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Update on Steve Austin possibly returning to the ring at Wrestlemania 38

Aaron Rift

As previously noted, Steve Austin vs. Kevin Owens has reportedly been discussed for WWE Wrestlemania 38 which would be Austin’s first match since 2003 if it happens.

In an update, Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com noted that WWE did reach out to Austin in late December/early January to gauge his interest in doing something for Wrestlemania. Johnson wrote the following…

“The idea pitched (at the time) was to have Austin return and compete in Texas as a one-time sendoff in front of a massive crowd with the idea that Austin’s involvement would help boost Wrestlemania ticket sales as the company needs to move in the area of 200,000 tickets to sell out both nights at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.”

Johnson added that there was always a plan for Austin to kind of involvement with Wrestlemania this year. However, Johnson was told that Austin has not yet committed to doing a match and no sources have confirmed that he will actually be wrestling at the event.

During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer addressed the matter…

“The impression I have is the match is on. I know that backstage at WWE all day, that’s all I kept hearing about. Not ‘all’ I kept hearing about, but, I heard it early in the day and then kept checking around and more people were saying they heard the same thing. I don’t know that it’s a done deal, but people were talking like it was.” (quote courtesy of RingsideNews.com)

During his podcast in 2019, Austin said the following about possibly having one more match…

“For the last couple of weeks, down there at the Raw reunion in Tampa, down there at the Madison Square Garden show at Monday Night Raw—people always ask me, ‘Hey man, you’re still in really good shape. You got one more match left in you?’ And I tell them, ‘Man.’ I say, ‘You know, it’s a tough thing to think about.’ Physically, would I be able to have one more match? Yes, most definitely, and I could make it to that match without being injured. Although the risks are always there, just because I think all of the surgeries I had. … Where I had the spinal stenosis, and getting that bone spur taken off my spinal cord—I’m in a good place. Nerves are feeling a lot better than they used to. So, you know, in theory, could I have a match? In theory, yes.” (quote courtesy of WrestlingInc.com)

Austin, who is now 57, was sent a ring by Highspots in August of 2021…