Steve Austin explains how his WWE Network show "Broken Skull Sessions" evolved (Exclusive)
Steve Austin has given an interesting insight into the evolution of his popular WWE Network shows over the years.
Between 2014 and 2016, Austin hosted “The Stone Cold Podcast” on WWE’s streaming service. After a three-year absence, he returned in 2019 with “Broken Skull Sessions,” a similar interview show featuring past and present WWE Superstars as guests.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter, the Hall of Famer explained how his interview series began.
“They just called me out of the blue and asked me if I wanted to do a live podcast,” Austin said. “I think when we were doing those things live and I was kind of going from arena to arena, following Monday Night RAW or whatever it was, that’s when it started, and then I started filming some other stuff and tapped out. [Chris] Jericho took over from me and I came back in.” [4:04-4:27]
While Steve Austin used to film his old series from the backstage area, his shows are now recorded from the comfort of his own studio.
“The way we have it figured now, I’m sitting in the Broken Skull Sessions studio right now, it’s at my ranch,” Austin continued. “The format we have now with the guests coming in, live TV is great when you’re doing wrestling, sports entertainment. This show, it works when everybody’s settled down, we don’t have the hustle and bustle of being live and hard 60 minutes. We’ve got the leeway to make this thing as long or as short as we want.” [4:29-5:00]
Steve Austin’s previous WWE Network show usually ran for an hour immediately after RAW. However, the majority of “Broken Skull Sessions” episodes last more than 90 minutes.
“We try to keep them, give or take, around an hour and a half,” Austin added. “So the setting that it’s in right now, we kind of evolved into this. This studio used to be in Los Angeles, California, and when I moved to Nevada, they moved it to the top of my shop and just got the air conditioner and heating involved.” [5:00-5:17]
Watch the video above to hear Austin’s thoughts on Roman Reigns and The Usos’ WWE dominance in recent years.
Steve Austin discloses issue he faced during the Sasha Banks episode
Sunday can't get here fast enough. #BrokenSkullSessions
@steveaustinBSR @SashaBanksWWE https://t.co/03QZLb5Gbp
WrestleMania 37 main-eventer Sasha Banks appeared on the February 21, 2021, episode of “Broken Skull Sessions.” The 89-minute episode featured lots of stories about her rise through the WWE ranks from NXT to the main roster.
Steve Austin recalled how The Boss had to use electric blankets to stay warm during her interview on the show:
“Before we had the heating set up, I remember one of my favorites, Sasha Banks, was sitting right across the table from me. And it was so cold in here, she was sitting on a couple of electric blankets to keep her warm. And then when Mark Henry came by, before we had air conditioning, it was hot, and Mark and I both had towels. We were just wiping ourselves, and they’d cut from us every time we wiped.” [5:21-5:48]
Austin added that while he is no longer a WWE Superstar, he still gets to experience a locker room environment while filming his show:
“We have a great crew of guys working on the show. We’ve got a bunch of stories. We kinda keep it old school over here. We’re the new generation, but we still pull ribs. It’s not like being on the road, but it’s like being at a show being backstage.” [5:49-6:06]
The next episode of “Broken Skull Sessions” will air on Friday, August 19. Charlotte Flair is set to be The Texas Rattlesnake’s special guest.
Which episode of Steve Austin's “Broken Skull Sessions” was your favorite? Let us know in the comments section.
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