Steve Austin wrestling at WrestleMania?
 

Breaking News, all the news sites reporting :

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yes, Steve Austin vs. Kevin Owens has been discussed for WrestleMania.</p>&mdash; Bryan Alvarez (@bryanalvarez) <a href="https://twitter.com/bryanalvarez/status/1493413808689205253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That would explain Owens cutting a heel promo about Texas even though the show is in Indiana

If that happens, CM Punk will be even more bitter with WWE :rofl:

Yes. But why are you so childish about this? Did you not get enough attention from your parents when you were younger? What's the catch? Punk's an asshole. We get it.

Austin coming back would get me to watch most likely.

I rather see Austin come back for a match than The Rock or anyone else besides Chris Benoit.



But I dont want to see a 2 minute Stone Cold squash. I want a full match. I want a legit 15 minute banger from Austin vs Owens.

And i'm not making a Chris Benoit joke.

No surprise at all the WWE is apparently reaching out to Steve Austin. Not sure how interested I am in him vs. Kevin Owens though.

Yeah wow... I mean for 19 years it's swirled in the mind of most fans, who would Austin return against if anyone... and Kevin Owens? Well obviously he's a fantastic talent, amazing character and any mic work between them would easily be gold. Certainly worry about the match, Austin taking any of Owen's spots is a bit worrying. But if they have planned a match that pleased Austin then I'm sure it would please me. His standard has always been very high.

I wonder how much they are offering him for one match, I am thinking over 2 million, I just can't see him entertaining anything less, not even sure that is close.

Legit when I found out about this story I was like "no way".... like it's not happening. But as I read more about it I am thinking YES PLEASE. I mean seriously this is the only think that has been mentioned about WWE in YEARS that made me feel some kind of excitement. Sure the critics will say "yeah but what does this do for the young guys".... "He's taking spots"....


Austin can bring a guy like me, who really doesn't watch WWE anymore, back again for a huge show. Then WWE can hook me with their great young talent like Austin Theory and Rick Moss. It's their chance. Book a fucking excellent card around these draw matches that will pull in people because Austin is rasslin. Simple concept. Time to bring back some old fans and hookem with something good. Time for a really good Mania.

i see them doing a movie match like taker did with aj, i see them doing at the stonecold compound.

Actually I can see that too. Austin had that grocery store brawl with Booker that is so memorable. I could see something along those lines mixed with The Boneyard match. That thought is fine, I'll still tune if for it but it excites me much less than an actual match. And yes I realize that Austin in an actual match going 10+ minutes is highly unrealistic but anything can happen with the right roids or TRT.

I look forward to Jerry World burning to the ground when they announce Austin's return match for WrestleMania, sell the place out instantly and then it ends up just being a cinematic brawl on the Broken Skull Ranch.

then there is both vince and eric bischoff looking all over Texas for stonecold looking in all the bars.

*Gohan2k spaz out*

I wonder if Austin still has the Skullbuster set up

:rofl:

IT'S GONNA BE A BROKEN SKULL BARBED WIRE BRAWL BBQ SAUCE BAH GAWD SLOBBERKNOCKER

Now reading that in addition to Steve Austin WWE is planning an additional "Austin level" surprise for Mania.
Dave Meltzer

I'm intrigued.

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Jesus fucking Christ....

Christian Cage was at that level when he signed with AEW.

I was thinking about other surprises the WWE could pull out the other day, and I was thinking about how Drew McIntyre’s pretty aimless at the moment. Thought something between him and Batista could be somewhat interesting. Either as an opponent or a tag partner.

Batista & McIntyre vs. Corbin & Moss?

:rofl:

Something like that isn’t completely ridiculous.

I also thought about it possibly being a woman. Someone like Trish Stratus is not “Austin level,” but would be a pretty big deal for them.

By the way, apparently there are rumors it’s going to be Austin vs. Goldberg, which makes WAY more sense than Austin vs. Owens.

Twenty years too late for that one. I'd have no interest in seeing that now.

Definitely a “dream match”. Could end up being Goldberg/Taker levels of bad. Also, won’t that be Goldberg fresh off the back of a loss to Roman?

I dunno, I think Austin is smarter than that. Yeah, I’ve got no clue how they go about it. Goldberg and Roman could be a disputed finish or Goldberg could come out and plan to announce his retirement, only for the glass to shatter. Who knows?

Forgot about Shawn Michaels as a possibility for the “Austin level” replacement. Kurt Angle is another possibility (if he’s got mobility).

They had a spot planned for Angle with the RK-Bro/Alpha Academy stuff. Could have scrapped that for something bigger.

Michaels would be interesting. Wash away the sour taste of his last match. HBK vs Styles? vs Rollins?

Yeah that could be a pretty decent starting point. “You going nowhere yet son, cos Austin 3:16 says “you’re next”.

Bruno Sammartino vs Mad Cap Moss

I'd mark out just like everyone else, but jesus he's almost 60. I mean what are we doing here. They might as well just do a "Back to the 90's" PPV with everyone 55+

Shawn Michaels vs AJ Styles couldn't possibly be bad. Don't know if it could even come close to the expectations, but I refuse to believe they could put on a stinker even if they were both doped up on somas like 1995 HBK.

Steve Austin needs to face a brawler where they can do all the window dressing in the world. He has not done a return match for all this time, and Austin has been so protective of his character over the years...he's not going to put himself in a position to embarass himself.

I’m thinking RKBro win back the Raw Tag Team Titles and face Rollins & Owens. Maybe Gable vs. Angle? That would get me wet. But Angle could also slip into the spot I suggested for Batista — teaming with McIntyre against Corbin & Moss or something.

I just can’t get past the idea of Styles vs. Michaels. It’s just too good.

I get ya, but it is Austin. There’s something fitting about him coming back as the old gunslinger. I think it works better now than it would have when he was in his 40’s.

Lol, it’s weird to think that Austin retired when he was 38.

I’m also down with them bringing back WCW and sending most of their guys north of 40 there to prop it up and have Raw and SmackDown be for guys under 40, so they have to do something with them. WCW can cost on star power and experience. And they’d have a pretty awesome roster — Styles, Orton, Lashley, Balor, Rey, Shelton, Miz, Kofi, Brock, Cesaro, Sheamus, etc.

Agree on both counts. That’s why I don’t really want to see Austin against a guy who orients their stuff around high spots, even if they are younger.

I had this passing thought today that the WWE might do a “Texas Legends” theme at Mania this year:

* Austin to face Goldberg in the biggest match of the show.

* The Undertaker to team with Drew McIntyre and give him the “rub.”

* Shawn Michaels to wrestle AJ Styles.

* Booker T to team with some babyfaces against a bunch of heels. As cluttered as it sounds, I could see something like Booker T, Street Profits & The Mysterios against Kurt Angle, Alpha Academy, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode.

I dunno, just a thought. That’d be a few old guys coming out of the woodwork, but it’d be a distinct theme for Mania, and they could be scattered out between the two nights. And it’s not like it doesn’t help anyone.

Of all the legends that could make a Texas Mania return you got the right ones. I think Booker T would be a great return especially if they marketed it as a big deal. Booker was either a main eventer or that level just under, so I think you gotta treat a return from him like a really big deal to get the most out of it.

Plus Booker is HUGE and looks awesome and I have no doubt he can do another high level match with the right opponent.

I would really hate to see Taker return but if it's gotta happen I'd probably find a tag match like you said, maybe even involving HBK, IDK. I don't really want to see Taker and HBK.

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.