Posts Tagged ‘Steve Austin’

Pat McAfee Receives High Praise From WWE Hall Of Famer

NXT’s Pat McAfee has received high praise from WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Speaking with ESPN.com, Austin revealed how he believes McAfee is currently “slaying everybody” on the black-and-gold brand.

“Hey man, he puts it all on the line, he’s going for it. I think his verbal skills, he’s slaying everybody, but he’s not afraid to go out there and put it all on the line,” Austin said. “You wouldn’t expect it from a guy who goes out there and kicks a football, but Pat McAfee is bada**. I think he’s doing a really good job. I’d give him a solid A.”

Pat McAfee recently participated at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. McAfee and his teammates Pete Dunne, Danny Burch, and Oney Lorcan faced off against the Undisputed Era. The two teams clashed in a WarGames matchup, with the Undisputed Era eventually emerging victorious.

McAfee has yet to reappear on NXT programming since NXT TakeOver: WarGames. He has, however, suggested that his issues with Adam Cole and the Undisputed Era are far from over.

Steve Austin’s USA Network show, Straight Up Steve Austin, is set to return to screens in January. It was recently confirmed that Charlotte Flair would be a guest on an upcoming episode.

Charlotte Flair Appearing on ‘Straight Up Steve Austin’ Season 2

Charlotte Flair will be a guest on the upcoming second season of Straight Up Steve Austin on the USA Network.

On Straight Up, Stone Cold and his celebrity guests get real, heading out to different cities across America to take part in one-of-a-kind adventures, while swapping stories about their lives and careers. There’s no studio and no cue cards – just ‘good old-fashioned American fun.’

Straight Up Steve Austin: Season Two premieres Monday, January 11th following WWE Raw. Below, you can view the trailer featuring season two guests Charlotte Flair, Brett Favre, Ice-T, Steve-O, Tiffany Haddish and more.

Charlotte Flair is not scheduled to compete at Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view.

Steve Austin Documentary Planned With ‘The Last Dance’ Producer & WWE

Fans can expect to see a new documentary on the life and career of Steve Austin. 

WWE is teaming up Jake Rogal for the project. Former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia said on The Chris Van Vliet Show that WWE had contacted her about being interviewed by Rogal. 

For those who may not know, Rogal helped put together the 10-part docuseries on Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls for ESPN that was widely praised. 

“They were like, ‘The producer from The Last Dance is going to reach out to you. They want you involved in a documentary. I was like, ‘Wait, what?’ … It was funny because my husband and I were currently watching that documentary as this message was happening. So when Jake reached out to me, I was just like, ‘Jake, I’m literally watching your documentary right now, this is amazing.'”

This comes at an interesting time as WWE has teamed up with A&E Network under A&E’s Biography banner for a new set of documentaries. 

It’s been confirmed that the series will cover the careers of Austin, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Randy Savage, Booker T and Shawn Michaels. The Steve Austin documentary is supposed to be in 2021. 

Bret Hart Believes Steve Austin Was “Nervous” Wrestling Him, Austin Responds

Steve Austin’s “Broken Skull Sessions” Returning This Weekend

Steve Austin’s “Broken Skull Sessions” interview series will return to the WWE Network this weekend.

WWE announced today that Austin’s interview with Jerry Lawler will premiere on the Network this coming Sunday.

Lawler previously tweeted to reveal that he had filmed the interview with Austin. The interview was done on Saturday, August 22nd, during WWE’s SummerSlam weekend.

This will be the 8th “Broken Skull Sessions” interview on the WWE Network. Austin’s other episodes are with Mark Henry, Ric Flair, Bret Hart, The Big Show, Kane, Bill Goldberg, and The Undertaker.

Mark Henry Appearing On ‘Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions’

The guest for the seventh episode of WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s WWE Network show is set and it’s Mark Henry who will be appearing. 

The guest for the show, “Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions,” was recently announced.

On Monday, WWE confirmed via a post on Twitter that Austin’s next guest will be none other than the future WWE Hall of Famer. The episode premieres on WWE’s streaming service on Sunday, June 28 at 10 a.m. ET.

In February, Austin had the chance to interview former WWE Champion The Big Show, which marked the third episode. Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Big Show, Bill Goldberg, and The Undertaker have also appeared on the show. Now, the seventh installment will see Mark Henryappearing.

