In 2022, after nearly 20 years away from the ring, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin came out of retirement for a match against Kevin Owens at WWE WrestleMania 38. Appearing on "Insight with Chris Van Vliet," Austin once again reflected on the bout and explained why it was the right time for him to have another match.
"It was in Dallas, Texas," Austin said. "Vince flew down here and we had a conversation. And I thought about it for a minute. I love Kevin Owens, and he's just I think, from a safety standpoint, they picked Kevin. When they threw out just a couple of names, Kevin was the guy."
Austin claimed that the decision for him to wrestle Owens had nothing to do with Owens adopting the Stunner as his finisher. Instead, it was because Austin and WWE knew they could trust Owens to keep Austin safe throughout their interactions. The WWE Hall of Famer also recalled originally meeting Owens and Sami Zayn in an airport many years ago, and offering the two advice, which he believes they took to heart.
"Kevin Owens will end up in the [WWE] Hall of Fame," Austin continued.
As for the match itself, though Austin previously outlined his intense training for WrestleMania, he felt winded nonetheless. Still, the two of them put on an excellent showing, and Owens agrees. Owens has spoken at length about how meaningful it was for him to wrestle Austin, and he revealed that the two still keep in touch.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
