WWE is continuing to look for ways to improve WrestleMania week for fans.
The company has already announced three events at Crypto.com Arena as part of WrestleMania Week in Los Angeles. SmackDown and the Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony take place on Friday, March 31, NXT Stand & Deliver on Saturday, April 1, and Monday Night Raw on Monday, April 3.
WrestleMania 39 takes place over two nights on Saturday, April 1, and Sunday, April 2, live from SoFi Stadium.
More Events Coming?
Graphic Credit: Business Wire
According to a new report by WrestleVotes, WWE wants to have additional shows throughout the week that are like The Undertaker’s 1deadMan show.
“I’m told WWE is looking into having additional shows throughout WrestleMania weekend similar to that of The Undertaker’s 1deadMan show. Live, interactive shows w/ Steve Austin & Trish Stratus to name a few have been discussed.”
There have been several reports about what WWE hopes to book at its biggest event of the year in 2023, including bringing back three of the biggest names in the history of the wrestling business to wrestle again in three separate matches.
Although he has denied speculation about him getting in better shape for another match, Steve Austin has reportedly been offered a match at this event against an unknown opponent after his successful return at WrestleMania 38 with a win over Kevin Owens.
WWE is looking to bring John Cena in for a match at Mania, which would be his first bout at a premium live event since SummerSlam 2021, where he lost to Roman Reigns.
It’s been well documented that WWE is hoping to have The Rock back for a match against Reigns, as it’s one of the biggest matches they can book. It all depends on whether The Rock’s Hollywood schedule will let him be available.
It’s been a big year for Steve Austin as he returned for his first wrestling match in almost twenty years, facing Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38, and has the chance to agree to another one if he’s up for it.
Austin went Owens in a No DQ Match from AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. In recent weeks, there has been more smoke to the fire as WWE has reached out to Stone Cold about potentially competing in another match and made him an offer, likely for WrestleMania 39.
At the same time, Austin has been posting videos of himself working out on social media. In an Instagram video, Austin noted that he isn’t doing this for any other reason than self-improvement because he got tired of how he looked, so he took action.
Steve Austin’s Explanation
“People have been speculating, ‘Hey Steve, what are you doing? What are you training for? Are you training for an event?’ I just simply looked in the mirror and realized I look like shit so I called my diet coach up and my macros are currently, give or take, roughly around 2650 calories 300-320 grams of protein, 150 grams of carbs on a regular day, will spike at 420 on a load up. I still drink beer on Friday nights. Get 3 Broken Skull IPAs and that’s pretty much it. I’m probably, as far as body weight goes, sub-232, the leanest I’ve been in forever. Anyway, I’m out. I just got tired of looking In the mirror, I got tired of looking like shit, so I’m taking action to do something about it. I gotta go. Catch you down the road.”
The details of the talks between WWE and Steve Austin are staying under wraps for now after word leaked earlier this week that the WWE Hall Of Famer received an offer from WWE to do another match.
This comes after Austin came out of retirement earlier this year for a match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38.
Where Things Currently Stand
via WWE.com
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there is smoke to the fire, and something is in the discussion phase between Austin and WWE with ideas “discussed internally that are being kept secret.”
Austin could face two types of opponents should he accept this offer – one being a younger star who can help carry the match as Owens did at WrestleMania 38. The second type of opponent could be a big name, such as Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, or John Cena.
Because Punk is in talks with AEW for the promotion to buy out his contract following the All Out incident, there’s been speculation about him potentially returning to WWE and perhaps a match with Austin.
Punk can’t return to WWE until he gets his release from AEW should both sides be interested in working together again. Meltzer’s report added that the idea of Punk potentially returning to the company is not a positive for many in WWE. Still, they also recognize this will be a decision made by Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan.
WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin continues to fuel speculation about his in-ring future with some butt-kicking workout videos.
Austin made his return to active competition earlier this year at WrestleMania 38. In a bouht that nobody thought would happen, Austin defeated Kevin Owens in a No Holds Barred match. It was his first time in the ring since WrestleMania 19, almost 20 years earlier.
With WrestleMania season right around the corner, the Texas Rattlesnake has posted a new video of himself opening up a can of ‘whoop ass’ in the gym. More specifically, in his RV.
On Monday, Austin showed off what it takes to look like Stone Cold at 57 years of age. This workout includes air squats, dumbbell curls, push-ups and kettlebell swings.
WWE insider Wrestlevotes stated in an interview that Austin was so pleased with his performance at WrestleMania earlier this year, he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of another special attraction match. On Monday, Fightful reported that WWE has reached out to Steve Austin about wrestling again since Triple H took over for Vince McMahon over the summer.
WWE always goes all-out for WrestleMania, but the company is looking to pull out all the stops when the biggest wrestling show of the year heads to Los Angeles, California. There have been reports that WWE is looking for extra celebrity involvement at the event, which makes sense considering the link to Hollywood. We’ve also heard The Rock and John Cena discussed for high-profile appearances.
Wrestling fans have been conditioned to believe, ‘never say never.’ Austin wrestling again is still a long shot. Then again, nobody (including Kevin Owens) thought he’d get back in the ring after nearly 20 years away. Stranger things have happened, so we’re staying cautiously optimistic.