Henry has been with the company since 1996 and during his career, he has held three championships. The WWE World Heavyweight Title, ECW Title, and European Title. He was also a three-time Slammy Award winner.

Henry’s last match came when he worked a Royal Rumble match at the Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view event back in April 2018. This was after 10 months of him confirming that his 21-year in-ring career was coming to an end.

Bret Hart Believes Steve Austin Was “Nervous” Wrestling Him, Austin Responds

Bret Hart discussed his legendary rivalry with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin during his appearance on this week’s episode of WWE Backstage. Looking back to their initial matches together, Hart shared how he felt Austin was “nervous” during that time. He added how Austin would eventually “find his voice” following their Survivor Series match back in 1996.

Hart recalled how the two had wrestled a few times prior, but never in a big matchup. He considers their Survivor Series clash to be their “first real consequential match.” He had been looking forward to working with Austin before sharing how, “[…] in all fairness to Steve, he would get a little nervous. He was pretty intense. Anxious — I think — about working with me.”

According to Bret Hart, this anxiety showed itself in how Austin was “going to come at me with everything he had.” He shared how their Survivor Series bout remains one of his favorite matches against Austin. Bret Hart believes it is very close to, if not on par with, their matchup at WrestleMania 13.

The WWE on FOX Twitter account would share a clip of Bret Hart’s comments. It wasn’t long until “The Rattlesnake” saw and responded with his thoughts. According to Austin, he wasn’t nervous. Instead, his confidence was “sky high” and called his intensity on point.

Bully Ray Says That Steve Austin and Vince McMahon Should Be Doing WWE Commentary

WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently commented on the ongoing ’empty arena’ shows that AEW and WWE have been producing. These have obviously been a necessity, due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that is affecting the entire globe.

Bully Ray mentioned the flagging ratings for both shows, with RAW recently hitting below 2 million viewers, something that would be unheard of even just five years ago. Ray would offer his own solution to the problem, saying that WWE needs to create more of an ‘ambience’ for the shows. Bully Ray’s solution? Bring back Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vince McMahon to do WWE commentary.

Bully Ray on WWE Commentary

“All right, this is gonna sound crazy. If somebody said to me, ‘who should be on WWE commentary every week right now?’ Considering the times that we’re in, considering what needs to be done? You know who I would put a commentary? Vince McMahon and Steve Austin” Bully Ray began on Busted Open. “Would you tune in just for the commentary? Of course you would.”

Bully Ray would elaborate further, saying how he believes Austin and McMahon would be hugely beneficial to the talent in-ring. “Do you think Vince McMahon and Steve Austin could get the talent in the ring over? Yes. Now, is there a chance that you’re going to be more invested in Steve Austin and Vince McMahon than you are the talent on the ring. Yeah, but you got to do everything you possibly can do to keep a rating right now.”

Credability

Bully Ray would finish by discussing the credibility that Austin and McMahon could bring to the talent on screen. “Vince McMahon has been one of the best people behind that announce desk ever Right? Because he’s getting across the stories that he wanted to tell. So if you put the greatest rivalry in the history of wrestling behind behind the announce table, holy crap what the hell are these two guys gonna say to each other? And when the time is right they bicker, and when the time’s right they lay out and tell stories. ‘Well you know these New Day guys they’re really good you know they’re sitting on 8 Tag Team Championships, only a matter of time before they break the record.’ Holy sh*t Steve Austin just put over the New Day!? Instant frickin’ credibility.”

Bully Ray
Bully Ray

Do you feel that WWE need to change up the commentary booth to bring some more life to the broadcasts? Let us know in the comments

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Jim Ross On Steve Austin’s Heel Turn, Current Relationship With Vince McMahon

All Elite Wrestling announcer Jim Ross has reflected on “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s heel turn at WrestleMania X-Seven. He also shared details on his current relationship with Vince McMahon.

Ross shared how he doesn’t believe Austin’s heel turn would have worked at any point during that time because of his popularity with the fans. He likened it to Western director John Ford casting John Wayne to play a Nazi. Ross contextualized how the turn took place in Austin’s home state at a WrestleMania. This created a situation where Austin “could do no wrong.”

“[…] if you go back and watch that on the WWE Network or wherever, you’ll see that the ovation Austin got coming out was nothing short of extraordinary,” Jim Ross told Top Rope Nation Podcast. “So I just don’t think it ever would have worked because he was that great of a babyface. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin was a folk hero, he was a hero to many working, blue-collar people. I just never saw it working very well.”

