Stone Cold Steve Austin Dishes on Current WWE Product, Neville, Kurt Angle, More

Even 14 years after "Stone Cold" Steve Austin last stepped into the squared circle for a match, wrestling fans still hold him and his thoughts on the business in high regard. When creating a Mount Rushmore of wrestling, Austin is almost always one of the top names mentioned.

While Austin may have stepped away from in-ring competition, he still follows the wrestling industry and keeps himself busy with several projects, including a television show on CMT and his weekly PodcastOne show, The Steve Austin Show.

In a recent interview, Austin spoke to Ring Rust Radio about the WWE Superstars he enjoys watching, Neville's reported issues with management, Kurt Angle's return to the ring and his CMT reality show, Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge.

Watching Raw, SmackDown and pay-per-views every week is a lot to handle for anyone, but it makes it much easier to stomach when wrestling fans know Austin is going through the same trials and tribulations as well.

When asked about the current Superstars he gets excited to see when watching WWE programming, the Texas Rattlesnake mentioned some of the biggest names in the company.

"Brock Lesnar is an absolute beast," Austin said. "I enjoy watching him and seeing what AJ Styles is up to next. I'm waiting to see if Finn Balor will continue to find his way. I'm waiting to see what they will end up doing with Shinsuke Nakamura and give him a green-light push with that great background he brings from New Japan Pro-Wrestling. With the women's division, their athleticism is just off the charts now. They have been main-eventing Monday Night Raw, SmackDown and pay-per-views."

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One of the reasons Austin is still held in such a high regard by fans is because he is a student of the game. With a love of wrestling that still burns even after almost 30 years in the business, he can sympathize with the gripes of the WWE Universe while also understanding the problems the Superstars face on a day-to-day basis.

Recently, rumors from The Wrestling Observer have been flying about Neville's possible departure from WWE. Austin also once walked away from the company because of issues he was having with the creative team, and he was asked his thoughts on Neville's current situation.

"I just wish him all the best in the world," Austin said. "In my opinion, he is an outstanding talent. He was really coming around with his gimmick and character, and he was a guy that I really liked watching. I'm sure a lot of people in the WWE Universe felt the same way. Hopefully, he gets past this and whether he goes back to WWE or goes somewhere else, I hope he continues to have a successful career and have fun."

Regardless of what the truth is behind Neville's disappearance from WWE television, Austin's words come from a place of understanding. He's been in similar situations and knows that Neville and all the WWE Superstars need to look out for themselves, their families and their careers first and foremost.

While the Neville's apparent depature has dampened many fans' excitement of the product, Kurt Angle's return to in-ring competition was a major boost and stole headlines across the wrestling world.

Austin and Angle worked together many times over the course of their careers, and when asked about what the Olympic gold medalist meant to the business, he spoke glowingly about his fellow WWE Hall of Famer.

"It didn't matter who he was getting in the ring with," Austin said. "Anybody who got in the ring with him, they got a chance to steal the show. His work ethic and desire to be the best was among the highest I have ever known in the history of that business. The guy was a once-in-a-generation talent. I love him as a person, and I love his work in the ring. He was an absolute, true warrior and a bad ass in that ring. Not everybody can keep up with him."

With Angle's successful return to WWE programming, Shane McMahon's elite performances and Lesnar's continued dominance—some of Austin's contemporaries—questions naturally arise about whether the Texas Rattlesnake ever thinks about stepping back into the ring.

As much as the WWE Universe clamors for one more match featuring the legend every time WrestleMania season arrives, Austin has remained adamant that his in-ring career is over. With neck issues, knee injuries and Father Time chasing, Austin knows his limitations and is perfectly fine with how his career ended.

"I have got a fire in my belly for the business because I love pro wrestling," Austin said. "I have zero desire to ever try to get back in the ring. I have so many great memories, and I look back on those times fondly. It's the young guys' time to shine, and I am enjoying seeing what they are coming up with."

Many wrestlers love the business so much that when they should retire, it's too hard to walk away and they overstay their welcome. While most people wanted to see Austin have at least a few more matches as he got older, similar to how The Undertaker continued wrestling on a part-time schedule, walking away when he did has helped preserve his legacy.

Instead of tarnishing memories with bad matches or an inability to perform at a high level, the WWE Universe will always remember Stone Cold for the great things he did in the ring and on the mic.

Instead of beating people up in the ring and verbally destroying them on the mic, Austin is motivating some of the best athletes in the world on his show, Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge.

The reality show forces competitors to challenge themselves and each other on one of the most intense obstacle courses in the world, all while Austin yells words of encouragement or calls them out when they should be performing at a higher level.

"It is a very simple formula to understand," Austin said. "If you have never seen it before, you can tune in and understand exactly what is going down. What is going down is extreme, hardcore, physical competition. There ain't no reality. The only reality out there is you either are going to win or lose. It is a challenge show."

Austin has kept himself busy since he walked away from WWE, but his work in different mediums has also managed to keep his stock extremely high with wrestling fans. When Stone Cold speaks, the WWE Universe listens.

Wrestling fans get to enjoy Stone Cold's appear on WWE programming occasionally, and each time he arrives, he makes waves in the industry once again. Regardless of how long he's been away from the ring, the fans will always appreciate what he did for the business during its most successful period.

While many younger fans will never have the pleasure of seeing Austin open a can of whoop-ass on his opponents, they can still watch the WWE Hall of Famer on his TV show or play as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin or "Stunning" Steve Austin in the new WWE video game, WWE 2K18.

There will always be a place in the hearts of wrestling fans for the Texas Rattlesnake.

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player above (some language NSFW).