Tag: Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold Steve Austin says WWE hasn’t discussed WrestleMania 39 with him, doesn’t dismiss appearing

If only there were a very over WWE talent with a one-word catchphrase who could be matched up with Stone Cold in L.A. …

One of the biggest parts of WrestleMania 38 was the in-ring return of Stone Cold Steve Austin. Though his appearance was only promoted as being the guest on The KO Show, there was a strong suspicion it would turn into a match with Kevin Owens.

Which it did. Austin turned back the clock, putting in a very entertaining performance in a No Holds Barred match with Owens that closed out the first night in Texas. He returned on the second night as well, drinking beer with and then delivering Stone Cold Stunners to Austin Theory, longtime rival Vince McMahon, and even Pat McAfee.

With that still fresh in the minds of WWE leadership and fans alike — and Austin posting evidence to social media that he’s kept himself in tremendous shape — it’s only natural that many would hope for an encore this year in Los Angeles. There have been reports that Austin was pitched a variety of matches, with the thinking being that they were for WrestleMania 39.

Yet according to Austin himself while speaking to The Wrestling Classic (h/t Wrestling Observer), that’s not the case. And he believes that’s just fine, because WWE can shine the spotlight on its current talent.

You know, I haven’t heard anything. We’re literally, as we speak right now, it’s about two weeks away and it’s the biggest show of the year. Right now, I think WWE has got as good a roster that they’ve had since the Attitude Era. They got a deep roster.

So, I think so many guys and gals need those coveted sports. They’ve got plenty of names to draw from. Plenty of talent to draw from. I think they should shine the light and the cameras on their current Superstars.

On the other hand, Austin definitely didn’t shoot down the idea that he might appear at WrestleMania 39 if asked, saying “to be determined” when questioned about the chances that he’d be in L.A. That sounds like he’s still open to it, so if WWE finds him the right dance partner (ahem, LA Knight), the Rattlesnake could still strike in Hollywood.

In honor of 3:16 Day, here’s 12 videos of Stone Cold Steve Austin being awesome

And that’s the bottom line because Stone Cold said so!

It’s March 16, and if you follow the WWE, you know what that means.

It’s 3:16 Day, also known as “Austin 3:16 Day,” in tribute to WWE all-time legend Stone Cold Steve Austin.

One of the great icons in the ring, Austin’s impact as a rebellious and tough antihero is still felt to this day. Even if he’s not a regular anymore, Austin’s brash personality might have been what helped bring the WWE to real prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

And why is that? Well, that’s just the bottom line … because Stone Cold said so! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

In honor of 3:16 day, here’s a look back at some of the most iconic moments from Austin’s WWE career. (Warning: NSFW language in some clips.)

Could we still see Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania?

Stone Cold vs. LA Knight in Los Angeles is an idea we could get behind.

WWE is going full speed ahead toward WrestleMania 39 using the wrestlers fans see every week on Raw and SmackDown, one notable part-time wrestler (Logan Paul) and one legend who isn’t retired but doesn’t wrestle much any more due to his acting career (John Cena).

Despite a full year of speculation, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson won’t be in a match in Los Angeles. Nor, at this point, will Stone Cold Steve Austin, even though he had a successful return at WrestleMania 38.

It isn’t for lack of trying on WWE’s part — and it might not even be completely done yet.

Earlier this week, Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp (subscription required but worth it) broke down the timeline for pitches the company made to Austin over the past year, including offers to face Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. The two sides either didn’t agree on money for Lesnar, and Austin “didn’t get back to WWE” on Reigns.

WWE reportedly kept pitching Austin more recently, and Sapp managed to confirm one name for a potential opponent:

LA Knight was a name rumored online, and we can confirm that’s at least been pitched. However, nobody close to Austin or in WWE have been able to verify that it’s happening as of yet.

LA Knight is an intriguing name for two reasons. One is that he has remains incredibly popular with WWE crowds for his excellent microphone work, despite his booking (including his stint as Max Dupri and loss to Bray Wyatt in the infamous Mountain Dew Pitch Black match) doing him no favors.

The other is that Knight doesn’t currently have an obvious path to a WrestleMania match. He didn’t win the right to face Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship and isn’t really in a program at the moment. There was some thought that he may be thrown into the mix against Bobby Lashley if Wyatt’s recent issues keep him out through WrestleMania, but Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reported today that the Wyatt-Lashley match “is still on.”

Putting together something between Knight and Austin would have to be done quickly considering WrestleMania 39 is less than three weeks away, but considering that both men are good talkers — and that Austin’s match last year didn’t even officially become one until the show itself — that’s not impossible.

There’s room for a few more matches to be added to the WrestleMania card to fill out the two-night schedule. It still feels like Stone Cold is a longshot to end up on it, but it’s something to keep in mind as a possibility until WWE formally announces which matches will be on which nights.

Shaq made a hilarious promise after Dillon Brooks dressed like Stone Cold Steve Austin

And that’s the bottom line because Dillon Brooks said so!

Before his Memphis Grizzlies took on the Los Angeles Lakers tonight, Dillon Brooks pulled up in a rather interesting fit.

