WWE shared a special backstage photo of Steve Austin and The Undertaker talking at ringside inside of AT&T Stadium hours before WrestleMania 38. “The Deadman” was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2022 on Friday night, while Austin will be appearing in the main event of Night One as a special guest host for Kevin Owens’ The KO Show.ย
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While the segment has only been advertised as a talk show, Austin made it abundantly clear in his announcement video that it would break down into a fight. Owens has insisted that, if that happens, he’ll be the one delivering a Stunner.
Austin recently appeared on The Rich Eisen Show and went into detail about why he agreed to work this year’s WrestleMania. His retirement came shortly after facing The Rock at WrestleMania XIX in 2003.ย
“This opportunity comes up, Kevin Owens starts running me down and gets my attention,” Austin said. “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.”
“When I left, I didn’t want to leave. WrestleMania 19, my neck had presented some problems,” he later added. “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…. I’m doing this for the fans. I’m doing this for WWE. I’m doing this for me, number one.”