RAW Magazine articles/interviews on Steve Austin 2002-03

[jm29195]

I recently found a  box full of assorted wrestling magazines, many coming up to a quarter of a century old now!

Going through them, there's a lot of interesting content to highlight, but I thought the three articles from WWF's RAW Magazine from their July and August 2002 issues where they praised and then absolutely buried Steve Austin, after he walked out on them, plus their subseuqent article giving his side of events from February 2003, make fascinating reading, given what happened at the time, and future events with many of those quoted. 

I definitely don't think they'd be publishing content like this today, looking at Austin's legal issues in particular, and it's really interesting reading some of the views others give, as well as Austin's complete burial of Hogan in the last article.

I'll try to post the magazine covers too, where appropriate although probably won't get the images to work!

Hope this is of interest:

BREAKING GLASS AND WHOOPIN' ASS

From "Austin 3:16" to What?, Stone Cold Steve Austin continues to set the standard in sports-entertainment

When that glass hits, it's nothing but 100-percent pure adrenaline. You might as well be a junkie, because you're hooked on it. You're hooked on standing behind that curtain every single night, and going out there and busting your ass for that crowd.

So begins Stone Cold Steve Austin's Desire video. As the emotional sounds of Creed's "My Sacrifice" pulsate, footage of the Texas Rattlesnake's finest moments play out in a three- minute tribute to a sports-entertainment icon. Stone Cold's voice tells the story of a legendary career.

To me, the whole business is, 'F *** you, let's have a good time.' There's beer drinking, there's middle fingers, there's hell raisin'. If Stone Cold Steve Austin's at work, it's going to be a good day.

Watching the video, it's apparent that Stone Cold lives for the business. But some fans may forget that it was less than three years ago that the Rattlesnake had spinal surgery that could have ended his legendary career in its prime. Those who counted him out then clearly underestimated his heart and will. Since returning in September 2000, Austin has been better than ever, as he has battled back to the pinnacle of the business he loves.

THE RETURN: After the announcement that Stone Cold would return following neck-fusion surgery, questions ran rampant among fans. Could he come back? Would he be as good as he once was? Would his neck hold up?

Yes, yes and yes.

"Stone Cold Steve Austin is a survivor," the Rattlesnake tells RAW Magazine. "Prior to my surgery, I really didn't know what bad shape my neck was in. But I got through it. My

surgery was successful; I had a hell of a doctor [in Dr. Lloyd Youngblood], and everything is healed up. When I came back, I just looked to keep turning the intensity up and remain a force here, because there was a time when I didn't think I would be back."

When Stone Cold left to have his spinal surgery in November 1999, he was as hot as ever, but his hand had atrophied, his reflexes were giving him problems, and his spinal cord had bone spurs surrounding it. His doctors insisted that he have surgery before things got worse.

"It was the s **** ," Austin said. "You're sitting in a rocket ride, on top of the world in the Federation, addicted to being on the road in front of people, and all of a sudden you're forced to stay home."

Austin stayed there for 10 long months, often embarking on long car rides with his then-fiancée, Debra. "We used to go riding, just so I'd feel like I was going to the next town," he said. "Not being on the road was real hard for me."

Finally, after career-threatening surgery, after months of grueling rehabilitation and longing to return to the spotlight, Austin returned at Unforgiven in September 2000, and stole the show before a sold-out crowd at Philadelphia's First Union Center. A month later, at No Mercy, he wrestled his first match in nearly a year.

But even after his incredible return and a series of intense matches with Rikishi and Triple H that autumn, he says that he still wasn't where he wanted to be physically.

"I didn't look anything like how I wanted to look," Austin says. "I've never been a bodybuilder, or had the greatest genetics in the world. I like to eat food and drink beer. And of course, during my rehabilitation process, I wasn't able to work out as much as I wanted to, so I looked a little soft [when I came back].

"I couldn't really physically train while I was hurt. I just kind of came back, and we put the puzzle together-my bones were fusing up in my neck from taking bumps, when actually I shouldn't have been taking bumps yet."

Knowing that upon his return he would be limited physically, Austin thought back to a piece of advice given to him more than a decade ago, when he was a rookie with the Tennessee-based United States Wrestling Association." Once, a long time ago when I stunk out the joint in a smalltown in Tennessee, 'Dirty' Dutch Mantel pulled me aside,"

Austin says. "He goes, 'See that chair right there?' I said, 'Yeah.' He goes, 'Go get in that chair and watch every single match on the card, because it's the only way you're going to, learn in this business.' That was probably the best advice I ever got, simply grabbing a chair and watching every match to learn how, why and what guys were doing, and the reasons behind everything, learning the psychology."

Now, Austin says he thinks ring psychology is the most important aspect of the business.

