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PWTORCH EXCLUSIVE: Steve Austin on potential in-ring return, what would it take for Mania return match to happen?



Aug 23, 2014 - 9:30:38 PM

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- WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin provided the latest update on possibly wrestling again in an exclusive interview with PWTorch editor Wade Keller on Friday's PWTorch Livecast episode.



- Keller: You get this asked all the time - any plans or possibility of you getting back in the ring?



- Austin: I'll reserve my right to if I want to have another match down the road - say, like, Dallas, Texas is going to be (WrestleMania) 32. Now, 31 is right down the road from me. That could be doable, but I don't see it happening.



Now, Dallas, that could be very special going back to Texas for 32. They're going to need a loaded card to fill that house. So, I'll reserve my right. But, am I pushing, pandering, selling, promoting? Nothing.



- Keller: Definitely not ruling it out, but I've never got the sense that you're leaning toward or feeling the need to do it. It would really have to be the right opponent, right city, be feeling it six months beforehand, and it's a huge commitment. I think people under-estimate what it would take for you to feel professional and live up to the professional standards that you've set in terms of getting back into ring shape. That's a huge commitment and a lot of work that would get in the way and displace other things you could be doing for a one-time return to the ring.



- Austin: You're hitting it right on the head. For me, really, to be in premiere shape to do something like that - oh, people say pro wrestling is a work. It is a work, but it's intense and if you haven't been around doing it on the road, you're not in shape. Really, you would have to go into at least a 3-to-4-month training campaign to get ready and focus solely on that match.



Now, the match itself shouldn't be that complex. It's getting into the proper shape, getting into the mindset, getting the body back, taking the bumps, getting the timing down, knocking off all the ring rust because you can't go in there having all the ring rust if this is the final, final or just another big match that hasn't happened in 12, 13, 14 years. You don't take that lightly.



And then on the other end of that is the micro-management that is the system these days. It's a little bit different. I'm not going to sit here and be the bitter ex-wrestler. I'm "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, I'm in the Hall of Fame, and I had a blast in the business of professional wrestling. But, these days, it's a little more micro-managed. Man, when I was running white-hot as Stone Cold, I could do and say whatever I wanted. And, I had a great business relationship with Vince (McMahon). There was friction here and there, but we would talk about what we were going to do and we would go do it.



So, to go back, I don't know that I could be micro-managed to such a large degree. I want to come, do my thing, and get out of dodge the way I want to do it with my creative freedom, liberties, and everything that goes with it."



[ LINK: The free 70-minute version of Austin's Livecast interview continuing the conversation about hypothetical match-ups can be heard HERE at PWTorchLivecast.com. VIP members get access to Austin's 70-minute Livecast conversation and 60 more minutes of the VIP Aftershow covering more subjects HERE. Not a VIP Member? Take advantage of our $3.33 summer sale to listen to Austin's interview right now. Simply CLICK HERE - PWTorch.com/GoVIP to find out how to subscribe. ]



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