Tag: Steve Austin

Steve Austin praises Cody Rhodes: ‘I can’t wait to see what he does next’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin is excited to see what Cody Rhodes does next in WWE.

Rhodes is just days away from attempting to win his second straight men’s Royal Rumble match. Since losing to Roman Reigns last year, Rhodes’ story has been attempting to get back to the main event of WrestleMania so that he can finally win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Austin discussed visiting with Rhodes at a video shoot for the WWE 2K24 video game. Austin said it’s great to see Rhodes enjoying the ride he’s been on.

“I visited with Cody Rhodes [during the 2K video shoot],” said Austin. “I’ve followed his career since day one. To see the journey he’s been on, to see him on top of the world right now, it’s great to see him enjoying the ride with a clear mind and so much momentum. He works so hard. And look at his journey. He left WWE to come back to WWE to headline. He’s in his prime, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.”

It was announced on Monday that Rhodes will be the cover star of the standard edition of WWE 2K24. Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley are featured on the cover of the deluxe edition. Austin is among the legends and current stars featured on the cover of a special “Forty Years of WrestleMania” edition of WWE 2K24.

WWE 2K24 is scheduled to be released this March.

On Raw’s go-home show for the Royal Rumble last night, Rhodes and CM Punk had a tense face-to-face confrontation. The Royal Rumble is taking place from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida this Saturday (January 27).

Report: WWE ‘optimistic’ CM Punk vs. Steve Austin match could happen

Posted on by Ian Carey

WWE has reportedly discussed a potential dream match pitting CM Punk vs. Steve Austin. 

Several higher-ups in the company are said to be pushing for the match to take place, Fightful is reporting. Many in WWE “are hopeful and even optimistic” that the match will happen at some point. 

The idea is believed to have already been discussed with Punk, with sources noting that the “ideal scenario” would be for the two to meet in person and discuss ideas as a next step. However, it was also noted that “there’s a lot to get through first” before the match can be made. 

Austin and Punk appear to have a mutual admiration for each other. Austin praised Punk during an interview with Forbes earlier this year and also addressed the idea that he was an influence on Punk’s career.

Austin said of Punk:

Great promo guy, great worker, he’s got his own thing going and we’re just friends. So I think I remember there’s a picture of myself and him from Chicago, my favorite town to work in, my favorite building. And I guess he had come down to where we were all hanging out. Maybe he looked up to me back in the day, but I don’t know if I so much mentored him because I think he paid his own dues. He learned it the way he did and he got over on his own merits. The fact that maybe I could have been somewhat of an influence would be flattering if that were the case. But he’s made his own career.

Punk also wore a Steve Austin t-shirt while delivering his famous pipe-bomb promo in 2011. 

Steve Austin praises CM Punk, didn’t know he tore his triceps

Posted on by Ian Carey

Steve Austin praised CM Punk in a recent interview.  

Austin spoke with Forbes recently and was asked about the ongoing controversy in AEW involving Punk as well as what influence Austin believes he’s had on Punk’s career. 

Austin responded:

Man, I just sent Punk a message last night. I didn’t know he had torn his triceps. I haven’t been following anything. I don’t know what’s going on with that. Me and Phil trade messages every here and there. We rarely talk, probably once or twice a year. I love the guy, and I don’t even know if I mentored him because Punk’s probably a lot smarter than I am.

Austin continued:

Great promo guy, great worker, he’s got his own thing going and we’re just friends. So I think I remember there’s a picture of myself and him from Chicago, my favorite town to work in, my favorite building. And I guess he had come down to where we were all hanging out. Maybe he looked up to me back in the day, but I don’t know if I so much mentored him because I think he paid his own dues. He learned it the way he did and he got over on his own merits. The fact that maybe I could have been somewhat of an influence would be flattering if that were the case. But he’s made his own career.

Austin continued to say that while he watches all the “major pay-per-views” he is not up-to-date on the controversy involving Punk or the injury that has taken him out of action since All Out 2022. 

Austin is currently starring in Stone Cold Takes on America on A&E. The fourth episode of the first season is scheduled to air tonight. Austin is advertised to perform the first-ever “Stone Cold Wedding” during the show. He will also take the stage with Cirque de Soleil and learn how to cook game meat in gourmet fashion. 

