A long-lost Stone Cold Steve Austin match has finally seen the light of day – and WWE fans are absolutely losing it.
As part of a new compilation video uploaded to the increasingly popular WWE Vault channel, footage of a rare Austin vs. Undertaker bout from 1997 has now been made available online for the first time.
1997 was the year Stone Cold Steve Austin grew into the character he’s so fondly remembered forWWEThe match, taped at the SkyDome on June 14 of that year, wasn’t aired on TV at the time – but is now live for all to see, buried deep into a two-hour video of forgotten New Generation classics.
It’s only a few minutes of action, but for fans, it’s gold.
“This has gotta be the coolest wrestling channel on YouTube ever,” one fan wrote, reacting to the surprise upload. “All this unreleased footage is a treasure.”
Another added: “I didn’t think I’d watch the whole video, but five minutes in and I was glued. Ended up watching the whole thing in one go.”
The clip is, for many, the crowning jewel of the new release, dropping on the channel on Wednesday.
The Vault’s ‘Rare New Generation Live Event Matches’ upload and features Austin facing The Undertaker in a match taped just two weeks after the 1997 King of the Ring – at a time when both were already being positioned as top stars heading into the second half of the year.
While the bout itself was a non-televised live event match, it’s particularly intriguing as it took place just months before their high-profile collision at Over the Edge 1998, when Austin defended the WWF Title with Vince McMahon as special guest referee.
Back in ’97, both men were caught in a transitional period – Austin still riding the wave of his explosive WrestleMania match with Bret Hart earlier that spring, and ‘Taker in the midst of a WWF Championship reign that would eventually lead to a SummerSlam showdown with Hart.
Matches like this one were used to test chemistry, keep feuds warm, or simply send fans home happy after TV tapings – but they rarely made it to air.
Now, with WWE Vault diving into the company’s extensive archives, those dark matches are getting a second life.
Undertaker pinned Austin to retain his WWE titleYouTube: WWE Vault ‘Kevin ‘Diesel’ Nash, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart also feature in the compilationYouTube/WWE VaultWWE Vault has fast become one of the most talked-about assets in the company’s digital output.
Launched quietly in early 2024, the channel now boasts more than 2.4 million subscribers and has built a loyal audience by posting rare and previously unaired matches from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.
While much of that footage once sat unseen in WWE’s tape library, it’s now being released in themed compilation drops, often grouped by era, location or superstar.
Fans online have heaped praise on the uploads, with some going as far as calling it better than the main WWE Network content it effectively replaced.
“I think this channel surpasses WWE 24/7 and the Netflix content and Peacock all in one,” one viewer commented. “Thank you for creating this diamond mine of classic WWF.”
The sentiment has echoed across social media.
Seeing Austin perform in the non-televised bout has fans enjoying nostaligaYouTube/WWEWWE Vault's hidden 'New Generation' set list
YouTube’s ‘Rare New Generation Live Event Matches’ includes:
Shawn Michaels & Diesel vs. Bret Hart & Undertaker – March 1996 Mabel vs. Pierre – November 1994 Undertaker vs. Mankind – July 1996 Razor Ramon vs. Jeff Jarrett –November 1994 Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Undertaker – June 1997“WWE Vault is some of the best s*** that company has done in a while,” one X user wrote.
Another declared: “I’m no expert, but I think the WWE Vault admin is the best employee in the [WWE].”
With nostalgia booming and the Attitude Era cast more mythically than ever, the buzz around WWE Vault is only growing — and moments like this surprise Austin match drop are fuelling it.
Indeed, a post-‘Mania Stone Cold vs. Undertaker match from 1997 might not have meant much at the time, but to today’s fans a touch disenfranchised by the billion-dollar entity that is the Netflix era of WWE, it’s the kind of rediscovery that hits like a stunner.
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