“Stone Chill” Steve Austin will face Kevin Owens at WWE WrestleMania 38, Austin announced in a video on Tuesday.
In a picturesque desert location, Austin can be seen driving a green field side by side against the backdrop of scenic mountain ranges. He then stops the car on a muddy driveway, gets out and unleashes his fury on Owens.
“19 years ago I had my last fight in the WWE ring,” he says. “After three failures, one, two, three, I lost the match. And for 19 years I had to live with that defeat, knowing that my time was up. Kevin Owens, I want to thank you. I want to thank you for awakening something deep inside me that I’ve been hiding for 19 years.”
He then proceeds to scold Owens for his snub of Austin’s home state of Texas. Owens was vocal about his disdain for the Lone Star State.
“Ever since you started talking with your dirty mouth about the state of Texas, the great state of Texas, you have attracted my attention. And why are you doing this, Kevin? I can think of two reasons.
“No. 1, You’re one stupid son of a bitch —-. And No. 2. You’re getting ready to get hit by Steve Austin’s stone cold.”
The 57-year-old’s last match was against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in March 2003 at WrestleMania 19.
Rumors of a possible return to the ring began to surface last month when Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer revealed that there was a possibility of him returning against Owens. On Monday’s episode of Raw, Owens called on “Stone Chill” by asking him to appear at a knockout show during WrestleMania 38. Owens said he wanted to give Austin “a mind-boggling spectacle that the world will be talking about for years” and then continue to pour out “Good , a cold glass of milk on his lifeless body.”
“Whether you want to call it a knockout show, match, brawl, brawl, whatever, I guarantee you it,” Austin said in the video. “In Dallas, Texas, where I started my WrestleMania career, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin is about to taunt you one last time, Kevin Owens. And that’s the point, because Stone Cold said so.”
Nearly 20 years later, Cold Stone will once again wrestle in their home state. WrestleMania 38 is scheduled to take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The two-day event, which runs from April 2-3, is sure to be a hit, especially given the Owens vs. Austin showdown.
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