Steve Austin Reveals Biggest Regret About WrestleMania 38 Return
WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin shares he would have slowed down his 2022 WrestleMania 38 match against Kevin Owens if given another opportunity.
Steve Austin has revealed his main regret about his 2022 in-ring return match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38.
Austin made his return to the ring after a 19-year absence in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 38 in Texas.
The WWE Hall of Famer emerged victorious over Owens in the main event, sending the hometown crowd home happy.
In an interview with Zack Heydon of The Takedown On SI, Austin explained that he didn’t have a chance to prepare properly in a ring before the match.
I was happy in a moment, but, you know, they didn’t send me a ring down. I didn’t have any timing. I think they interviewed Triple H, The Undertaker, and Hogan. Each one of them said something that was so true.
Austin noted that each wrestling legend offered accurate predictions about the challenges he would face.
Paul said, you can come back, but you don’t know what you have, because you haven’t been out there. Undertaker said, you’re not going to have any timing. He was right. I didn’t have any timing. Hell, I hadn’t hit a set of ropes in 19 years. Hadn’t thrown a punch in 19 years. Hogan says, you know, you’re just not calloused up. Your body is not as hard as it used to be. And he was right, because when you when you take off, people talk about ring rust, that’s timing. So, I had no timing.
Austin further explained the physical toll wrestling takes on performers.
Hogan was talking about being calloused up … those ropes hurt. Those bumps hurt. If you make a long comeback, it takes you two or three months to get those callouses back, so that your body doesn’t hurt after every single match. You build up an immunity to it, so they each made valid points. And like Paul said, you don’t know what you got until you get out there, because you can think you got it, but you don’t.
Austin admitted that his main regret was working at too quick a pace during the match.
And when I went out there, I think I couldn’t hear the crowd as much as I wanted to. When I watched it back, the crowd was into it. It was very, very loud, yes, but I wish I would have taken more time, savored more moments, and worked the people a little bit more than I did. I think I was in a space of not knowing what I had and trying to be a little too frantic. I could have slowed down drastically and made that better. And I wish that I would have. I haven’t told too many people that, but I told you.
Speculation continues about a potential Austin appearance at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, with some fans wondering if he might help Cody Rhodes against The Rock.
