More Details Regarding Steve Austin's Possible WWE Return at WrestleMania 38

Steve Austin was suddenly in the headlines on Monday night when Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp dropped a new report stating WWE was making "a strong overture" to get the WWE Hall of Famer to come out of retirement for a match at WrestleMania 38. PWInsider's Mike Johnson followed that up roughly an hour later with his own report, making it sound like the match is far from reality as of now. Johnson stated WWE initially reached out to the six-time WWF Champion in December/early January (a separate report from WrestleVotes dropped in December stating WWE wanted him to play some sort of role in the show), but that there was no confirmation that he had agreed to anything. 

"The idea pitched (at the time) was to have Austin return and compete in Texas as a one-time sendoff in front of a massive crowd with the idea that Austin's involvement would help boost WrestleMania ticket sales as the company needs to move in the area of 200,000 tickets to sell out both nights," Johnson wrote, later adding that a source described a pitch was sent to Austin as a "Hail Mary idea." He also noted WWE always planned on having "The Texas Rattlesnake" play some sort of part in promoting the show in his home state, mentioning how he appeared in the initial WrestleMania 38 announcement that aired back at WrestleMania 37. Stay tuned for more updates as they become available. 

Austin has been adamant about never wanting to come out of retirement following his last match with The Rock at WrestleMania XIX in 2003. He explained to Chris Jericho last April, "I think Vince [McMahon] tried talking me to coming back a couple times, but you know Chris, I love the business so much. I love it more than anybody else. I can only speak for myself, but I love the damn business, and it hurt me so much to leave it. And to me, going back for one match, man, why? What am I proving? What are they going to remember? It ain't about the money. It took me a long time, damn near three years to get over the fact that I left the business.

"If you're really going to make a comeback, let's say it was gonna be high-profile match at WrestleMania," he continued. "Taker, when I talked to him, he trained all year or recovered from having surgery, and then write trained for a three or four month camp to get ready for one match. I would really have to undergo a three or four month camp. I'm one of those guys where I don't have an addictive personality, but I'm addicted to the wrestling business. All of a sudden, I'm putting in all the hard work and get back to being around the ring, being around the business, that is my number one passions in my life."