“Stone Cold” Steve Austin wasn’t always the Attitude Era megastar he’s known as now. Back in the day, he was known as “Stunning” Steve Austin, and he got his start in WCW. What some fans may not know is that in between his stints with the two major companies, he also worked in ECW with Paul E. Dangerously, now known as Paul Heyman. Heyman gave Austin creative freedom during his short time with the more hardcore brand, and that’s where he slowly began building the foundation for “Stone Cold.” Heyman, who has often said he doesn’t give predictions, just spoilers, did indeed predict (or perhaps spoil?) Austin’s rise to superstardom in the late 90s, early 2000s.

In a January 2022 Instagram post, Heyman pulled out the receipts from “WCW Magazine” from way back in 1991. In the magazine interview, Heyman called Austin “an incredible specimen still five or six years away from his prime,” and said that Austin would “single-handedly dominate the sport” in the new millennium. Heyman was right, and Austin shot up the card following his “Austin 3:16 promo in June 1996 after his King of the Ring victory. “The Texas Rattlesnake” would only rise from there in popularity, giving us the “Stone Cold” we know today. Heyman was correct in his spoiler, which really was a prediction from way back in the early 90s.