Photo: Moses Robinson/Getty
With the iconic sound of shattering glass,Stone Cold Steve Austinmade his return to the WWE in front of a screaming crowd of fans atWrestleMania 38in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday.
For about 20 minutes, Austin wrestled against Kevin Owens in what appeared to be an official match. The crowd chanted “You still got it!” multiple times as Austin ended up winning with his finishing move, “The Stunner.”
The “Texas Rattlesnake,” whose last WWE match was againstDwayne “The Rock” JohnsonatWrestleManiain March 2003, teased his appearance at the event with a video early last month.
In it, Austin, 57, accepted a challenge to confront Owens at a special edition ofThe KO Show, an interview segment Owens often hosts in the center ring that typically ends with the interviewee (or Owens) getting pummeled.
“Nineteen years ago, I wrestled my last match in a WWE ring,” Austin said in the video, posted tosocial media. “After three Rock Bottoms, one-two-three, I lost the match. And for 19 years, I’ve had to live with that defeat knowing my time is up.”
“Kevin Owens, I want to thank you. I want to thank you for waking something up deep inside me that I’ve kept buried for 19 years,” he said. “Ever since you started running that mealy-mouth of yours, talking about the great state of Texas, you got my attention.”
Austin has made appearances on WWE television since his bout with Johnson, but has not had an official match. On Saturday, he also noted how both his first and last matches took place in Dallas.
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Many of his showings throughout his career included him dishing out “The Stunner,” his iconic finishing move, tounsuspecting WWE superstars.
Since Austin’s retirement, Owens has used the finishing move as his own. Naturally, many expected him to be on the receiving end of a Stunner from the man who popularized it during the 1990s. Austin, himself, even seemed to hint at it in his video.
“And why would you want to [get my attention] Kevin?” Austin asked in his March announcement.
Austin is considered one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time. Since his retirement, he has hosted a slew of shows, includingTheSteve Austin Showpodcast and the USA Network reality show,Straight Up Steve Austin. He also has his own beer: Steve Austin’s Broken Skull IPA.
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Last year, Austin toldPEOPLEhe was grateful for his faithful fans.
“I retired in 2003. So for people to remember things as vividly now, as they did then, or even more so…” he said. “I’m just super appreciative of my fan base, and I can’t believe it’s still going on, but I dig it.”
source: people.com
