Biggest Takeaways from 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's Podcast with Shawn Michaels

With dented road signs hanging on the walls around him in a room decorated with a Texas-chic flair, Shawn Michaels looked right at home, just as comfortable as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is with a quiet life outside WWE.

Michaels traveled to Steve Austin's Broken Skull Ranch and opened up about his past and where his heart lies today in a podcast interview on the WWE Network. He shared stories, talked about today's Superstars and made it obvious that his family is his priority.

Fans of The Heartbreak Kid had to be pumped to learn more about the Hall of Famer, yet downcast knowing that there's no chance of a Michaels comeback.

Before that became apparent, the show's new format made one wonder what's ahead for Austin's interviews.

A Safer Podcast

This is the first taped edition of Austin's podcast on the WWE Network. Ric Flair is set to join Stone Cold next, and his interview is already in the can.

It looks as if WWE is moving in a new direction with these shows. Expect less unpredictability moving forward. The company seems to be playing it safe.

Austin said jokingly to Michaels that this would either be the interview that helped his career or cause him to get fired. That wasn't true in the least. WWE could edit out anything it wanted to thanks to the taped format.

In past editions, Paul Heyman went on a tirade about Jewish history, while Austin once called out Brock Lesnar for a WrestleMania match that wasn't going to happen.

Those kind of moments are likely on the way out. If the company continues to present the podcasts as it did with Michaels, WWE can pick and choose what to air. That's smart business in a way, but it takes away from some of the show's electricity. 

More on Montreal

The Montreal Screwjob remains a key moment in wrestling history, one that continues to be talked about. Since Michaels was at the center of it, it's expected that he often gets asked about it.

Michaels rehashed a lot of information with which fans are well familiar but did offer a few new nuggets as well.

The Showstopper discussed how uncomfortable he was with the whole scenario, knowing he was going to have to betray Bret Hart. And as much as the prevailing story is that there was an inordinate amount of bad blood between the two wrestlers, Michaels said, "We had our differences, but we never hated each other."

Michaels recalled that it was Triple H who first initiated the idea of the screwjob. He remembered Triple H saying about Hart, "If he doesn't want to do business, maybe we should do business for him."

The execution of the plan was in part Michaels' brainchild. He thought that putting The Hitman in the Sharpshooter was the only feasible way to go.

And although it's been previously revealed that Vince McMahon wanted to take responsibility and have Michaels deny it, it was powerful to hear the wrestler talk about what it was like to carry the burden of lying to Hart and the burden of being the man who executed the plan that night.

That's an element easy to forget in this whole story. 

Peeks at Michaels' Relationships

Michaels painted a picture of McMahon as a father figure, a therapist and a confidant. He talked about the boss' trusting him, putting up with him during his worst stretches because he saw something special in him.

It seems like Michaels leaned on McMahon quite often. And that bond likely saved WWE from losing The Heartbreak Kid to WCW.

Michaels mentioned considering making the jump to the rival promotion. He said that McMahon told him, "You're not going to be happy down there." McMahon apparently said that WWE could fulfill him creatively, whereas WCW could only do so from a financial standpoint.

Former WWE writer Vince Russo helped make McMahon's statement true.

Of Russo, Michaels said, "He unleashed something in me." He noted that it was inspiring how much freedom Russo gave him and how much fun he had in result. 

That element is sorely missing in today's overly scripted WWE. The company would be smart to talk to Michaels about how much those loose reigns led to big-time success for him.

Michaels also offered some behind-the-curtain glimpses at Triple H.

In his mind, his close friend is a perfect fit for his current role as head of NXT. As Michaels put it, not only is Triple H smart, passionate and patient, but he knows what the wrestlers are going through, since The Game has been there before. That's something McMahon could never offer, as Michaels pointed out.

The image Michaels crafted of Triple H makes it even easier to foresee future prosperity for the man believed to be McMahon's successor.

Michaels' Thoughts on Current Stars

It's clear that Michaels still keeps up with the WWE product. When Austin asked him who among the current roster reminds him of himself or could be something special, Mr. WrestleMania rattled off a number of names: Seth Rollins, Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt.

Of Wyatt, he said that he could end up being "The Undertaker of his generation." Michaels noted that his character is something that could be both sustainable and adaptable.

That's quite a ringing endorsement from a Hall of Famer.

Michaels commented on Ziggler's being too much of a copy of him. He said that he appreciated the homages, but that The Showoff is hurting his own chances by not establishing his own identity more clearly.

Credit: WWE.com

"Set yourself apart," Michaels suggested to Ziggler and others.

One has to wonder if WWE brass feels the same way about Ziggler, and if one of the reasons the company hasn't committed to him is that he's too much like Michaels and not enough of a new entity. If that's the case, Ziggler would be wise to trade out the superkick (an overused move at this point anyway) for something less Michaels-esque.

At Peace with Retirement

There's no need to waste the energy to chant "One more match!" at Michaels. He's clearly done with wrestling and quite comfortable with that arrangement.

There was no mention of his missing it. It didn't sound as if he hungered to be in the ring again. Instead, he has a new set of priorities.

"Being Honey and Daddy is what I work on now," he told Austin.

Stone Cold wondered if he pined for the adrenaline rush that being in front of a crowd once offered him. Michaels said, "As awesome as that was, it paled in comparison to the relationship I began to form with my wife and my children."

"My life now is about my heart going pitter-patter for my children," he added.

Those statements resounded with conviction. There was no wavering with Michaels. He's clearly a family man now and fully settled into that role.

He seems content to have traded in wrestling for ventures like his hunting show, MacMillan River Adventures. Michaels said that he's excited to be out of wrestling because it frees him up for trying new things and "seeing what else is out there."

That's only further confirmation that Michaels is truly done as an in-ring performer, despite how finite wrestling retirements usually are.