Posts Tagged ‘Steve Austin’

Steve Austin Closes The Door On Possibility Of Having One More Match In WWE

WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has officially closed the door on the possibility of having one more match in WWE. The WWE Hall Of Famer spoke with ABC News to promote his weekly podcasts, his new beer, the new season of his “Broken Skull Challenge” show on CMT and the WWE 2K16 video game. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On his WWE exit and transitioning into acting and reality television:

“My exit strategy from pro wrestling wasn’t carved in stone. I retired because of a few neck issues, some neurological issues … and finally after about three years of hunting and fishing, I said to myself, ‘Steve you need to get off you a** and get to L.A.’ When you wrestle for 15 years, you don’t want to go back to driving that forklift. Based on the name value I had, I went to L.A. and got involved in independent movies.”

“I really don’t do too many movies any more because memorizing words on a page is painful to me, but I love the reality stuff.”

On being outspoken on his weekly “Steve Austin Show” and “Steve Austin Show – Unleashed!” podcasts:

“When I came up with the Stone Cold [image] … I pushed the envelope creatively. Maybe that doesn’t exist today as much. People are a little trepidatious, because there’s really only one company to work for. … I’m pro WWE, but also I maintain my independence and speak my true thoughts, never bashing the product. But yes, I can be critical. I’ve earned the right to be critical.”

On if he will ever return to the ring:

“Naw man, I’m done. I’d rather leave well enough alone.”

HHH Arrives For NXT TakeOver: London, Flair On “Stone Cold Podcast” Preview, More

– WWE posted the above video preview of the next “Stone Cold Podcast” with special guest Ric Flair. The show premieres on the WWE Network on Monday, January 11th immediately following RAW.

– Triple H posted the following on Twitter

– Speaking of tonight’s NXT TakeOver: London special, the official WWE Twitter page tweeted the following to promote the show, as well as the NXT TakeOver: London “Kickoff Show” hosted by Renee Young on the WWE Network immediately before the live special begins.

King Barrett Injured Again, Steve Austin Reviews WWE TLC PPV, “Happy Holidays” From WWE

https://youtu.be/eIkU9Si2pTQ

– WWE posted the above video to wish the WWE Universe “Happy Holidays.”

– King Barrett is suffering from an injury of some kind, which is why he was noticably absent from Monday’s RAW. Barrett was at the TLC pay-per-view on Sunday, but was reportedly already dealing with the injury. The severity of the injury isn’t clear, although F4WOnline.com is reporting that more details regarding Barrett’s injury should become available soon.

– On the latest edition of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast, which is available now at PodcastOne.com, WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is joined by Wade Keller of PWTorch.com for an extensive review of Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view. The official description for the episode reads as follows:

“Wade Keller of PWTorch.com fame breaks down the WWE “TLC” Pay-Per-View with Steve Austin. Hear their take on the Usos opening match, Lana & Rusev, Ryback, Alberto Del Rio vs Jack Swagger, the 8-man tag team elimination match & why Bubba Ray Dudley was the key to it all, Ric Flair’s appearance, Charlotte & Paige, and Sheamus vs Roman Reigns. Steve also has a special shout-out for Triple H & Stephanie McMahon, and a prediction for what might happen at Wrestlemania 32 in Texas.”

Seth Rollins Comments On NXT U.K. Tour, New Teaser For Stone Cold Podcast With HBK

– As noted, the latest “Stone Cold Podcast” with Steve Austin and his special guest, Shawn Michaels, premieres on the WWE Network this Sunday night immediately following the WWE TLC pay-per-view. The official WWE Network Twitter page tweeted the above preview clip from Austin’s interview with HBK.

– Seth Rollins, the first-ever NXT Champion in history, took to social media this weekend to congratulate the current NXT crew on their first-ever international tour in the U.K. this weekend. Rollins tweeted the following photo of an old Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) event, WWE’s original developmental territory out of Florida, noting that WWE developmental has come a long way.

Steve Austin Talks About His ECW Run, Paul Heyman’s Influence On His Career & More

As noted, WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin appeared on The Taz Show: Bodyslams & Beyond” recently. In addition to the excerpts we posted last week, Austin also spoke about his time in ECW, evolving from The Ringmaster to “Stone Cold” in WWE and more. Below are some more highlights from the interview.

On ECW being just the place he needed when his WCW career was cut short:

“[ECW] was just a great environment at that point in my life,” Austin recalled. “[ECW] was just a hub of so much creativity and guys going through the refining process, trying things out, experimenting, and, of course, guys with great success with real cool gimmicks laying down some heavy stuff. So, it was a great learning process for me and a real eyeopener as far as the creative freedom that Paul E. [Heyman] harbored down there and you were able to do anything that you wanted to do to get over and that doesn’t exist in today’s system.”