Steve Austin had his first match since 2003 at WrestleMania this year, closing night one against Kevin Owens in his home state of Texas.
Many thought that this WrestleMania 38 bout was the end of Austin’s career, although that may not be the case.
Steve Austin Open to Wrestle Again
While speaking with GiveMeSport’s Louis Dangoor, WrestleVotes noted that Austin was so elated with how things went in his WrestleMania 38 that the belief is he’d be open to doing it again.
“I know he had a wonderful time doing it last year in Dallas. He was happy. He was elated. Let’s say that the performance of the match, everything went so well, and people loved it so much, So I know he was thrilled to post WrestleMania. And I’d say he was open to doing it again.”
It should be noted that WrestleVotes did explain that they hadn’t heard that Austin will be involved at WrestleMania 39 next year or if he will be wrestling, but this is just the feeling that Austin would be open to the idea.
Austin, one of the biggest stars in the history of the wrestling business, had not wrestled in 19 years as he decided to retire due to neck problems. That match came against The Rock at WrestleMania 19 in 2003.
WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin has praised Brock Lesnar as a “charismatic force of nature.”
Austin was recently interviewed by Sportskeeda, where he praised Lesnar’s legendary career in, not only professional wrestling, but sports. Lesnar has competed at the top levels in college wrestling, professional wrestling, mixed martial arts, and even a stint in the NFL.
“The Rattlesnake” praised Lesnar as a “charismatic force of nature,” touching on “The Beast’s” most recent run as a babyface in WWE.
“Love Brock Lesnar. That guy’s been in the game forever. He tried to make pro football. He never really played a whole lot of football. A couple times All-American in wrestling.
“Almost makes the football team, the Minnesota Vikings. Then he says hey, I’m gonna go fight in the UFC and becomes the UFC Heavyweight Champion and then gets back into the business.
“He’s still, after over 20 years, the biggest draw, him in Roman [Reigns], in the business today.
“So Brock Lesnar has had one of the most amazing, different runs, in the history of the business and no one will ever do it like Brock Lesnar has done it, whether it’s Suplex City or in the Octagon, or whatever it is Brock is doing.
“That baby face run he had right before Wrestlemania 38, when you have this big mass of an alpha male and he shows that vulnerability and people just clamor to him. So just a charismatic force of nature.”
(via WWE)
Lesnar was last seen at SummerSlam when he was unsuccessful in capturing the Undisputed WWE Championship from Roman Reigns. Prior, Lesnar was defeated by Reigns at WrestleMania 38.
Reigns topped Lesnar to take home the WWE Championship, unifying the title with his own WWE Universal Title – establishing himself as the Undisputed Champion of WWE. It remains unclear if or when Lesnar will make his return to WWE.
One of the most publicly known off-screen stories in WWE over the last year has been the heated feud between Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, two of the company’s top superstars and staples in their competitive women’s division.
The Queen recently joined WWE Hall of Fame Steve Austin on his Broken Skull Sessions podcast to discuss her ongoing irritation with Big Time Becks, where she remind fans that the rivalry comes from two performers who want to be the best of the best.
“You have two women who want to be the best. There’s no other way to put it. I want to be the best. She wants to be the best. Natural courses of life.”
Flair and Lynch both found love outside of the sport, so the need for them to be a crutch for one another after coming up together on television slowly disappeared.
“She got married and had a baby. I met Manny [Andrade El Idolo] on the road. Maybe we were each other’s crutches at one point.”
It was at this part in the interview that Flair opened up regarding each woman’s desire to be better than the other, which has left them on opposite sides.
“But now, she wants to be the best. I want to be the best. You have two alphas who don’t see eye-to-eye. We grew up together on TV, and you see that. People didn’t know how close we were.”
The two have had numerous in-ring encounters over the last several years, some that many fans would call some of the best matches WWE has put on in that time. A title exchange gone wrong prior to last year’s Survivor Series seems to be all anyone remembers at this point, with the story of Flair vs. Lynch continuing on.
Charlotte Flair is Steve Austin’s latest guest on The Broken Skull Sessions.
The two wrestling legends covered a lot of ground during the 90+ minute discussion. Topics discussed included breaking into the business, how her brother’s death changed the course of her life, coming up with the Four Horsewomen and much more.
The following are the main takeaways of what we learned from Charlotte Flair on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions.
They started off talking about her recent wedding to Andrade, which was held in his hometown in Mexico. They honeymooned in Costa Rica and were grateful to have a full 7-day break from wrestling, which is rare these days.
Charlotte said it can be difficult being married to someone in the business, especially someone who works for a different company. At the end of the day, they’re best friends. It can be tough being married in the business, but it would be even harder being a woman in the business being married to someone on the outside. Few people can understand what a woman goes through as a pro wrestler and spouses who are not in the business would have a very tough time understanding that life.
Breaking into the Business
Charlotte Flair on Steve Austin’s The Broken Skull Sessions (via WWE)
She’s done it all at this stage of her career, but becoming a pro wrestler was not a childhood dream of hers. Even at 25 years old, she had no aspirations of being a wrestler. She got emotional talking about her brother Reid’s passing and carrying out his dream.
Before she got into wrestling, she remembers going backstage at WWE shows with her father and being intimidated by how beautiful all the Divas were.