Steve Austin respects Cody Rhodes more after WWE WrestleMania 39 loss

Posted on by Ian Carey

Steve Austin is adamant that Roman Reigns beating Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39 was the right call. 

Austin appeared on Busted Open Radio on Thursday and echoed sentiment previously expressed by Paul Heyman and Dustin Rhodes that Cody beating Roman would not have increased his popularity. 

Austin said:

Cody beating Roman would not have gotten Cody over anymore. As a matter of fact, it might have worked against him.

Austin continued to say that Cody winning the title at WrestleMania 39 would have been “cliche.” He doesn’t believe the time was right to take the title off of Reigns. 

Roman’s on fire right now and one of these days it’ll be time to take that belt off him and put it on somebody else but you don’t make Cody by taking the belt off the right guy at the wrong time. 

He continued:

I just think it was so storybook, it would have been so cliche to put the belt on him. Has he earned the opportunity to be there? Yeah, but would he have been the right guy, right now, trying to take out Roman Reigns? I just think not. Roman is so on fire and so money right now. Cody’s going to be there. To me, it made me respect Cody more. When you’re down there looking at the lights and you know that story is going to be completed one of these days but it ain’t going to be right here and it was for the right reasons and the reason is it was business. 

Cody was a -800 favorite to defeat Roman Reigns at WWE WrestleMania 39. While many were surprised at the result, our own Dave Meltzer reported shortly after the event that Roman retaining was “always the plan.”  

Cody has since moved into a storyline with Brock Lesnar that started on the Raw after Mania and will continue at Night of Champions on May 27. Reigns will team with Solo Sikoa to challenge WWE tag champions, Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens on the same show. 

WWE Rivals ratings up for Steve Austin episodes

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

With two episodes focused on “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, WWE Rivals drew some of its best ratings in series history on Sunday night.

The first episode, highlighting the feud between Austin and Bret Hart, averaged 445,000 viewers on A&E. It aired one hour earlier than the show normally airs so comparisons to previous weeks aren’t fair, but it was the second most viewed episode of the series to date.

That episode finished 24th on the cable charts with a 0.15 rating in the 18-49 demo. That tied two other episodes for the highest rating in the history of the series. That’s despite heavy sports competition from the NBA and NHL playoffs on Sunday, as well as MLB on ESPN, all of which dominated the cable charts.

The second episode of Rivals, airing in its normal time slot, was focused on the Austin vs. Shawn Michaels feud. It held nearly the entire audience of the first episode, averaging 433,000 viewers. It was the fourth most viewed episode of Rivals to date.

The second episode of Rivals finished just behind the first at 25th on the cable charts with the same 0.15 rating in the 18-49 demo. That also tied previous episodes focused on Austin vs. The Rock and WWE vs. WCW for the best rating in series history.

Austin stars in a new series, titled Stone Cold Takes on America, that premieres on A&E this Sunday (April 30). That night will also feature the season two premiere of WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures.

Listed below are all episodes of WWE Rivals to date with their overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings:

Steve Austin explains why he didn’t wrestle at WWE WrestleMania 39

Posted on by Ian Carey

Steve Austin says he turned down multiple offers from WWE to perform at WrestleMania 39. 

Austin told Sports Illustrated that he met with the company about wrestling on the show but said he could not commit, feeling as though he wouldn’t have enough time to get in shape.

“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.”

Our own Dave Meltzer noted in January that Austin turned down several potential matches at the event. 

Meltzer said:

“As far as Austin goes, Steve might be at the show. I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. He might do something on the show, but he did in fact turn down wrestling at the show.

He was offered [Brock] Lesnar, he was offered Roman Reigns. He could have named his opponent if he wanted to do it with anybody else, but he did not choose to wrestle on the show.”

Austin also told NBC Los Angeles in the lead-up to WrestleMania 39 that he would not be wrestling on the show. He said that while he loves his relationship with WWE, his “days in the ring are done.”

A&E’s Stone Cold Takes on America premieres Sunday, April 30, 2023. The show follows Austin as he travels around the country in an RV and accepts challenges from fans. 

A description of the series reads:

Austin hits the road in his RV, accepting challenges from fans that push him out of his comfort zone, and make up for lost time. Through archival footage from classic WWE moments and his own stories, the series weaves together Austin’s old and new life—both filled with incredible feats and his unique point of view—as he celebrates and learns from new experiences how only “Stone Cold” Steve Austin can.

