It is being. And that's the bottom line because K-Diggi says so! By summer 2003, neither Austin nor The Rock was wrestling. Stone Cold Steve Austin and Goldust . He then, in classic "Stone Cold" fashion, asked the crowd to give him a "Hell Yeah!" And it was a win for wrestling, because the actual match was fantastic. It was a win for the fans, as they got to feel genuine surprise and excitement. The Texas Rattlesnake was not returning or taking any phone calls. If Austin were still able to wrestle, Goldberg and Austin wouldnt have clashed as soon as people would have hoped. In short, Austin has nothing left to prove. However, they could have done more together. Kevin Owens' character and move-set both draw heavilyfrom Stone Cold's well of influence, and the Prizefighter even adopted the Stunner as his finisher in recent years,further provinghim the obvious opponent for Steve Austin in 2022. diamondhousefinds. Stone Cold Calls Out Batista - Goldberg Returns 2003 [via torchbrowser.com] 9:25. As discussed in WWEs documentary, Stone Cold Steve Austin: The Bottom Line on the Most Popular Superstar of All Time, WWE hired Steve Austin as a highly-skilled worker who couldput on entertaining matches and make bigger stars look great when he put them over. It wasnt the losing or the losing to Brock that did it. Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the greatest WWE icons of all time. Stone Cold Steve Austin was a defining star of the Attitude Era , and so was The Rock. 03:15. Stone Cold Returns As Co - General Manager 4/28/2003 AttitudePOP 1.9M views 2 years ago Stone Cold Confronts The Purple Bastard Simon Dean! A staple of the Attitude Era, The Texas Rattlesnake retired from professional wrestling in 2003, when he was beaten by The. When not writing, Michael enjoys going to concerts, taking in live professional wrestling, and debating pop culture. People have been speculating, 'Hey Steve, what are you doing? Austins acting career hasnt been as noteworthy as his former adversary, Dwayne The Rock Johnsons, but Stone Cold has been able to find plenty of work albeit, mostly low-budget flicks and reality shows. Yes It's quite possible Austin's passion for wrestling was reignited by that experience, which saw an entire stadium chanting his name and saying "you still got it." The build-up would have started after Goldberg dropped the World Heavyweight Title to Triple H. Goldberg would have been portrayed as the subtle heel before being turned into a full-blown villain, especially after WWE realized that Da Man had no intention of staying for more than his one year contract. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. If Austin were able, the two would have had a match, and it would have been at WrestleMania 29, as Punk was white hot then. View cart for details. Stone Cold Steve Austin retired from the company 19 years ago. A feud with Stone Cold would have helped carry Owens' momentum forward and would have solidified Owens' place in the main event scene. Whoever handled travel in the office made the moves and then called the brass - word traveled fast and Jim Ross called Austin as he was boarding the plane pleading with his friend to get back to work. Stone Cold had been running fast and hard for himself for years even before he got to the WWE. However, when Stone Colds music hit and he came out wearing those knee braces every wrestling fan knew that we were about to see something special. What am I proving? He's already a WWE Hall of Fame inductee, and arguably the biggest wrestling star in history, with the possible exceptions of The Rock and soon-to-be biopic subject Hulk Hogan. A staple of the Attitude Era, The Texas Rattlesnake retired from professional wrestling in 2003, when he was beaten by The Rock in his final match at WrestleMania 19. Stone Cold Steve Austin, on the other hand, is now 57-years-old. Brian. WWE started promoting the show the second WM19 ended, the tagline of Where It All BeginsAgain was uttered multiple times on programming. One of the ways in which WWE has kept The Rock in its orbit is through his family. Many were also surprised just how much fun it was. He defeated John Cena in his debut match at the Elimination Chamber PPV on May 2015. Stone Cold Steve Austin was a defining star of theAttitude Era,and so was The Rock. TheSportster Podcast has returned! The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. WWE - Stone Cold returns to RAW December 2003. kevin billon. pre-owned Fast and efficient seller! To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Factoring in his many layoffs due to injury and Austins eight-month hiatus after walking out in June 2002, Stone Cold was only on top for about three years. Fight Owens had been prompting and talking smack about the great Texas state on WWE programming for the past weeks. If Austin was to wrestle a match or have any physical involvement in the show, the most likely opponent appears to be Kevin Owens. Both exits devastated the company. - YouTube 0:00 / 4:47 Stone Cold Returns