On Paul Heyman playing a significant role in his success:

“I really value my days down there in ECW in Philly.” Austin continued, “it was a pivotal time in my career and I dare say that if I’d not made my stop through [ECW], I don’t know if I’d ever really [become] ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. I always give Paul Heyman all the credit in the world for helping me get to the level [to which] I got.”

On Heyman’s ability to get the most out of talent:

“That dude’s like Cesar Millan talking to a dog. Dude can just talk to a cat. I don’t even care if it’s a guy or a girl, but he’d get you in a frame of mind where he opens your mind up, or focuses you, or gives you confidence in yourself, or just sparks some kind of creative spark in your brain, but the dude just has a way to talk to talent to get them to crank out some bad ass stuff.”

Stone Cold Podcast With HBK Premieres After WWE TLC (12/13)

WWE is switching things up for Steve Austin’s next “Stone Cold Podcast” on the WWE Network, as they announced that Austin’s next podcast will air after their TLC pay-per-view next Sunday night, December 13th at 11pm EST., instead of the usual post-RAW time slot on Monday night.

Austin’s guest for the next “Stone Cold Podcast” on 12/13 will be fellow WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels. While WWE is advertising the show as a one-hour live podcast on the WWE Network, based on previous advertising such as the above commercial that premiered during the WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view, Austin’s interview with HBK and his interview with Ric Flair were taped in advance of the airing of the show, which is another first for the “Stone Cold Podcast” on the WWE Network.

WWE’s official description for the “Stone Cold Podcast” with Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels on the WWE Network on 12/13 after the TLC pay-per-view reads as follows:

“WWE Hall Of Famer and Icon Stone Cold Steve Austin will have a no holds barred LIVE interview with the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels!”

Steve Austin: Concerned About Finn Balor On Main Roster, What’s Missing Today

WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was a guest on The Taz Show: Bodyslams and Beyond earlier this week and spoke about various issues related to the state of the pro wrestling industry. Here are there highlights..

Austin continues to voice his opinion that promos are entirely over-scripted, which stifles creativity and prevents the wrestlers from fully getting over.

“I don’t like to be the bitter veteran that complains about the system, but, I don’t believe that promos should be scripted,” Austin said. “A couple of bullet points, yes, to point a cat in the right direction, but you’ve got to be out there and be able to feel at home and believe with conviction and your heart and your soul with everything that you’re saying and if you’re just trying to be an orator or someone who delivers a speech, that’s not effective in my opinion. And to me, to draw money, you’ve got to be able to reach people’s heartstrings and reach some kind of guttural response or just anything that resonates with them.”

Despite the limitations of a stale creative environment, Austin says today’s WWE Superstars are athletically superior to the generations that proceeded them. That said, it’s not just about bouncing around in the ring and current performers need to focus on selling and telling a story.

“These guys are a step above our generation and the generations before us, athletically. What they can do in the ring is amazing and they’re great athletes, but I can give you Flair/Windham from ’87 or ’86 and those guys are working at today’s pace, but they’re selling everything, they’re not telegraphing anything, they’re not foreshadowing the next sequence of moves. It’s about 50-50 or 70-30 called in the ring and so it feels spontaneous and it feels different. It feels like a shoot. So there’s a real fine line between taking all that athleticism and you’re going to set up a little bit of stuff, but when it looks like you’re just going through the motions, you’re just going through the motions and people can see that. And you’ve got to be able to feel and really get behind a character and a personality and the human that’s doing that. I mean, that’s the money level.”

NXT Champion Finn Balor was also a recent guest on The Taz Show and explained that he’s in no hurry to join the main roster. Stone Cold also has some concerns about Balor getting called up and whether his character will connect with the WWE Universe. Austin put over Balor as a great human being and a hellacious worker, but it’s all about getting the fans behind your character.

“I’m wondering if he’s going to get lost in the shuffle a little bit [on the main roster]. He does that crawl to the ring and sometimes it takes so long. It’s a little disconcerting because I’ve seen the kid. Good looking kid, worked for many years in Japan, and he’s very technical from Ireland or wherever he’s from. Great kid! Great kid! Hell of a worker. Ten times the worker I ever was, but he [has] got to connect with those people. And so hopefully that gimmick allows him to do that. And it’s a great look. You can make a lot of action figures off of it, but put all the pieces together. People [have] got to care about him to become emotionally invested in him, but a great human being and a hellacious worker.”