Jim Ross & Vince McMahon

Having become a part of WWE’s competition, Jim Ross shared that he still casually talks with Vince McMahon. He divulged that they speak during the holidays, acknowledging how Vince is an incredibly busy man. This makes a sit-down, casual catchup pretty unrealistic. That being said, they do text one another, with Ross noting he had messaged him over WrestleMania 36’s success given the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’d say our relationship is casually friendly at best, at worst, I mean. If I needed something, I know that I could call Vince and the request discussed, it’d be, I think, accommodated. And he knows I’m the same way.”

Jim Ross stressed that this doesn’t mean he’s going to work with him again. He stated how he’s got a great job in AEW and has just started the second year of a three year contract. As far as he’s concerned, he made the right move for himself by signing with AEW.

Steve Austin Shares His Original Pitch For 3:16 Day

WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin appeared on a special episode of Monday Night RAW last month. The episode took place on March 16 and was named 3:16 Day by WWE.

During an interview with ESPN’s Peter Rosenberg, Austin shared how he had originally pitched for a sit-down interview with Byron Saxton or Jerry “The King” Lawler. He wanted a more serious platform to talk about what the day meant to him. WWE, however, had different plans.

Steve Austin & Byron Saxton

Instead of a sit-down discussion, Steve Austin would take part in a comedy segment alongside Saxton. He would end the night by delivering a Stone Cold Stunner to Saxton.

Unfortunately, the episode ultimately took place at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, in front of zero fans. Austin confessed it was tough to perform in front of no people. This decision was made to help combat the further spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

WWE has been forced to make multiple changes to its production schedule and live event plans due to the coronavirus pandemic. Several shows have been pre-recorded from the WWE Performance Center, including this weekend’s WrestleMania 36. All of them, like with Steve Austin’s 3:16 Day, have been done in front of zero fans.

Steve Austin Reflects On WrestleMania Matches With The Rock

Following Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s recent reminiscing, WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has also reflected on their WrestleMania matchups.

The Texas Rattlesnake opened up about his feud with Johnson during a recent interview with ESPN’s Peter Rosenberg. The two WWE Legends had a trilogy of matches on “The Show of Shows” at WrestleMania XV, WrestleMania X-Seven and WrestleMania XIX.

“Well, [WrestleMania] 15 was a good match, and of course me and The Rock had instant chemistry. We both loved working with each other and got along like gangbusters, you know, in the ring, out of the ring, you know, everywhere,” Austin explained.

“So 15 was really cool and for Jim Ross to call that match, but, you know, I was mad at 15 because I was going through a h— of a divorce, forgot my d— ring vest and so I had to walk to the ring in a T-shirt. And you never want to walk to the ring in a t-shirt when it’s WrestleMania, and you wanna look like a million bucks in full gimmick. You know, you’re not trying to sell a t-shirt, you’re trying to put on a show.”

Steve Austin On WrestleMania X-Seven

Austin explained how WrestleMania X-Seven was a great experience for him. He noted how the Houston Astrodome had a special meaning for him as he had seen several sporting events there as a kid.

He continued, “[…] so to go there and do that great buildup with The Rock and, you know, Jim Ross, we did that sit-down conversation in the locker room, that pre-match package, that build package they put together has never been duplicated with that Limp Bizkit song, it was just off the charts to set an attendance record at WrestleMania and take the crowd on that ride. […] And to be the main and to be able to go out there and have that kind of match between two of the hottest guys that were on planet Earth in the wrestling business was really, really cool.”

“The Show Must Go On”

Steve Austin then addressed WWE’s decision to continue with WrestleMania 36 this year despite coronavirus concerns. He admitted he didn’t know what to think about the situation but noted how “that’s Vince’s mentality.” He then referenced the tragic passing of Owen Hart and how the attitude was that the “show must go on.”

“[The] show must go on. You know, way back in Kansas City, Owen fell to his death, the show went on, so, you know, that’s his mentality. And God rest his soul but you know, it’s tough.”

Bret Hart On Recommending Steve Austin to Vince McMahon, Being Warned About WCW

WWE Hall of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart reflected on recommending Steve Austin to WWE during their recent conversation on Austin’s show, Broken Skull Sessions. He also spoke about how Austin warned him about joining WCW prior to his jumping to the promotion. 

