FTW: This will be the third WrestleMania held in Texas [both WrestleMania X-Seven and WrestleMania XXV were in Houston], and you headlined the first in a match against The Rock. What was that stage like, in your home state in front of 68,000 people?
Stone Cold Steve Austin: Man, it was awesome. You know, as a kid I’d been to rodeos and all kinds of sporting events at the Astrodome, so for them to set up a ring in the middle of that place was unbelievable. And Houston’s kinda my stomping grounds. I grew up 100 miles from there. It was just absolute pure excitement and adrenaline from the start to the finish of that match, and that match is widely considered one of the best in the history of WrestleMania. And to be in there with one of my favorite all-time opponents … it was unbelievable. Now coming all the way back to WrestleMania 32 in a new stadium with 105,000 capacity it’s going to be one hell of an extravaganza to say the least.
FTW: You’ve been pretty adamant that you’re not going to make an in-ring comeback, so I’m curious what your reaction is when you watch wrestlers from your generation like The Undertaker and Sting still out there. Does seeing them make you want to jump in the ring again?
Austin: Oh man I watch those guys and Undertaker just got finished with a hell of a match against Brock Lesnar at Hell in a Cell. We used to always kid each other about who was going to last the longest, and clearly he outlasted me by a longshot. Sting kinda got dinged up in that match with Seth Rollins a while back. I had to ride off into the sunset when I did, when I look back I have nothing but fond memories. Seeing these guys still being able to hang on, and like Taker, putting on a great performance — I’m proud of them, and he’s had one of the greatest careers in the history of the business in my opinion. But for me myself, it was time to put it off and I am where I am now, but I’m proud of those guys.
Austin at WrestleMania X-Seven. Courtesy of WWE.
Austin: Hypothetically, because I am not going to have a match, it’d have to be between two guys. It’d be Brock Lesnar or John Cena. Brock Lesnar because of the physical task it would be to beat that guy. John Cena from the standpoint … the fact that I could take him to a level he’s never been before, and I say that with utmost respect for John because he’s been a tremendous champion and a top guy for so long. Those two guys would be considered.
FTW: Seth Rollins won the title in that fantastic finish at last year’s WrestleMania, and he’s had a pretty long title reign. How do you think Rollins has performed as a champion?
Austin: I think he’s performed outstanding as a champion. I love the moveset that he uses in the ring. I love the psychology. The sequences that he puts together are some that I’ve never seen before. The displays of athleticism that he gives us … tremendous. I mean he had a classic at SummerSlam against John Cena, it was 20 minutes from start to finish. If they would have had 10 minutes more it would’ve been even more epic, but I think he’s been the guy, the right guy to be the champ and he’s carried that belt about as well as he can. Now I don’t want to go into a booking discussion because I would have booked him a little bit stronger and made him win more, but Seth Rollins is the right guy to have that belt at this point in time.
FTW: Is there anyone on the current roster right now who maybe hasn’t had their shot yet, that you look at and think they could be a great heavyweight champion?
Austin: Well I still think Cesaro for some reason always gets lost in the shuffle. I think the world of that guy and he can work his ass off in the ring. He’s just missing one thing, but I think before it’s all said and done he’ll find it and be a major star.
FTW: Is there anyone that reminds you of yourself?
Austin: No, no one really reminds me of myself right now in the current system, but man I was turned up at a pretty high volume back in the day, and it was a little bit different landscape. It’s a little bit more family friendly. I see some of my influences here and there, but no one that reminds me of Stone Cold. But, that being said, I do see a lot of talent in that locker room. I see guys like a Bray Wyatt, guys like a Dolph Ziggler, of course Seth’s the world champion. These guys as they’re making their way to the top they certainly have a great crop of talent in that locker room as these guys continue to find themselves and find who and what they are. We’ll see how far they’re able to develop, and how high they can take it.
Don Feria/AP Images for WWE
Austin: I’m a huge MMA fan. Huge Ronda Rousey fan, and she looked like she had so much fun in there. She was a natural. I’d love to see anything with regards to WWE, because I know she’s a fan as well. I tell you what, Ronda Rousey is on top of the world right now. As she goes, eyeballs follow her. She’s a major movie star, she’s the women’s champion, one of the best fighters in the world — and absolutely the best female fighter. Nothing but respect for her, and I’d love to see her involved in a WWE storyline somehow, some way.
FTW: So much of your career was defined by the rivalry with The Rock, and he’s become a huge megastar as well. Is it kind of surreal for you to be seeing The Rock starring in blockbusters and on HBO, or did you have a sense back then that he was always going to break out?
Austin: Well me and The Rock are good friends, and we have such mutual respect. He’s one of those guys that I really liked wrestling, one of my favorite opponents of all time. We were on an airplane one time and I was back there drinking a beer and we were talking. I said ‘where you headed, man? Heading back to Miami?’ It had been a long road trip. He goes ‘no, I’m going out to L.A.’ And I said ‘what are you doing out there?’ He said ‘well I’ve been working on some things.’
So Rock’s been out in Hollywood for a long time, before he got that first break as The Scorpion King [in The Mummy Returns], he already had his sights set that he was going to be in the movies. Who would have ever thought that it would turn out to he’d be the biggest movie star in the world? Rock was working on that way back in the day when he was still with WWE. So he pursued his dream, he’s realizing his dream, and I’m proud of him every time I see him come out with a new smash hit movie. Got nothing but respect for the guy, and he’s working his ass off. He has earned every bit of it.
Courtesy of WWE
Austin: Well, I’m glad you asked that, because I’m coming out with a beer on November 13th in El Segundo, California, with El Segundo Brewing Company. The name of the beer is “Steve Austin’s Broken Skull IPA,” and this is a beer that I created with the owner of El Segundo Brewing Company. We sat down at a table and had several beers out there and I described my palette, and how I like my hops, and how the bitterness should trail off. So my favorite beer is my beer. We did a test batch and it was outstanding, the response that we got. I’m glad you asked me that question.
Austin: We’re going to work on nationwide. Right now it’s going to be in California, and we’re going to try to make inroads into Texas, maybe Austin would be our first stop because that’s my hometown, that’s where I was born. You can order the beer online. Right now we’re going to crawl first, then we’re gonna walk, then we’re gonna run. To me, I always like to start something as a grassroots effort, and this is a passion project for me. If I can make a lot of money selling beer that’d be cool, but I didn’t get into it for that.
