3 reasons Stone Cold Steve Austin should return for one more match & 2 why he shouldn't

Stone Cold Steve Austin's last match was at WrestleMania 19 in 2003

Could Stone Cold Steve Austin really make a sensational return to the ring at WrestleMania in his home state of Texas? It was reported on February 15 by Fightful that WWE is attempting to get Stone Cold Steve Austin to wrestle in this year's extravaganza.

The Texas Rattlesnake last competed inside the squared circle at WrestleMania 19 in 2003. That night at Safeco Field in Seattle, The Rock defeated Steve Austin in what was their third WrestleMania match. In the two prior matches, Austin had defeated The Rock, so on this occasion, The Great One finally got his big victory.

At WrestleMania 19, Stone Cold Steve Austin had “OMR” on his jacket which stood for One More Round. http://t.co/ZQUQVjDZgp

After his final match, Steve Austin remained as an on-screen character, becoming the co-general manager of RAW alongside Eric Bischoff. He did return to the ring at the following year's WrestleMania, where he refereed the match between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg.

In an interview with Ryan Satin of FOX Sports in 2021, Steve Austin reiterated that he was done competing in the ring and whether or not he considered himself retired:

"Man, 100 percent. Cause, you know, I’m still the biggest fan of the business that I was when I was seven years old changing the channels and stumbled across it; and then got the chance to learn it and have a pretty good run. So, I don’t want to do nothing else in the ring. I’m done. I’ve retired. Everybody knows that." (H/T Fox Sports)

Austin was essentially forced to retire from the ring due to a long-standing neck injury that first occurred when he broke his neck in the ring.

At SummerSlam in 1997, Owen Hart delivered a Piledriver to The Texas Rattlesnake, which drove Austin's head into the mat during their match. After the move was executed, he also suffered from partial paralysis.

With his neck issues, and it being 19 years since he last laced up his wrestling boots, is Austin really in the right condition to be competing at all?

Reports have suggested that Kevin Owens would be his likely opponent at WrestleMania 38 if he was to step in between the ropes again to compete.

That being said, let's take a look at three reasons Stone Cold Steve Austin should return for one more match and two reasons why he shouldn't.

#5 Should - WWE fans love nostalgia, and a Stone Cold Steve Austin match would fit that bill

👍Stone Cold Steve Austin is back and stuns Vince McMahon & Shane McMahon at the #RAW25thAnniversary! #ShaneOMac #Stunner #NoChance #RAW25 #WWE #RAW #OhHellYeah #TexasRattlesnake #StoneCold https://t.co/vt34qiHMK4

If there's one thing the WWE Universe loves, then it's superstars from years gone by making a return to the ring. Of course, Stone Cold Steve Austin would certainly fit the bill if he was brought back for WrestleMania 38.

However, with regards to nostalgia, this would be a huge step and 19 years in the making. Austin has made appearances in the past, generally dishing out some Stunners, but this time it would be completely different if he was to have a match.

There would no doubt be a sense of euphoria inside the AT&T Stadium and for everyone watching on around the world. It would really turn the dial up on WrestleMania being a spectacle by throwing the WWE Hall of Famer into action if he is healthy enough to do so.

Of course, there would be a massive ovation anyway if Austin was to appear. But in a match, a different kind of electricity would be felt and one that would get every wrestling fan all over the globe invested.