She attended the Four Horsemen’s WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2012, along with her father and brother. They were sitting at dinner and a WWE producer came up to them and asked her, “Why aren’t you doing this?”
Got to FCW, didn’t know what she was doing, felt resentment because she didn’t need to do a tryout. Her brother passing away put her on a completely different path. It propelled her to the highest heights, but she still hasn’t fully processed it.
The Four Horsewomen vs. WWE Divas
Charlotte said she learned the most from the women who she came up with, Sasha Banks, Bayley and Becky Lynch. Together, they were dubbed the Four Horsewomen, an homage to her father and the legendary Four Horsemen faction. That was her group, that’s who she learned from and that’s who she felt the need to keep up with. She looked up the other women and they all got better by competing with each other.
During the time that the Four Horsewomen were getting buzz in NXT, WWE’s Divas division took notice. There was a sense of competition between the two rosters. She doesn’t know if they were making the women on the main roster nervous, but it definitely bred competition.
She remembers the Divas being fired up as the Four Horsewomen were getting called up. Charlotte, Sasha, Becky and Bayley were getting time in NXT, while the WWE Divas were not.
“We were getting the time in NXT, they weren’t, so it was like, being territorial,” she said. “We were hungry, they were hungry, but its not like the four of us [the Four Horsewomen] sat in a room and were like, ‘We’re going to change the game.’ We just didnt know how to look at it any different. We thought we were just as good.”
When she got to the main roster, she feuded with Nikki Bella. She remembers Nikki being very hungry to prove herself, which she saw as a good thing overall. She was still pretty green at the time, but felt confident in what they had been doing in NXT.
WrestleMania 32
WrestleMania 32 was a turning point for her career. She was Divas Champion at the time and competed against Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch in a match to crown the new WWE Women’s Champion.
She admits, “I still at this point don’t know what I’m doing.” Charlotte carries herself with an aura of confidence, which has helped her during times when she wasn’t so confident.
They felt a lot of pressure going into this match. After the reputation they had built for themselves, they absolutely had to deliver. They were nervous, but knew they had to knock it out of the park to get more opportunities. “If they trust us, they’ll give us more.”
Anyone could have won that night, but in the end, she was the victor. She said, when she won the Divas Championship at Hell in Cell 2015, she didn’t feel ready. When she won the Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 32, she felt ready.
Ric Flair
Steve Austin asked about Charlotte’s father, Ric, and how consistent their views about the business are. How often are they on the same page?
“It’s up and down,” she said. Sometimes she thinks he’s spot on, sometimes, she thinks he’s way off. She has a stronger athletic background than her father did. Sometimes, he encourages her to show off more of her athletic abilities, like moonsaults, but she understands and knows he’s just proud of her abilities
Austin asked what she learned about life on the road, having grown up with a father who was always making towns. She said, she learned what not to do. Ric Flair had so much fun during his wrestling career, she’s found herself on the opposite side of the spectrum, encouraging herself to loosen up more. She joked that she’s kept all her robes, laughed and left it at that.
Charlotte admits that she craves approval, but still feels like she’s a natural heel. Her father is Ric Flair, which is not exactly a relatable trait. Over time, she learned that heel heat is just as valuable, if not more valuable, than babyface pops.
She credits her match against Natalya at the first NXT Takeover (2014) as the moment she truly arrived. It put her on the map and established her in the eyes of the fans. She attained great success on the main roster, but it wasn’t until her match with Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series 2018 that she felt that she could perform 100% on instinct.
Charlotte Flair also played the “Word Association” game, a regular feature on Broken Skull Sessions. Here’s the first thing that came to mind for Charlotte when presented with the following topics:
Bayley: Role model
Ronda Rousey: Legit
Becky Lynch: Character
Trish Stratus: Queen
Lita: Teacher
Nikki Bella: Star
Asuka: Iron
Liv Morgan: Future
Rhea Ripley: Unfinished business
Watch Charlotte Flair’s appearance on Steve Austin’s The Broken Skull Sessions on Peacock.
Steve Austin has kept a close eye on the WWE product and realizes the amazing work that Roman Reigns has been doing since returning to WWE television in the summer of 2020.
For years, Vince McMahon pushed Reigns as a top star, but he never got over to the degree the former WWE boss wanted. It wasn’t until Reigns returned at SummerSlam that year with a new gimmick that was more like the true personality that made him the star McMahon knew he could be.
During a recent interview with Bill Apter for Sportskeeda, Austin formally “acknowledged” the great work being done by the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
Steve Austin Acknowledges Roman Reigns
Steve Austin and Roman Reigns
Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the biggest stars in WWE history. An endorsement from him goes a long way. During his chat with Bill Apter, Austin gave Reigns his official stamp of approval.
“I’ll acknowledge that he’s doing some amazing work,” he said. “It took a while for him to put all the pieces of the puzzle together, and they didn’t book him in the greatest fashion at certain points of his career, but when he walked through the door, he was one of those guys that had that look and had that it factor.”
Austin said that Roman Reigns always had the potential to be the top guy in WWE. He just needed for the company to “do the right thing” with him.
“They finally started doing the right thing. He got to a mindset of where he’s at right now, and he’s just crushing it, and I couldn’t be prouder.”
Steve Austin on The Usos
In addition to praising Roman Reigns, Austin had glowing things to say about The Usos.
