WWE Brock Lesnar/Steve Austin Controversy: Pre-Planned or Pointless?

For the past week, Brock Lesnar and Steve Austin have been trading comments back and forth. It all started when Brock was giving an interview to help promote his appearance in the WWE '12 video game.

The interviewer asked him who he would return to face if it could be anybody. Here is how Brock responded.

"

There's a guy that's been on a winning streak for a long time that somebody needs to step up to the plate and finish the winning streak. But then there's another side of me that says if there was a chance for me to come back to fight a guy, it would be the guy that I was supposed to fight that chicken-sh**ted out on me and didn't show up, and that would be 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin.

"

In a second interview, Brock followed up by saying this.

"

'Stone Cold' Steve Austin chicken-sh**ted out on me and walked away and didn't want to participate because he thought that I was getting something too fast too soon and he felt threatened by me.

"

Austin got wind of this and was obviously not too happy judging from his responses on Twitter.

"

At a bit of a crossroads here. on one hand go after @DCBROCKLESNAR after his comments..on other hand deer season is very near. #decisions

Just called my taxidermist...got two quotes on shoulder mounts... #decisions"

"

Now I have to wonder if this is in some way all a pre-planned exchange in order to drum up interest in Brock while he promotes the new WWE video game.

Austin and Lesnar both appear in the game, so it would make sense to have them do something unorthodox to promote the game.

The reason I get the feeling this is all a work is because if it's not, what's the point? Dana White has said numerous times he will not let Brock fight in WWE while he has a contract with UFC, and Austin is not competing in the ring.

The possibility of Austin doing one more match has always been on the table, but that match being against Brock Lesnar would never happen. Having two guys who no longer wrestler come in for a grudge match would make very little sense.

WWE would certainly benefit from this match, but it simply can't and won't happen due to all the different circumstances.

Brock is going to be with UFC for a while, and Austin has a pretty full filming schedule between movies and TV appearances, plus Tough Enough is returning, so he has that to deal with, too.

If this is not all pre-planned, then it is pointless. Why would Brock call out a guy and say he is scared to face him in a world of predetermined finishes.

Austin was never afraid of anybody, and he put over tons of people in his day, so saying he is scared is either Brock being ignorant, stupid or just him trying to stir the pot and get some attention.

After his last loss, Brock LEsnar's stock has fallen a bit among MMA fans, and the ones who never liked him to begin with are now reveling in the fact that the unbeatable monster has been beaten by a few different guys.

As a wrestling fan, I would like to see this match, but as a rational adult, I know it will not happen.