Stone Cold Steve Austin

Known as "the toughest SOB,"  in the WWF,  Austin was working on a freight dock when he first saw an ad on TV for wrestling school and dreamt about a future as a professional wrestler.  Eight years later,  he would become arguably the most recognizable wrestling star in the business.

Steve Austin claims that he developed his "Stone Cold" persona after watching an HBO special about serial killers.  However it came about, Austin has proven to be possibly the most popular (and most marketable) wrestler of all time.  Stone Cold's "Austin 3:16" catchphrase is one of the best in the business,  and even when sidelined with a neck injury earlier this year, Steve was still one of the WWF's most popular superstars, even rivaling the reputation of Hulk Hogan in the 1980's.  Since signing with the WWF in December of 1995,  the wrestling federation has achieved record heights of popularity and received its highest television ratings in years.