THE rumour mill has hit fever pitch in recent months, with speculation a number of WWE legends could be in talks to return.
WWE’s iconic January event — the Royal Rumble is set to take place at the 60,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
WCW superstar Bill Goldberg made a shocking return in late 2016, which was so successful he’s been given another shot at the Royal Rumble while a lucrative WrestleMania appearance has also been planned.
Many expect the WWE to have another trick up its sleeves in order to sell out the ambitious Rumble event — given Austin is a San Antonio native, talk of Stone Cold making a comeback won’t die.
Goldberg’s return has fuelled rumours of a Stone Cold comeback.
But the man himself has put a rest to the rumours, ending the speculation once and for all.
“I’m 52, and I get these emails all the time asking why I don’t come back. They’ll say so and so did it. Goldberg did it, and you know what, Bill [Goldberg] going in and beating Brock Lesnar was awesome, setting it up for WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, but I’m not making no comeback,” Austin said.
“I had someone cuss me out on the email the other day saying that they hated my guts because I wouldn’t do a comeback, but listen, I’m done.
“I don’t want the pressure of having another match on my shoulders, because I don’t have to have another match because I’m satisfied with the career that I had.”
Austin briefly flirted with Hollywood after he stepped out of the ring, with roles in films such as The Longest Yard, The Expendables and The Condemned. But the bright lights of the wrestling ring and Hollywood no longer seem to interest him.
He wouldn’t be the oldest WWE contender if he did come back — 67-year-old Ric Flair and 57-year-old Sting have wrestled in recent years, and 51-year-old The Undertaker is also expected to be at the Royal Rumble.
For now Austin is focused on his popular wrestling podcast, and his own beer range, saying his days at the top of the WWE are long behind him.
“I appreciate everyone that had supported my career but, man, I’m done. I’m working on stuff that I want to do and I really don’t want to go back to the business,” Austin said. “The wrestling business is now for the younger generation that is in there right now, and you do it for as long as you can, and you then ride off into the sunset and adjust accordingly.
“I’ve adjusted accordingly. I have so many great memories of the wrestling business. I’ve worked real hard to get to the top, and how many flukes and breaks had to have happened that allowed me to have the success that I did.
“I’m happy that I am done because I’m happy with where I am at right now in my life. I’m done, I don’t need a comeback. End of story.”
The former voice of the WWE, Jim Ross, recently paid high praise to the attitude-era star, saying Austin’s WrestleMania matches against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson were the best matches he has been involved with throughout his time in wrestling.
Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle and Hulk Hogan are names that continue to come up as possible comeback contenders.
But we now know Stone Cold Steve Austin won’t be in the ring.
The success of The Undertaker is often imitated, never duplicated but that hasn't stopped some the WWE Superstars from trying. Courtesy WWE
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Originally published as WWE legend cools talk of return