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Stone Cold's Return Match In 2022 Wasn't Confirmed Until The Day Of WrestleMania 38

Originally posted on The Sportster | By Josh Coulson | Last updated Apr 11, 2025 9:54 AM ET

Kevin Owens has explained, in detail, how his WrestleMania 38 against Stone Cold came together.
Austin said no at first when asked by Vince McMahon if he could be a part of the event in Dallas.
Once confirmed, it wasn't until the day of WrestleMania 38 night one that it was decided Austin would have a match with KO.

At WrestleMania 38, Kevin Owens did the impossible - he got Stone Cold Steve Austin to come out of retirement. Austin and KO competed in the main event of WrestleMania 38 night one, marking the first time The Texas Rattlesnake had wrestled in 19 years. However, earlier that same day, no one involved in Austin's comeback had decided whether the segment between he and Owens would even be a match at all.

Stone Cold Wasn't Interested In Wrestling Again At First

Speaking with Chris Van Vliet this week, Owens explained how his WrestleMania main event with Austin came together. "Vince [McMahon] wanted him to be on the WrestleMania in Dallas, he wasn't sure in what capacity. I'm not sure how, I think they talked. He said no at first, from what I understand, he said no," Owens revealed.

Not taking no for answer, McMahon and WWE then asked Austin again, and that's when he asked who it would be with. Seemingly into the idea of doing something with KO, that's when the discussions started around what exactly their segment would look like. KO explains the options were a full match, a talking segment - which is probably what most fans expected - or maybe even just a stunner.

The Match Wasn't Confirmed Until The First Day Of WrestleMania Weekend

Even though it might have appeared as if the match had been decided on weeks in advance, Owens revealed that was far from true. "Up until the day of the show, we had no idea... I would talk to Steve, ask him what we're gonna do, he'd say 'I don't know, depends on Vince.' So I'd talk to Vince, and Vince would go 'I don't know, depends on Steve'. And I'm like can't you guys talk to each other? F--- sake. Up until that day we weren't sure that it was going to be."

Austin and McMahon presumably spoke eventually and decided the first match since 2003 for Austin was the right way to go. It made for an historical moment and the match played out in a way that hihlighted Austin's strengths rather than risking showing he hasn't competed in the ring for almost two decades.

Owens also added more details to how his use of the stunner came about. The Prizefighter has already talked about asking for WWE's permission to use the move, but this week, he admitted the thought went through his head that if Austin were to ever wrestle one more match, it would probably be against the guy using his finisher. While KO doesn't think that played into McMahon's decision to have him be the one who wrestled Austin in Dallas, it seems likely that may have played a subconcious role in the former chairman's decision.

This article first appeared on The Sportster and was syndicated with permission.

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