Marc Mero’s Unintended Link To Austin’s 3:16 Catchphrase

Marc Mero recently spoke about his unintentional hand in creating Stone Cold Steve Austin’s 3:16 catchphrase.

The event in question is the 1996 WWE King of the Ring, when “Stone Cold” Steve Austin cut one of the most daring promos in modern-day wrestling. His line, “Austin 3:16 says, I just whipped your a**!” altered wrestling forever.

In a recent interview with Jeremy Lambert and SP3 on Fightful Overbooked’s In The Weeds, the former Intercontinental Champion recalled how his kick, which sent Austin to a local medical facility for treatment, sparked Austin’s 3:16 line.

When asked if there was any heat between the two wrestlers, Mero replied:

Not at all. In fact, he credits me with coming up with 3:16 only because of the fact that I kicked him in the mouth, he had to get 14 stitches. Because it delayed (the match), Jake was able to do a promo on him and that’s where it all started. If I didn’t kick him in the mouth, he wouldn’t have had time to come up with that and say it. That’s what he told me.

The ‘Marvelous’ Marc Mero That Could Have Been

Marc Mero was a strong mid-carder, but factors like injuries and Sable’s (his then-wife and valet) growth in popularity contributed to his reduced ring presence. He would face Austin one more time in the following pay-per-view event. Mero also spoke about his differences with Triple H at the time, not understanding why the two never got along.

H/T to Fightful