During the latest edition of The Steve Austin Show, Stone Cold Steve Austin spoke about the Brock Lesnar vs Dean Ambrose match at Wrestlemania and if Ambrose needs to win to get over. Here are highlights:
On which match should go on last: “The world heavyweight title is everything. It’s really a flip of the coin and I don’t know how they feel about each match. I know they’re both very important, especially [for] the future of the company. I don’t know how long Shane’s going to be around. If indeed this is a long term investment, is there a work in progress? Is there a brand split?” Austin continued, “I would dare say, I think you go world heavyweight title and that’s your main event. At the end of the show, it’s Triple H versus Roman Reigns.”
On putting a match between McMahon/Undertaker and Reigns/Triple H: “Dude, when you’re slotted to follow one of those motherf–kers, you’re in for a rough day at the office. Me and Kane tried to follow one. I think it was Philly. Whatever it was, but Mankind and Taker. I think they were in the semi main [event] and we came on right after that. There may have been a match in between. I don’t remember. But my point is, those guys just destroyed the f–king place. It was like a ten-star match with [Mankind] doing the famous bumps off the announce table, through the roof, one of them accidentally through the roof of the cage. But it was their night. They stole the show. Me and Kane went out there and worked our asses off and tried to make chicken salad out of chicken s–t. And I loved working with Kane and it was a damn good match, but we couldn’t follow it. So can [Triple H and Reigns] follow that kind of match? I don’t know. I was over as a motherf–ker and we couldn’t follow it. Kane was over too.”
On Lesnar vs Ambrose: “Although [Ambrose] is tremendously outweighed and out [muscled], with all the toys and tools at his disposal, this should make for an interesting damn match, and give Brock Lesnar, a guy who has been suplexing everybody, a chance with some other toys outside of his wheelhouse in his own right. You’re looking for both guys to have big matches because you have big plans for both guys. Brock’s one of your top guys already and Dean Ambrose is still working his way to be up there, but he’s well on his way. And so, all of a sudden, you’ve got a guy like Brock working with Dean and Dean, from a booking standpoint, let’s just say, quote, unquote, has a chance, so you can actually get behind him. You’re going to root for him anyways. He’s the underdog. But if it was just a straight up match, you’re going to think, ‘man, Brock’s going to kill him’. But since Dean is part of the insane asylum, he’s in his element, so maybe things could go Dean’s way because he has the tools and toys at his disposal. And I’m just talking [from] a ticket selling standpoint, a straight up match, I’m not buying so much at this point in Dean’s career, but with those toys at his disposal, with that crazy character that he [has] got, now I’m down with it because you [have] got to find the guy some opponents. You [have] got to find the guy an opponent and this was the story they created, so I accept.”
On if Ambrose needs to win: “Whether he comes out with a W or an L, because his performance, if it is as epic as it can be and he throws everything at the man that he can, but somehow comes up short, he’s still whole. He still gets over, so whether it’s a W or it’s an L for him or for Brock or whatever, more really for Dean, it doesn’t matter. And very seldom do I say, ‘wins and losses don’t matter’, but in this case, with respect to this match, for Dean, it’s not about a W or an L. It’s about the performance and the story that they tell.”
On the promos leading up to the match: “It could be a lot of fun and this could really play into Dean Ambrose’s hands, to be able to go in there and spin off Paul E. and turn this guy loose on a microphone, and just really turn him loose, because he’s already an outstanding talker, but this could take him to a whole different level, especially if he’s getting out there into a give and take with Paul E., who is the master. I think it really puts Dean Ambrose in the spotlight to be as great as he can be and to ascend to a higher level and to fulfill his right to being a true top guy because he’s on his way.”