Austin exclaimed, “All those Samoans can work their asses off!” He never wrestled Roman Reigns or The Usos, but did work with several members of the great Anoa’i wrestling family, including Yokozuna, Rikishi and The Rock.
“The Usos are just killing it,” he said. “Jimmy and Jey, they were kind of like just a tag team, but now they’re a tag team with an identity and character, The Bloodline. So they’re great as a unit, and they’re all related, but Jimmy and Jey just in and of themselves as The Usos, they are a thing now. They are a force to be reckoned with. They’re one of the best tag teams on planet Earth right now.”
Roman Reigns defends the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle on Saturday, September 3rd.
Watch Steve Austin’s full interview with Bill Apter here:
Austin was recently interviewed by Sportskeeda, where he discussed a recent WWE Live Event he went to in Reno, Nevada. There, Austin witnessed a main event between SmackDown Live stars Sheamus and Drew McIntyre.
The match was a No Disqualification match and Austin was thoroughly impressed by the pair.
“Drew and Sheamus headlined the card and they had a tremendous main event,” Austin said. “They went probably, at least 20 minutes, in almost like an ‘Anything Goes’ type match, and they tore the house down.
“They were a great main event and everybody loved them. So Drew McIntyre still doing great things. Hell, Sheamus, I loved where they got him figured right now.”
Steve Austin Declares Sheamus & Drew McIntyre Will Join WWE HOF
Austin revealed that, after the match, both Sheamus and McIntyre wanted feedback on their work. “The Texas Rattlesnake” had nothing but praise for the veterans, stating that he believes he’ll see them both in the Hall Of Fame one day.
“Two super great human beings, and two Hall of Famers, and all these Hall of Fames that I’ve been in, they’ll go in as well,” Austin said.
Both Sheamus and McIntyre are currently feuding with one another on SmackDown Live. In fact, they’re expected to face off in an “Old-Fashioned Donnybrook” match this week. It will be the go-home episode for the blue brand before SummerSlam the following night.
The winner of the match will go on to challenge for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Clash At The Castle from Wales on September 3.
Steve Austin has weighed in on Ric Flair working his last match over SummerSlam weekend at the ‘Ric Flair’s Last Match’ event at Starrcast.
The WWE Hall Of Famer is set to team with Andrade El Idolo against Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal in the show’s main event.
Austin, who came out of his retirement and worked his first match in 19 years against Kevin Owens in the main event of WrestleMania 38 Night One, noted in an interview with SportsKeeda’s Bill Apter that he’s looking forward to the match.
“Well, it’s gonna be his final match, so I guess he’s in the mood to have one more go and to prove he was the man,” Austin explained. “I’ve said before, I think he was the greatest traveling world champion that there ever was. There’s a reason he had the belt as many times as he did, because he was that damn good. He lived the lifestyle on the road to the nth degree, let’s say.
“For him to have his final match, I wish him nothing but the best. I hold him in the highest regard and have the highest respect for him,” he continued. “I’m behind everything he does in the ring. So, I look forward to seeing it. I wish I could be there in person. Again, I’m not traveling anywhere right now, but I wish him all the best and I know it’s gonna turn out great and I can’t wait to watch it.”
Stone Cold Steve Austin will welcome a WWE Hall Of Famer on the next episode of “Broken Skull Sessions.”
WWE has confirmed that Jeff Jarrett will be joining Austin on an episode that will air on June 3 on Peacock TV. Jarrett joins a plethora of big names who have already been guests on the show; including The Undertaker, Bret Hart, Kane, Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, and so many more.
Jarrett was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2018. During his time with WWE, Jarrett was a six-time Intercontinental Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, and European Champion. Aside from his WWE accolades, Jarrett has done a ton in the professional wrestling business.
In WCW, Jarrett won the World Heavyweight Title four times, and was also a three-time WCW United States Champion. One of his World Title wins in WCW came as a result of winning the World Heavyweight Championship Tournament in 2000.
Jarrett also helped found and create TNA, which is known today as IMPACT Wrestling. This provided the groundwork for stars such as AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, Austin Aries, Bully Ray, and so many more.
With all that being said, there will be no shortage of topics for Austin and Jarrett to touch on during their conversation.
WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin was once part of one of the most memorable segments in Monday Night RAW history.
In March of 1999, Steve Austin hit the ring with a beer truck, smashing into the ring; with Vince McMahon, The Rock, and Shane McMahon in it. He then proceeded to hose the three down with beer on the heels of WrestleMania 15 the following weekend, where Austin would challenge The Rock for the WWF Title. “The Rattlesnake” won the No Disqualification match, which was refereed by WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley.
Recently, Austin appeared on the BrewBound podcast to discuss his famed professional wrestling career, and opened up about the beer truck segment. Austin first talked about when the angle was first presented to him, and then revealed that most of what was being sprayed was actually water, despite the first few gallons being real beer.
Stone Cold’s Beer Bash
“Well, you know, living on the road back in those days was a pretty wild time. A lot of times you got creative the day of. I remember arriving in the building, Vince or somebody is saying, ‘hey man, you’re going to drive a beer truck into the arena, and hose down The Rock.’