The forward was dressed in a black vest (no shirt) and had jorts on in the pregame tunnel. If we didn’t know any better, Brooks was paying homage to the “Texas Rattlesnake” — “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, famed former WWF/WWE wrestler.

In reaction to Brooks’ fit, Shaquille O’Neal made quite the promise on Inside the NBA. O’Neal maintained that if the Lakers don’t qualify for this year’s playoffs, he will wear precisely what Brooks did on the last edition of the TNT program later this spring.

Oh, that’s a pretty enticing prospect:

With the Grizzlies defeating (and trolling) the Lakers 121-109 and Los Angeles without LeBron James for the foreseeable future, O’Neal will probably have to fulfill his promise. At 29-33, the Lakers are currently in 12th place in the Western Conference. After a rollercoaster season, it doesn’t seem like they have much hope of climbing up the ranks.

One might say, “that’s the bottom line.” But we’ll wait for O’Neal to take the first steps.

Report: WWE has pitched Stone Cold Steve Austin one more match, potentially at WrestleMania

And that’s the bottom line, because Fightful Select’s sources said so.

That workout video that shows Stone Cold Steve Austin ripping through a routine that would make most of us sob like it was nothing might not just be so that he can say he’s the most dangerous podcast host alive.

Following up on the inevitable “one more match” speculation that floated around the internet in the wake of said video, Fightful Select reports that WWE has indeed reached out to the Texas Rattlesnake about returning to the ring one more time. Specifically, Sean Ross Sapp’s sources say “WWE at least wants him to do more with the company” and that an offer has been made even since Vince McMahon stepped down.

The questions now seem to be when and for how much — money, that is, with the report suggesting that “initially Austin and WWE were far apart on terms.” And the when could be next April, as in WrestleMania 39.

A Stone Cold match would fit right in on that show, as there has long been a mixture of speculation and attempts to speak a dream match between The Rock and Roman Reigns in Los Angeles into existence. Add in hints that John Cena could be in the mix for WrestleMania as well and WWE could have plenty of nostalgic star power at its disposal.

Austin had his first WWE match in nearly 20 years earlier this year at WrestleMania 38, defeating Kevin Owens in a No Holds Barred match. The consensus in the wake of the show was that Stone Cold looked much better than fans had any right to expect after so much time off, and that he still had something to offer even in his 50s given the right opponent and situation.

If WWE wants him to step back in the ring again, it likely has something specific in mind. There are any number of current talents who would benefit from the rub of working against Austin, so this is one report that hopefully will pay off with the sound of breaking glass in just a few months.

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Watch Stone Cold Steve Austin buy his first pairs of Air Jordans

Austin 3:16 says I just bought some sick Js.

Maybe it’s possible to teach an old Texas Rattlesnake some new tricks, at least when it comes to sneakers.

Complex has had a number of WWE stars on its Sneaker Shopping series, including Liv Morgan, Roman Reigns and The New Day. But in its most recent episode, host Joe La Puma caught up with Stone Cold Steve Austin at Global Goods in Reno and helped the WWE Hall of Famer branch out a bit in terms of his footwear.

As the two discussed, Austin wore boots in the ring, but has been seen in some classic kicks over the years, including Nike Shox back in the Attitude Era and various Asics and Brooks models during his more recent appearances. He even held out for a deal with Nike at one point, blaming his agent for passing on a deal with Hi-Tec, maker of the Magnum boots he favored.

Stone Cold talked about the appreciation he has for top athletes in other sports and how much it means when they pay homage to him. La Puma noted how strong his personal brand is, even years after the end of his pro wrestling career.

Austin gave John Cena credit for being one of the first to really elevate sneakers within WWE. In the end, Austin went a little outside his personal sneaker comfort zone, picking out several pairs of retro Air Jordans and a pair of Nike Zoom Kobe 5s (“Kobe is one of my all-time favorites”). Total bill? $1883.81, which Stone Cold cracked was the most he’d ever paid for shoes in his life.

You can watch the entire episode below, including some discussion about how Bret Hart helped truly put him on the map.

George Kittle absolutely lost it after ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin surprised him on ESPN’s First Take

This was so cool

George Kittle is one of the best tight ends in the NFL, but he’s also a huge fan of wrestling.

He’s borrowed some of his favorite celebrations from his favorite wrestlers in the ring to celebrate some of his touchdowns and first downs on the field. He’s even made his own WWE appearance.

His favorite wrestler is Stone Cold Steve Austin — one of the most legendary names in wrestling. He was asked about his fandom on Tuesday in an appearance on ESPN’s First Take. Little did he know about the surprise that was waiting for him.

The crew asked Kittle about why Stone Cold is one of his favorite wrestlers, and as he was getting into his answer, Steve Austin actually just popped up on the screen.

Kittle couldn’t believe it.

“Stone Cold? I mean, he’s the man. I think, honestly, my favorite attribute is…oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” 

Just an absolutely priceless reaction from Kittle. He completely fans out here when Stone Cold pops up on the screen. And that big WOO at the end he gives is incredible.

You absolutely love to see it.