During a recent interview with Bill Apter, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin talked about what could have happened if he got the “Stone Cold” gimmick earlier, thoughts on Brock Lesnar’s career, 30 years of The Undertaker and The Rock’s success in Hollywood.
Austin’s thoughts on Brock Lesnar:
“Love Brock Lesnar. That guy’s been in the game forever. He tried to make pro football. He never really played a whole lot of football. A couple times All-American in wrestling. Almost makes the football team, the Minnesota Vikings. Then he says hey, I’m gonna go fight in the UFC and becomes the UFC Heavyweight Champion and then gets back into the business. He’s still, after over 20 years, the biggest draw, him in Roman, in the business today. So Brock Lesnar has had one of the most amazing, different runs, in the history of the business and no one will ever do it like Brock Lesnar has done it, whether it’s Suplex City or in the Octagon, or whatever it is Brock is doing. That baby face run he had right before Wrestlemania 38, when you have this big mass of an alpha male and he shows that vulnerability and people just clamor to him. So just a charismatic force of nature.”
Thoughts on The Undertaker:
“If they gave that gimmick to anybody else, and I’ve told Mark this to his face, it might have lasted two years, maybe three, and then it would have just fell off and no one would have been able to do it like he did. It was a once in a lifetime thing where they caught lightning in a bottle. I knew Mark was going to be a star when we stunk out the Sportatorium. He was working as The Punisher and I was Stunning Steve. Mark is an amazing talent, and for him to be able to make that run and make those micro adjustments to that character, and stay in touch with that fan base, and always at the top, or if not at the top, very near to the top, to keep himself in that position for Vince to use as he did, a frickin master.”
On if he thought The Rock would become a Hollywood star:
“Who would have figured, but you know, I think that’s what he had his sights set on. He’s a third generation pro wrestler, so he got into the business because of a passion for the business and then also saw the light on the other side, or the light at the end of the tunnel. That first tunnel was maybe that first Scorpion King movie. I think it only took just one screenshot of him looking like a movie star, this larger than life character that he was in and that movie, The Mummy or whatever it was, you know what I’m talking about. Then he almost tried to fit into Hollywood standards and said, ‘No, no, just let me do this my way.’ The thing I like about The Rock is, he goes, hey man. I’m not gonna just try to mold myself down, I’m just gonna be me, and that’s what he’s done. He’s taken over Hollywood by himself. Everybody else is doing their things but yeah, I could definitely see it back then that a guy like him would have the capability and ability and the want to succeed like he has, and he’s done it through nothing but hard ass work. So props to him. I’ve loved our matches together. I always loved working with him. I’m proud of him and I’m happy for all of his success because he’s just killing it and he’s working his ass off.”
Steve Austin Talks Brock Lesnar’s Career, The Undertaker, The Rock’s Success In Hollywood
