"He didn't want to have the match The Undertaker did" - AEW personality on Stone Cold Steve Austin never facing WWE legend
Former WWE commentator Jim Ross recently shared insights on why Stone Cold Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan never squared off during their tenure in the company.
The Texas Rattlesnake came out of retirement after nearly 19 years and faced Kevin Owens at The Show of Shows in 2022. While Austin has had many notable feuds in WWE against legends like The Undertaker, The Rock, and Triple H, he never faced Hulk Hogan one-on-one.
On the latest episode of the Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross stated that Austin did not want to face Hogan due to the latter's match with The Deadman. While Hogan and Taker gave their all in their bout, the circumstances were not in their favor.
"Austin didn’t have the match with Hogan because he didn’t want to have the match The Undertaker did. Hogan was battered, beat up, multiple back surgeries. It’s funny when people say ‘What’s the really important things to learn in pro wrestling training?’ Well, you’ve got to learn to take a great flatback bump because about 98% of the stuff you see ends with a flatback bump." (H/T Wrestling Inc)
Two wrestling icons face off with pride, legacy, and the Undisputed Title on the line. Will 'The Phenom' end Hulkamania, or will Hogan prove himself to be truly immortal?
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Stone Cold Steve Austin made intelligent choices on opponents that would be a hit or flop
On the same edition of the Grilling JR podcast, Ross stated how the Hall of Famer made smart choices on what matches or opponents would be best for a storyline. He also praised the Texas Rattlesnake for his ability to cater to the fans' expectations.
"The real thing about Austin is that he sensed who he could have the better matches with. And, if it was somebody that he didn't think that he could perform to the standards, he would just lobby to not participate in that particular storyline. And that's really smart because he did what he wanted the fans to get what they expected. And he, and there's some talents that we're talking about here, that including Hulk that I don't think Steve felt like he could have the matches that he wanted to have.” (28:17 - 28:51)
Check out the entire podcast below:
Stone Cold Steve Austin confronted former arch-nemesis Vince McMahon, on Night two of WrestleMania 38, sending the wrestling world into a frenzy. It will be interesting to see if the veteran returns to the promotion's programming in the near future.
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