Brock Lesnar's Stone Cold Podcast Interview Vital to WWE Hell in a Cell Build

The build to Brock Lesnar's clash with Undertaker at WWE Hell in a Cell has been skeletal, but it is set to add meat to its bones in the form of Stone Cold Steve Austin interviewing The Beast Incarnate on a live podcast.

The unpredictability of the situation, the intensity of the interviewee and the chance to play with reality and kayfabe make Lesnar's appearance opposite Austin on the WWE Network more intriguing than the powerhouse's return to Raw that same night. And that's just the boost the neglected bout needs.

After Lesnar and Undertaker's SummerSlam match ended in controversy, WWE has done too little to promote the last installment of these gladiators' trilogy of battles. 

Undertaker has not appeared on WWE programming since. Lesnar has shown up some but initially focused on Big Show, who he devoured suplex by suplex at Madison Square Garden in early October.

There have been no pull-apart brawls, cheap shots or staredowns since SummerSlam. WWE has opted instead to simply compile clips of what's already happened and repackage it.

And so despite the star power involved and the finality of this contest, there just isn't much excitement surrounding about this marquee matchup. That led Jim Ross to ask on his blog, "Anyone else feel that the Lesnar-Taker rubber match has lost its buzz or luster?"

WWE has two shots ahead to make up for that. On next Monday's Raw, both men will be in attendance, as the company announced on its website.

The writing team, though, has to leave the audience wanting more after whatever happens that night. It can't overdo the violent aspect of whatever confrontation unfolds between Lesnar and Undertaker. WWE wants to do just enough to leave the crowd wanting more come Hell in a Cell.

Lesnar then sitting down with Austin live on his podcast adds a whole new dimension.

This is new territory. Normally, these interviews (aside from Paige) have been with retired wrestlers who are more free to break kayfabe. Lesnar is in the middle of a high-profile matchup and must balance selling the upcoming clash with opening up to The Texas Rattlesnake.

There's a chance here for Austin and Lesnar to straddle the line between work and shoot, just as Austin did when he promised he would whip Lesnar at WrestleMania.

The tension between these men is sure to add to the moment, but the heart of the interview will be Lesnar going into predator mode.

His character being so close to who he really is makes this an ideal format for him. He is at his best when he simply looks at the screen and tells fans he is going to crush who he faces next.

Fans saw that on display before SummerSlam 2013 when The Beast Incarnate dismissed CM Punk's MMA training and talked about how mismatched he thought their battle would be.

Lesnar was at his most compelling here. Austin is the right person to bring that side of him out again.

That interview bolstered the build for the match against Punk. It added to its realism. This felt like something one would see ahead of a boxing match or UFC showdown. 

The stripped-down look at Lesnar's thought process captivated, just as it will when he talks about what beating Undertaker means to him. 

WWE went that route again following the 2015 Royal Rumble when Lesnar scoffed at the idea of Roman Reigns challenging him. Again he proved that the best way to showcase Lesnar is with simplicity.

After the next Raw ends, that is set to happen again. The Lesnar vs. Undertaker match will benefit from Lesnar calling out his foe, blending the real world into WWE's scripted one and by surprising the audience.

Even Paul Heyman doesn't know what to expect. Lesnar's advocate told Scott Fishman of Channel Guide Magazine, "I am watching this as a fan because I really don't know what to expect. I don't think either one of them knows what to expect yet."

That uncertainty and the intrigue that comes with it provides elements that Lesnar vs. Undertaker has been lacking of late.