Steve Austin Explains Why He’s Coming to WrestleMania 38

Steve Austin was a guest on The Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday, where he was asked about his upcoming appearance at WrestleMania 38. “The Texas Rattlesnake” hasn’t competed in a match since his retirement in 2003 following WrestleMania XIX, and while his appearance at this year’s WrestleMania is technically only billed as a talk show segment between himself and Kevin Owens, both men have made it abundantly clear they’ll be fighting each other at some point. 

“This opportunity comes up, Kevin Owens starts running me down and gets my attention,” Austin said (h/t Fightful). “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.”

After going into detail on meeting Owens back when he was still an active wrestler and Owens was only a couple of years into the business, he talked further about his decision to take part in WrestleMania in Dallas. 

“When I left, I didn’t want to leave. WrestleMania 19, my neck had presented some problems,” he 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.”