"These days, so many things are done without a reason, and no one really sells anything anymore," he says. "Psychology is important, because I'm not going to out-highspot anybody in the business. At the stage I'm at in this game, my psychology needs to be strong for me to stand out. My execution and my delivery is as good as it always was, but my psychology has to continue to improve."

Stone Cold says he considers Jake "the Snake" Roberts to be the best ring psychologist he has ever seen. "Jake was a guy who didn't necessarily do a lot of highspots or running around and hitting the ropes. But everything he did, you watched. It had a reason.'

Austin admits that after his return, some of his first few matches were a bit lacking-at least by his own standards.

He says that he knew he was back to 100 percent after his Two-Out-of-Three Falls match with Triple H at No Way Out 2001. Although Austin lost the match to "The Game," the two Superstars waged a 45-minute classic, with the fans on the edge of their seats for every pulse-pounding minute. In fact, the bout was voted the 2001 Match of the Year in a poll at WWF.com.

"I thought it was a hell of a cap to the feud with Austin and I," Triple H said. "When you're in the ring working with someone like Steve Austin, and people are into it and you've

got something good behind it, it's the best feeling in the world."

So now Austin was back, but there was still one more goal before his comeback was complete. The Rattlesnake likes to say that if you're not in this business to be the W. Champion, "Then you ain't got no business being here." And Stone Cold was about to challenge for that title on the grandest stage in sports-entertainment.

April 1, 2001, was a huge day for him. In his home state of Texas, Austin took on The Rock for the Federation Championship in the main event of WrestleMania X-Seven. And with 67,925 of his fellow Texans watching, he pinned The Rockin a classic matchup to regain the title. His comeback had culminated with the thing he wanted most in the world.

"I grew up 100 miles south of Houston. I went to rodeos, football games and baseball games in the Astrodome. So to go back and be a performer in that arena, and to win the title there, was a blast to me," says Austin.

But April 1, 2001, was a big event for Austin for another reason as well. After four years of being the top babyface in all of sports-entertainment, Stone Cold Steve Austin was about to shock the world.

TURNING HEEL: It was all Austin's idea.

"I figured I had reached a peak as a babyface, and wanted to do a direction change," he says. "You gotta push the envelope in a few different directions."

At WrestleMania X-Seven and the ensuing Raw and SmackDown!, Austin did everything he could to convince fans he was now a heel. At WrestleMania, he joined forces with the

evil Mr. McMahon. The following night on Raw, he teamed with the sick and twisted Triple H to form the "Two-Man Power Trip." That Thursday on SmackDown!, he bloodied his best friend, Jim Ross, in J.R.'s home state of Oklahoma. And the following Monday on Raw, Austin and Triple H demolished the ultra-popular Hardy Boyz and Lita.

the fans didn't buy Austin as a villain. They wanted to cheer for the Texas Rattlesnake.

"We tried to do a traditional heel turn, but I'm not a traditional performer," Austin says. "The character that I've created, or have evolved into, and the person that I am doesn't do anything traditionally.

"I was trying like hell to get people to hate me, and what- ever I was trying, that's the stuff I did as a babyface-violence and stuff like that. So [the fans] were used to seeing me do that. At a certain point, I said, 'Man, I'm beating a dead horse here.' It was frustrating to go out there and try to be hated and only get a modicum of hatred.

"When I first started getting hot back in 1996 and 1997, I was a heel. I didn't turn babyface in the traditional sense. I just fell into being a babyface by breaking all the rules, being anti- authority, just rough around the edges, foul-mouthed, middle

fingers, aggressive attitude and behavior, and violence all rolled up into a hell of a package. I changed the way babyfaces and heels were viewed. So a traditional heel turn for Stone Cold just wasn't going to work.'

Even though keeping Austin as a heel proved damn-near impossible-he would officially become a babyface on the Raw after Survivor Series 2001-the Rattlesnake says he wouldn't have changed a thing about his heel turn.

"It was the right thing to do at the time," he says. "If I hadn't done the heel turn, a year would have passed and I'd be doing the same thing I was doing. It pushed me a bit in a different direction.

"I don't think I'll ever try to be a heel again. I ain't gonna say never, because in this business, you can never say never, but I don't see it in the near future. I'm probably going to finish up my career as a babyface."

One of the reasons it was so hard to keep Austin as a heel was a simple four-letter word. And while four-letter words are nothing new for Austin, this one would outshine all the rest.

WHAT ?: In the weeks leading up to SummerSlam 2001 and his Championship match against Kurt Angle, Stone Cold had been recovering from three broken bones in his lower back. As a result, he decided to add himself to some live events leading up to the pay-per-view to fine-tune himself a bit.