“You know, this is a true story that people don’t know. I was going to Vince all the time trying to bring new guys in,” Hart shared. “I remember talking about you. You, I think, had just signed with ECW. And I said ‘Why didn’t you guys grab Steve Austin? He was free, he was available. You’re looking for new guys all the time, he’s one of the best guys down there.’ I talked to Vince about it, and I remember the next week, you were sitting in the dressing room.”

Bret Hart Remembers Austin’s Warning

Bret Hart then opened up about Austin’s WCW warning. He recalled how Austin told him that WCW didn’t know what they were doing. “Guys that had been there [in WCW], including Kevin Nash and different guys who had been there before, said ‘Don’t ever go there. They are the dumbest idiots in the world.’ I kind of knew that before I went. But I mean, they really proved that to me – that they were the stupidest people that could ever run a wrestling business.”

He named some of the talents he could have worked with, noting how WCW didn’t know what to do with him. Hart stated that he and Hogan should have worked together straight away, believing they would have done big numbers together.

Bret Hart joined WCW following the infamous Montreal Screwjob in November 1997. He would signal the letters WCW in the air following his last WWE match and debut for WCW a month later. 

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Eric Bischoff Reflects On The Chemistry Between Steve Austin & Brian Pillman

Eric Bischoff has praised the chemistry that existed between Steve Austin and Brian Pillman during their time as The Hollywood Blonds. The two tagged together during in WCW. Bischoff opened up about working with the duo during a recent episode of his podcast, 83 Weeks

“I had the opportunities to kind of watch Brian and Steve backstage, not so much watching them in the ring. Which, is always fun to watch don’t get be wrong, but it was also fun watching them together backstage” Bischoff said. “They really enjoyed working together, the chemistry was great. Again, you know, similar personalities, different interests I’m sure but similar personalities in there.”

Eric Bischoff On Austin/Pillman’s Relationship

Eric Bischoff opened up about how Pillman could be “moody” from time to time. He explained, “It goes with the territory but for the most part, you know when you see these two guys together? They were cutting up. they were having a blast. You could tell the chemistry was there.”

He noted how the two weren’t merely “tolerating” each other. Instead, he could see how much they truly enjoyed hanging out and spending time together. Not only with their professional in-ring work but in travelling together and just hanging out. “It was great, great chemistry with amazing talent, which is why it stood out as much as it did.”

Teaming together as The Hollywood Blonds, Austin and Pillman won the WCW World Tag Team Championships and the NWA World Tag Team Championships.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RyQDLFqlr0

H/T to WrestlingNews for the transcription

Steve Austin Returns On RAW, Delivers Stunners After The Show (Video)

Steve Austin made his return to WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night RAW, in a special episode of the series. 

He did so on the show that was held in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center on the USA Network. This marked the first time that WWE has aired RAW from their training facility, which was due to the outbreak of the coronavirus

Steve Austin Celebrates 3:16 Day

Steve Austin’s returned to WWE programming to celebrate 3:16 Day (March 16th), commemorating his famous Austin 3:16 catchphrase. Austin is known for coming out to packed houses of screaming fans, but this night was different. Austin came out to empty bleachers in the Performance Center. He drank some beer and declared that 3:16 Day is now a national holiday.

He then read some cards that described the significance of 3:16 Day. The new holiday is symbolized by various rebellious activities, such as flipping people off, making your boss work for you and speeding in your car.

As this was going on, Bryon Saxton was holding up cards with numbers to rate what Austin was saying. This eventually led to Austin inviting Saxton down to the ring. Austin shared a beer with Saxton and then nailed him with a Stole Cold Stunner.

Steve Austin later shared a moment of mutual respect with RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch. The two stars saluted each other in the middle of the ring with a few beers.

Austin made a few appearances on RAW last year including for the special RAW Reunion at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. 

Here are some videos of Stone Cold Steve Austin from Monday’s RAW at the WWE Performance Center:

Steve Austin Talks About 3:16 Day Ahead Of RAW

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin is scheduled to appear on a special edition of Monday Night RAW today. Today has been branded 3:16 day, something that Austin has claimed to not know WWE was intending to do. 