He added that he’s not totally sold on Balor’s elaborate ring entrance because he finds it unrealistic that his opponent will stand in the ring waiting while Balor takes his time crawling to the ring. If Austin would have been in the ring waiting for Finn Balor to finish his ring entrance, “I’d have to go stomp a mud hole in him and walk it dry when I’d have the opportunity because that’s what ‘Stone Cold’ would do.”

Recap Of Mick Foley On Steve Austin’s Podcast (Updated)

Mick Foley appeared on the Steve Austin Show podcast this week to discuss his frustration with the current state of WWE, how to improve the business, The Authority, the value in making mistakes, Dusty Rhodes, why he wants to see The Shield reunite and much more. Here are some highlights:

– Austin started off the show telling Mick that he’s enjoyed his Facebook post about what’s wrong with today’s WWE and some suggestions of how to turn the product around. Mick said sometimes he has to fight the urge to vent on social media, but he had to take a stand this time. He’s on the verge of not watching RAW anymore. Foley watches RAW with his kids and lately it’s just been unbearable. He’s as big a fan as anybody and if he’s getting turned off, it’s probably indicative of what the larger audience is feeling.

Foley has a hard time buying into The Authority. He is concerned that WWE is going to react to low viewership by doubling down on WWE’s strongest personalities (Triple H & Stephanie) but they’re not the ones with their names on the marquee. The Authority isn’t wrestling night after night on the road. Austin complimented Triple H and Stephanie, but feels that it’s time to wind down The Authority angle. It’s the same old stuff. Austin wants to see the heels get theirs and some back to basics law and order.

– Mick says the ‘danger’ of bringing up good ideas is that once the idea gets out there, WWE wants to go in a different direction to surprise people. He feels Reigns joining The Authority at Survivor Series would have made the most sense and would have been a much better scenario than what we got. Foley says WWE is trying to put Roman Reigns in the Steve Austin anti-Authority role and that doesn’t work for everybody. He wishes he could speak to Reigns and talk some sense into him. Austin asks him if he thinks Reigns is over-acting and relying and going through the motions of ‘what a rising top guy should be.’ Foley basically agreed, saying Reigns is a good guy, a hard worker and deserves a top spot, but needs to work on his act. Foley puts over Reigns as being a handsome, talented guy with a lot of potential but his current role is just not working. Foley thinks there’s money in a Shield reunion, there’s money in Reigns vs. Rollins.

– Austin asks Mick if he thinks the talent is being over-coached and over-produced. Foley talks about the art of the promo and how the best promos work off bullet points and allow the talent’s personality to shine. The freedom to improvise no longer exists and it completely handcuffs the talent. Talent should not be afraid to make mistakes. If you try to eliminate the chance of disasters (ie. a promo bombing), you also take away the chance that something really special will take place. Foley referenced Dusty Rhodes how great he was on the mic. He mentioned Dusty’s “Hard Times” promo. He said that if Dusty had handed the transcript of that promo in to a high school English teacher, he’d get a C+. But the way Dusty delivered it, it’s magic. Austin said when you try too hard to be “what they want you to be,” you can’t be what makes you special. They reminisced about their time on top and the freedom they had to experiment.

– Austin says the WWE product is so slick that it feels like the spontaneity has been completely lost. There’s no longer a feeling that ‘anything can happen.’ Both guys agreed that WWE has a tremendous talent roster right now. Foley talked again about Sasha Banks’ match with Becky Lynch last week on RAW. Everything they did in the ring was good, but 4 minutes later it was like the match never happened because there were no ramifications. Mick said, imagine if WWE had booked their show like this during the Monday Night Wars. Austin said he enjoys watching the Divas who have been called up from NXT, but thinks they are being micromanaged on the main roster. Austin vented about Sasha and Becky only getting 4 minutes, questioning, why WWE even puts the match out there. Austin puts over Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Bayley as being classic pro wrestlers that are being stifled by WWE’s bad booking. There’s no heat so the matches mean nothing.

– Both guys put over Sasha Banks as being a great worker with an original character but (recurring theme here) she’s being completely held down by the booking.  Foley said, “She’s living the dream, she’s got this character that works and I think she’s being messed with. If you have someone who is there, who is firing on all cylinders .. and I’m talking to Vince, leave her alone and let her do her thing. You’re 70, Vince. She’s 23. You don’t speak to everybody out there. Just because you don’t get it doesn’t mean it’s not there to be gotten. You have people chanting We Want Sasha, it’s not without reason. Please, Mr. McMahon. Please leave her alone. Let her do her thing. If they want her, give her to them. Let her do her thing. You’re looking for faces, future faces of the company. Here’s one of them. It makes me sad to see someone work so hard, who is there and is being led in different directions.”