One such event was in Rockford, Illinois, on August 12-one week before SummerSlam.

As Austin was driving to the show, he took out his cell phone and decided to call Christian, one of his good friends in the locker room. When the Rattlesnake called, Christian was working out in a gym in Chicago, and because the gym was in the building's basement, Christian's phone couldn't get reception. Instead, Austin's call went straight to voicemail. "He must have left a 15- or 20-minute message on my phone," Christian smiles. "I think he was passing a rest area, and he said, 'I'm passing a rest area right now. Why does it gotta be called a rest area? Why can't it just ... be? What? What?' And then after that, everything he started asking was, 'What?'" Saying What? became an inside joke between the two in the days following. And before long, Austin started saying it on television as well.

"When I started doing it as a heel, I was. doing it to be a jackass," Austin says. "It was just something smart-alecky to say to me one while you're berating and bullying them on a promo."

Adds Christian: "When I saw it on TV, I just said, 'I can't believe he's doing it.' Sure enough, he was. And the rest is history."

It didn't take long for fans to jump on the What? band- wagon. Soon, Austin couldn't make it through a sentence without having sold-out arenas chant the infamous word at him. In fact, the catch phrase gained such popularity that fans began chanting it at other Superstars as well.

"I think that's funny," Austin says. "I've seen guys go out there and get flustered when the people start yelling it at them. They lose their rhythm.

"I have a lot of keys to solving that," the Rattlesnake smiles, "but I keep those to myself."

Austin says he doesn't know how long the What? Catch phrase will remain popular-mostly because he says he never expected it to become so popular in the first place.

"I watch every time I do a damn promo, see the signs and posters in the crowds, and I wonder how long it's going to last," Austin says. "Believe me, I've got a bunch of s *** to

do afterwards, but I'm waiting to see how long this thing lasts because I don't want to kill it off just yet.

"You never know what's going to catch on in this business. I damn sure didn't think one word would. It's sometimes things that are out of the blue that catch on, just like 'Austin

3:16.' That was never intended to catch on like it did, but it happened.

"I just started saying What? for the hell of it, to be a jack- ass when I was a heel. I never thought there would be a T-shirt, a foam and everything else with What? on it."

STONE COLD LEGACY: Is Stone Cold Steve Austin the greatest of all time?

Let's look at the facts As of press time, Austin is one of only three men to hold the Heavyweight Championship on six separate occasions. He has headlined three WrestleManias, winning all three. He has become an international icon, catapulting the sports-entertainment industry into the new millennium, and many say that he is the forefather of the era of "Attitude." And he has done all this after battling back from a broken neck that nearly ended his career.

So when the book is written on Stone Cold, how does the Texas Rattlesnake want to be remembered?

"Just as a guy that entertained the hell out of the fans," he smiles. "I had some good matches, some bad matches, some memorable interviews, ones that were complete s *** , busted my ass, tried hard, drank a lot of beer and just had a lot of fun. Hopefully people will look back at Stone Cold Steve Austin one day and say they had a lot of fun watching me. And that's what we're about, entertaining the fans, making them enjoy our product and forgetting their problems."

Austin believes that his legacy will not only be written in front of the cameras, but also behind the scenes. Since becoming one of the top guys in the WWF Stone Cold has made sure to be a good locker-room leader, sending a positive message to his fellow Superstars.

"To me, when you're a leader, you lead by example, not just by flapping your gums. You do what's right and what's good for business, doing what's smart, maintaining yourself and the business, keeping it at the level that it's supposed to be at," he says. "I'm not a cheerleader; I don't go out there and preach such things, I just go out there and do what I do. The way I was brought up in this business is to respect the people that paved the way and respect the business, because it's going to provide the future for you, and it's going to provide for the guys that come in behind you.

"I always get a kick out of some of these guys who get a little success and then get a big head. I always keep every- thing in perspective, because I know what it's like to have everything yanked out from under you."

So how much longer can fans expect to see Stone Cold march to the ring, climb to the second rope, and raise his fists to a sea of flash bulbs and cheers?

"As long as my body keeps holding up, I wanna stay around," Austin says. "By the same token, if I don't feel like I'm able to get the job done as well as I'm capable of, I don't want to be second-best. I don't want to be considered ordinary or run-of-the-mill. I've already had my run; if I'm starting to feel like that inside, then it's time for me to leave.

"The bottom line is: Doing what I'm doing now, I'm able to be Stone Cold Steve Austin, and that's what I do best. I'm not trying to be the best good guy, I'm not trying to be the best bad guy. At this stage, I'm trying to be the best Stone Cold Steve Austin I can be."