No Way Out 2003! Otherwise, he was a talent WWE could unabashedly tout as a homegrown star before he left home behind. Watch WrestleMania and other WWE Premium Live Events on Flow. Why Stone Cold's Exit From WWE Hurt Them Worst (& Why The Rock's Did), Stone Cold: The Inability To Return To The Ring, Stone Cold: Never Having Certain Dream Matches, The Rock: An Act That Could Work In Different Eras, Stone Cold: Unfinished Business With Triple H, Steve Austin was a defining star of theAttitude Era, 5 Reasons Stone Cold Was The Face Of The Attitude Era (& 5 Why It's The Rock), the high quality of work right up through his final matches, The Rock & 8 Others Who Quit Wrestling Too Soon, domestic violence and alcohol consumption, Every Major Steve Austin vs. The Rock thrived in the Attitude Era, too, particularly for his provocative promo style. Austin was so touched by the novelty that he picked up the phone and called his friend. Following the close of the big two-night spectacular known as WrestleMania, WWE devotees are riding high on the usual post-show adrenaline rush. While we've seen the likes of Bryan Danielson (now AEW) and Edge make miraculouscomebacksfrom injury, both were able to return still in their prime wrestling years. Refresh your browser window to try again. Verified purchase: The younger days when you didnt have any problems, and all you had to focus on was being a kid. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. For a time, Triple H was one of Stone Cold Steve Austins biggest rivals. Umar Javaid. Be the first one to comment on this story. Instead of risking being moved down the card, Austin would have done what he did in reality: transition into acting. Sign up for BINGE to watch. Published Feb 4, 2021. "If I couldnt be 110 percent Stone Cold Steve Austin, it just wasnt worth doing. Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. The injuries that forced Steve Austin to retire in 2003 were serious, . Austin took an unlikely path to become the face of the company as an antihero. Sports Tube. Maybe it would have happened with both men as legends. So it was that WWE lost two huge stars. The night after WrestleMania 19, Austin would have turned his attention to a man he was very familiar with and to a title steeped in history: Triple H and the World Heavyweight Championship. WWE legend 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin is reportedly set to make a return at WrestleMania 38. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin thanks the WWE Universe for supporting him during his time off in 2002. . While The Rock was no slouch, he got by on charisma and never had to work at the level Austin did on his way up, and its not the quality of The Great Ones matches that fans missed about him. According to multiple sources, WWE wants Stone Cold back in the ring at 2022's Showcase of the Immortals. While both segments are certainly a fine sendoff for his legendary career, retirements have a way of not sticking in wrestling, and there's a real possibility Austin isn't done for good. Owens flamed out soon after that, but Austin would have stepped in and offered to face K.O. When Steve Austin left WWE, there was no promise of his legacy outliving him in the company. Stone Cold concluded that a WWE return just wouldn't have been worth it when he thought about 'the big picture'. You could feel Biancas struggle, as well as Beckys desperation to keep the belt, and they played into our emotions to perfection. When CM Punk sat cross-legged and delivered his now famous Pipe Bomb promo, many may not have noticed Punks choice of clothing. | Why WWE's 2022 Royal Rumble Was Such A Disappointing Show, Why WWE Fired Shane McMahon (Will He Return? Here are 10 things fans need to know about his journey. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Austins troublesome neck finally gave out on him. RAW (2000): Stone Cold Steve Austin Returns! The "Texas Rattle Snake" cut an inspired, angry promo on Tuesday to accept. Yes Since The Rock stopped wrestling full time, Umaga, Rosey, Reigns, The Usos, and Manu to name a few have come of ageand might have gotten a boost via interactions with The Brahma Bull. Austin has said that he prefers to work these low-profile projects, as he is granted a lot of creative control and doesnt have to do anything out of his wheelhouse. Austin was essentially allowed to quit his job and get rehired. Yet, as mentioned above, Austin has always been upfront about how hard it was to move on after he retired the first time. The biggest black marks on his record were likely misdeeds and unkind words he put into play in character. It was a win for WWE, as they now gain a top star in wrestling who has such a huge fanbase behind him that he was able to help launch an entirely new promotion. The Hall of Famer posted another video from what appears to be his home gym, running through some more of what he does in there. Was invited into the ring once, didn't make it up the steel steps. Do check the Promotions tab if you cannot