Stone Cold’s feuds with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, including this moment at WrestleMania 23, are legendary. Source: AAP
MOST fans of the WWE’s “Attitude Era” in the 1990s will tell you Stone Cold Steve Austin is the most popular professional wrestler of all-time.
But if you’re unsure, just ask the man himself.
“My run cannot be touched,” Austin told Sports Illustrated this week. “If you want to talk about longevity, you can speak the name (Hulk) Hogan. If you want to talk about white-hot, selling tickets, and taking the business to a height it’s never been — and, with a hell of a supporting cast, I might add — you’re talking about Stone Cold Steve Austin.”
In a wideranging interview with Justin Barrasso which touched on his upbringing without his biological father and how he lost his way after retiring from wrestling, Austin also revealed the biggest regret of his career.
It came in 2002 when the WWE wanted Austin to lose to new star Brock Lesnar.
“My biggest regret is when I walked out on Brock Lesnar in Atlanta,” Austin told SI.com in regards to his tumultuous stretch in 2002. “I’d worked with [Ric] Flair in a cage the night before in Columbus, Georgia, and had a blast because he’s my all-time favourite pro wrestler. Then, all of a sudden, I get the creative that they want me to do the favours for Brock in a non-advertised, qualifying match for some bull**** thing.
“I disagreed with it. I never like to blow smoke up my ass, but guys like myself, like Hogan, and a few others, they don’t grow on trees. So you want to sacrifice what you’ve built up in me? And with no build-up? But that walk out was still total stupidity and hard-headedness on my part. I should have shown up, and that is my biggest regret in the business of pro wrestling. Life is hard, and it’s even harder when you’re dumb. Sometimes you go through life and make mistakes, but the goal is to learn from your mistakes the first time and move on down the road.”
Stone Cold Steve Austin. Source: News Limited
The man who played the biggest role in Austin’s career is WWE owner Vince McMahon. The two were regularly involved in feuds — including at times off camera.
“At times he’s been like a father figure, a brother, a mentor, a best friend, and an enemy,” Austin told SI.com. “That was a short window of time when I say enemy, but we were at odds every now and again. This is a high-stakes business that is extremely personal.”
But Austin couldn’t have more respect for McMahon.
“Vince barely sleeps,” he told SI.com. “He will outwork anybody I’ve ever met. He’s built an empire and worked his ass off to do it. No one ever handed him anything. The vision and the guts that he’s had — I can’t say enough about the guy. I have total respect for him ...
“Lately there’s been a lot of speculation regarding all this heat, bad blood, and animosity between myself and Vince. And it couldn’t be any further from the truth. I have an outstanding relationship with Vince and the WWE right now.”
Austin also revealed he expects to appear at WrestleMania 32 next year, which is being held in his home state of Texas.