Whatever the roadblocks in front of him, it's clear that there's no hill too tall for Stone Cold Steve Austin to climb. And that's the bottom line, because Stone Cold said so. To me, every single bump, bruise, stitch, cut-everything is worth it, says Stone Cold as the Desire video draws to a close. The sacrifices, as you call 'em-I wouldn't give none of'em back to you, because I loved them all.

THE BOTTOM LINE

RAW Magazine asked top Superstars for their opinion of Stone Cold Steve Austin. What? Stone Cold Steve  Austin. What? The Texas Rattlesnake. What? The bald guy with the goatee. What? Here's what they had to say.

CHRIS BENOIT

I spent about nine months in WCW in 1993, and I remember watching him tag team with Brian Pillman as the Hollywood Blonds. I was a big fan of their work as a team. I watched Stone Cold leave there unhappy, come here and make a real star of himself. I hadn't seen him for a lot of years since then, and he's since turned into a total locker-room leader. I'll go to him for advice and ask him about different things. He's a leader. He earns your respect; he doesn't demand it. Some guys walk around with a little bit of an attitude, a chip on their shoulder, and think that they are owed respect. Well, Austin earns your respect. He's truly-as the wrestlers would say- one of the boys. He's very approachable; you can talk to him about any- thing. Even if you're in the opening match on the card and he's in the main event, he'll take the time to talk to you.

SHAWN MICHAELS

For me, the first and best impression I have of Steve is when he first arrived here. He came in as "The Ringmaster" and as a heel. To me, that's the first, biggest, brightest and best impression he made on me-how good of a heel he was. I understand how his character is now, and certainly from a business standpoint, that's much more important. For me, what I enjoyed most was the wrestling heel that Steve Austin was when he first came in, and what he was prior to his arrival here, simply because that's a lost art now. I think it says a lot for him to come from that traditional wrestling style and be good at it, but still be cool with going to a gimmick that might not display his best skills. And he made the most of that. He just came out punching, kicking and cursing, doing all that stuff. There's a lot more to Steve Austin as a wrestler than that, but he was smart enough to recognize that that's what people wanted, so that's what he went with.

UNDERTAKER

I'Il tell you what-Stone Cold's a different kind of cat. Stone Cold and I come from pretty much the same era. We have quite a few of the same views on the business and what we like to present. As far as in-ring, he's tenacious. His tank never runs out; he is full of energy the whole time. For me, I always get up a little extra when I work with Stone Cold. I don't know if it's the same-state rivalry that we have, or just a couple of good-ol' rednecks locking horns. He brings out the best in me. I know whenever I'm in the ring with him, it's going to be a true battle. He's actually been a motivator for me, and myself for him, because I think we both went through two really serious injuries. I went out a little before he did, and we kept in contact with each other, and talked about how we felt and what we were doing.

I think a day will come when we lock horns again, and the time might even come when we're on the same side again. Either way, I'm looking forward to it I hope he stays around a little longer, keeps me motivated, and I'll do the same for him. One of these days, we'll lock horns and see who the toughest Texan really is.

TRIPLE H

I've had some of the greatest matches of my career with Stone Cold Steve Austin. I used to call Steve the "Overlord," because he would go out there some nights and people were just so unbelievably into him. It was crazy. When I was a heel and would stand across the ring from him, it was just so easy, because all I had to do was hit him, and they'd get so pissed. Steve has an unbelievable amount of passion for this business, and it shows in everything he does. I think fans see that, and that's why he's in the position that he's in. That's why he's as over as he is, and probably always will be.

JIM "J.R." ROSS

He led this company to prominence, and his run is certainly a long way from being through. He's the greatest box-office attraction that l've ever been associated with in my almost 30 years in the business. That covers a lot of ground, unique stars and eras in this business. But he's simply the best. Maybe someday, somebody will break those records-if he doesn't break them himself.

KURT ANGLE

There's nobody in this business better at improvising than Steve. There are different kinds of artists. There are some that like to prepare for a painting; they have stages- doing an outline, filling it, adding things to it, and it's almost like each day they add some- thing to it. Steve just likes to throw it on the wall. Steve likes to improvise. Steve's style, his art is instinct, which is almost impossible to teach. He's probably one of the most talented guys as far as having instinct and knowing the right things to do at the right time and place, maybe even more than Triple H-which is a tough thing to say, because when you talk about Triple H, you're talking about the best in the business.

In my mind there are two people that have brought wrestling to this level, and that's [Hollywood] Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin. When I categorize guys, I put Hogan and Stone Cold at the very top. consider Steve top two. That's something he might forever be able to claim. I have a lot of respect for him as a wrestler.

When I needed to step it up a level, Steve was very unselfish. He allowed me to bring my wrestling to another level, to where people started to compare me to him, being able to go toe-to-toe with Steve Austin. I wasn't sure if winning the title from him was going to be possible in my career here, but it happened, and it happened a lot quicker than I thought. If every guy in this business were like Stone Cold Steve Austin, the business would be that much more successful.