find it in the Primary Inbox. Austin has commented quite a bitparticularly on his Steve Austin Show podcastthat, though he has children, he was never the father of the year. He didn't come from a wrestling family either. Check out the latest episodes of the show where Jim Parsons and Norman Quarrinton cover the latest news and events happening in the worlds of WWE, AEW and more! Are you training for an event?' "Stone Cold" Steve Austin wrestled his first match in 19 years at WWE WrestleMania 38, but there's a chance it might not be last time in the ring. Even as he brawled more, his aggression and bumping helped him continue to deliver excellent matches. Please logout and login again. Stone Cold Responds To WrestleMania 39 Return Speculation, he has been asked to wrestle again by WWE's new regime, Why Steve Austin Had To Retire Early From WWE In 2003, Explained. Welcome back to my "Highs and Lows," this time covering WrestleMania Saturday (aka WrestleMania 38 Night 1) which featured Stone Cold opening a can of whoop ass on Kevin Owens, Cody Rhodes coming back to WWE, an amazing match between Bianca Belair/Becky Lynch and the in-ring debut of Logan Paul. When Austin retired from WWE after his loss to The Rock at WrestleMania XIX, it wasn't because he wanted to. The weapon use, the brawling into the crowd and around the arena, and the wild and unpredictable progression of Austin vs. Owens were all straight out of Austin's heyday in the late-1990s. This first time was just for a few weeks, however, citing he was burnt out. Stone Cold Steve Austin has recently been rumored to be making his return to WWE as part of WrestleMania 38 weekend. Austin was never known to be generous with wins and losses, but Stone Cold may have softened in his old age and allowed Owens to be the one to have his hand raised. He's in his mid-fifties now, though, and the ship has likely sailed on him having a serious wrestling run again. vinyl figure, Mon brings NJPW title to Mandalorian premiere, WWE WrestleMania 39 Match card and predictions, Complete WWE and NXT pay-per-view schedule, WWE Champions: Complete list of every title holder, Cardi B reacts to Trish Stratus returning to WWE, WWE's Bayley on Mercedes Mon's NJPW debut, Nikki Bella says she misses being in WWE, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's family want WWE return, Mercedes Mon releases doc on journey to NJPW, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin reportedly set for WWE return at WrestleMania 38, DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK. Stone Cold Steve Austin shocked the wrestling world when he announced an upcoming appearance at WrestleMania 38, which initially seemed like it'd be a match with Kevin Owens. However, Austin wouldnt have gotten his hands on the World Heavyweight Championship, as that title was reserved for another bald ass-kicker. For Steve Austin the man though, his return from retirement was likely spurred on by the desire to, if he does indeed re-retire, go out on his own terms this time. However, there are quite a few dream matches Austin never worked. Stone Cold addresses the speculation and informs fans why he has been working out and posting clips online. He's the author of the wrestling book, The Long Way Home. There was no bigger match to have held then the dream match fans had been clamoring for since 1998. Sporadic appearances gave way to a nearly seven-year absence from Raw, SmackDown, or PPV. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event and the worlds best TV and movies. By bringing back that match template for Austin vs. Owens, WWE gave Austin the best chance he had at still performing satisfactorily, even though he's not the athlete he once was. 5:03. Jim Carrey is Craigs top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy. He reportedly requested Yokozuna and The Ultimate Warrior for the Greatest Royal Rumble show. Kevin Owens is perfect as a safe-pair-of-hands opponent, and Stone Cold's return would be huge for both WWE and its fans (not to mention Steve himself, most likely). Austin then popped up again during WrestleMania night two, stunning his old nemesis Vince McMahon, wrestler Austin Theory, and former NFL star Pat McAfee. Follow him on Twitter @miketchin. Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the greatest WWE icons of all time. There wouldnt have been a better opponent for Punk then Stone Cold. The promos between the two would have been some of the best in wrestling history. Most recently, Michael helped launch Screen Rant's new horror section, and is now the lead staff writer when it comes to all things frightening. Austins own star power certainly exceeded expectations, but he kept up the high quality of work right up through his final matches. 