No one anticipated the rise of Steve Austin, including his very first manager in the World Wrestling Federaton.
Ted DiBiase recently spoke to Fanbuzz about his upcoming documentary, The Price of Fame. In the interview, he talks about Steve Austin's unlikely rise in popularity in professional wrestling, and also discussed the advice he gave him when it came to doing less or doing more with his persona:
I don?t think anybody could have predicted it back then. I saw his talent, and I told him that. Some of the producers at the time were encouraging him to do more. I said, no. I said, ?you come across [as] very believable. Sometimes less is more. You keep doing what you?re doing. It may take you a little longer to get over. But once you?re over, you?re over. And you can do anything you want.
He blew everyone out of the water. Nobody anticipated that. I don?t think anybody anticipated that with him, or with the Undertaker. The Rock, there?s another guy. When he first started out, he just evolved into this unbelievable character.
Steve Austin joined the WWE in early 1996. Originally known as the Ringmaster, he was Ted DiBiase's designated Million Dollar champion for the first half of 1996. He later changed his name to Stone Cold Steve Austin and dropped DiBiase as his manager, becoming one of the biggest names in pro wrestling history.