DEBRA

He's my husband. And he's definitely an icon in the sports-entertainment industry, and I really respect that. I love him more than anything.

Edited 18 hours ago by jm29195

[jm29195]

SPECIAL REPORT: By Seth Mates

Cold Facts ...Behind Steve Austin's decision to walk out.

I ain't real excited with some of the direction the company is taking, and the way business is being conducted from a writing standpoint. [I have] no problems with any [individual] talent, but I'm just watching and being very patient [waiting] to see what happens, the reasons that everything happens, and that it's done for the right reasons. I think a lot of things are done for the wrong reasons now, and there's a lot of guys being sacrificed. Hopefully everything will work out. I'll leave it at that.

-Stone Cold Steve Austin

March 15, 2002

While many fans may think that Stone Cold Steve Austin's walkout from World Wrestling Entertainment on June 10 was a spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment incident, it was not. Instead, it was the result of a months-long backstage battle between the man who revolutionized sports-entertainment and the company that made him a Superstar.

The above statement comes from an interview Austin did with WWE.com on March 15-three months before his walk- out-revealing his mounting dissatisfaction with his creative direction. In this investigative report, RAW Magazine sifts through the facts over the last few months to give readers a behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest stories in sports- entertainment history.

In the months leading up to Austin's departure from the company, his fellow Superstars say that Stone Cold's behavior had changed. Austin just wasn't acting like himself, according to Bradshaw, one of the Rattlesnake's closest friends.

"Steve's normally the most fun-loving person," Bradshaw said. "What you see of Steve on TV is a beer-drinking, laughing and joking guy. That's how Steve is-used to be-24-7. He's as much fun to be around as anyone I've ever been with. But the last six to eight months, he'd changed. I don't know if it's the weight of carrying the ball so long, personal problems or grievances with the company ... I don't know what changed him so much, but you could see it in his demeanor. He doesn't say much, he stays to himself. He really doesn't act like he's enjoying what he's doing, and that's something completely contrary to Steve's basic personality."

Austin's backstage mood was a result of his ongoing problems with creative plans in store for his character. His growing frustration came to a head on WWE.com's online webcast, Byte This!, on May 31-two weeks before his walkout.

"The bottom line is that everything sucks," he said. "I'm not happy with the way Stone Cold Steve Austin is going. I'm not happy with the way the whole company is going. The writing has been pretty sub-standard. I'll go one better than that-it's been piss poor. I guess if that pisses some people off, then that's just the way it is. I think it could have been a whole hell of a lot better creatively than what it's been. It's pretty s ***** I wasn't happy before WrestleMania. I wasn't happy after WrestleMania, as we speak presently."

Austin added that he still loved his job, but by then feathers had been ruffled once too often. Word of the interview spread quickly around WWE offices. The following Friday, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon made his own Byte This! Appearance, calling Austin "the most demanding Superstar" he had ever worked with Stone Cold's comments on Byte This! on May 31, and his walkout on June 10, came as a shock to many, but rumors of his unhappiness with his creative plans trace back to February of this year, and the nWo's entrance into WWE.

Although many in the locker room-including Austin-had their own hesitations about bringing in the controversial trio of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Hollywood Hulk Hogan, it was Stone Cold who lost his No Way Out match to Chris Jericho due to interference from the nWo, and it was he who was to compete against Hall at WrestleMania X8.

Hogan says he sensed some hesitation on the part of Stone Cold. "I felt him being very cautious, not opening the door and letting us step through. I just felt tension. When I talked with him, he was as cool as can be, very one-dimensional and straight forward: 'Stone Cold does this, Stone Cold does that. Stone Cold doesn't do this, Stone Cold doesn't do that.'"

Jericho said that he could see a change in Austin at that time. "I knew he wasn't too happy. He was willing to work with the [nWo]. I don't think he had a problem with them per se. I think some of the creative issues of how he was working with them was what was bothering him."

Jericho added that he could see a difference in Austin in the ring as well. "He wasn't the Steve Austin of old. I've wrestled with Steve a lot in the past year, and he was always a guy who fed off the emotions in the crowd and truly felt the flow of a match, but that wasn't coming across [in February]. There were certain things he was doing that weren't indicative of what Steve Austin could do."

Nash went on record to say that he, Hall and Austin broke the ice at the SmackDown! taping the week of No Way Out The trio were at the building taping vignettes until almost

3:00 a.m., which Nash says they used as an opportunity to rekindle their friendship. "Steve and I have been friends for 10 years, and that night in Rockford, [Illinois,] we kinda bonded again, after not seeing each other for six years."