Steve Austin says he ‘loved’ the finish to Roman Reigns vs. Cody at WWE WrestleMania

Posted on by Ian Carey

Steve Austin thought the ending to Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 was “magnificent.” 

Austin spoke with Sports Illustrated recently and discussed Reigns’ defeat of Rhodes on the show. 

He said:

“I’m going all-in. To me, they got it just right.

I was wondering how they were going to do this match. They built it perfectly. I told my wife, ‘I think they’re going 30 [minutes].’ They ended up going just over 34, and it was a classic. I loved it, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I texted a couple people who were involved, and I sent a one-word text: Magnificent.”

The finish of the match saw Solo Sikoa return to ringside after having been ejected earlier. He hit Rhodes with a Samoan Spike and Reigns followed it up with a spear for the win. 

Austin continued to say that he loved how the match came to a conclusion. 

“I loved the finish,” Austin said. “I loved all of it. Roman is so good right now. The story was there—Cody coming back from injury, coming back into the fold after he left from AEW, and putting himself in the position he’s in now, overcoming all this adversity as part of one of the most famous wrestling families that’s ever been in the business, and trying to finish the story against Roman.

“I watched both nights of WrestleMania 39 very intently. To me, you can’t take that belt off Roman right now. You want to get it to Cody somehow, someway, some time—but now’s not the time.”

Austin continued to speak about the outside interference at the end of the match, saying:

“Just thinking about that finish, I thought it was definitely the right call. I loved the outside interference. You didn’t know what was coming next. That spike to the throat, for me, it was money.”

The finish to Reigns vs. Rhodes has been a frequently debated topic since the conclusion of WM39 night two. Paul Heyman told Ariel Helwani earlier this month that he feels Rhodes is a bigger star as a result of the loss. Heyman noted that the reaction to Cody on the Raw after WrestleMania “was louder than the response last week to Cody Rhodes.”

Cody’s older brother Dustin told Busted Open Radio earlier this week that he also enjoyed the finish to the match, saying, “They are making him pay for it now, they are making him earn it and I like that, I do. I like that because once you put the title on him, where are you going?”

Wrestling Observer Live: Kenny Omega vs. Vikingo fallout and show review, NXT long-term storytelling, Steve Austin says he’s retired

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including AEW Dynamite from last night with that amazing Vikingo vs. Kenny Omega main event, AEW expanding house shows, Steve Austin talks WrestleMania, and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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WWE’s Stone Cold Steve Austin: ‘My days in the ring are done’

Posted on by Josh Nason

It appears “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s in-ring days have officially come to an end in WWE or anywhere for that matter.

Austin told NBC Los Angeles that while he loves his relationship with WWE, he doesn’t miss being in the mix on a regular basis — although he sounded open to return for appearances.

“Coming back to do something from time to time is fine, because I love my relationship with WWE, but my days in the ring are done. Although, I did do the main event at WrestleMania last year in Dallas but that was kind of a fluke and we pulled it off,” he said. “It’s good to be back and see some of the faces, but I’ve been gone for a long time and I do not miss it.”

Austin returned at the first night of last year’s WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, Texas, confronting Kevin Owens during an interview segment that turned into a no holds barred match. It was Austin’s first in-ring action since 2003’s WrestleMania.

Austin said he has been focused on other business opportunities like with his Broken Skull beer line and Kawasaki.

He said he hasn’t got a call to be at next weekend’s WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles as he’s been working on his new TV show with A&E, but that “anything can happen.”

Steve Austin turned WWE down ‘several times’ before WrestleMania 38

Posted on by Ian Carey

Steve Austin says he kept turning down WWE’s pitches for a WrestleMania 38 match until they came back with different creative. 

Austin appeared on Out of Character on Wednesdy and spoke about his in-ring return last year.  

Austin said:

I turned them down several times until they kept coming back with different creative. KO was always in the conversation, I was down with that cause I love that guy, he’s awesome. 

On the inside, I was knocking his head-off so many times because I hadn’t thrown a punch in 19 years. I told him when we got finished, I said, ‘Dude, I cannot believe you didn’t give me a receipt out there.’ That’s the good-natured heart of KO.