“I bumped the ring with it, and the first 30 gallons that came out was actually beer, and then it turned into water. When you show up, and you hear all the crazy sh*t they’ve had me do, whether it was Zambonis, beer trucks, driving cement trucks, filling in a corvette with cement, just totaling a brand new corvette, you know.
“We were able to do so much fun things, it’s those moments that people will never forget, and that beer truck was one of them.”
Austin recently made his return to in-ring action for the first time in over 19 years. He headlined Night One of WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, Texas against Kevin Owens. “KO” initially invited Austin onto the “KO Show” as a special guest.
However, he eventually challenged him to an impromptu No Holds Barred match, which Austin accepted. When it was all said and done, Austin emerged victorious after hitting his signature stunner. He even returned the following night once more to deliver a few more stunners to the likes of Vince McMahon, Austin Theory, and Pat McAfee.
Kevin Owens got the opportunity of a lifetime at WrestleMania 38 earlier this month.
Owens headlined Night One of WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, Texas against WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin. The match was Austin’s first-ever match since retiring after WrestleMania 19 in Seattle over 19 years ago. Initially, the match was advertised as a special “KO Show” segment. Instead, Owens ended up challenging Austin to a No Holds Barred match on the spot – which Austin accepted.
The pair battled all over the arena before Austin ultimately pulled out the win with a stunner. It was an incredibly nostalgic way to end the first night of “The Showcase Of The Immortals.” Recently, Owens was interviewed by Metro News and discussed his reaction to finding out about the match in Vince McMahon’s office.
Owens admitted he dropped a few expletives in front of the boss when he first heard the news.
“Vince told me a little while ago. My reaction was quiet jubilation because I was in Vince’s office, but I may have said a few swear words to him – positively [swearing]! It was really surreal,” Owens said.
“It’s funny, ’cause I was a fan of his from the start. He came in as the Ringmaster, and even he would probably say it wasn’t a great time in his career. I loved him as The Ringmaster! And then he became Stone Cold and he was on another level.
“KO” added that he understands there are a ton of other Superstars that WWE and Austin could’ve chosen for this opportunity, and he’s honored to have been selected.
“To get to be the one to do it, there’s a lot of very talented and competent WWE superstars out there. For me to be the one in this situation, it’s a huge honor and I don’t take it lightly.”
While Owens’ feud with Austin seems to have come to an end, the former WWE Universal Champion is now locked in a feud with Ezekiel, who he is likely to go one-on-one with at WrestleMania Backlash.
WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin says he’s feeling great after competing against Kevin Owens earlier this month at WrestleMania 38.
Austin was scheduled to be Kevin Owens’ guest on the KO Show at WrestleMania Saturday. Wrestling fans were pleasantly surprised when the advertised talkshow segment turned into Austin’s first sanctioned match in nearly two decades. It was a wild brawl that saw Stone Cold get his hand raised one last time to cap off a once-in-a-lifetime career.
Stone Cold recently appeared on the Brewbound Podcast to promote his new beer, the Broken Skull American Lager by the El Segundo brewing company.
Austin said he’s feeling perfect after WrestleMania.
“Oh, I’m 100 percent,” he said. “I picked up a little bit of a cold the other day but I’m back home in Nevada. Shoot, I was 100 percent [after his match with Kevin Owens] and of course went back in action on Sunday, did a little extra physicality as a part of the show.”
He continued, “It’s just an exciting time for me to back to a business that I really, really love and you know, I never thought I’d be back in a ring but, there we were headlining, main event for the — headlining WrestleMania for night one and it was just truly an honor to be out there and really excited to be out there.”
Austin said it was very satisfying to be able to feature his own beer during WWE appearances. At one point, during the Attitude Era, WWE pitched one of the major beer companies the opportunity to feature a Stone Cold Steve Austin beer. Unfortunately, it never came to be. He thinks that’s because his character was a bit too edgy for middle America and the audience that the unnamed beer company tries to reach.
“I just think what I was doing was very cutting edge, it was very edgy and that was tip of the spear, as far as the Attitude Era is concerned. So, I just don’t think I was.. someone’s idea of what a role model for their beer would look like at that time.”
Austin Theory was front and center for Vince McMahon’s horrendous stunner sell with Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 38, and knows better than anyone how the locker room reacted once McMahon returned backstage through the curtain.
Speaking to Mark Andrews: My Love Letter to Pro Wrestling, Theory revealed that the locker room, especially the female talents, teased McMahon for the botched stunner once he returned backstage. However, it sounds like the boss took it all in stride and laughed it off.
“It was really cool. When Mr. McMahon walked to the back, everyone was screaming at him,” Theory said (via Fightful). “It was a lot of the female wrestlers, they were screaming at him and messing with him. He was like, ‘Okay, okay.’ It was proud, like being proud of your dad.
“Pat comes through and everyone was proud of what we did out there and everyone enjoyed it. You know it went well when everyone in the back enjoyed it. It was awesome. Even days after and now, hearing so much about it, you know you made that WrestleMania moment, which is really cool to me.”
McMahon was initially sitting ringside for Theory’s match with Pat McAfee, but angrily entered the ring after Austin Theory came up short against the SmackDown Live commentator. After ordering an impromptu match between himself and McAfee, it didn’t take McMahon long to put the ex-NFL punter down for a three-count. After the match, however, Austin hit the ring to give stunners to all three men – Theory, McAfee, and McMahon.