– Austin asked Mick if his working punches were stiff. Foley said not as stiff as Vader’s (because everything Vader did hurt), but Austin’s punches would hurt more when Austin was making his comeback during a match and got caught up in the moment. Foley said he once asked Triple H what the main difference was working with Austin and The Rock. Hunter instantly responded that Rock’s punches didn’t hurt and Austin’s hurt like hell. They both had a laugh.

– Austin asked Foley why Vader came in to WWE walking on eggshells. Vader worked with Shawn Michaels when he first joined WWE and got a lot of heat for working stiff with Michaels. Austin said he doesn’t think Vader ever recovered from that. Vader was upset early on because at the time in WWE, heels had to be booked as cowards. Foley put Vader over as a solid worker and being great and ‘making guys’ because he was such a strong heel. He thinks that when Vader got to WWE, he had so many people in his ear, so many people trying to tell him to be a heel, that he was baffled. Vader hated running away from opponents, but that’s how WWE booked heels back then. Foley said Vader is in phenomenal shape and doesn’t get his due as being one of the great heels of his generation. Austin agreed he was great.

– Austin asked Foley if he thinks today’s WWE roster is walking on eggshells. Foley said yes, he thinks so. You’ve got to get in your mandatory cool moves and it’s really hard to go out there and assert yourself with other people’s ideas (writers). Foley says the over-scripting leads to wrestlers not having to constantly think about and develop their characters. Back in his day, he would constantly be working on his promos. Foley told a story from a few years ago when he bombed on stage during the early days of his stand-up comedy career and it wound up being a great experience for him. Guys today are just memorizing and don’t have to think for themselves. Austin asked how to change the situation. Foley says he knows the McMahons are very busy. He has offered multiple times to come in and pitch ideas. He doesn’t think the McMahons like his ideas, but he would love to visit WWE headquarters and work as a consultant of sorts. More talk of everything being over-scripted and the performers not even having the option to think of themselves or make mistakes.

WWE Website Officially Lists Steve Austin As “Retired”

According to WWE.com, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is officially retired from wrestling. The official WWE website ran a feature about how retiring wrestlers have “said goodbye” to WWE and

The feature lists his WrestleMania 19 match against The Rock as his retirement match. The ‘Mania match was not billed as a retirement match, but it did end up being Austin’s last time competing in the ring.

Despite Austin stating on more than one occasion that he doesn’t want to get back in the ring, there have been rumors on the internet of him returning at this year’s WrestleMania in Texas. Austin killed the rumors by saying there’s “no amount of money WWE could offer” him to get back in the ring.

The WWE Hall of Famer also stated earlier this month that he is “99.9% sure” that he’s already wrestled his last match.

Related: Video: Steve Austin Responds To Goldberg: “He’s Full Of Sh*t”

Mick Foley Appearing On Steve Austin’s Podcast, Historic WCW Site Being Torn Down

– WWE CFO George Barrios will take part presenting WWE at the UBS 43rd Annual Global Media and Communications Conference taking place in New York City on December 8th.

– Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park will be tearing down the “Streets of America” attraction to make room for the expansion of “Star Wars Land.” The Streets of America area was the location for Hulk Hogan’s WCW contract signing parade back in 1995 as well as the set for the WCW Monday Nitro’s opening montage.

– Rusev tweeted the following reaction to Kobe Bryant announcing he is retiring from the NBA at the end of this season:

– Mick Foley will be appearing on the Steve Austin Show podcast soon to discuss his feelings about the current state of WWE.

https://twitter.com/realmickfoley/status/671405724979888129

Check out Foley’s latest blog from Monday morning explaining in detail what’s wrong with today’s WWE and how to fix it.

Austin’s Advice To Cesaro: “Come Back Guns Blazing, F*ck All The Politics”

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin was joined by Wade Keller on his latest podcast to discuss several topics. One subject the WWE Hall of Famer went off on was Cesaro.

Austin expressed disappointment that Cesaro is on the injured list right now, saying it’s unfortunate because it was time for WWE to “give him the ball” and run with it. Now that he’s forced to take time off due to a shoulder injury, Austin says Cesaro should use that time to sit back and come up with ideas to re-invent himself. Austin said,

“Time for this guy to come back both guns blazing. F**k all of the politics. I’m going to the top.”

Legend has it that Austin came up with his “Stone Cold” name and character while sitting at home when frustrated with what the WWF was coming up with for him.