“Now, I didn’t declare this holiday,” Austin said on his show, The Steve Austin Show. “I didn’t declare it a national holiday on my own behalf. It seems like the WWE Universe has declared 3/16 to be Steve Austin Day because of the famous promo I cut way back at King Of The Ring in 1996 when I got kicked in the mouth by Marc Mero.”

Steve Austin’s Iconic Promo

Steve Austin then reflected on how he needed to get stitches in his upper lip after that match. He returned from hospital to wrestle Jake “The Snake” Roberts. After his victory over Roberts, Austin would be interviewed by Dok Hendrix. Austin then delivered his historic promo, using the now famous ‘Austin 3:16’ and ‘Because Stone Cold said so’ catchphrases for the first time.

“I hit two home runs, two grand slams in fact, at a pay-per-view that I was never even supposed to win from the get-go,” he said. “So all these years later, we celebrate, I guess, the beginning of officially announcing it on Monday Night RAW, 3:16 Day, so thank everybody for the support for all these years and I’m looking forward to making another appearance on Monday Night RAW.:

Austin continued, “My appearances on that show are few and far between. I don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing, but I’m going to be raising hell and drinking plenty of cold Broken Skull IPA, my beer from El Segundo Brewing Company.”

Like last week’s SmackDown, tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW will be performed in the WWE Performance Center. 

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

WWE Announces Steve Austin’s Return To Monday Night RAW

WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin is slated to make a return to Monday Night RAW. 

On Thursday, Austin first announced that he would be making an appearance on March 16 to celebrate “#316Day” with fans. 

WWE will hold this episode of RAW from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA on the USA Network. 

WWE later announced the news as well as noted that there will be exclusive Austin 3:16 merchandise released via WWE Shop that day including a special Topps Austin digital card set, and custom content on WWE’s digital platforms.

It was also announced in the press release that their streaming service, WWE Network, will be streaming a marathon of “Stone Cold” programming on 3/16 and that will include a brand new “episode of “Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions.” 

The new episode of the show will feature “an in-depth interview with WWE Hall of Famer Bret “Hitman” Hart, where the two icons will discuss their historic rivalry that culminated in one of the greatest matches in WWE history at WrestleMania 13.”

Although not confirmed, it’s possible that Austin announces the premiere date for his USA Network show, “Straight Up Steve Austin,” on RAW.

This series has been renewed with eight episodes beginning this summer.

Stone Cold Reveals Update on Season 2 of Straight Up Steve Austin

WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin recently updated fans on the second season of the ‘Straight Up Steve Austin’ show on FOX.

“We’ll be heading back here [The Broken Skull Ranch] in about a day or two” Steve Austin revealed on the Stone Cold Podcast. “To start work on projects, start work on Straight Up Steve Austin here in about a month and a half. I’m looking forward to this season, it will be season two. We will be travelling a bit across the United States of America. I’m sure we will be flying to some of those locations. I might just haul ass in my pickup truck, just to get some miles on that sum bi*ch. I’m thinking Straight Up will be airing in about August.”

The first series of Straight Up Steve Austin aired on the USA Network August 12, 2019 following Monday Night RAW. The show focuses on Austin and a celebrity guest. They both swap stories about their lives and careers as they travel across the country.

The first series featured Rob Riggle, Sal Vulcano, Baker Mayfield. WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, Gabriel Iglesias, Trace Adkins and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

USA Network recently sent out the following press release regarding the second season:

USA NETWORK RENEWS ‘STRAIGHT UP STEVE AUSTIN’ FOR SEASON 2

– Interview-Based Series hosted by WWE Legend Stone Cold Steve Austin, was 2019’s #1 New Unscripted Cable Series for Men 18-49 & 25-54 –

NEW YORK, NY – January 10, 2020 – USA Network today announced it has picked up hit unscripted series STRAIGHT UP STEVE AUSTIN for a second season. Expected to premiere this summer, Season 2 will consist of 8 half-hour episodes and is produced by Line by Line Media with Austin and Dave Barsky (“Dirty Jobs”) as executive producers.

The unique interview-based series; hosted by retired WWE Legend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, was 2019’s #1 new unscripted cable series for Men 18-49 and Men 25-54.* In every episode, Steve and a celebrity guest get real, heading out to different cities across America to take part in one-of-a-kind adventures, while swapping stories about their lives and careers. It’s a unique twist on the standard interview show. With no studio, no couch and no cue cards — just a straight up good time and good old-fashioned American fun.