I think he was thrilled to be out there and I was thrilled to be with him. It took some talking, we got everthing lined up, you saw what happened.

He was asked about his preparation for the match and if he did any in-ring training ahead of time. 

Austin responded:

Zero in-ring training. I was doing cardio. Here’s an inside tip for you. I love Sheamus, he’s got a great YouTube channel, Celtic Warrior Workouts, whatever it’s called. I got on there, I watched Edge’s routine, I watched Bryan Danielson, Daniel Bryan’s, whatever his name is, I watched his training routine. But the one that really got me was Becky Lynch’s comeback routine. So, I did Becky Lynch’s routine over and over again and then I invented my own out of that. 

So, I was training hard at my house but I didn’t have a ring. Once I got to Dallas – I got there 3-4 days early because I always do – I ran the ropes a lot with Drew Gulak, who is absolutely wonderful and is a great talent, super guy, very intuitive in the ring. 

Asked what he thought of his match with Kevin Owens on the show, Austin responded:

It was what it was. I wanted to give them more but the whole time, when you’ve got that amount of people out there, I’ve been in front of a million crowds, but you’re just trying to pace yourself. When you saw me go sip beers, I wasn’t doing that to advertise my beer, I was doing that to just take a breather and just kind of monitor the system because I was getting a little gassed. 

In January, our own Dave Meltzer reported that Austin has turned down multiple pitches for a match at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles. He turned down a pitch for a match against Brock Lesnar as well as Roman Reigns, opting to not wrestle on the show at all. He would later tell the Wrestling Classic that he believes WWE should focus on its current roster at this year’s event. 

When asked if WrestleMania 38 was his final match, Austin responded by saying “never say never.” 

If the stars align again, hell, it could happen again. 

Steve Austin says WWE has not contacted him regarding WrestleMania 39

Posted on by Ian Carey

Steve Austin has addressed his possible involvement at WrestleMania 39.  

Austin told The Wrestling Classic that he hasn’t heard from WWE regarding the event. He also said that he believes the company should focus on its current roster at this year’s show. 

Austin said: 

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.

However, Austin would respond, “To be determined” when asked about possibly making an appearance at the event. 

Our own Dave Meltzer noted in January that Austin had turned down offers to wrestle at the event. Previous reports stated that he was offered a match against Brock Lesnar.  

Meltzer said:

“As far as Austin goes, Steve might be at the show. I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. He might do something on the show, but he did in fact turn down wrestling at the show,” Meltzer said. “He was offered [Brock] Lesnar, he was offered Roman Reigns. He could have named his opponent if he wanted to do it with anybody else, but he did not choose to wrestle on the show.”

A new A&E series featuring Steve Austin is set to start airing soon. Stone Cold Takes On America’s first episode is scheduled for Sunday, April 30. The series will follow Austin as he travels in an RV and accepts challenges from fans that push him “out of his comfort zone.” 

A&E announces new ‘Stone Cold Takes on America’ series

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A new series starring “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is set to debut on A&E next month.

It was announced today that “Stone Cold Takes on America” will premiere on A&E at 10 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, April 30. The show will be part of WWE’s Sunday night programming block on A&E. It will air alongside season two of “WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures,” which premieres on April 30 at 9 p.m. Eastern.

“Stone Cold Takes on America” is a 10-part series where Austin “takes viewers on an epic adventure as he redefines what life after years in the ring looks like and experiences everything he missed out on while focused on his career.”

The trailer and full description for the show can be seen below:

For over two decades, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin gave everything to wrestling, becoming one of the all-time greats. However, his dedication to his career meant sacrificing many of the other experiences life has to offer. In each one-hour episode of ‘Stone Cold Takes on America,’ Austin will hit the road in his RV, accepting challenges from fans that push him out of his comfort zone, and make up for lost time. Through archival footage from classic WWE moments and his own stories, the series weaves together Austin’s old and new life—both filled with incredible feats and his unique point of view—as he celebrates and learns from new experiences how only ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin can. 

Earlier this year, Austin was seen doing the weather on local Nevada television and working at a fast food drive-thru with a camera crew present.

Season two of “Most Wanted Treasures” will feature Booker T, Mick Foley, and Lita “leading the search to reclaim WWE’s most iconic memorabilia and bring these items back home to share with the WWE universe.” Season one of the show was hosted by Top Dolla.

