Steve Austin is returning to the ring for a confrontation with Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38.
While it's not being billed as an official match, Austin promises to unleash a can of whoop ass on Owens. Austin hasn't wrestled since WrestleMania 19 when he lost to The Rock.
Appearing on the Rich Eisen Show, Austin explained why he agreed to do the segment.
"I would have told you that you're full of something," said Austin when asked for his response had he been told he would be part of WrestleMania 38 in some capacity.
"This opportunity comes up, Kevin Owens starts running me down and gets my attention. It was a thing where, I kind of said, 'I'm never going to get in the ring again.' In this business, never say never. I said I would never get in, but prompted by the right person at the right time, hell, I wish he would have pissed me off a little sooner than he did to give me more time to prep. Once you step into the ring, it's like stepping onto a football field, that's where business happens. We don't know what it's going to escalate to. I've been working on my conditioning. Had it been anywhere else other than Jerry's Place....it's a two-night event, WrestleMania is biggest show of the year, to be part of that is really special to me. I'm doing this for me. I'm going out there to have a damn blast. I'm gonna have fun and I'm gonna wear these two fists out on Kevin Owens. I'm sure he's going to get some to because he's had an amazing career. I'm glad he pissed me off when he did," he said.
Owens and Austin have been connected since Owens' was in PWG when he and Sami Zayn met Austin in an airport. You can find Owens' recollection of the meeting by clicking here.
Austin said about the meeting, "A long time ago, when I was still active in the ring, I was on the road somewhere, about to get on a plane. This kid come up from behind me, it was Kevin Owens, him and another guy. He said, 'Hey Stone Cold, I'm Kevin Owens, I've been in the business a couple of years, can you give me any advice?' He started telling me about all the offensive moves he was doing and all the crazy stuff and I said, 'Kid, you need to stop learning how to do all those crazy moves and start learning how to run your mouth. You need to learn how to cut a promo. Kevin Owens is a student of the game and now he cuts one of the best promos in the business and now he got my attention with one of his promos. He's a guy who has had a career that many would love to have. He's been in the business for over 20 years, longer than I have. It's going to be an interesting challenge. In my documentary, I said, 'As an active performer, you never want to come off the road because you come off the road and you get soft.' An NFL football player will tell you the same thing. You have to get calloused up and ready to go. He's ready to go. I have my work cut out for me. I'm gonna be there whipping some ass."
He continued by saying, "When I left, I didn't want to leave. WrestleMania 19, my neck had presented some problems. After I got spiked and dropped on my head back in 99, I had three, four fused up, and it was time for me to ride off into the sunset and do something else. This comeback means a lot to me as I've been getting back into in-ring shape. I'm gonna go out there and do the absolute best I can."
After discussing the magnitude of WrestleMania and his love for wrestling, Austin closed by saying, "I'm doing this for the fans. I'm doing this for WWE. I'm doing this for me, number one."
The Kevin Owens Show with Austin will be part of WrestleMania 38 Saturday on April 2.
Fans can view the current lineup for WrestleMania Saturday by clicking here.
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