Austin interview from wwf.com

[Guest]

Interview with Stone Cold Steve Austin

by Phil Speer

 

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Why did Stone Cold Steve Austin disappear from the World Wrestling Federation for two weeks after WrestleMania? The Texas Rattlesnake told us why during this interview with WWF.com, conducted before the live event Friday at Nassau Coliseum. He also discussed Hollywood Hulk Hogan, the brand extension, the upcoming European tour and much more.

 

WWF.com: Why were you gone for two weeks?

 

Austin: Basically the reason that I took two weeks off is because I was physically and mentally burned out to the maximum degree. I could have probably taken a month of two off to really refresh myself, but I didn't want to commit career suicide. I needed a couple of weeks off, so I took a couple of weeks off. I didn't want to do a deal where I worked an angle so Stone Cold was off - I didn't want to do any kind of bulls*** like that. I wanted to take some time off because I hit the wall running full speed. I needed to clear my head, and that's exactly what I did.

 

WWF.com: Any particular reason that you "hit the wall full speed"?

 

Austin: Ever since I came back from my neck injury I've been running full speed ahead. We did the heel turn, and it wasn't what I wanted it to be. A couple of key guys were missing when I did that. But at that time, people really didn't want to hate me. We tried a lot of formulas -- I was beating my head against the wall trying to get people to hate me -- and then I turned back babyface. Leading the charge, I was drained. Just creatively, man, and physically. There was speculation about three new guys coming in; (my taking time off) didn't have anything to do with three guys coming in. Those three guys who came in -- Hogan is on the other squad now, so I don't talk to him so much -- but Kevin Nash and Scott Hall entertain the s*** out of me. All we do is sit there and laugh every time we talk. It wasn't because of the influx of new talent at all. I happen to like those guys.

 

WWF.com: It wasn't because you were disappointed with your match at WrestleMania?

 

Austin: Oh I wasn't too disappointed with the match. The match was what it was. Scott Hall came in, and he could have been over more than he was, but he hadn't been in the company very long to get over as much as he could get over. We were running against a pretty short time schedule. And that's not a knock on him; that's just the way it is when you're trying to get over. So no, I wasn't disappointed in the match at all.

 

WWF.com: There were rumors that, generally speaking, you were unhappy with what was going on.

 

Austin: Going from the biggest Pay-Per-View in World Wrestling Federation history -- selling out the Astrodome, the biggest buyrate -- last year, yeah, I was a little disappointed that I wasn't figured in better than I was. Yeah. I would have been a little bit happier with a bigger build, but again, that's just the way talented ended up rotating -- me working with Scott Hall, and I'm not knocking him at all. That's just what it was.

 

WWF.com: You probably would have liked to see Rock-Austin at WrestleMania again this year.

 

Austin: Yeah, something like that. That would have been great.

 

WWF.com: So what did you do in your time off?

 

Austin: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I finished selling my ranch. I moved my gym equipment off that property. I sold exotic animals to a guy. Still got to get rid of a few. And basically did absolutely nothing. When I walked back into the building after two weeks off, it was like I was never gone. Physically I may not have been here, but mentally it was like I never left, in my head.

 

WWF.com: You said you needed time off because you were drained. So are you feeling better now?

 

Austin: Yeah I feel a lot better now. I think the fact that we've gone to the format that we have now -- just running three house shows a week and then one live TV show -- that's a hell of a lot easier than running two house shows and two TVs, one live and one taped. (When you do that), the pressure is on. The machine is moving so fast, nothing has a chance to sink in. You're burning up talent; everything's going 100 miles an hour. It's nice to step back a little bit and let things develop now. I think the schedule is a hell of a lot better.

 

WWF.com: So you're happy with the brand extension.

 

Austin: Yep. I think it's creating some great holes for some new talent to step in and make themselves stars, and for the company to make them stars. It doesn't overexposure the guys like me and other guys who have been featured so much. It's refreshing for me.

