Stone Cold Steve Austin retired from in-ring competition following WrestleMania 19 in 2003, and many (including the legend himself) believed he would be one of the very few wrestlers not to return to the squared circle.
However, ahead of WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, the Texas Rattlesnake was announced to take part in a special edition of the Kevin Owens Show, and it was heavily speculated that the appearance could turn into a full-fledged match.
Sure enough, Austin confronted Owens and agreed to a match, defeating KO in a No Holds Barred Match. The next night, after Vince McMahon returned to competition against Pat McAfee, Austin confronted his decades-old rivalry with the WWE Chairman and delivered what it considered one of the worst stunners in company history.
With Austin posting photos of himself looking in phenomenal shape on social media, fans began to wonder if his match against Owens wouldn’t be the last time he stepped inside the squared circle. It’s since been reported that there were numerous big money offers presented to Austin to entice him into competing in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles, CA, but he’s not currently scheduled to appear, saying he has faith in the current WWE roster to carry the show.
“They Haven’t Come Up With The Right Idea” – Jim Ross On Offers Made To Steve Austin Ahead Of WrestleMania 39
Speaking on the latest episode of Grillng JR, Austin’s longtime friend Jim Ross speculated on the reason Steve Austin turned down offers for another blockbuster WrestleMania match, saying that he must not have been presented with something that made sense to him.
“Well, it just tells me that they haven’t come up with the right idea that makes him happy. He hasn’t changed his philosophy. If he gets offered a spot on the card, and I think he should be booked personally, but that’s just me. But if he’s not booked, it’s because WWE didn’t come up with an idea that he was high enough on to take the plunge again.”
Continuing, Ross said that he wouldn’t be surprised to see Austin make an appearance in LA even if he doesn’t participate in a full match.
“I don’t ever see him, I can see him being booked, I can see him doing an interview. I can see him giving some Stunners and drinking some beer, but I can’t see him having another match. I thought his match to Kevin Owens here while back was really strong. Kevin Owens is a hell of a hand without a doubt. So anyway, I just think Steve was, you know, he wasn’t, he wasn’t sure what the hell’s gonna happen.”
If you use any quotes from this transcription, please credit Grilling JR and link back to this article with a h/t to Inside the Ropes.