Steve Austin went on to become of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He became a polarizing star in 1997 after his five-star epic with Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13. Nevertheless, Austin made his WWE debut in January 1996, and he was under the guidance of the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. The Ringmaster's name was never going to get Austin far, so he changed his name to Stone Cold Steve Austin.
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Steve Austin had a successful first year in WWE as he won the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, and he was a fixture on Monday Night Raw. In 1996, some of his matches on Raw weren't the greatest as he faced off against a couple of enhancement talents, but he managed to establish some rivalries during this time frame on the red brand.
10 Steve Austin Vs. Scott Taylor - 4/29/96
Steve Austin clashed with Scott Taylor on the April 29, 1996 taping of Raw. Taylor would become Scotty 2 Hotty in the future but he was an enhancement talent here. Austin stomped a mudhole in Taylor, and it got heated at the commentary desk between Savio Vega and Jerry Lawler.
Austin wasn't troubled and it was an easy match for Austin to get some more minutes under his belt. Ultimately, he cinched in the Million Dollar Dream which was enough to see off Taylor.
9 The Ringmaster Vs. Mary Jannetty - 2/19/96
The Ringmaster clashed with former Intercontinental Champion Marty Jannetty. The Ringmaster attempted to put Jannetty away early on with some fast covers. Moreover, The Ringmaster applied the STF but Jannetty managed to reach the ropes.
Fans chanted "Marty", and Jannetty gained some energy from the fans by battling back momentarily. The Ringmaster locked in the debilitating Million Dollar Dream to prevail in a straightforward contest.
8 The Ringmaster Vs. Matt Hardy - 1/15/96
Steve Austin made his WWE debut as The Ringmaster, and he had his first WWE match with Matt Hardy on the January 15, 1996 taping of Raw. The Ringmaster applied some headlocks in the early exchanges. However, Hardy almost scored an upset as he covered Austin after Austin executed the Lou Thesz Press.
The Ringmaster dominated the match with ease. Hardy attempted a suplex but Austin countered it. Hardy fought back with some right hands. Nevertheless, the Million Dollar Dream was adopted by his manager Ted DiBiase which Austin used his repertoire, and he put Hardy out of his misery with it.
7 Steve Austin Vs. Bob Holly - 6/3/96
In the first round of the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, Steve Austin clashed with Bob Holly. This was a solid match between the pair. No one had the advantage in the early exchanges. However, Austin began to get a foothold on proceedings.
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Holly wore Austin down with submission holds. Moreover, Holly battled back with some offense and he quickened the pace. Nonetheless, Austin applied the Million Dollar Dream for the victory, and he went on to win the tournament.
6 Steve Austin Vs. Marc Mero - 5/20/96
In the curtain-raiser on the May 20, 1996 edition of Raw, Steve Austin and Marc Mero slugged it out. This was a competitive match between the pair. Austin elbowed Mero in the face but Mero responded by taking Austin down to the mat.
This was a hard-hitting match, and there were several rest holds from Austin to keep Mero at bay. Moreover, Austin blocked a submission hold with a modified version of the Stunner. The bout came to a halt with Savio Vega whipping Austin in the back with a strap with Austin triumphant by disqualification.
5 Steve Austin Vs. Savio Vega - 3/11/96
Steve Austin and Savio Vega clashed in the opening match of the night on the March 11, 1996 taping of Raw. Their match was hard-hitting with Vega taking Austin down with some thunderous clotheslines. It was a back-and-forth encounter with neither man letting up.
Austin blocked a splash by putting his legs up. Moreover, Austin wrestled control from Vega but Vega wasn't going away easily. They couldn't be separated as they fought on the apron outside of the ring, and both got counted out.
4 Steve Austin Vs. Savio Vega - 6/17/96
The rivalry between Steve Austin and Savio Vega dominated the spring and summer months of 1996. This was at the quarterfinal stage of the King of the Ring tournament. Vega viciously rammed Austin's ankle into the ring post.
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Their match was physical as expected with both desperate to advance to the next round. Ultimately, Austin connected with a Stunner out of nowhere to advance to the semifinals of the King of the Ring tournament, which took place on the pay-per-view itself.
3 Steve Austin Vs. The Undertaker - 6/24/96
The June 24, 1996 edition of Raw was the first televised meeting between Steve Austin and The Undertaker. Austin was the newly-minted King of the Ring winner, and he snuck up on the Deadman to gain the upper hand. Undertaker slowed down the pace of the match to his liking, and Austin attempted to hit Undertaker with a chair but the Deadman blocked it.
This was a decent match between the pair, and Undertaker was closing in on victory as he chokeslammed Austin. Undertaker went for the Tombstone but Goldust threw some glitter in Undertaker's face with the Phenom prevailing by disqualification.
2 Steve Austin Vs. Bart Gunn - 4/15/96
Steve Austin and Bart Gunn's clash on the April 15, 1996 taping of Raw was an underrated contest. Gunn set the tone of the bout in the early stages by applying pressure on Austin with a headlock. However, Austin launched Gunn over the top rope with some velocity.
The battle spilled onto the outside and Austin planted him onto the guardrail. Gun picked up a near-fall and he took Austin down with a crossbody. Ultimately, Austin cinched in the Million Dollar Dream for the win, but it was a valiant effort from one-half of the former WWE World Tag Team Champions.
1 Steve Austin Vs. The Undertaker - 7/29/96
Once again, Steve Austin and The Undertaker clashed in the main event of Raw in July 1996. This was a hard-hitting match with Austin gaining control of the bout by using an underhanded tactic to stop Undertaker in his tracks.
This was a superb wrestling match, and Austin took Undertaker off his vertical base to gain the advantage. The tide shifted back and forth, and Undertaker chokeslammed Austin off the top rope. Undertaker was closing in on the win with a Tombstone but Mankind appeared and caused the distraction. Austin picked up a huge win over Undertaker albeit by count-out.
