Stone Cold Steve Austin's Iconic WWE Knee Brace Sells For A Massive $225,700

WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin's signed gear fetches an incredible price.© WWE Network

A knee brace Stone Cold Steve Austin wore in the ring just went for $225,700 at auction, which puts one of the WWE Hall of Famer's most recognizable pieces of gear in spotlight again. The brace is signed, it was auctioned earlier this month, and the winning bidder also got a letter signed by Linda McMahon. Austin wore it after a serious knee injury, so it became part of his familiar in-ring look. The Texas Rattlesnake has been retired from regular wrestling for years, but his legacy still lives on through moments, gear and the Stunner.

Stone Cold Steve Austin's Signed Knee Brace Fetches $225,700 at Auction

This wasn't just another piece of wrestling memorabilia. It was worn during his career, back when Austin was one of WWE's biggest names, and his signature on it gave the eventual winner one more reason to bid. The final price reached $225,700, and the McMahon letter made the whole package more than the gear itself.

Austin's knee trouble goes back a long way. He tore his ACL playing college football, and the injury wasn't repaired at first. By his own account he wore black braces for years, then started trying different colors during his heel run after WrestleMania 17. The brace, his attitude and his hard-hitting style all ended up as part of what made him such a memorable WWE star.

There's some recent history on the price too. Earlier this year, an event-used brace from his WrestleMania 38 match sold for $58,045 through Fanatics Authentic, which called it its highest WWE auction ever. So this one brought in nearly four times that.

Stone Cold Steve Austin Previously Named The Rock as the Best Superstar to Take His Stunner

The brace isn't the only part of Austin's legacy that still gets attention. The Stone Cold Stunner remains one of the most recognizable finishers in WWE, and Austin has said which wrestler he thought sold it best.

In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, he went with his longtime rival and friend, The Rock. He also brought up Scott Hall, saying he gave a different than usual athletic presentation, and Shane McMahon, who “took a good one,” but Austin said “I always go to The Rock.”

The big matches are a large part of why. Austin and The Rock met at WrestleMania 15, 17 and 19, and Austin said those moments meant a lot to him.

Austin won the first two, and The Rock took the third, which turned out to be Austin's last match as a full-timer. He explained that The Rock would throw himself around the ring to make the move look even bigger.

Austin also joked that The Rock's size made the Stunner a bit painful for him. He said the guy is “so jacked and so hard,” and that “sometimes he would flop off the ropes and end up landing back on me.” His reaction, in his words: “I was like Jesus, you're killing me.”

The Texas Rattlesnake is retired now, and pieces from his career keep bringing in big money.