For seemingly one last time, Stone Cold Steve Austin tore the house at WrestleMania 38 in the main event, defeating Kevin Owens in a No Holds Barred match. Nearly two decades of anticipation for his in-ring return culminated in a night that both evoked nostalgia for older fans and created a fresh memory for the new generation.
Austin did not appear at WrestleMania 39 earlier this month, though legends like Trish Stratus and Lita still featured in the show. Superstars like Owens, Sami Zayn, The Usos, Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes controlled the main event instead, offering ample star power without the Texas Rattlesnake.
However, Austin told Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso that he spoke with WWE about a WrestleMania 39 match. His presence would have added another layer to an exciting weekend, but with production for his A&E show, “Stone Cold Takes on America,” underway, the timing did not work for another match at Austin’s standard of fitness.
“I haven’t spoken to this, but I’ll give you the story,” says Austin. “I met with some people from WWE. We talked about the possibility of me wrestling at WrestleMania 39. The biggest thing in my mind was the presentation and what kind of match it was going to be. Going back to 38, the way the KO thing was presented—I love KO—I turned that down three, four, five times until the creative finally came to what it ended up being. I didn’t want it constructed as a real match, per se. I needed something that could turn into one, and it did, but I think that’s why we got away with it. The Dallas crowd was very receptive. I hadn’t been around, so the timing was right.
“But to do a proper match, I’d have to be in off-the-charts shape. I told them, and this is the exact truth, I said, ‘Guys, I’m just fixin’ to go into production on this show, Stone Cold Takes on America, and until we start production, I don’t know what my life looks like. I can’t commit.’ Sure enough, there were technical issues before we finished. I was supposed to finish a month before we did. There’s no way, with the schedule I was doing—driving an RV all over God’s creation, doing all I was doing—that I would be ready. I had two 30-pound dumbbells, a 45-pound sandbag, and a 25-pound kettlebell. Working 15 hours a day, then getting in a 30- or 40-minute workout, that doesn’t get you ready for WrestleMania. And I was really protected at WrestleMania 38. This time, that wasn’t going to be the case. That was a true statement: Until this show was over, I couldn’t commit.”
At 58 years old, Austin’s time is dwindling to compete at another WrestleMania. WWE legends frequently appear no matter their age in a non-wrestling capacity, but anyone hoping for one more match from Austin must wait and see what WrestleMania 40 holds.
In the meantime, everyone can see what Austin was working on this spring when “Stone Cold Takes on America” debuts on A&E at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Sunday, April 30.