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WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin has been a part of seven Wrestlemania matches. He has an impressive win-loss record of 5-2 at the grandest stage of them all. His first Wrestlemania match was against Savio Vega at Wrestlemania XII. Speaking to Fightful Pro-Wrestling, Savio Vega recalled how he and Austin put together their first match.
"The first match (I had with) Steve was in San Antonio, Texas. I remember I was in the catering area, lacing my boots, and here comes Pat. I saw the paper and I saw Savio Vega against Steve Austin by that time. I said, ‘Okay.’ Here comes Pat, he says, ‘Savio, this is Steve. He’s gonna do (this match) with you. Put it together. Let me know.’ I say, ‘Okay. No problem.’ Honest, I don’t know Steve from before. Maybe I seen some pictures here or there, [but had] went out of my mind. I said, ‘Brother, I don’t know you. You don’t know me. My finishing move is a spinning kick. Let’s call it in the ring.’ He says, ‘Okay.' When he says okay, hey, I didn’t even realize in that moment, that okay—thinking later—he was ready for this", Savio said. (H/T - Fightful)
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They went on to have a great match as Pat Patterson agreed and paired them once more. Savio stated that after their second match, they found each other's timing and hit it off from there.
"Man, we had a great match. Now, next day, next tryout, that’s when—like I said, we touch other—now I know his timing. ‘Let’s do this, let’s do that.’ Then from that moment on they put us together for almost a year, I believe. Maybe less, but it looked like a year. We worked every night every where. Pay-per-views, left and right, stories with him. Like he says, ‘Savio beat the hell out of me.’ I never hurt him. He never hurt me. But, we worked solid. We worked strong."
The story of Stone Cold Steve Austin's first Stunner
Steve Austin hit his iconic "Stunner" for the first time on Savio Vega in a quarter-final match of the King of the Ring 1996. It wasn't a regular kick to the gut followed by Stunner but rather more of a sitting cutter.
Steve Austin also credited Savio for helping him get into the best shape of his life when he joined WWE (then WWF).
The Texas Rattlesnake retired from wrestling in 2003 but continues to make guest appearances in the WWE. He currently has his own podcast known as The Broken Skull Sessions. The next guest on the podcast is NWO member Kevin Nash.
What do you think about Stone Cold Steve Austin's rivalry with Savio Vega? Which Wrestlemania match of Steve Austin did you like the most?