“The Chairman” is no stranger to taking stunners, probably having taken more than anyone over the years given his famed rivalry with Austin throughout the Attitude Era, but this one was one of the worst of all time. While Night Two of WrestleMania didn’t offer the best closing stunner, Night One certainly did.
Austin made his in-ring return after over 19 years, defeating Kevin Owens in a No Holds Barred match after nailing “KO” with the stunner. His appearance the following night wasn’t advertised, nor expected, but it was a tremendous treat nonetheless.
WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle is the latest professional wrestling legend of note to chime in on Vince McMahon’s horrendous sell job of Steve Austin’s stunner at WrestleMania 38.
Angle took to his podcast, “The Kurt Angle Show,” to reflect on WrestleMania 38 weekend and all of its big surprises. One of those surprises being Stone Cold Steve Austin making his in-ring return. Austin took on Kevin Owens in a No Disqualification match, his first official bout in over 19 years, winning with a stunner to close out the show.
The following night, Austin returned for Night Two, interrupting Vince McMahon’s celebration for his win over Pat McAfee. Austin hit stunners on Theory, McAfee, and McMahon – the latter being one of the worst sold stunners of all time. “The Olympic Hero” described the moment as a “disaster.”
“I gave him a hug and said good luck to him. I didn’t see him afterward. I’m sure he was a little pissed off about Vince and the way he took the Stunner,” Angle said. (via Fightful). “Yeah, it was crazy because Austin was chugging these beers and you could see his lips say ‘That motherf***er.’ Vince’s timing was just bad.
“You know, he didn’t know when the jump. He didn’t know where you’re gonna go down, up and down. He just thought you’re gonna go up and down and with Austin, he didn’t expect the boot to the gut, he thought he’s just gonna Stun him.
“So when Steve booted him, Vince went to his knees… Steve had to pick him back up and then he tried to get him and Vince backed up into the ropes, and he bounced off the ropes. It was like a disaster.”
Although the stunner was terrible, it was still nostalgic for fans to see Austin and McMahon rekindle their rivalry that helped make “The Rattlesnake’s” run during the Attitude Era so iconic. Not to mention how shocking it was to see Austin make another appearance after everyone thought he was done following his victory the previous night where he closed out Night One of WrestleMania 38.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross and fellow Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin have been close friends for decades, so it’s no surprise that Ross has the inside scoop on how “The Texas Rattlesnake” felt about his performance at WrestleMania 38.
Austin made his highly-anticipated return to in-ring action at “The Show Of Shows” from Dallas, Texas earlier this month, taking on Kevin Owens in a No Holds Barred match. Initially, Austin was scheduled for a special edition of “The KO Show,” where he was to be Owens’ guest on the program. However, after Owens challenged Austin to a No Holds Barred match right then and there, Austin was quick to accept.
The pair battled all around the arena before Austin ultimately picked up the win with a stunner inside the ring, giving him a victory in his first match in over 19 years. Austin had been very vocal about not wanting to wrestle again up until returning for WrestleMania this year, mainly worried about not being able to perform to his standards given his age and injury history.
However, on the latest episode of his podcast, “Grilling JR,” Jim Ross revealed that Austin told him he was “really happy” with how things played out.
“He and I talked going into that thing and we communicated on Saturday after the show,” Ross said (via WrestlingNews.co). “He seemed to be really happy and almost relieved that they pulled it off. He and Kevin Owens deserve a hell of a lot of credit for what they did.
“To show you what kind of ballplayer Austin is, he hadn’t been on the field for 19 years or something like that and he didn’t look like he missed a step. They kept the match in their lane. I thought that was really smart how they strategized and laid out that match.
“It was just absolutely a masterpiece in my view, and Kevin Owens deserves a lot of credit as well. You gotta have a dancing partner to make these things work, and Steve had a great dancing partner.”
Prior to this, Austin’s last match took place in 2003 at WrestleMania 19, where he suffered a loss to The Rock. Austin and Rock were longtime rivals throughout the Attitude Era, headlining WrestleMania opposite each other a total of three times – WrestleMania 19 being their last.
Matt and his brother, Jeff, were on the rise within WWE during Austin’s iconic superstar run in the late 90s, so the tag team legends got the opportunity to brush shoulders with “The Texas Rattlesnake” from time to time. During that time, Matt says he developed a great relationship with Austin, and called him to congratulate him on the in-ring return last week in Dallas.
Austin had an impromptu match with Kevin Owens after what was initially expected to be a special edition of “The KO Show” segment instead. However, after Owens challenged Austin to a No Holds Barred match, Austin accepted and subsequently hit the stunner for the victory in what was Austin’s first match in over 19 years.
While discussing his relationship with Austin, Hardy also recalled the first bit of advice the Texan ever gave him regarding his in-ring work. It’s a piece of advice he still utilizes to this day.
“One of the first things he told me from a serious aspect,” Hardy said (via Wrestling Inc.). “I remember when I would make comebacks. I would come in and I would punch, punch, punch, punch, and if guys were bumping and feeding. He was like, ‘man, just think about this. Maybe come in and just clothesline them, and take their head off.
