Stone Cold Steve Austin on full-time WWE return: ‘It’s a cool feeling if I can get out there, give someone a rub’
Speaking to TV Inside, Stone Cold addressed the rumours and said that he would not mind making an appearance or two, but a full-time return is out of question.
Stone Cold Steve Austin is still regarded as one of the top athletes in the industry, despite being retired for over a decade. The former six-time World Champion makes occasional appearances to the industry, only coming out to boost the TV ratings, or on pay-per-views to push a talent. His recent return to the famous MSG Stadium for contract signing between Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman gave a glimpse back into the Attitude Era, as he engaged in beer bash ceremony with a bunch of WWE superstars.
According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer, Raw averaged 2.13 million viewers despite Stone Cold’s return, which was a 15.4% drop from the previous’ Raw. It was the second-lowest audience from the modern era for a non-holiday show.
But despite the drop in ratings, Stone Cold’s return was “well-received” as per Meltzer and the viewers enjoyed the segment involving the legend. The questions are arising now whether the former three-time Royal Rumble winner could make a permament return to the pro-wrestling stage.
Speaking to TV Inside, Stone Cold addressed the rumours and said that he would not mind making an appearance or two, but a full-time return is out of question.
“I want the current superstars to have all the television time, but if I can go out there and give someone a rub. Or if I can get out there in front of a crowd that is still around when I was still active who want to see me again, that’s a cool feeling too. It’s just something that is happening. It’s not like I’m going to go back on the road full-time or anything. It’s some good opportunities. It makes sense TV-wise, business-wise. I’m there to lend a hand or help out as much as I can,” he said.
Despite Stone Cold’s assertion, it is heavily rumoured that the 3:16 star will be invited to make more special appearances, especially with the WWE’s continuous ratings drop and the reactions he received from the fans. The WWE fans certainly will not mind another peek into the Attitude Era.