Stone Cold also praised Cesaro’s in-ring work, but said he’s a guy who’s been “lost in the shuffle” of the storylines. Austin’s advice for Cesaro was to stay home and not only rest his body, but his brain, and use the time on coming up with something fresh for his character on WWE TV.

Cesaro underwent shoulder surgery on November 23rd, and is expected to be out 4 to 6 months.

You can listen to the full podcast here.

Related: Cesaro Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Out 4-6 Months

William Regal On Dressing In Drag On RAW, Wrestlers Taking Themselves Too Serious

WWE’s William Regal recently appeared as a guest alongside Sheamus and King Barrett on an episode of the WWE Network show, Table For 3. During the show, Regal revealed that dressing in drag during a RAW Roulette show was his favorite moment in his career. He also spoke about how wrestlers shouldn’t take themselves too seriously and how his old WWE character defined his career. Below are some of the highlights.

On dressing in drag on RAW:

“That was probably my favorite thing I’ve ever done in the entire time I’ve been in wrestling. Doing that was the most actual fun I ever had.”

“If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it right. I want the full Vegas showgirl [regalia]. I want the thing, but where are we going to get [that]? I want red high heels. Where are we going to get that? It just happened that we were in Vegas. Well, actually, I’m nearly a [size] 12 [shoe], so they went and got me 13 size red [heels], but we were in Vegas, so it was okay. It all worked out nicely.”

On how his five week run as a “Real Man’s Man” gimmick in WWE has defined his career:

“It lasted five weeks. I had a 30-year solid wrestling career in 40 countries and I’d been pretty successful at lots of things, but that five weeks has defined my entire career. And people still sing that song to me every day and I’m not making this up, every time I call the office, and they put me on hold, it’s that thing playing down the phone line.”

On how wrestlers shouldn’t take themselves too seriously:

“If you take yourself too seriously, you’ve got no chance in this job. You cannot take yourself seriously. You’ve got to embrace whatever is given and make the most of every opportunity to make it funny or to make it memorable. [Austin and Angle are] two serious fellas, right? So comfortable with themselves they’re happy to do anything. That’s the key to it. When you’re happy and you’re comfortable with yourself and you’re not worried about being a top guy, you’ll make the most out of anything and make it work.”

Jim Ross Blog: Daniel Bryan To Be Forced Into Retirement?, WWE Title Meaning Less Lately

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog at JRsBarBQ.com with his thoughts on how WWE should handle the build to WrestleMania 32, some of the big stars they could bring in and more. Below are some of the highlights.

On the WWE title being ‘tepid’ heading into WrestleMania season:

“I can’t recall the WWE Title being more ‘tepid’ than it is right going into [WrestleMania season] for WWE. This is not an indictment on Sheamus who I have great respect for and love his work ethic but the title lost a great deal of luster after Seth Rollins suffered an untimely, major knee injury.”

On the two biggest stars WWE can bring in for WrestleMania 32:

“The two most viable stars that WWE could bring in for WM32 or so it seems might be Goldberg and Batista. Austin and HBK are adamant that their wrestling days are history, Hogan is still on the outs with the company plus he doesn’t need to wrestle a match with his back condition and Rock has movie commitments I’m told as does Ronda Rousey.

For those that think that Austin and HBK would do ‘one more match’ for the right money, please, just stop it.”

On Daniel Bryan awaiting doctor’s clearance:

“As Dave Meltzer and I discussed this week on The Ross Report Podcast, if Dr. Joe Maroon, WWE’s medical guru, doesn’t clear Daniel Bryan we don’t think it matters how many other doctor’s say that it’s OK for DB to return to the ring. If I was still in charge of WWE roster, I’d go strictly on what Dr. Maroon says.”

NBC No Longer Airing Tribute To The Troops, Note On Next “Stone Cold Podcasts,” More

– In an interesting note, WWE’s new contract with NBC Universal no longer includes two shows per year on NBC, which means NBC will not be airing the WWE “Tribute to the Troops” shows any longer.

– As noted, WWE Hall Of Famers Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels will be the guests on the next two editions of fellow WWE Hall Of Famer Steve Austin’s “Stone Cold Podcast” on the WWE Network. Unlike Austin’s past podcasts where he would do the shows live on the WWE Network after RAW from the city that RAW was in that particular week, the Flair and Michaels podcasts were taped ahead of time, which is why WWE was able to show promotional clips of the shows during this past Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view.

– WWE posted the following tweet to promote a new WWE.com feature looking at current WWE Superstars with the longest tenure in the company.

