'Stone Cold' Steve Austin Comments on Potential WWE Return and Brock Lesnar

Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, but a possible return to the WWE ring may not be coming to fruition anytime soon as many fans had hoped. 

According to the latest episode of The Steve Austin Show on PodcastOne.com (Episode 159 starting at the 59.13 minute mark), Austin was asked about working another match, but adamantly denied that he was teasing a run in the WWE on one of his latest podcasts.

The original reports surfaced when the 49-year-old Austin stated he was looking to make a return on Episode 149, but explained he was speaking to former weightlifter and professional wrestler Ric Drasin about a return to a specific gym.

The statements were taken out of context by wrestling rumor sites and the speculation grew from there. Legendary announcer Jim Ross was even forced to chime in, via JRsBarBQ.com, to shoot down the speculation.

Austin spoke on Episode 159 about his current schedule being ideal and the additional television shows and podcasts he has been working on recently. He also mentioned a project he teased for February that he isn’t allowed to speak about right now.

After addressing the question about his return to the ring, Austin was hit with a follow up about Brock Lesnar. When asked if Austin believed he could beat Lesnar if he did make a return, the WWE Hall of Famer quickly went into Stone Cold mode and made it clear he believes he would walk out of that match as the victor.

Despite Austin’s comments clearly just being a quick glimpse of the Stone Cold character the fans want to see, his playful jabs at Lesnar are sure to stir up the dirtsheets. As seen from his comments about a return, his words are taken out of context often.

As Austin previously stated, he remains open to a possible return to the ring, but knows the danger of his words being misconstrued by wrestling sites:

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I’d consider anything if the perfect situation or opportunity arose and it would be more than a million-dollar question. I don’t want to sit here and promote a match, sell a match or talk about making a comeback. The dirt sheets, or whatever you call them, and I talk to Dave Meltzer and Wade Keller all the time and they’re nice guys and I would consider them friends. I see Dave at almost every MMA fight, but I don’t want to stir any pots or hint or tease anything.

People get their panties in a wad and say, "Stone Cold, either do it or not." So, anything can happen, but I’m not going to endorse, promote, sell or tease anything in regards to a match.

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Austin is likely telling the truth about not making a comeback for WrestleMania 31, but he is a savvy business man and knows that the right opportunity could eventually arise. There have been reports that WrestleMania 32 will be in Dallas, and according to an interview Austin did with Wade Keller of PWTorch.com, the Texas native is intrigued by the possibility of working one final match in his home state.

The WWE Universe and wrestling fans of any generation know who Stone Cold Steve Austin is and would pay good money to see the legend perform one more time. While there is no question he is not the same wrestler he was when he was younger, he understands the nuances of the business and would still tell a great story in the ring.

A possible main event featuring Austin would be one of the biggest attractions in wrestling history, and it would result in a huge payday for everyone involved. 

The WWE understands the importance of WrestleMania. If there is a possibility that Austin would be open to working the pay-per-view in 2016, Vince McMahon and company will do whatever it takes to get him on the card.

As of right now, though, Austin is satisfied with staying busy and drinking beer for the working man.

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