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When “Stone Cold” Steve Austin skipped WrestleMania 39 and WrestleMania 40 for one reason or another, it got fans openly questioning what was going on between WWE and the “Texas Rattlesnake.”
Did Paul “Triple H” Levesque and company not want to pay up for a meaningful appearance from arguably the promotion's biggest stars of all time? Or did Austin simply not like the creative ideas sent his way, instead choosing to focus his time and energy on his cats, his ranch, and his beer?
Well, in an interview with Fox Digital, Austin was asked just that and let it be known that his absence largely comes down to a simple desire to stay in his adoptive home of Nevada, where WrestleMania 41 will be conveniently located next spring.
“I'm totally reality-based, but I think it's a young man's sport. [WrestleMania 40] was in Philly – too far to go. Kind of out of my wheelhouse. I don't leave Nevada if I don't have to,” Steve Austin told Fox Sports.
“I said something about it this year just because it's 400 miles down the road. I do spend several trips a year in Las Vegas, so, to think that WWE's biggest signature pay-per-view event is 400 miles away, in a state that I live in, that I'm going to be there, make a couple of appearances, I'll be promoting my beer if they, WWE, reached out and said, ‘Hey, maybe you want to do something,' I'd be happy to do it as long as it makes sense.”
Wait, what does “as long as it makes sense” mean in the context of a WrestleMania appearance? Well Austin touched on that too, noting that much like many of his peers, he simply isn't in wrestling condition and likely won't be ever again. Still, if WWE can come up with something interesting, he's still open to giving it a try.
“But to get in there, put trunks on, and to try and be the guy that I once was … I did that two years ago and tried to do something, but I never had a ring to practice in. [Hulk Hogan] hit it right on the head where he goes, ‘Well, he's not calloused up. His body isn't going to be ready for what he feels.' Undertaker hit it right on the head when he said his timing was not going to be there, which it wasn't, because I didn't have any timing. Triple H hit it right on the head where he goes you never go out there, you never know what you're going to go out there with because you don't know what you have. You haven't been in a ring in 20 years. I didn't know what I had,” Austin said.
“But there's so much going on. They got such a stacked roster with so many great superstars these days that they're not going to have any problem filling two nights of entertainment. But if I got out there and be a part of it on one hand and do something positive that works for the company and works for what they want to do, and it satisfied a crowd, I'd be happy to.”
Alright, so what kind of program could Austin actually take part in without looking foolish or negatively impacting his legacy with a poor performance? Well, CM Punk has been looking to get into it with Austin since, well, he originally joined the WWE the first time, so if a match is on the table, or even a pseudo match like his WrestleMania 38 effort against Kevin Owens is on the table, one would have to think the “Best in the World” would be first in line for the opportunity.
CM Punk still really wants to wrestle against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
Sitting down for an interview with The Masked Man Show at Fanatics Fest NYC, Punker was asked straight up if he would like to get in the ring with Austin and let it be known without nuance that if the “Texas Rattlesnake” wants to step in the ring, he'd be happy to stand on the opposite side of the ring before making him Go To Sleep.
“That would be up to Steve. It's not up to me. I think he had a pretty good return. Came back, main evented WrestleMania,” Punk told fans via Fightful. “At this point, his six shooters might be buried in the Nevada desert. If he wants to dig them up, I'm your huckleberry. It should've happened ten-plus years ago, but if he wants to go to sleep, he can call me.”
You know, Punk makes a pretty good point, as if main-eventing WrestleMania 41 – along with the payday that comes with it – is on the table for a 12-minute match against the “Second City Saint” with plenty of theatrics to cover up any rust around the edges, why not go for it any really give the people what they want? Bill it as a retirement match, do a few weeks of television, and watch the money fly in from all corners of the professional wrestling world as they look to celebrate one of the true Mount Rushmore talents the WWE has produced.
CM Punk is open to a match with Stone Cold Steve Austin 👀 pic.twitter.com/o7tTNjLCMD
— Teffo (@Teffo_01) August 17, 2024
