Report: WWE Offered Stone Cold 'Significant' Pay Increase for WrestleMania 39 Match

Over the course of a few months, WWE reportedly pitched multiple matches to Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and increased its monetary offer along the way.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), WWE pitched a match against Brock Lesnar to Austin in the fall and then pitched him a match against undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns this month.

Compared to what Austin was offered for the Lesnar match, WWE reportedly offered him a "significant" pay bump for the Reigns match. Thus far, WWE reportedly hasn't gotten a concrete answer from Austin, however.

After losing to The Rock at WrestleMania 19 in 2003, Austin retired from in-ring competition. While he wasn't even 40 years old at the time, Austin had dealt with major neck and knee injuries during his career.

The Texas Rattlesnake seemed satisfied with what he accomplished during his illustrious career, but he was lured out of retirement last year, nearly two decades after his final match.

Austin was advertised to appear on The KO Show with Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38 in his home state of Texas, but it turned into an impromptu No Holds Barred match that headlined Night 1 of WrestleMania.

At the age of 57, Austin looked to be in great physical condition and exceeded expectations in a victory over Owens.

Reports suggest that WWE has been working hard to get the now-58-year-old back in the ring for WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on April 1 and 2.

For most wrestling fans, Austin vs. Lesnar and Austin vs. Reigns are considered to be dream matches, and either of them would likely be a huge draw for WrestleMania.

It was long assumed that Reigns would face his real-life cousin, The Rock, at WrestleMania 39, but a match against Stone Cold would perhaps be the next best thing.

On Saturday night, the Royal Rumble will take place in San Antonio, Texas, and the winner of the men's battle royal will be in line to challenge Reigns for the undisputed WWE Universal Championship on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn are considered the likeliest candidates to earn that distinction, but if WWE was able to convince Austin to return for a WrestleMania match against Reigns, he is a potential dark horse to win his record-extending fourth career Royal Rumble match as a surprise entrant.

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