STRAIGHT UP STEVE AUSTIN joins a growing lineup of unscripted programming at USA. Including docu-comedies CHRISLEY KNOWS BEST (2019’s #1 unscripted cable series on VOD), GROWING UP CHRISLEY and MIZ & MRS; and big buzzy reboots TEMPTATION ISLAND (USA Network’s #1 new series of 2019). And the reboot of THE BIGGEST LOSER (debuting January 28, 2020).

Big Show Appearing On ‘Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions’

The guest for the fourth episode of WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s WWE Network show is set and it’s Big Show who will be appearing. 

The guest for the show, “Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions,” was recently announced.

Big Episode Of Steve Austin’s Show

On Monday, WWE confirmed via a post on Twitter that Austin’s third guest will be none other than the future WWE Hall of Famer. The episode premieres on WWE’s streaming service on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. ET.

Austin has stated in previous interviews that he has already filmed a few episodes of the show. So far, WWE has aired one episode with one interview featuring a legend each month. 

Last month, Austin had the chance to interview former WWE Champion Kane, which marked the third episode. Now, the fourth installment will see Big Show appearing.

Big Show was the surprise partner of Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe for their six-man tag team match against Seth Rollins and AOP on an episode of RAW last month. He made a follow-up appearance but has since been written off of television. 

During his time away from WWE, he had to undergo the knife several times. In fact, in the last two years, he’s undergone five surgeries. 

The Big Show On WrestleMania: “I’d Love To Get One More In”

Steve Austin Opens Up On “Extremely Hard” Decision To Retire From Wrestling

Steve Austin opened up ion his decision to walk away from the pro wrestling business. 

He did so when he did an interview with Bleacher Report. Despite it being over a decade since he’s worked a match, fans still want to see him wrestle one more time. 

That isn’t likely though. Austin had his final match in 2003 against The Rock at WrestleMania 19.

Steve Austin Opens Up Missing The Business

“They always ask me, ‘Do you miss it?’ No, man, because it’s been so long now that … I mean, I have to be over it now. But there is a small part of me, even though I don’t live in the past, that says, ‘Man, when you’re 38 years old, man, in wrestling, you’re really in your prime.’”

The legendary pro wrestler continued by noting that he learned a lot about the business from working angles, talking promos, and psychology with the crowd.

He stated that he was really honed up at that age and “to walk away from the table at seemingly a prime-time age was very, very tough for me to do, at many levels.”

Austin brought up how he spent a lot of time hunting, fishing and drinking to deal with it was to walk away from the business was hard. He recalled a conversation he had with Dale Earnhardt Jr about his decision to retire from full-time racing because of his history with concussions. 

“A doctor wasn’t going to tell him, ‘Hey, you need to quit.’ He pulled the plug on himself. I did the same thing. A doctor didn’t look me in the eyes and say, ‘Steve, you must retire now.’ It was a decision I had to make for myself.”

Steve Austin opened up on how that when you’re flying high and portraying the character he was while living your passion, it would be anybody’s dream to live that kind of life. 

“All of a sudden you’ve got to make a decision to take yourself out of the game. It was extremely hard to deal with.”

“Straight Up Steve Austin” Renewed For Second Season On USA Network

WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin is getting another run with his “Straight Up Steve Austin” show as its been renewed by the USA Network. 

On Friday, the television network announced through a press release they have picked up the hit unscripted series for a second season. The new season is expected to premiere this summer. 

“Straight Up Steve Austin” Renewed

Season 2 will consist of 8 half-hour episodes and is produced by Line by Line Media with Steve Austin and Dave Barsky (“Dirty Jobs”) as executive producers. Although Straight Up Steve Austin has been renewed, season 2 guests are to be announced.

The show was described as “in every episode, Steve and a celebrity guest get real, heading out to different cities across America to take part in one-of-a-kind adventures, while swapping stories about their lives and careers. It’s a unique twist on the standard interview show, with no studio, no couch and no cue cards — just a straight up good time and good old-fashioned American fun.”

The network touted that the show was 2019’s #1 new unscripted cable series for Men 18-49 and Men 25-54.

The first season featured guests such as country singer and actor Trace Adkins, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr., comedian Gabriel Iglesias, WWE Superstar Becky Lynch, NFL Quarterback Baker Mayfield, actor and retired United States Marine Corps Reserve officer Rob Riggle, and star of “Impractical Jokers,” Sal Vulcano.