‘WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures’ returns for a second season with WWE Legends Booker T, Mick Foley, and Lita leading the search to reclaim WWE’s most iconic memorabilia and bring these items back home to share with the WWE universe. In each one-hour episode, they travel across the country alongside Legends such as ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, DX, Kurt Angle, Goldberg, Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart and more to track down items that have left a lasting impact on WWE’s culture and the fans. These priceless, one-of-a-kind collectibles include DX’s Invasion Jeep, Macho Man’s Mega Powers Robe, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin’s Cement Truck, Goldberg’s WWE Debut Jacket, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s Bagpipes and many more.

WWE programming returns to A&E this Sunday (February 19) with new seasons of “Biography: WWE Legends” and “WWE Rivals.” Sunday’s Biography episode will focus on the nWo. The Rivals premiere will spotlight the rivalry between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant.

‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin not expected to wrestle at WWE WrestleMania 39

Posted on by Joseph Currier

It doesn’t appear that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will be in action at WrestleMania 39.

On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer provided an update on Austin’s WrestleMania status. Meltzer stated that, while Austin was offered matches for WrestleMania, Austin has turned down wrestling at the event.

“As far as Austin goes, Steve might be at the show. I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. He might do something on the show, but he did in fact turn down wrestling at the show,” Meltzer said. “He was offered [Brock] Lesnar, he was offered Roman Reigns. He could have named his opponent if he wanted to do it with anybody else, but he did not choose to wrestle on the show.”

Meltzer added that it’s a similar situation regarding Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s WrestleMania 39 status. Johnson didn’t feel he had the time to get into the type of shape he would need to be in for a WrestleMania-caliber main event this year. Meltzer said the door was left open for Johnson to wrestle at WrestleMania in 2024.

At WrestleMania 38 last year, Austin returned to the ring for the first time in nearly two decades. He defeated Kevin Owens in a no holds barred match in the main event of WrestleMania 38 night one. The match wasn’t officially announced in advance, instead being advertised as a KO Show segment with Austin and Owens.

A new television project involving Austin is set to premiere on A&E this April. The series is titled “Stone Cold Takes on America.”

WrestleMania 39 is being held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2. Here are the matches that have already been confirmed for the event:

  • Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defends against Cody Rhodes
  • SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defends against Rhea Ripley
  • Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair defends against the winner of women’s Elimination Chamber match

New ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin A&E series to debut in April

Posted on by Josh Nason

A new A&E series featuring WWE legend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is set to bow in April, according to Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston.

The series is called “Stone Cold Takes on America” and will start on Sunday, April 9th for a ten-week run through Sunday, June 11th.

While the premise is unknown, images and video of Austin working at a fast food restaurant drive-thru and working as a meteorologist began circulating around social media in mid-January:

Wrestlenomics also reported the tentative order and dates for the next six episodes of Biography: WWE Legends on A&E.

  • Sunday, February 19: The NWO
  • Sunday, February 26: Jake “The Snake” Roberts
  • Sunday, March 5: Chyna
  • Sunday, March 12: Kane
  • Sunday, March 19: Iron Sheik
  • Sunday, March 26: Dusty Rhodes

They also reported the following schedule for new episodes of WWE Rivals that will follow the Biography shows.

  • Sunday, February 19: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant
  • Sunday, February 26: Undertaker vs. Mankind
  • Sunday, March 5: The Rock vs. John Cena
  • Sunday, March 12: Triple H vs. Batista
  • Sunday, March 19: Lita vs. Trish Stratus
  • Sunday, March 26: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
  • Sunday, April 9: Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart
  • Sunday April 16: Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels

There will be no new episode on the Sunday of WrestleMania.

Following the run of the latest WWE Rivals series, WWE Most Wanted Treasure will return, kicking off with Austin on Sunday, April 23rd and Degeneration X on Sunday, April 30th. 

Focuses on Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Roddy Piper, Goldberg, the Samoan dynasty and Kurt Angle will follow through Sunday, June 11th with the order not yet determined.

Wrestling Observer Live: Mark Briscoe to Dynamite, Steve Austin WrestleMania, RAW 30

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including Mark Briscoe getting the A-OK to work Dynamite going forward, the situation with Steve Austin and WrestleMania, more on the Bloodline and Sami Zayn angle, RAW 30 and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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