 

WWF.com: How do you explain, and how do you feel about, the current Hulkamania phenomenon?

 

Austin: He's on the SmackDown! crew. Thursday when I'm home, I don't watch TV. So I haven't seen it. But I've heard it's going crazy. And I think it's great. As long as everything can ride out, Hogan's one of the biggest draws in the history of the business. That he's having success now, I don't know if you want to call it nostalgia. Whatever you want to call it, I label it as money. Anything that's money, you push. So I think it's phenomenal that he's having a hell of a run, because that means that Stone Cold and Hulk Hogan can tee it up in a main event and draw some big money together. I think it's great. I'm all for anybody that's able to get over and make money. That's what the business is about. The more people you've got in that position, the better off everybody is. I think it's tremendous.

 

WWF.com: That was going to be my next question. A lot of people are anxiously anticipating Hogan-Austin. You're one of those people?

 

Austin: Yeah. I've said this ever since I got hot years ago: you want to see people that you can main event with and draw money. And some guys will say that but they don't mean it, because they're insecure and jealous because someone's getting hot. But that's what the business is about. I mean, if Mike Tyson or another top boxer just fights one of those no names, big deal. It's a big-name guy against a no-name guy. You always want to see two big-name guys go at it. That's what I'm looking forward to. Maybe Hogan and I will get a chance to have a run. I think it'll be great.

 

WWF.com: Would you like to see that soon? Or would you rather that it was saved for one of the bigger Pay-Per-Views, like WrestleMania?

 

Austin: It doesn't matter to me. You've got to look at the timeframe. I never set long-term goals. I'm not saying I'd like to do it tomorrow, I'm not saying I'd like to do it next week -- just whenever it fits. Chronologically, time-wise and storyline-wise, just as long as it fits, then that's the right time.

 

WWF.com: Assuming both of you are still crowd favorites when you and Hogan face off, have you thought about who the crowd will cheer for?

 

Austin: Oh, s***, I don't know. I think it might be 50-50. But it doesn't matter to me what it would be, I'd just gauge my performance accordingly. You don't just go out there and keep doing a bunch of planned horses***, because that doesn't make sense. You feed off what that crowd gives you. So no matter what it was, I'd gauge my performance accordingly, depending on what that crowd is giving me. Whether it's 60-40, 80-20, 50-50, I don't give a s***, as long as a bunch of people bought it, and a bunch of people enjoyed it. I don't care who is the babyface, because I'm going to amp up and do the best I can anyway.

 

WWF.com: How do you feel about going to Europe?

 

Austin: I understand we've got a lot of fans over there. We used to go over there and stay for 10 days, two weeks, stuff like that. Those tours were fun. These days you just kind of go over there, hammer down for a couple of days, and then you've got to fly back and do a damn TV (RAW). One thing I like about going over there, the crowds are so fresh and they're so appreciative of seeing you, it makes it a lot easier. I got no problem going over. I love going over to those countries. But just with the time schedule, and running all-out working these TVs, it's a little bit of a hassle. But it'll all work itself out.

 

WWF.com: So this tour will be a little bit more fun because you're over there for four days, right?

 

Austin: Yeah. The business to me is more fun right now just because it's a little bit easier not doing SmackDown! It's a more relaxed pace.

 

WWF.com: You'll be returning to Germany for the first time in a while. I imagine you must like German beer.

 

Austin: I do. I like German beer a whole lot.WWF.com: I imagine you're going to drink some this trip.Austin: I drank a s***pile of beer (last time I was in Germany). I will say that. But I drink a bunch of beer no matter where I go.

[Guest]

Um, so Austin took time off cos he felt like it?

Hm. Anyone believe this?

[Guest]

I believe he could have taken time off to rest. The Hardy's did. But, I don't believe everything is all happy, happy, joy, joy with Hall & Nash. Maybe even Triple H also.

[Guest humongous2002]

Austin you are sassing me!!!WHAT?!!

