 18, 2006 which went to a no-contest when Austin saw JBL cheating by pouring the beer down his clothes. JBL tried to run, but was thrown back into the ring by Chris Benoit. Austin performed the 'stunner' on JBL and then celebrated with the Stone Cold beer salute. Austin then inducted Bret "The Hitman" Hart into the WWE Hall Of Fame on April 1, 2006.

After WrestleMania, Austin went to Australia to film the WWE produced film The Condemned. He has since returned to the U.S and will continue making sporadic WWE appearances. There is a very strong rumor that he will be at the Raw Reunion special this monday night on Raw.

[edit]
Wrestling facts
Finishing and signature moves

Steve Austin hits the Stone Cold Stunner on Triple H.As Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Stunner (Sitdown three-quarter facelock jawbreaker)
Mudhole Stomping (Corner stomps)
Axe handle elbow drop
Lou Thesz press with punches
Piledriver
Spinebuster
Texas cloverleaf (mid 1990s)
As "The Ringmaster"
Million Dollar Dream (Cobra clutch)
As "Stunning" Steve Austin
Stun Gun (Throat first flapjack onto the top rope)
That's a Wrap (Standing figure four leglock)
Hollywood and Vine (Reverse figure four leglock)
Nicknames
Austin 3:16
The Bionic Redneck
B.M.F. (Bad Mother ******)
The Extreme Superstar
Stone Cold
Stunning
Superstar
The Texas Rattlesnake
The Toughest S.O.B.
[edit]
Championships and accomplishments
National Wrestling Alliance
1-time NWA World Tag Team Champion w/Brian Pillman
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
1990 Rookie of the Year
1997 Match of the Year – vs. Bret Hart (Submission match, WrestleMania 13, March 23, 1997)
In 1998, PWI ranked him #1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year on the annual PWI 500 list
1998 Most Popular Wrestler of the Year
1998 Wrestler of the Year
1998 Feud of the Year – vs. Vince McMahon
In 1999, PWI ranked him #1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year on the annual PWI 500 list
1999 Feud of the Year – vs. Vince McMahon
1999 Wrestler of the Year
2001 Wrestler of the Year
2001 PWI Most Hated Wrestler
In 2003, PWI ranked him, with Brian Pillman, # 50 of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years"
In 2003, PWI ranked him # 19 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years"
Texas Wrestling Federation
1-time TWF Tag Team Champion w/Rod Price
World Championship Wrestling
2-time WCW World Television Champion
1-time WCW World Tag Team Champion w/Brian Pillman
2-time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion

Stone Cold's custom "Smoking Skull" title belt (WWF Championship).World Wrestling Federation
6-time WWF Champion
2-time WWF Intercontinental Champion
4-time WWF Tag Team Champion (1-time w/Shawn Michaels, 1-time w/Dude Love, 1-time w/The Undertaker, 1-time w/Triple H)
1-time Million Dollar Champion
1996 King of the Ring
1997 Royal Rumble winner
1998 Royal Rumble winner
2001 Royal Rumble winner
Fifth Triple Crown Champion
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
1990 Rookie of the Year
5 Star Match - with Rick Rude, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton and Larry Zbyszko vs. Sting, Nikita Koloff, Ricky Steamboat, Barry Windham, and Dustin Rhodes (WarGames match, Wrestle War 1992, May 17, 1992)
1993 Tag Team of the Year – with Brian Pillman
1996 Best Heel
1996 Best Interviews
1997 Feud of the Year – vs. Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, The British Bulldog and Brian Pillman)
1997 Best Interviews
1997 Most Charismatic Wrestler
1997 Match of the Year – vs. Bret Hart (Submission match, WrestleMania 13, March 23, 1997)
5 Star Match: vs. Bret Hart (Submission match, WrestleMania 13, March 23, 1997)
1998 Wrestler of the Year
1998 Best Box Office Draw
1998 Feud of the Year – vs. Vince McMahon
1998 Best Interviews
1998 Most Charismatic Wrestler
1999 Best Box Office Draw
1999 Feud of the Year – vs. Vince McMahon
2000 inductee to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
2001 Best Interviews
2001 Best Brawler
2003 Best Non-Wrestler
[edit]
Acting career