(Partial Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Jim Ross Talks To Steve Austin About Today’s WWE Announcing, Working With Jerry Lawler

WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin interviewed Jim Ross for a recent Steve Austin Show podcast. During the interview, JR acknowledged that his announcing style would not fit well with the way today’s WWE broadcasts are run.

Regarding today’s WWE shows, JR admitted that the current WWE announcers have a difficult, unenviable position.

“I think those guys have a tough job. It’s just a different style. I’m kind of glad that I’m not [in that position],” Ross admitted. “[WWE] have more to sell. They have a mall where these other wrestling companies have a storefront. They have a smaller inventory to sell, whereas the WWE has a ton of things to promote and sell and their own network, et cetera, et cetera. So the announcers are obligated to get so much of that content in and that’s built into the show.”

According to Ross, his commentary style wouldn’t work well in today’s WWE, as he feels he is more of a play-by-play commentator, while today’s commentators are asked to plug a lot of different products and are very over-produced.

“I do miss walking out there and sitting down and going to work, but I don’t know that my style in what I’m most comfortable in doing would be applicable in WWE these days based on how the guys are produced and the obligations they have to get the product over and all the stuff they [have] got to sell.”

JR also spoke about flying to Memphis every Wednesday to record with Jerry Lawler for the WWE 2K16 video game, noting that they picked right where they left off in terms of on-air chemistry.

“This sounds egocentric, I’m sure, [but] we hadn’t missed a beat. It was so natural. It would be like, I would suggest this. I always thought that [Austin] versus the Rock had great chemistry and I believe that [those] guys, in a different time, not 2015 [going] into 2016, but in a different time, [Austin and the Rock] could have been away from each other and [they] could be booked back into a match and I’d be very disappointed if [Austin and the Rock] missed too many beats. There was just a genuineness, an authenticity, and a feel, and that’s kind of what Jerry and I had.”

Steve Austin’s Next Podcast Guests, New WWE Network Shows

WWE ran a promo video during Survivor Series looking ahead to new programming on the WWE Network:

  • The Steve Austin Show will be returning soon with special guests Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair. Both have already been pre-recorded and will not air live after WWE RAW like all previous episodes.
  • Edge and Christian’s Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness
  • Ride Along – Hit the road with WWE Superstars and Divas
  • New episodes of Breaking Ground

Steve Austin Interviews Longtime WWE Director, SmackDown Preview, Undertaker’s Debut

– Featured above is the latest “This Week In WWE” video with Corey Graves and Kyle Edwards. In honor of “The Undertaker Week” on the WWE Network, Graves and Edwards look back at The Undertaker’s WWE debut at Survivor Series 1990.

– WWE taped the following matches on Tuesday night in Knoxville, Tennessee for tonight’s WWE Survivor Series “go-home” edition of SmackDown.

* Cesaro vs. The Miz
* Neville and The Dudley Boyz vs. Stardust and The Ascension
* Tyler Breeze vs. Zack Ryder
* Charlotte vs. Brie Bella
* Big E. vs. Kalisto
* Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens and Alberto Del Rio

– WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin interviews longtime WWE director Kerwin Silfies on the latest edition of his “Steve Austin Show – Unleashed!” podcast, which is available right now at PodcastOne.com. The official description for the episode reads as follows:

“Steve Austin is giving you a true behind-the-scenes look at WWE with longtime director Kerwin Silfies. Kerwin’s talking about what it takes to do three hours of live RAW every Monday night, what goes into Wrestlemania, why he sat with the audience at Wrestlemania 1 at MSG, and he’s got some great stories about working with Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan, Jesse Ventura, and Vince McMahon himself! He’s even got a couple of tales about Stone Cold!”

Steve Austin Explains Why Roman Reigns Should Turn Heel

During the latest edition of his “Steve Austin Show – Unleashed!” podcast, WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin explained why WWE should turn Roman Reigns heel.

According to “The Rattlesnake,” Reigns has the size and the look to be a top guy in WWE, but should have a run as a heel before trying to take the top babyface spot in the company.

“I think Roman needs to be a heel. Go through that journey and then evolve into a babyface. To me, it’s almost going to mirror what the Rock did. [WWE] brought him in as a white meat baby. People hated him and they wanted to hate him. And then, all of a sudden, the Rock started taking over the Nation of Domination. He was the alpha male in that group. All of a sudden, the promo skills come alive. The character comes alive. The personality comes alive and he turned into the most electrifying man in sports entertainment. Now, I don’t expect Roman Reigns to do that. I expect Roman Reigns to be Roman Reigns, but that’s the road that the Rock went down. I just think, organically, that’s the way it’s going to play out for Roman Reigns. Now, you can try to put him in that babyface spot, that number one spot, right now to see what happens and I’ll be very, very interested to see, if indeed, that’s what they do because I’m just waiting on the edge of my seat to see what happens.”