“To me, it looks a lot more vicious and like, legitimate. And the more legitimate you look, the better it is for you.’ And that’s a piece of advice that I always held dear, and I always followed as well. Like, if I am ever doing something and guys are bumping multiple times in the comeback, I will give a stiff-ass clothesline where I take their head off, as opposed to a punch.
“It always looks better too, and that came from Stone Cold. That’s one of the first pieces of advice he gave me back when Jeff and I were still wearing tights.”
As for Hardy, he signed with AEW back in March of 2020 after his run with WWE ended when his contract expired. He and Jeff have since reunited as The Hardys after the latter signed with AEW in March.
WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin is set to host his next episode of Broken Skull Sessions on Peacock.
It has been confirmed that Austin’s next guest will be none other than fellow Hall Of Famer Bully Ray (Bubba Ray Dudley). The episode will premier on Peacock this Friday (April 15, 2022). Bully Ray has been teasing the episode for nearly a month now on social media, but now WWE has made it official with the announcement.
Ray is a longtime professional wrestling veteran; having competed for several companies such as WWE, ECW, IMPACT Wrestling, Ring Of Honor, and many more. As a member of the legendary Dudley Boyz tag team, Ray and partner D-Von Dudley were inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame class of 2018. He currently co-hosts Busted Open on Sirius XM Radio.
As for Steve Austin, this has been a busy month for “The Texas Rattlesnake.” After becoming embroiled in a feud with Kevin Owens, Austin found himself making his return to in-ring competition for the first time in over 19 years at WrestleMania 38. Austin took on Owens in an impromptu No Holds Barred match, which he eventually won after hitting the Stone Cold Stunner.
The following night at Night Two of WrestleMania 38, Austin again got physical for a big spot, hitting Vince McMahon, Austin Theory, and Pat McAfee all with Stunners before engaging in yet another legendary celebratory beer bash. Prior to that, Austin hadn’t wrestled since his retirement match back in 2003 at WrestleMania 19 where he was defeated by longtime rival The Rock.
This past weekend, WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin returned to in-ring competition at WrestleMania 38 for his first match in over 19 years.
Austin was originally advertised to take place in a KO Show segment with Kevin Owens, but it turned into an official No Holds Barred match after Owens threw out the challenge. After brawling all over the arena, Austin finally picked up the victory with a stunner on Owens. It was quite surprising to see Austin compete since he had been adamant that he’s done competing inside the ring.
His last match took place at WrestleMania 19 in 2003. Austin was defeated by The Rock in what was their third time main eventing “The Show Of Shows” together. Now, 19 years later, Austin finally decided to give it one more go, going out on top with a win at the biggest professional wrestling event of the year. According to a report from Dave Meltzer of F4Wonline, Austin originally only agreed to do an elongated brawl with Owens in Dallas.
However, after training leading up to WrestleMania, Austin felt confident enough to do an actual match, thus, resulting in the No Holds Barred bout we got at WrestleMania 38. But the action didn’t stop at Night One of WrestleMania for Austin. “The Texas Rattlesnake” also hit the ring the following night, following the conclusion of the Austin Theory vs. Pat McAfee matchup. Austin rekindled his famed rivalry with Vince McMahon, hitting him with one of the worst stunners of all time.
He also hit Theory and McAfee with stunners before doing his celebratory beer bash. It was a tremendously nostalgic weekend for Attitude Era fans, but it was likely the last official matchup Steve Austin ever participates in.
Perhaps the biggest story out of WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, Texas this past weekend was the long-awaited return to the ring of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Austin was scheduled to be a guest on Kevin Owens’ “The KO Show,” however, it ended up being an official No Holds Barred match between the two after Owens challenged Austin. “The Texas Rattlesnake” accepted Owens’ challenge, and wound up victorious after hitting Owens with the stunner. It was Austin’s first match in 19 years.
The former WWE Champion wasn’t done there, however, as on Night Two of WrestleMania, Austin got involved in the Pat McAfee vs. Austin Theory matchup. After McMahon defeated McAfee in an impromptu match in retaliation for beating Theory, Austin hit the ring to confront “The Chairman Of The Board.” Austin gave McMahon a stunner, which was one of the worst sold stunners of all time, before also stunning McAfee and engaging in his signature celebratory beer bash.
One man who was watching along with the rest of the world was none other than former WCW president Eric Bischoff. Bischoff took to his “83 Weeks” podcast to describe the entire ordeal as simply – awesome.
“I know I’m older, but to see Steve in there doing what Steve is so great at doing – even beyond that, forget about the fact that Steve and I are friends and spent a lot of time in the same industry together and were peers in that era,” Bischoff said (via 411Mania).
“Forget about all of that. The crowd reaction was just awesome. It was just awesome. I just got back home and picked up in the Pat McAfee/Vince McMahon stuff and I can’t say enough good things about it. It was so much fun.”
As for the segment between McMahon and Austin in particular, although Eric Bischoff admits the stunner on McMahon was “horrible,” the former Monday Night RAW General Manager maintains the segment still did its job and was fun for the entire audience.
“I know people are gonna be laughing about the Stunner or whatever, but c’mon, man. You said it, one word – fun. You pay money to be entertained and having fun is a part of that. That whole segment was nothing but fun.