The USA Network has released this updated promo video for the Straight Up Steve Austin show now that its been renewed, which you can watch here

Steve Austin Praises Chris Jericho and Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger

WWE Hall of Famer and Legend ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin made some interesting comments on the most recent episode of ‘The Steve Austin Show’ on PodcastOne regarding AEW Champion Chris Jericho. During the show Austin was discussing the Wrestle Kingdom event with his co-host for the episode Shawn Marek. Although Austin did not watch Wrestle Kingdom 14 at the time of recording he did have praise for two of the bigger performers who took part in this year’s Tokyo Dome extravaganza.

Jericho vs Tanahashi

Austin did mention that he planned on watching Chris Jericho against Hiroshi Tanahashi at some point. “I tryed to find the match on YouTube, all I could find was about three and a half four minutes of highlights” Austin began. “Looking at them I was like ‘well they definitely have some good **** in there.'”

“…[he] knows how to build a match” – Steve Austin

Stone Cold also talked about how Chris Jericho was one of the more intelligent performers he has known in the business. “You know he’s [Jericho] one of the more cerebral guys in the business. And as a student of the game, [he] knows how to build a match and so like there’s some really cool **** on there.”

Jushin Liger vs Brian Pillman

Steve Austin also had praise for the NJPW legend who retired this past weekend, Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger. “I remember back in the day, it was ninety one ninety two ninety three at the latest…I can’t remember. This was WCW, the match with Brian Pillman. Okay that was a match of the year, go back and watch that match, it’s like twelve minutes. This is how much the the the business has changed, the stuff they were doing back then was cutting edge.”

Steve Austin also talked about the style of the Cruiserweight/Juniors performers, saying “I think they probably absorb the punishment and and the gravity and the physics better than the bigger guys. But I still know after all those years, all those bumps the high rate working style that he had back in the day; I mean he’s brought so much to the business.”

You can check out the latest episode of The Steve Austin show on PodcastOne here

Check out our Takeaways and Results from Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night 2 featuring Jericho vs Tanahashi.

CM Punk Responds To Tweet About Dream Match With Steve Austin

CM Punk and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin are both retired from active competition. That does not stop wrestling fans from hypothesizing a dream match between the two legends.

Whoever runs the WWE on Fox Twitter account is also interested in seeing this match. The account tweeted out an image of the two stars with a caption asking fans who would win if they ever laced up the boots one last time.

CM Punk replied to the post with a .GIF from his infamous pipe bomb promo. Unfortunately, the likelihood of this match ever happening is slim to none.

CM Punk is working an analyst on the Fox Sports 1 series, WWE Backstage. It should be noted that while he is only under contract with Fox, but he has not ruled out an in-ring return.

As for Steve Austin, he retired in 2003 after losing to The Rock at WrestleMania 19. He has since stated that he has no interest in wrestling again. He currently hosts the Broken Skull Sessions interview show on the WWE Network.

Steve Austin Believes Modern Wrestling Has “Regressed”

WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has argued that the modern in-ring product has regressed over recent years as the business has “sped up.”

Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, The Steve Austin Show, Austin addressed his take on the current landscape of pro wrestling. 

“There’s a lot of demand for new people in the business, so sometimes they’re not as honed up as they need to be, so you see a lot of holes out there,” he stated. “It’s not an indictment on the system or anybody because you still have your veterans out there doing a lot of solid work and people doing athletic things and that’s cool, but the work – the work – has regressed as things have sped up, just as far as being able to see through the illusion.”

He continued, “When you’re green, you think bumping is the ticket. I’ve got to bump a lot because that’s what’s going to elicit a response,’ or ‘taking bumps is the ticket,’ or ‘that’s the way to do it.’ Eh, it’s a means to an end and there needs to be a reason that you’re taking all those bumps. The biggest mistake that green guys make is doing things too fast.

Austin further explained how the second biggest mistake current talent makes are their willingness to take too many bumps. He claims nobody wants to give the bumps, they all want to impress management and fans by taking them. He noted, however, that bumps are great as long as they serve a purpose and are used only when they are needed.

Steve Austin recently began working with WWE again on a new studio interview series titled, ‘Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions.’ The first episode featured a lengthy discussion with The Undertaker. It aired after November’s Survivor Series pay-per-view.

