“Stone Cold” Steve Austin didn’t put a crown on his head when he won the 1996 King of the Ring tournament.

Instead, he said something that ensured that he would be a rich man for the rest of his life.

Austin opened the show by winning his semifinal match against “Wildman” Marc Mero. Both men were WCW alumni, as Mero competed there as Johnny B. Badd.

Mero busted Austin open during the match, so “Stone Cold” went to the hospital for 16 stitches before returning for the final match.

In the other semifinal, Jake “The Snake” Roberts beat Vader by disqualification.

Vader injured Roberts after the match, so Austin won the final bout rather easily.

During his coronation ceremony, Austin mocked Roberts’ Christian values by saying “Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your ass!”

The next night on Raw, “Austin 3:16” signs started appearing in the crowd. Then, the World Wrestling Federation printed the phrase on plain black T-shirts. The rest is history.

SHAWN MICHAELS IS THE CHAMP

“The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels retained the WWF championship in the main event with a win over “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith.

Mankind upset The Undertaker after Paul Bearer accidentally hit Taker with the urn. Considering that Bearer turned against Undertaker two months later at SummerSlam, maybe it wasn’t an accident.

The Ultimate Warrior beat Jerry “The King” Lawler in less than four minutes.

The Smoking Gunns retained the WWF tag team title with a win over Henry & Phinneas Godwinn.

Ahmed Johnson won the Intercontinental title from Goldust after a Pearl River Plunge powerbomb.