“Yeah, the Stunner looked horrible and I would imagine Vince is very angry with himself [laughs]. But hopefully he gives himself a break because he entertained the hell out of me and a lot of people. Hats off to Vince and the entire team. What an incredible event. In many ways, I think it was one of my favorite WrestleManias in a long time.”
Stone Cold Steve Austin opened one last can of whoop-ass for Kevin Owens as he had promised during WrestleMania 38 night 1 main event.
Everyone expected Austin to do his signature moves and open up cans of beer at the show, but he did much more than that.
Seeing the veteran wrestle once again after 19 years reminded people of the Attitude Era. Many wrestling personalities reacted to the main event on Twitter.
This list included people such as Sasha Banks who said she loves Steve Austin and Mickie James who noted how Austin is still one of the most over-stars in the business:
The Texas Rattlesnake wrestled a No Holds Barred match. He not only delivered some impressive offense but Steve Austin took some pretty serious-looking bumps during the bout as well.
The match ended with Kevin Owens accidentally hitting himself with a chair. Stone Cold took the opportunity to deliver a stunner and pin the former Universal champion.
Lance Storm reacted to the ending spot by remembering a similar spot from Kurt Angle. Gabe Sapolsky on the other hand promised to reveal the backstory of this confrontation one day:
Other names to have reacted to this all-out brawl included WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley, Matt Hardy, Bully Ray, Liv Morgan and more. You can check out all the reactions to this WrestleMania main event below:
Happy for Kev. Happy for Cody. VERY happy for Steve. Also happy for Sting. Happy for myself. Happy for Bryan. This isn’t controversial. Fuck Eddie Kingston. Oh, happy for Edge!
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin stepped back into the ring for one more time with Kevin Owens as the former Universal Champion’s guest on his KO Show at WrestleMania 38.
After Owens cut a short promo about the pathetic state of Texas, Austin came out in a t-shirt, shorts, and knee braces. Austin questioned Owens wanting to have a conversation after talking trash and looking like a jackass. Owens wondered why Austin never moved from Texas. Owens lied about wanting Austin on his show and he tricked him because he wants a fight. Owens challenged him to a no holds barred match. Austin said he had his first match in Dallas and he could have his last match in Dallas.
A referee came out. Austin put the boots to him and hit a clothesline before Austin was sent into the ring post. Owens with a suplex on the concrete floor. Austin drove Owens up the stage on the ATV and they brawled. Owens hit a stunner for 2. The finish saw Owens miss a chair shot and it hit him in the face after bouncing off the top rope. Austin with the stunner for the win.
It was first reported in February that WWE had made a significant overture towards the Hall Of Famer for an in-ring return in his home state of Texas. Austin, one of the biggest stars in the history of the wrestling business, has not wrestled in 19 years as he decided to retire due to neck problems. That match came against The Rock at WrestleMania 19 in 2003. Over the years, Austin had shot down any past rumor that he would be willing to come back.
Owens had been talking trash about the state of Texas for months leading up to the event until March 7th when he cut an in-ring promo about the WWE Hall Of Famer and how he was a broken-down man and a shell of his former self. Austin later accepted Owens’ invite to appear on the show in a promo filmed out in the desert that was praised by many where he promised to open up one last can of whoop-ass.
What are your thoughts on Austin’s return? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
Kevin Owens has shared when he found out that he’ll be working with Stone Cold Steve Austin for Wrestlemania 38 on Apr 2.
Since the Feb. 7 episode of Monday Night Raw, WWE and Owens had begun their tease for a confrontation with Austin. During the show, Owens made it a point to talk about Texas in his promos. Fightful Select reported on Feb. 14 that WWE made a “significant overture” for the WWE Hall of Famer to have a match at Wrestlemania 38. Owens has now confirmed that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon told him about the plans in January.
In an interview with TVA Sports’ Patrick LaPrade, Owens shared how he found out he’d be having a feud with Austin. LaPrade transcribed the following quotes.
“Usually, in November, I start asking questions to try to find ideas and see if they have ideas,” said Owens. He explained, “But this year, I took a different approach. I had just signed my contract, I had my history with Seth Rollins, so I thought to myself that I was in a good position.”
Owens say she was “super happy” when he learned that he’d be working with the one and only Stone Cold Steve Austin at WWE’s biggest show of the year.
“So, I started asking questions in January, and when I spoke to Vince, he was the one who told me that his plan was to bring Austin back for a night and that would be with me. I was super happy. When it’s not 100% announced, things can always change. But one week before the event, I fully realize it, and I can’t wait.”
Will Kevin Owens and Stone Cold Have a Match?
It has remained unclear whether Owens and Austin will have a match at Wrestlemania 38. The company wanted a match, but it’s unclear if Austin agreed to wrestle. WWE has promoted Owen and Austin’s confrontation as a segment on Wrestlemania 38: Night One. However, that could also change the day of the event.
Austin and Owens’s promo also points out that it could just be a fight. The active WWE superstar pointed out on the recent Raw episode that he would harm Austin if he felt he disrespected him. It seems that an actual match between the two may not happen.
If Austin were to have a match on Apr. 2, it would be his first match at Wrestlemania in 19 years. While Owens is excited to be in a program with the “Texas Rattlesnake,” a segment may disappoint wrestling fans. Although Austin’s return in front of a live WWE crowd could make a great Wrestlemania moment.