Austin recently confirmed that Bill Goldberg will be his next guest. The episode with Goldberg premieres this Sunday night (December 15th) immediately following WWE’s Tables, Ladders & Chairs (TLC) pay-per-view.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription

Goldberg Appearing On ‘Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions’

The guest for the second episode of WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s WWE Network show, “Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions,” as been announced. 

On Monday, WWE confirmed via a post on Twitter that Austin’s first guest will be none other than Goldberg. The episode premieres on WWE’s streaming service immediately following TLC on December 15th. 

WWE Reportedly Wants Steve Austin To Interview CM Punk

The first episode featured a 90-minute interview with The Undertaker that was largely praised by fans. WWE also aired this episode after a main roster pay-per-view event, which was Survivor Series last month. 

Austin has stated in previous interviews that he has already filmed a few episodes of the show.

The legendary pro wrestler made short work of Dolph Ziggler in a singles match at SummerSlam. This marked his latest match under the WWE banner.

Goldberg worked the WWE Super ShowDown pay-per-view event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia back in June against The Undertaker. At the time, it was reported that Goldberg had agreed to do more matches. 

WWE presents the TLC pay-per-view event in Minneapolis at the Target Center. As of this writing, WWE hasn’t announced any matches for this show. 

Steve Austin Recalls Being Given His First Scripted Promo In WWE

WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has recalled the first time he was expected to deliver a scripted promo. Speaking with National Wrestling Alliance’s Eli Drake on his podcast, The Steve Austin Show, Austin looked back on coming back from surgery only to have a script presented to him by Vince McMahon.

“I’ll never forget when I came back from getting my neck fused, C3 and C4, in ’99 or whenever it was,” Austin recalled. “And when I left, we were cutting promos just like I told [Drake], man, you kind of go out there and it was what it was. You might have a bullet point or two, or someone might say, ‘hey man, remember this’ or whatever, but you go out there and you cut a promo.”

He continued, “When I came back, that’s when the papers started coming around. And all-of-a-sudden, man, I’ll never forget […] I was in a room with Vince, and, well, somebody had to track me down. I was watching matches. ‘Hey man, Vince wants to go through this promo with you’ and so, just like this piece of paper here, and I said, ‘Vince… when I get my hands on you… I… am… going… to… tear… you… limb… from… limb…'”

Austin explained how Vince expected him to deliver an “A-promo.” He pushed back, however, believing he wouldn’t be able to. He shared how the “Stone Cold” character was clearly missing from the words he was given. He shared how nothing helps him inhabit “Stone Cold” more than when the red light is on for the cameras, and he’s in front of a live crowd.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Steve Austin On CM Punk’s Backstage Role, AEW Vs NXT

WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has given his thoughts on CM Punk’s return to the WWE Universe, courtesy of his analyst role on WWE Backstage.

Speaking on the State of Combat podcast, Austin stated that he doesn’t know if Punk’s inclusion on the show will ultimately lead to anything more. He noted that all anyone can do at this time is speculate over Punk’s interest in an in-ring return. Regardless, he stressed how great it is to have Punk doing business with WWE.

“Just the fact that he returned to be doing business with WWE I love because I know they split up on bad terms and now they are back in business together, CM Punk was a lights-out pro wrestler; great promos, great work, great talent, so to have him back into the fold obviously they ironed whatever they needed to iron out and both sides are happy.”

He continued, “It’s great to have CM Punk back in the pro wrestling/sports entertainment business. I think it’s a breath of fresh air because the guy brings in a great perspective, great insights, great opinion on all things sports entertainment.”

Competition

When asked if he thinks wrestling is entering another mainstream, pop-cultural boom, Austin brought up the competition between AEW and NXT. He noted that he believes in competition, stressing that “I think competition is outstanding and I loved it when we were competing in WCW.”

He continued, “AEW is doing their own thing, so I’m not sure if you have turned on YouTube lately and checked out NWA Powerrr with that studio-style wrestling. That is pretty fresh and entertaining to see, but I love competition. I love the fact that NXT is on USA Network and not just WWE Network.”

As far as Austin is concerned, he loves that so many alternative promotions are now available for wrestlers and that there are opportunities for everybody to make money and push each other.

Austin’s new show The Broken Skull Sessions is now available for streaming on the WWE Network. His first guest on the new show was WWE Legend, The Undertaker.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.