On the road to WrestleMania 38 it was rumored that WWE was trying to get Steve Austin to return to the ring, and ultimately The Texas Rattlesnake faced off against Kevin Owens in the night one main event. It was Austin’s first match since 2003 and as it was happening it was clear that fans were happy to see him back in action.
While talking about how the match came together on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Steve Austin noted that Vince McMahon flew down to Texas to meet with him. He also explained why Kevin Owens was handpicked to be his opponent.
“It was in Dallas, Texas. Vince flew down here, and we had a conversation, and I thought about it for a minute. I love Kevin Owens, and I think, from a safety standpoint, they picked Kevin. And when they threw out just a couple of names, Kevin was the guy.”
When asked if Owens was picked because he was using the Stunner, Austin said, “No, they just hand-picked Kevin because they know how good he is, and he cuts a good promo. I remember meeting Kevin 100 years ago in the airport, him and Sami Zayn, it’s a well-known story. But anyway, I gave him some advice about learning how to promo and talk instead of taking all those bumps. And you know, he’s turned it up. Kevin Owens will end up in the Hall of Fame. So, I mean, why not pick Kevin Owens for Stone Cold Steve Austin’s opponent?”