Vince McMahon made 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin wrestle former champion at his ranch before WrestleMania return - Reports
WWE Hall of Famer 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin returned at WrestleMania 38 and defeated Kevin Owens in his first match in 19 years.
Latest reports by Fightful have suggested that Vince McMahon was very particular about planning Steve Austin's return at WrestleMania. He flew to Texas with former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Drew Gulak to meet with Austin.
McMahon reportedly made Gulak wrestle The Texas Rattlesnake at his ranch, and they locked horns for a long time. Steve Austin started making calls for their encounter, which convinced Vince McMahon that the Hall of Famer could make his in-ring return at The Grandest Stage of Them All.
The report also states that Gulak wrestled Vince McMahon too. The latter knew he wanted to compete at WrestleMania and tested himself on the same day. Based on the update in Fightful Select:
"Gulak also ended up working with Vince McMahon. One WWE higher-up said: 'The funniest thing about all of this wasn't that Vince flew all the way out there, took Drew Gulak with him, and made sure that Austin could still go. It's that while he did all that to make sure that Austin was good to go, he knew he was planning to wrestle himself, knew he sucked, still did it, and ended up having one of the worst matches and Stunner sells of all-time after.'"
Kevin Owens with Stephanie McMahon and Triple H moments before his match with Stone Cold #WWE24 https://t.co/ldNzLe4HWf
Vince McMahon locked horns with Pat McAfee in an impromptu match at the high-profile event and defeated the former SmackDown commentator with assistance from Austin Theory. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin then walked out and greeted McMahon with a Stunner. Moments later, Theory and McAfee met with the same fate.
'Stone Cold' Steve Austin doesn't want to return for another WrestleMania match
Kevin Owens with Stephanie McMahon and Triple H moments before his match with Stone Cold #WWE24 https://t.co/ldNzLe4HWf
Steve Austin confirmed in a recent interview that his days inside the ring are over, and he doesn't wish to wrestle again. However, he will continue to work with WWE from time to time in another capacity because of his love for the company.
WWE reportedly approached Steve Austin for a match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 39. However, the Hall of Famer rejected the idea. The Texas Rattlesnake said he only returned last year because he loved Kevin Owens' work and wanted to share an unforgettable moment with him at The Grandest Stage of Them All.