Austin also spoke about Cesaro’s progress as a performer, explaining that he thinks he will eventually put all of the pieces together and get over with the fans, but noting that WWE isn’t doing him any favors.

“I think the guy is just so damn good in the ring. I see eventually he will put all the pieces together, but [WWE is] not helping him any. He [has] got to put the pieces together to go up on top of the card. Cesaro, you have hopes for because he can do so much [and] he looks so good. He only speaks 17 languages! He can go all over the world and promote for [WWE], so there [has] got to be a way to get this guy figured in a little more and get his ass over.”

Undertaker-Themed “Legends With JBL” Preview, Owen Hart DVD Update, The Ross Report

– WWE posted the above preview for the new two-part edition of “Legends With JBL,” which as part of the special Undertaker Week on the WWE Network, features “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple H and Shawn Michaels talking about “The Dead Man’s” legendary career. Both parts are available on the WWE Network now.

WrestlingDVDNetwork.com is reporting that WWE’s new “Owen Hart: Hart Of Gold” DVD and Blu-ray set will feature new and archived interview footage from Vince McMahon, Tyson Kidd, Natalya, Jim Neidhart, Davey Boy Smith, Triple H, Mick Foley, Edge, Scott Hall, Chris Jericho, Lex Luger and referee Mike Chioda. WWE also shot new interviews with Owen Hart’s family members, including Bret Hart, Keith, Ross, Bruce, Alison, Diana, Ellie and Georgia. The set will not, however, feature any content from Hart’s immediate family, such as his widow Martha or his children, Oje and Athena, as Martha is not supporting the project.

– WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross’ weekly “Ross Report” podcast returns on Tuesday night at 9 p.m. EST. / 6 p.m. PST. at PodcastOne.com. JR will be joined this week by two wrestling legends, as Jim Cornette and Terry “Magnum T.A.” Allen are both scheduled for the show. The official description for the episode reads as follows:

“Join JR as he welcomes TWO guests in rapid fire conversation….the incomparable Jim Cornette talks with JR about a variety of topics and the Mid Atlantic Memories film and pulls no punches on any topic. Also joining JR will be Terry Allen better known as Magnum TA who chats about a myriad of topics concerning today’s product. So one one podcast you get Jim Cornette, Magnum TA along with JR with entertaining and informative talk.”

Buff Bagwell On Nearly Becoming Paralyzed In WCW, His Battle With Drug Addiction & More

Former WCW star Buff Bagwell recently appeared as a guest on the “Steve Austin Show – Unleashed!” podcast and spoke about nearly getting paralyzed after taking a bad diving bulldog from Rick Steiner during an episode of WCW Thunder in 1998, his battle with drug addiction and the DUI that Lex Luger got that left him wheelchair-bound. Below are some of the highlights of the interview.

On thinking he was paralyzed during 1998 WCW Thunder match against Rick Steiner:

“At this point, I am 100% convinced, and that is a big, big statement, I’m convinced I’m paralyzed. I swear to God, my mind went, ‘you know what, you can do what Christopher Reeve is doing. You can go to schools.’ I really turned a negative situation into a positive situation in a matter of seconds.”

“We got [to the hospital] and they wheeled me out and I was all drooped over the wheelchair and as soon as I got into the waiting room, I popped up with a double bicep [pose]! And they were like, ‘oh my God! What happened? Why are you okay?’ and at that stage, they realized I had a bruised spinal cord.”

On his battle with drug addiction:

“I have severe sleep apnea. I did not know I had severe sleep apnea back in the day, so I would wake up and I felt horrible! So I would sedate to go to the gym. I would sedate to go to bed. I would sedate to get to the ring. I would sedate because I didn’t feel good. The word ‘sleep apnea,’ nobody knew what it was back then. It wasn’t a word yet, so once I got diagnosed with sleep apnea, then I was able to clean this stuff up. But back before I was able to clean it up, it created, long story short, sleep apnea created an unbelievable drug addict.”

On trying to stop Lex Luger from driving the night he got a DUI that left him wheelchair-bound:

“I really tried to help [Luger]. I said, ‘don’t leave. Please stay here.’ I said, ‘Judy will get us something to eat. Don’t worry about that.’ I said, ‘don’t do it’ and he just refused. And when he got in the car, and he smelled those hash browns, he took a couple bites of hash browns and there it was, nodded out and [went] out.”

