Source: The Ross Report
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently welcomed ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin toThe Ross Report podcast.
Austin said he would have liked to have wrestled till he was 42 years old, had he not been forced to retire due to neck problems in 2003.
“I never thought about moving on and I look back and think if 2003 was my last match, I guess I retired [at] about 38 [years old]. Man, you talk about leaving a lot on the table or leaving a lot in the ring, I, probably, Jim, would have liked to at least get to 42 and maybe 45. But I never really had an exit strategy, but that being said, had I remained completely healthy, had I maybe lived a little bit slower, and that wasn’t really an issue, but just the fact [that] my neck was the bottom line, that happened, so I got out when I did. But it would have been nice to last until about 42 and then went from there.”
On the topic of WWE’s major injury crisis , Austin said there is a direct correlation between the rampant injuries and how talents work in the ring nowadays.
“Man, I think it’s a direct correlation with how the talent works in the ring today.” Austin continued, “the WWE guys, they’re doing more high risk stuff, they’re working at a faster pace, and it just lends itself to injury. And that’s not me saying, ‘hey, you’re working wrong’. I’m just saying I believe the product is sped up so much that the guys and gals are just working at a very frenetic pace and without any offseason, it takes a toll on the body.”
Austin said his dream opponent for one more match would be Brock Lesnar, given Lesnar’s high profile and the fact that Lesnar is still in his prime.
“Well, probably Brock right now, just because [of] where Brock’s at. He’s on [the] top of his game, he’s in his prime, and CM Punk would still have been in his prime too, but he’s out of the game. Obviously, he’s doing great things with his MMA training [and] he was always in outstanding shape, but just because he’s not in the [professional wrestling] scene anymore [he is not a fantasy booking option].”
During the podcast, Austin claimed that he would have loved to have wrestled CM Punk.
“I think me and CM Punk would have sold a lot of tickets together. And again, he gets it, I get it. It would be one entertaining program.” Austin added, “he’s smart. His psychology is great. He’s easy in the ring, meaning his physicality, everything looks good [and] nothing hurts. Again, I would think me and him would be right on the same page psychologically and we’d be able to weave a hell of a tale. And also, depending on how you played this, whether he’s heel and I’m baby [or] he’s baby and I’m heel or it’s just two guys out there, you see both guys whether it’s him on the dark side, he [has] got a tremendous mean streak, as does ‘Stone Cold’. On the fire side, he had tremendous fire, as did ‘Stone Cold’, so both guys are bringing everything to the table that you need. And also great storytellers and talkers, so all of the elements would be there.”
In addition to these topics, Austin discussed whether A.J. Styles will be a main event player in WWE, whether Goldberg should be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, and much more on Ross’s podcast.
