"Vince McMahon tried talking me into coming back" - WWE icon was asked to return to the ring a few times
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon tried to talk Stone Cold Steve Austin into returning to the WWE ring a few times. The WWE Hall of Famer spoke passionately about his retirement and stated that it took him three years to get over his retirement.
Stone Cold Steve Austin retired from in-ring action in 2003, as the injuries he sustained led to him calling time on his career. The Texas Rattlesnake had a few on-screen roles in WWE following his retirement and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
While speaking to Chris Jericho on an episode of Talk Is Jericho, Austin revealed that Vince McMahon tried convincing him to return to the ring. The WWE legend said he chose not to return as he had nothing left to prove in the business.
“I think Vince [McMahon] tried talking me into coming back a couple of times. But you know Chris, I love the business so much – I can’t say I love it more than anybody else, I can only speak for myself. But I just love the damn business, and it hurt me so much to leave it. And to me, going back for one match, being like man, why? What am I proving? What are they going to remember? It ain’t about the money. It took me a long time, damn near three years to get over the fact that I left the business.” (H/T NoDQ)
Austin stated that he would have had to undergo a training camp like what The Undertaker did if he were to return to the ring.
Stone Cold Steve Austin on Vince McMahon's in-ring work
In the same interview, Austin spoke about Vince McMahon's in-ring work. The Texas Rattlesnake stated that McMahon was "clumsy" in the ring, but he was a "genius worker."
Austin called McMahon the "ultimate showman" and said the WWE Chairman was over the top in the ring.