10 Things Fans Need To Know About Stone Cold's Walkout In 2002, Explained, Austin Was Openly Criticizing The Company On Their TV, 5 Reasons A Raw/SmackDown Wrestler Should Win The Royal Rumble (& 5 Why It Should Be NXT), 10 WCW Wrestlers Who Should Be In Jail (Based On Their On-Screen Actions), 10 WWE Superstars That Will Carry The Company In The 2020s, 10 New Years Resolutions For Vince McMahon. Speaking to Chris Jericho on the latest episode of his Broken Skull Sessions Podcast, Austin explained why he'd always turn the boss down. Yes, Austin had the talent to succeed in other eras, but he reached the top using foul language and leaning into the antihero rolenot a villain, but also never truly donning a white hat. 6:17. | Hopefully this will make more sense if I let it play out a little, but right now Im much more confused about this anything. For whatever the reason, since the guy walked out on them, the brass decided they might as well monetize it, get ratings for their Confidential series and get in front of whatever Austin or the Dirtsheets might say about the incident. It doesn't have anything to do with a potential return, but he does word his comments carefully so as to not address the recent reports that he has discussed coming back for another match with WWE. We need to confirm your email address. WWE Wrestling Points. If Austin's lingering injury problems risk being exaggerated by working a full match, however, most WWE fans would be content with the Texas Rattlesnake giving his home state a glass-shattering entrance and a single Stunner for old time's sake. Stone Cold's WrestleMania Return . Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Attitude Era were perfect complements to one another. A fresh take on sports: the biggest news and most entertaining listicles, Stone Cold Steve Austin reveals why he refused Vince McMahon's offers for WWE return, Tommy Fury clarifies rules for Jake Paul fight (exclusive), Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk: Ukrainian's current physique ahead of fight, Tyson Fury interview: Tommy Fury has his work cut out with Jake Paul. While "Stone Cold" Steve Austin looked to be in great shape for a 57-year-old man who doesn't regularly wrestle, his long history of neck, back, and knee injuries led to many being shocked by both the length and brutality of the match he had with Kevin Owens. Kent Rohan. 14:46. Then the unthinkable happened. Certainly, the office was none too pleases the companys top star was so openly bashing the direction of the WWE. Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS. That included part-time stints with the company from 2002 to 2004 and 2011 to 2013. 4:05. Confront CM Punk - WWE RAW 01/14/2013 HD [1080p] Fun 9:02 From coming back to induct his father and grandfather into the Hall of Fame, to saving Roman Reignsat Royal Rumble, to other rumored advocacy behind the scenes for relatives like Nia Jax, The Rock has always stayed connected with WWE. Once Stone Cold heard he was losing to Brock Lesnar in a King Of The Ring Qualifier Match, he blew a gasket and headed home. Condition: By returning at WrestleMania 38, Austin got to flip his patented middle finger at this forced ending. Condition: Stone Cold would have no longer wrestled a full-time schedule, but there would have been a few intriguing scenarios that may have convinced The Rattlesnake to don the black jacket from time to time. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin Returns To Kick Off Raw October 19, 2015. It was a win for Cody Rhodes, since he is now as desirable as he always wanted to be in the eyes of WWE. Writes about sweaty, oily wrestlers for a living. Related:Every Major Steve Austin vs. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. Theres a long history of wrestlers trying to make it outside of the business. Nearly six years later to the day on June 10, 2002, the Rattlesnake nearly took himself out of the game as quick by walking out on the company that made him a GIANT (Global Icon And National Treasure), and the company that he helped turn around and make its owner a billionaire. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin wrestled his first matchin 19 years at WWE WrestleMania 38, but that may not be the last time he laces up the boots. From the moment a botched Owen Hart piledriver broke Austin's neck and nearly paralyzed him at SummerSlam 1997, his in-ring days were numbered. Immediately I thought theres no way this thing will even play, but it did so Im happy with that. Ric Flair has had his money woes. "Stone Cold had a comeback, and the match was a three and a half on Meltzers five-star rating. The Bionic Redneck outright said now the Creative has been piss poor, and he disagreed with the Brand Extension. If youve listened to three or more of Austins podcasts over the years, then you know full well how much Austin regrets turning heel at WrestleMania X7 and walking out a little over a year and a half later. According to several people (namely Bruce Prichard, Vince, and JR), this wasnt the first time Austin hightailed it home. Recently on a hot-streak alongside Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens cut a promo on February 14th's edition ofMonday Night RAW,referring to thefolks of Texas as "a bunch of Redneck morons."