An animated version of Austin in episode "The Delivery" of Dilbert.In the current WWE-produced movie 'The Marine', the lead role of John Triton was originally scripted for Austin, but after his contract ran out in 2004 and he never re-signed, the role was given to John Cena. Following the end of his in-ring wrestling career, Austin began pursuing a career in acting. In January 2005, Austin signed a three picture deal with WWE Films, with his first film named as The Condemned. Austin has also appeared on several television series, and, along with fellow wrestlers Goldberg, Kevin Nash, Bob Sapp and The Great Khali, appeared in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard.

[edit]
Filmography
The Longest Yard (2005) as "Guard Dunham"
Tales of the Rat Fink (2006) as "Heavy Chevy"
The Condemned (2007) as "Joe Conrad"
[edit]
Television appearances
V.I.P. (October 24, 1998) in episode "Scents and Sensibility"
Dilbert (June 13, 2000) in episode "The Delivery"
Nash Bridges (1999-2000) in six episodes as "Detective Jake Cage"
Celebrity Deathmatch (1998-2002)
Punk'd (April 25, 2005)
[edit]
Personal life
Steve married his high school girlfriend, but the couple later divorced. His second marriage was to Jeannie Clarke (the first wife of his trainer, "Gentleman" Chris Adams) with whom he had two daughters before divorcing in 1999. On September 6, 2000, he married wrestling valet Debra Marshall.

On June 15, 2002, police were called to the residence of Marshall and Williams in San Antonio, Texas. They found Marshall bruised and hysterical. Steve Williams had left the house and was asked by police not to return. On August 14, 2002, he was arrested and charged with domestic abuse. He pled no contest on November 25, 2002 and was given a year's probation, a $1,000 USD fine and ordered to carry out eighty hours of community service. In addition, he was banned from drinking alcoholic beer for a year, as alcohol was believed to be linked to his offense. Williams filed for divorce on July 22, 2002, and the couple legally divorced in 2003.

In 2004, he was see to be dating actress Tess Broussard. The relationship ended in acrimony later that year, with either partner filing lawsuits against the other and alleging abuse.

Austin has a tattoo of the State of Texas on his lower leg.

[edit]
Video/DVD
'Cause Stone Cold Said So (1997)
Austin 3:16 Uncensored (1998)
Austin vs. McMahon: The Whole True Story (1999)
Hell Yeah: The Stone Saga Continues (2000)
Stone Cold Steve Austin: Lord Of The Ring (2001)
Stone Cold Steve Austin: What? (2002)
The Stone Cold Truth (2004)
[edit]
Books
Austin, Steve, Brent, Dennis and Ross, Jim (2003) The Stone Cold Truth, ISBN 0-7434-7720-0
[edit]
References
Austin Files Suit Against Ex (October 10, 2004)
Solie's title histories
Steve Austin at The Smoking Gun
Steve Austin at The Smoking Gun (2)
Steve Austin at ObsessedWithWrestling.com
World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation title histories at Wrestling-Titles.com
Texas Wrestling Federation title history at Solie.org
[edit]
External links
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Stone Cold Steve AustinWWE profile
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin at the Internet Movie Database
Steve Austin at Canoe.ca
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Cold_Steve_Austin"
Categories: Cleanup from September 2006 | American professional wrestlers | Professional wrestling executives | Extreme Championship Wrestling alumni | American film actors | American television actors | American game show contestants | North Texas Mean Green football players | Entertainers who played football | People from Victoria, Texas | American adoptees | 1964 births | Living people | World Championship Wrestling alumni | Celebrity Deathmatch

ViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsSign in / create account Navigation
Main Page
Community Portal
Featured articles
Current events
Recent changes
Random article
Help
Contact Wikipedia
Donations
Search
Toolbox
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Printable version
Permanent link
Cite this article
In other languages
Deutsch
Français
Galego
Italiano
עברית
Latina
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk (bokmål)
Polski
Português
Suomi
Svenska

This page was last modified 00:55, 8 October 2006. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers

you never with both of these questions