Booker T I almost forgot about, because he was a notch below your Taker and HBK level, but they want to emphasize him as one of their biggest black stars. I don’t know how the setup goes for it, but I guess Angle comes back to “coach” Alpha Academy. The other guys are in the tag division. SP and Mysterios have respect for each other. Maybe it’s just some wayward words on a pre-show that inspires Booker to come back and prove he’s got one more big match in him?

It seems a bit reductive to put him in a 10-man, but it would allow him to stand out with big spots. Plus he’d get to mix it up with Gable and potentially Angle (this is all providing Angle can go). The finish would likely be Booker pinning Angle and celebrating with the babyfaces — 3 of them under 35.

Taker and McIntyte doesn’t thrill me, but if you think about what’s left for Drew on this show? It’s probably the biggest thing he can do. Apparently Taker id a big backer of Corbin. Moss has got potential. The story can be that these heels keep going after Drew’s neck. Taker can do some sort of public interview where he says Drew carried them through the pandemic (Roman and Brock were both out for it). He can say he’ll always respect the guys who do the hard yards when it is quiet. Corbin and Moss mock Old Man Taker a bit. Corbin uses his money to pay a bunch of guys to ambush Taker. Maybe. Corbin & Moss invite him onto Happy Talk to explain his position? Then he’s attacked and the heels beat him down only for Drew to make the save and the tag match is signed. The finish would be stereo Tombstones.

I also don’t want to see Taker and HBK together.

Ideally those guys he pays wear balaclavas and attack him with garrotte wire and Corbin gets powerbombed through the stage never to be seen again.

I would watch an Austin match. Just because his entire face run was admittedly smoke and mirror brawls and I don’t think that’s something he’d forget how to do entertainingly.

I also love BookerT as an in ring talent and would watch him in another match.

I was just thinking about this whole idea, Owens and Austin. A part of me is kind of underwhelmed by Owens as the choice for an Austin return, but the other part of me really respects Owens as a talent and I think he's good for the actual match itself and of course the lead up.

It's just funny you'd have thought Austin's return to have been against a major opponent, someone that would've been equal to him as his prime, like a Roman or Brock. Neither of which really would be a great fit for Austin's return now at his age. So with Austin's age in mind Owens does really become a great choice. Specifically because he can take the bumps and also because he's such a strong character that the angles would more than likely hit like lighting. So this could be a good deal for everyone if it happens. I still have doubts.

i just don't see stone cold coming back to wrestle a match in the trunks and the boots and the knee braces, i could see him doing a segment/stomping a mudhole, but it's still all speculation and it's 6 weeks away and we're talking about steve austin, i think they would want to create that affirmative buzz by announcing something already

Tonight would be (or should be) the start of that.


I haven't watched regularly, but caught the KO promo about Texas, and it was painfully obvious what they are building to. KO has talked about Steve Austin at great length and is using the stunner.


Honestly, it'd be better to have Austin back KO against someone. I dunno who that would or could be. I know KO would get a "rub" by being in a Mania match with Austin...... but would it be the rub you want when someone says "Yeah, a 60 year old (however old he is) Austin whipped your ass".


I'd be for a Heel Austin/KO combo squaring up against a big babyface (Damien Priest is the only over face who comes to mind) and "stomp a mudhole". Have him go all-in with a lou thez, mudhole stomping, etc. but finish it up with the pop-up powerbomb. It'd give KO a few new "fresh" things around his character, and elevate him for a program with any face.

Stone Cold + KO

vs

Priest + Bad Bunny

Stone Cold + Bad Bunny

Vs

Evad Sullivan and his rabbit Ralph

Do you think this will be a fully announced match? I can see them giving it the Cena/Taker treatment from a few years ago where it’s pretty much definite that Austin will show up to kick KO’s ass. I could easily see it being a replay of the Austin/HBK/Foley deal at Mania 32 with Owens running down Texas and then Austin, HBK, and maybe Taker come down to beat him up.

At the least yeah XL I can see what you said. I think the could at least build up to a "showdown" between KO and Austin that would probably be a "backstage brawl" through the stadium and end up in the ring with a stunner from Austin and then beers.

Though I could also see WWE having night 1 of Mania headlined by Charlotte and Ronda and co-main with Austin vs Kevin Owen in a real match. Then night 2 headlined by Roman vs Brock title for title and co main some big celeb match like Bad Bunny and Taker vs I dunno who, the Uso's. Or mayyyybe the big "Cody return" match with someone like Seth.

Oh no I just had the idea that maybe it could turn out to be some form of KO & Sami Zayn vs Austin & Johnny Knoxville. ...... ..... ....

This would make me very very sad, honestly.

Austin/Knoxville actually would make a lot of sense.... targeting around the same generation of nostalgia....

I think Zayn/Knoxville will be its own match. Definitely think WWE want a “WrestleMania Moment” of the Jackass crew carrying Knoxville out on their shoulders with the IC title.

Plus they do have two nights to fill with content I guess

Basically this. Austin returning itself is a big enough deal. He probably doesn’t want the spotlight of a main event his first match back, and Owens is probably hand-picked. There’s lots they can do with it. They show clips of Owens feuding with Shane and headbutting Vince to juxtapose with Austin’s anarchy. There can be a promo where Austin makes fun of Owens’ bull tattoo, and Owens can say he got it because he always backed The Rock.

It’s unlikely to reach the most epic levels of blood feud, but it can be raised to a bit beyond “just a match.”

I don’t think they’re putting the IC Title on Knoxville, lol. Sami has got the belt now to put some light on him as this really good wrestler. Knoxville will likely cost him the title and give Sami a reason to want to fight him.

The faces who make the most sense are Cesaro and Nakamura. That just comes down to what they want to do at Mania. I think whoever wins it is likely going to wrestle Sheamus or something. The other guy goes into a Tag Team Turmoil or something with either Rick Boogs or Ricochet as their partner.