Steve Austin on His Legacy: ‘Being Unafraid To Push The Envelope and Go Out On A Limb’

“People can say, ‘Austin did it like this.’ I hope that influences some of today’s WWE superstars.”

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock headlined WrestleMania XV in Philadelphia.

Austin played a starring role at WrestleMania XX and WrestleMania XXX. As WrestleMania celebrates WrestleMania 40 this April in Philly, Austin was asked whether he will step into the ring against The Rock.

“I think that would be in slow motion,” said Austin with a laugh. “I don’t know about that, but Philly would be a great place for it to happen. I worked with The Rock at WrestleMania XV, and we rocked the house. I pinned his shoulders to the mat, one-two-three. But I don’t know about that happening now.”

Courtesy WWE

As one of WWE’s greatest of all-time, Austin is likely to play a role at WrestleMania 40. It is unlikely to be in a match, especially against The Rock–who just joined TKO’s Board of Directors.

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Austin did, however, offer a suggestion to those who want to see one more bout between the “Texas Rattlesnake” and “The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment”.

“If you want to recreate it, that’s why WWE 2K24 is so great,” said Austin. “We’ll see what happens in Philly. But if you want to see it happen, make it happen in your own house.”

Courtesy 2K

Austin graces the WrestleMania 40 cover of WWE 2K24. As he sits atop the immortals of WWE lore, it is a reminder of his brilliance. Austin’s work in WWE is timeless and enduring, and he reflected on his legacy and lasting influence.

“It’s hard for me to describe because I was the one doing it, but I would have to say, just from a standpoint of action, the stomps in the corners,” said Austin. “That’s a physical trait I see a lot of WWE superstars do, but I’m even prouder of the improvisational things I would do in the ring.

“Being unafraid to push the envelope and go out on a limb, I’m proudest of that. People can say, ‘Austin did it like this.’ I hope that influences some of today’s WWE superstars. I want them pushing the envelope and exploring the boundaries, seeing what they can get away with.”

Courtesy WWE

Austin was delighted to see old friends while filming the new 2K commercial. While he has enjoyed plenty of success outside of wrestling, he does not refer to himself as an actor or podcaster or film star. To this day, Austin proudly describes himself as a pro wrestler.

“It’s always interesting to come to a WWE 2K video shoot, and I’m always happy to be part of the games,” said Austin. “It’s really helped extend my life as an entertainer. In actuality, I retired in 2003, but so many kids know who ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin is because of these games. It’s extended my career.

“And I call and text the guys I used to travel down the road with, but it’s different when you see people in-person. I saw ‘The Hurricane’ Shane Helms in-person. He’s a few years younger than me, but we were on the same crew together in the ‘Attitude Era’. We were laughing–he’s a little beat up just like I am. We reminisced and we talked about the old days. We’re rooted in the future and none of us live in the past, but we love kicking around some memories. It’s a little bit of a family reunion. It was a battle going up and down the roads, and it’s always a great time running into that close circle of friends. Even if you’re not close friends, if you were part of the industry, you’re part of that circle.”

Austin won his first world title in 1998 at WrestleMania XIV in Boston. He defeated Shawn Michaels in a match where Mike Tyson was the special ring enforcer, and it was a storyline that helped propel WWE past bitter rival WCW. Led by Austin, WWE launched into a whole new stratosphere of popularity during the famed “Attitude Era”.

Breaking through to the top of the card was a challenge back in Austin’s era, and it remains the same today. Austin is watching closely as Cody Rhodes steadily becomes the face of the WWE, pursuing his first world title and attempting to dethrone Roman Reigns.

“I visited with Cody Rhodes [during the 2K video shoot],” said Austin. “I’ve followed his career since day one. To see the journey he’s been on, to see him on top of the world right now, it’s great to see him enjoying the ride with a clear mind and so much momentum. He works so hard. And look at his journey. He left WWE to come back to WWE to headline. He’s in his prime, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.”

Courtesy WWE

Austin, 59, wrestled his most recent match two years ago against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38. That closed out the first night of the two-day event. The following night, he rewrote a page from the past when he delivered a Stone Cold Stunner to Vince McMahon.

Whenever Austin is surrounded by WWE’s current group of stars, it serves as a reminder of the lengths in which pro wrestling has progressed.

“Man, when you talk about how the business has evolved over the years, it’s faster moving athletes, better athletes–better conditioned, better trained,” said Austin. “If you look at all sports, they move faster. If you look at the industry, it does that, as well. The athleticism goes along with that. The stories have been faster. In the ring, it’s action personified.”

Courtesy WWE

Wrestling fans will soon see plenty of Austin. His yet-to-be announced projects are ones with plenty of potential, and Austin is eager to share the news when the time is right.

“Everything I’m working on now, I can’t talk about it,” said Austin. “I’m in the middle of three different projects, and I can’t talk about any of ‘em. But I want to revisit this discussion because I think they’re all going to be really cool.”

Austin will be visible with 2K24, and most likely in some capacity at WrestleMania 40. He likes the theme of WWE 2K24, which is “Finish Your Story”. Cody Rhodes has cemented that phrase into wrestling lexicon, and Austin detailed what it means to finish the story.

“2K24 always has a theme that is so incredibly thought-out,” said Austin. “Finishing your story is exactly that. As simple as it sounds, it can be a complex, philosophical question, too. To me, it’s doing what you gotta do to put a period at the end of the sentence.

“For me, it was finishing my career in 2003 at WrestleMania XIX. It’s completing the task at hand.”