Yet despite it all, tensions appeared to be running high. According to Nash, he didn't feel that Austin gave Hall the opportunity to succeed: "When we came in, Steve would have had to share the spotlight to some extent, which didn't happen. He basically killed off what we were trying to accomplish-  the established guy, trying to protect what's his."

WrestleMania X8 showcased Austin vs. Hall, a bout that Austin would win. Following the match, he was approached by a WWE.com reporter, looking to get the website's traditional post-match interview. Although Stone Cold had told the reporter earlier in the day that he would be available for a quick post-match interview, he now said that he would rather not talk. Later that night, WWE held its traditional post- WrestleMania party for the Superstars and staff; Austin and his wife, WWE Diva Debra, were conspicuous by their absence. The following day, WWE staffers were set to return to corporate headquarters in Connecticut. After clearing U.S. customs at Toronto International Airport, they were shocked to see Austin and Debra. The two had already passed through customs, meaning that they weren't headed to Montreal for that night's Raw telecast.

A WWE staffer noted that "Austin seemed preoccupied, and his face was expressionless."

When Debra was asked what they were up to, she simply offered, "We're going back to Texas."

That night on Raw, Austin had been scheduled to do a live interview that would have added fuel to the Vince-Flair fire, helping to set up the WWE's critical brand extension.

"We didn't discuss [Austin's absence] too much," said WWE agent Michael Hayes. "It was just said that Steve wasn't going to be here and was taking a couple of weeks off. We just moved on. We never got the feeling that he wasn't coming back; we knew he was coming back in a couple of weeks." Said Hulk Hogan, "The rumors started flying [in the locker room] when he walked out after WrestleMania. There were several flying around: He was unhappy with Scott Hall, main event, no main event, jealousy, no jealousy. But who knows? They're just rumors."

After his no-show, WWE officials still expected Austin to return the following Monday at Penn State-the night of [my taking time off] didn't have anything to do with that,"

WWE's brand-extension draft. The original plan was for Austin to be Ric Flair's No. 1 pick. But Austin never showed, necessitating another re-write. During the telecast, it was said that a clause in Austin's contract allowed him to remain a "free agent," leaving the door open in anticipation of the Rattlesnake's eventual return Austin returned to Raw one week later, on April 1. That day, he met with Nash and Hall to clear the air, letting them know that he hadn't walked out because of the nWo.

"Free agent" Stone Cold signed with Raw. He was soon involved in a storyline with Undertaker that would culminate in a match at Backlash, with Ric Flair as guest referee.

Two days before the event, Austin was asked about his leave of absence during a backstage interview with WWE.com. "Basically the reason that I took two weeks off was because was physically and mentally burned out to the maximum degree," Austin said. "I could have probably taken a month or 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

I needed to clear my head, and that's what I did.

He then point-blank denied that he'd left because of the nWo.

"There was speculation about three new guys coming in; Austin said. "Those three guys-Hogan is on SmackDown! 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. [I left because] I was drained. Just creatively, man-and physically."

Stone Cold did admit, however, that he was a bit disap- pointed at being matched up with Hall at WrestleMania X8. "Going from the biggest pay-per-view in WWE 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," he said. "I would have been a little bit happier with a bigger buildup, but again, that's just the way talent ended up rotating, me wrestling Scott Hall-and I'm not knocking him at all. That's just what it was."

Austin added that he wasn't disappointed with the match itself.

"The match was what it was," he said. "Scott Hall came in, and he could have been promoted stronger than he was, but he hadn't been in the company very long. We were running against a pretty short time schedule-and that's not a knock on him-that's just the way it is. So no, I wasn't disappointed in the match at all."

With the advent of the brand extension, Stone Cold went in several new directions, including forming a brief partnership with Bradshaw. But members of the creative team say that elevating young talent was difficult around Austin. "You can't really rub up a new person next to him as a protégé or a partner, because the character's motto is 'Don't trust anybody,'" said a creative team staffer. "So trying to get a rub for an RVD or a Bradshaw-the guys we were trying to elevate in the brand extension-was difficult, because Steve's your top star, but you can't really rub him up against anybody, just from the nature of the beast." At Judgment Day, Austin was in a Handicap Match against Flair

and Big Show. Although the match was well received, Stone Cold wasn't thrilled with it. Unhappy with the creative for WrestleMania, Backlash and Judgment Day, Austin asked to be put in a story- line with the man he considered the best worker on the Raw roster, Eddie Guerrero. The rivalry was quickly established on Raw when the two had a confrontation at a karaoke bar.

'Some of the belief was that Steve had lost a little bit of confidence; it may have been dealing with Scott Hall," said a member of the creative team. "Eddie is one of the best at getting under a crowd's skin."

