Steve Austin made a wild entrance at WrestleMania 41but his usual badass ride on an ATV went south fast when he lost control and crashed into the barricade, startling the crowd and knocking one fan to the ground. Now, the Texas Rattlesnake is finally opening up about the incident that had WWE officials sweating backstage.
On his second lap around the ring at Allegiant Stadium, Austin misjudged the turn and slammed his four-wheeler directly into the ringside barricade. The impact visibly shook nearby fans, with one getting knocked over from the jolt. Despite the chaos, Austin hopped off the ATV, briefly checked on the fan, and rolled right into his segment like nothing happened.
Once inside the ring, Austin played it cool in front of 63,226 fans and even cracked a joke about the numbers. Ive been in a lot of buildings like this and it seems like there is more people in here than that number. I want a recount, he said, before raising a cold beer in his signature celebration.
But behind the curtain, the vibe was different. WWE exec Nick Khan was seen rushing over to speak with the affected fan, and according to Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE officials were seriously on edge. Austin sprinting down in this ATV or whatever, and he flies around the ring, and he smashed into the barricade, and he knocks this woman back Nick Khan flies over, and hes talking to this lady, said Bryan Alvarez. I heard theyre nervous about this one.
Now, Austin himself has addressed the situation directly. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Austin admitted the crash wasnt part of the plan. Different throttle set up than what Im used to. Long story short, just a different throttle system. Im pretty dang handy on a four-wheeler, he said.
As for how he felt afterward? Austin didnt hold back. I was embarrassed by it. I think everybody is okay. You go out there on the biggest night in wrestling and you end up like that, its not the greatest day at the office. You go out there and want to give people the best show that you can and when you fall short of that, its not great.
After his in-ring promo, Austin went back over to the fan to personally speak with them again, showing it wasnt just a throwaway moment. So far, theres been no fallout or legal action, and it seems like things were resolved quietlybut the clip of the crash continues to go viral online.
Steve Austin might be one of the toughest guys in WWE history, but even legends have off nights. To his credit, he owned it, faced the music, and handled it with respect.
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Should WWE rethink using vehicles like ATVs near fans during entrances, or was this just a one-off accident? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
