Steve Austin Potentially Set For Stunning In-Ring Return At WrestleMania 38
WWE legend ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin could be set to wrestle for the first time in almost two decades when WrestleMania returns to Texas.
WrestleMania 38 will take place in Arlington, Texas over two nights in early April, and it could be one of the biggest ever if recent reports are anything to go by.
According to Fightful Select, WWE has made a “significant overture” to bring Steve Austin out of retirement and back into the squared circle. Stone Cold has not wrestled since WrestleMania 19 almost two decades ago. At the event, he faced The Rock for the third and final time on the ‘Grandest Stage of them All’ in a match that was later revealed to have been his last.
Recently, Kevin Owens has been making less than flattering references to the Lone Star State in recent promos on Raw
Now, on the most recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer has reported that Steve Austin’s is a hot topic backstage at Raw, and with Kevin Owens recently making less than flattering remarks about the Lone Star State, Meltzer believes WWE has a match between the two men in mind at WrestleMania 38.
“[WWE] have a lot of tickets left to sell. The impression I have is the match is on, I mean that’s why [Kevin Owens] has started doing the promos. I know that backstage at WWE all day that’s all I kept hearing about – not all I kept hearing about but I heard it early in the day and then kept checking around and then more people were saying they heard the same thing.”
“I don’t know if it’s a done deal but people were talking about it like it was. The Owens’ promo was a dead giveaway.”
“Austin hasn’t wrestled in […] 19 years. He’s had a lot of offers, he was supposed to come back that one time if you remember, it was Coachman and somebody against Austin and JR for JR’s job and they booked it for Austin to lose and so he injured his back moving furniture somehow and could not make the match.”
Meltzer went on to say that the ‘Texas Rattlesnake’ has had opportunities to wrestle again over the years, mentioning both Japan and WWE’s shows in Saudi Arabia.
“I know there was interest in Japan for big money. In recent years Saudi Arabia would have paid him $2 million a match to come back probably. He’s had opportunities and why he would do it now but I don’t know. Maybe he’s at this point in life where he just wants to do it one more time just do it. Austin’s 57 but man, if he waits any longer he’d be really pushing it, and he’s maybe pushing it at 57 to do it.”
“Obviously, there would be a lot of money involved. WWE does have a lot of money and Vince spends a lot of money on the top guys and this would be a big-money match just having Austin back and I think they feel, look they’re in a wrestling war, they wanna gain interest.”
“I think Rock would mean more but obviously, Rock schedule-wise wasn’t able to do it this year and wanted to save his return for Los Angeles. So Austin’s the biggest name they’ve got out there to do it. I was not told it was a done deal but people were under the assumption that it was and [Owens’] promo clearly tells you that they are booking with the idea that it is happening, kinda unexpected but there you go.”
Steve Austin getting back in the ring is one of two huge potential returns for WWE as rumours suggest that Cody Rhodes, who recently announced his departure from AEW, could well be on his way to the company in the near future.
H/T to Inside The Ropes for the above transcription.