The following Monday-three days after Austin's controversial Byte This! comments- Chris Benoit returned on Raw. Austin was very happy about the talented Canadian's return-until he learned that he and Benoit would be adversaries. Once again, Austin had a creative difference.

"J.R. (Jim Ross) had to talk to Steve, before he finally came around," said another creative staffer. "And so, the Austin- Benoit-Guerrero storyline was born, and it worked out well. But Austin's hesitation sure made it difficult to get the team on the field, so to speak."

Plans for the June 10 episode of Raw in Atlanta were for Stone Cold to take on Brock Lesnar in a King of the Ring qualifying match, with Eddie Guerrero serving as guest referee. The match was to add fuel to the Austin-Guerrero storyline fire.

On June 9, Jim Ross called Austin to tell him of the plans. Austin was not happy. He mentioned on Sunday that he wanted things changed, or he wasn't coming to work," Ross said. "I said, 'That's not the way to handle your problems. That's not the way you do business, that's not the way we do business.' So I asked if he'd spoken to Vince, and he said no, and I said 'How come?' There was just a lot of aversion there. He was very uncomfortable about talking to the owner of the company about his issues.

He has never been in the past-until the last few months."

After hanging up with Austin, Ross phoned Vince to tell him of Austin's reaction to the proposed storyline. Vince called the Rattlesnake, leaving a message that Austin should call him back whenever he got the message, no matter what time it was. Stone Cold called Vince back at approximately 2:00 a.m. "I went through the entire creative process with him, explaining how this was good for him and good for the company, and he said all right,"  Vince said. "Not that I needed his approval, but it's always important for talent to buy into what you're trying to do, because they feel a lot better about it; they feel a part of the creative process. And that was what I had attempted to do, and thought I had done."

When Ross arrived at the Phillips Arena for Raw, he was informed that Austin had surreptitiously booked himself and Debra on an afternoon flight to San Antonio. "He tried to do this in a way that no one would even know that he wasn't going to be at the event," Vince said.

Ross wasted no time in phoning the Rattlesnake, finally getting a hold of Austin as he was boarding the plane. "We had a very frank conversation," Ross said. "He made a mistake. He screwed up. He had no business going home. I did most of the talking in that conversation. The other conversations he and I have had over these issues, he'd done most of the talking, and I'd listened long enough.

"I told him to get his ass off the airplane and come to work. ace the man eye-to-eye, go into a closed room. I would be there if I was asked, needed or wanted, and would help expedite a conversation to settle these issues. Then at the end of that conversation if we weren't able to come to a mutual understanding and clear the air, then he should get his ass home.

He made the biggest mistake of his professional career [by setting off that plane]. It's not the Stone Cold that I know." Besides his match with Lesnar, Austin had been slated to take part in five different segments on Raw that night, most coming off the "Flair as Austin's assistant" storyline, which had been set up the previous week on Raw. Because of his absence, the entire show had to be rewritten, for the third time in as many months.

Austin's walkout in Atlanta meant that his scheduled King of the Ring match against Eddie Guerrero was now off. Even though Guerrero and Benoit were derailed just before what would have been the biggest run of either of their careers, both men say that they're not bitter toward Austin.

"I'm really not one to judge," said Guerrero, adding that his past substance abuse problems have also caused storylines to be halted midway through. "In my past experience, when I had my problems, I left Matt Hardy hanging, and I left that angle hanging. Did I do it on purpose? No. It affects everybody, because we're all a team. Steve's situation is different- and I don't know his situation-but I do know I'm not one to judge him. As far as having the rug pulled out from under me, no, I don't feel that."

Added Benoit, "I'm disappointed, because I would have loved to have wrestled against him, and it got cut short."

After the Atlanta broadcast concluded, Vince decided it was time for action. Austin had now walked out twice-and he didn't want to allow Stone Cold a third strike before he was out. Vince said that no-showing a WWE live event could be "the only unpardonable sin left in our business."

"He had done this once before [after Wrestle- Mania]," Vince said. "And myself and J.R. and others had the conversation, you can't ever walk off the job like this, because fans are expecting to see you, and when you don't show, it's the worst thing that can happen."

Vince-whose on-camera history with Austin is legendary-says he took the situation extremely personally.

"Steve was a friend of mine," he said. "I have no idea what could possibly motivate him to walk off the job like a child, to take his ball and go home. I always thought that I went the extra mile for Stone Cold, more than anyone perhaps that I have ever worked with. I always thought that I bent over backwards for him, and this hurts. By just walking off, he spits in the face of everyone who ever supported him, spits in the face of everyone in this organization who helped him become the talent he is. It's sad."

