Although the word retirement tends to mean very little in wrestling, the one exception to that rule appeared to be Stone Cold Steve Austin. That was until this year's WrestleMania. 19 years after his last match, a loss to his long-time rival The Rock, Austin returned to the ring to face Kevin Owens. The match closed night one of the show and how well it went surprised everyone, including Austin himself.
Speculation That Stone Cold Might Wrestle Again
So much so that some fans now think The Texas Rattlesnake has recaught the wrestling bug. The Hall Of Famer has spoken at length about how difficult he found it to give up the business after his retirement in 2003. Having returned for what was supposed to be a one-off match, a match that went better than anyone would have envisioned, might have awoken that in him.
Austin said “never say never” during an interview shortly after his triumphant return this year, and just a short while ago reports started to circulate that he could be on the card at next year's WrestleMania. The speculation fueled by those reports had its flames well and truly fanned over the weekend when Austin posted a clip of himself doing some pretty intense cardio. The sort of cardio fans have assumed someone would do to prepare them for another return to the ring.
Might That Punk Dream Match Be On The Cards?
Now, that might be quite the leap to make. Austin has never really left the spotlight for an extended period of time. The level of stardom he achieved at the height of his career combined with the acting work he has done since has meant he has remained relevant regardless of whether he is wrestling or not. With an image to upkeep, Austin has never been out of shape, and even in his 50s, he still looks as fit and healthy as he did at the height of his in-ring career.
Whether Austin is going to wrestle again or not, fans will be busy piecing together a dream match should The Bionic Redneck be on the WrestleMania card next year. One scenario that becomes more and more likely to becoming a reality with each passing day is a dream match against CM Punk. The match was teased when Punk was WWE Champion, long before Austin returned. With Austin potentially weighing up another match, and Punk looking like he's about to become a free agent, there's a chance, albeit a very slim one.
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