“[I] just talked to him. [I] just invited him to the [The Good, The Bad & The Buff: The Marc Bagwell Journey] documentary coming up and really, just God bless him. He’s in a wheelchair. I mean, he [does not] even look like Lex and I’ve talked to him about this, I love him so much and I’m so proud of him. But still, it bothers me because he was, he is, ‘the Total Package’, Steve, and you know that. And for him not to be ‘the Total Package’ [anymore] bothers me and it upsets me.”

H/T For Transcribing: WrestlingINC.com

Alberto Del Rio Deletes Controversial Tweet, Rapper Pays Tribute To Steve Austin, Eden Blogs

– Following this week’s episode of SmackDown on Syfy, Zeb Colter addressed his and United States Champion Alberto Del Rio’s “haters.”

Del Rio responded to their “haters” and tweeted this photo of two young men.

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His tweet touched a nerve with some fans, with some calling for his job. The post has since been deleted.

– Rapper Mac Miller paid tribute to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at his concert Friday night in Santa Cruz, California.

After he was done performing, the WWE Hall of Famer’s theme song played with Miller drinking beer and giving a Stone Cold Stunner to his hype man. He then said, “And that’s the bottom line, ’cause Stone Cold said so!”

SmackDown ring announcer Eden has posted a blog on her visit to Leeds, England during WWE’s European tour.

Steve Austin Confirms His Status For WrestleMania

WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has put an end to the rumors once and for all that he does not plan on wrestling at WrestleMania 32 in April.

During Episode 272 of the Steve Austin Show: Unleashed podcast, Austin said there’s no amount of money that WWE could offer him to get him back in the ring. He likes money and he loves his fans but he’s not going to do something that he’s not into. “My heart is not set on wrestling again” he said.

Earlier this month, the WWE Hall of Famer said that he’s 99.9% sure he’s already has his last match. Now, the door is officially closed. You can listen to the podcast below – Austin comments on wrestling again occur around the 1-hour mark:

WWE Honors Veteran’s Day (Video), NXT Lineup For Tonight, Steve Austin

– WWE posted the above video to celebrate the Veteran’s Day holiday today.

– WWE taped the following matches for tonight’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network:

* Adrien Reese vs. Peyton Royce
* Baron Corbin vs. Tye Dillinger
* NXT Women’s Champion Bayley, Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley vs. Blake, Murphy
* Nia Jax vs. indie wrestler Deonna Purrazzo
* The Mechanics vs. The Vaudevillains for the NXT Tag Team Titles

– Former WCCW announcer Marc Lowrance is the guest on the latest edition of Steve Austin’s “Steve Austin Show” podcast at PodcastOne.com. The official description for the episode reads as follows:

“Former WCCW announcer Marc Lowrance has fond memories of the Dallas Sportatorium where he called matches for the Von Erichs, and the Fabulous Freebirds. He shares what he learned from Gary Hart, Bronko Lubich, and Bill Mercer, why he misses kayfabe, and what he thinks about the loss of the territories.”

Video: Steve Austin Responds To Goldberg: “He’s Full Of Sh*t”

Earlier this week, former WCW star Bill Goldberg spoke to TMZ Sports and surprised many fans by saying that WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin would purposely not drink his beers when celebrating in the ring during his WWE career.

Goldberg claimed that Austin would let the beer spill all over himself and the ring. Meanwhile, he proudly touted the fact that unlike Austin, he always drank his beers.

On Tuesday, TMZ Sports released a new video interview with Austin. In the video, which you can watch above, “The Rattlesnake” said Goldberg is “full of sh*t.”

Austin admitted that he spilled about half of the beer he drank all over himself, but that he absolutely drank the rest, noting that he left the ring with a buzz on many occasions.

NXT Talent Cuts Expected, Big Guests On “Legends With JBL,” Soccer Players At RAW (Photo)

– There are rumors going around claiming that WWE is planning on announcing one or two NXT talent cuts in the near future. While we can confirm the talk, there hasn’t been any word yet regarding which talents may be on the chopping block. The cuts are expected to be announced in the next month or two.

– As noted, WWE will be running a special “Undertaker Week” on the WWE Network starting next Monday. As part of the special theme, a new episode of “Legends with JBL” will premiere. The show will feature “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple H and Shawn Michaels talking about “The Dead Man.”

– Triple H posted the following photo of himself with U.K. soccer stars Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Darren Fletcher at backstage at Monday’s RAW in Manchester, England.

https://instagram.com/p/94diSVPwLU/