[Guest]

Reckon Austin's lacklustre performance at Backlash is a symptom of being really pissed off with the whole thing. or just a bad day?

[Guest]

I think just a bad day. Him & Taker tried to pull off an "old school style" match that people didn't buy into. I'm still wondering why the nWo was even out there?

[Guest Austin3164life]

I just think Austin was getting fed up with where his career was headed, because in the interview, no matter how nicey-nice he tried to make it sound, he probably wasn't happy at all about Wrestlemania.  And, you could also tell that he wasn't ecstatic about the return of Hogan, Hall, and Nash.  Sure, they all may talk with each other, but I think he realizes that he has to be on good speaking terms.  Otherwise it'd be a lot harder to pull off any kind of feud.  I think Austin is just trying to hide some of his frustration for the media.  You know he's probably pissed about Triple H hogging tv time and being at booking meetings.  What I was surprised at was how he supposedly looks forward to an Austin/Hogan showdown.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard he refused to work the program leading up to Wrestlemania.  Makes for an interesting topic.  I wonder what Austin is going to do, now that Undertaker is facing a (shudders) Champion Hogan.  I don't think an Austin/Hogan showdown will happen for a while......

[Guest papacita]

Why would Austin not wanna work with Hogan?  I mean, you've got Hogan, the man who revolutionized the sport in the 80's Vs Austin, the guy who did the same in the 90's (well...I don't believe it personally, but that's what people say). Anyway, that's a big money match and Austin would have to be a damn fool not to want to fight Hogan. I believe him 100% on that point, except he needs to drop that "What?" stuff and bring in a little more of the old Stone Cold if he wants the match to mean anything, because to me he's really turned into a walking joke.  

 

As far as the rest of the stuff he said, I'm not gonna call the man a liar, but I take the interview with a grain of salt. WWF.com is nothing but a propaganda machine, and you can't take everything they say as gospel. But on the other hand, we're not backstage. All we've heard about the Austin situation was through 2nd hand reports. He could be telling the honest truth for all I know, but one thing I do agree with is that he was obviously more upset about not being in a main event role than he let on.

[Guest bcu1979]

WWF.com: That was going to be my next question. A lot of people are anxiously anticipating Hogan-Austin. You're one of those people?

 

Austin: Yeah. I've said this ever since I got hot years ago: you want to see people that you can main event with and draw money. And some guys will say that but they don't mean it, because they're insecure and jealous because someone's getting hot. But that's what the business is about. I mean, if Mike Tyson or another top boxer just fights one of those no names, big deal. It's a big-name guy against a no-name guy. You always want to see two big-name guys go at it. That's what I'm looking forward to. Maybe Hogan and I will get a chance to have a run. I think it'll be great.

I thought most of the interview was a load of b.s. But I wasn't expecting anything more from wwf.com. It's not like Austin would be stupid enough to openly criticize Vince or the WWF creative team.

 

I did find the clipped quote interesting though. Sure sounds like Austin was firing a shot off at someone. But in this case it's more like pot...kettle...black.

[Guest]

Just waiting for Austin to jump to the WWA now...

 

Well, he wasn't great on Raw either. I think the man is getting frustrated, no matter what nice shiny is spinned on an interview.

[Guest Mad Dog]

<<<< thinks Austin is a piss poor liar.

[Guest]

I thought most of the interview was a load of b.s. But I wasn't expecting anything more from wwf.com. It's not like Austin would be stupid enough to openly criticize Vince or the WWF creative team.

 

I did find the clipped quote interesting though. Sure sounds like Austin was firing a shot off at someone. But in this case it's more like pot...kettle...black.

Guys like X-pac and Bob Holly have taken shots at others and the WWf on WWF.com interviews so I don't see why Austin wouldn't.

[Guest Mystery Eskimo]

The interview seems like the WWF trying to put a positive spin on the whole situation. And failing.

[Guest]

The WWf fail at doing something? I'm Shocked!