WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin surprised the wrestling world when he made his return for one final match at WrestleMania 38. He wrestled former WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens in a Falls Count Anywhere match.
Recently, while speaking to Zack Heydorn for Sports Illustrated’s The Takedown, Stone Cold Steve Austin shared that he did not have the perfect timing for the spots and also had a lot of ring rust. Austin also shared what legends such as Triple H, The Undertaker, and Hulk Hogan shared about making a return to the squared circle.
“I was happy in a moment, but, you know, they didn’t send me a ring down. I didn’t have any timing. I think they interviewed Triple H, The Undertaker, and Hogan. Each one of them said something that was so true.
“Paul said, you can come back, but you don’t know what you have, because you haven’t been out there. Undertaker said, you’re not going to have any timing. He was right. I didn’t have any timing. Hell, I hadn’t hit a set of ropes in 19 years. Hadn’t thrown a punch in 19 years. Hogan says, you know, you’re just not calloused up. Your body is not as hard as it used to be. And he was right, because when you when you take off, people talk about ring rust, that’s timing. So, I had no timing.
Stone Cold Steve Austin agreed with what Hulk Hogan shared about making an in-ring return
“Hogan was talking about being calloused up … those ropes hurt. Those bumps hurt. If you make a long comeback, it takes you two or three months to get those callouses back, so that your body doesn’t hurt after every single match. You build up an immunity to it, so they each made valid points. And like Paul said, you don’t know what you got until you get out there, because you can think you got it, but you don’t.”
Stone Cold Steve Austin wished he had worked the people a little bit more
“And when I went out there, I think I couldn’t hear the crowd as much as I wanted to. When I watched it back, the crowd was into it. It was very, very loud, yes, but I wish I would have taken more time, savored more moments, and worked the people a little bit more than I did. I think I was in a space of not knowing what I had and trying to be a little too frantic. I could have slowed down drastically and made that better. And I wish that I would have. I haven’t told too many people that, but I told you,” Stone Cold Steve Austin said.
Did you enjoy Austin’s in-ring return?