That Thursday, a press release issued by WWE detailed Austin's repeated walkouts. The release called his post-WrestleMania walkout "unprofessional and unacceptable." It noted that both walkouts were without company approval and without notice:

"Although Steve was unhappy with his character's creative direction, Steve made the personal and unprofessional decision not to report to work to address his concerns. Therefore, Stone Cold Steve Austin is no longer an activemember of WWE's talent roster."

The following day, Ross addressed the Austin situation in his Ross Report on WWE.com. "I have been aware of his unhappiness as of late regarding creative, and we have had several spirited conversations over this subject as a result," wrote Ross. "However, I never in my wildest dreams expected Steve to walk out on his commitments just as he did immediately following WrestleMania, which at that time was credited to burnout.

"None of us can or should ever attempt to take any of Steve Austin's amazing accomplishments away from him, or down- play his overwhelming work ethic and drive to be the very best in the long and complex history of this industry. But what he did Monday by no-showing an event for the second time since WrestleMania was wrong, and I believe that down deep in his gut he knows it.

A special report on the walkout aired on WWE Confidential Saturday night. The segment included interviews with Vince and Ross. Unbeknownst to the company at the time of airing was that Austin had been involved in an alleged domestic dispute with his wife, Debra.

During the broadcast, Vince made sure to stress that Austin's decision was not a publicity stunt. He also addressed Stone Cold's future with WWE.

The door is not open for him to return," Vince said. "As a businessman, how can I trust [Austin] to come back and build [him] up again, and then what? So he can walk out for the third time? I never say never in this business, but I don't know how I could do business with him. I have a responsibility to our stockholders, a responsibility to our fans." Vince said the decision was a tough one. I look in the mirror firstly when things like this happen and say what could I have done to have changed it, what could I have done not to have had this happen, and I'm not sure I know the answer," he said. "I'll accept whatever blame I can put on myself in terms of lack of communication or whatever,

but when someone won't speak to you, won't come to work and discuss intelligently how to get out of something, my hands are tied. And heretofore, in whatever disagreement he and I ever had, we always sat down and worked it out. We always saw each other's point of view. It always worked that way. But when someone won't sit down with you, [when] they refuse to show up, they've screwed you."

Added J.R., "I just don't know how anyone could trust him, because what's going to happen at the next bump in the road? Is he gonna go home again? I think that goes for anybody on our roster. If you don't want to be a part of the team and take this company to the promised land, you should get your ass home. Don't waste anybody's time. Pack your bags and go. But be professional enough to do it the right way."

That Monday on Raw, the Austin issue was again addressed. At the first mention of Stone Cold's name-during the first commercial break of the show-the live crowd in Oakland initially booed, but the boos soon turned to chants of "We Want Austin!" Vince McMahon then came out to address the situation, ending his comments by thanking Austin for the memories and raising a toast to him in the ring.

"I would hate to think it's the last chapter in the history of that character, but it very well might be," Triple H said. "But if it is, it's because of a decision that Steve Austin made. Nobody else. "If Steve doesn't want to be here, then there's no place worse for him to be, because this business is hard enough on you physically, emotionally, everything-and that's when you want to be here. If you don't want to be here, that misery just multiplies and compounds daily."

Triple H said that when Austin left, many of the young Superstars looked to himself, Undertaker and other veterans to find out how to react to the situation. "There's a lot of con fusion among the other Superstars, not knowing what's happening," he said. "It's like a little kid, in a way-you look to see how you should react. The younger guys need to realize that's not how you do business. Personal demons aside, it was wrong from a business perspective. I think they all feel that and understand it.

"I don't agree with anybody just walking out, no matter who they are. I believe you owe that to the boys, you owe that to the people at the TV studio, you owe that to Vince, you owe that to every single person that's ever had anything to do with any part of this company, and you owe that most especially to the fans who were so behind Stone Cold Steve Austin. Steve Austin owed them all that."

In addition to being a locker-room leader, Triple H's girlfriend is Stephanie McMahon. Some rumors have stated that Austin's problems may stem from jealousy toward Triple H and his relationship with the McMahon family. According to those stories, Austin felt some of his "stroke" with the boss slip away once Triple H and Stephanie became involved.

'Only Steve can answer the question of whether he was jealous," Triple H said. "I don't believe I've ever given him a reason to be. I don't think that I have Vince's ear any more than anybody else does. Yes, I do date Stephanie, but when I'm around [the McMahons] on a personal basis, we don't talk business. I think, if anything, it's probably harder for me, because Vince is much more critical of how I do and how I act.

He doesn't show favoritism. Steve has had Vince's ear as much as he ever has. And when you look at it, I don't think you can say Vince held Steve down in any way. To me, everything over the last couple of months was done to promote Steve's character; Steve just didn't like it. Maybe the business seemed like it was moving in a different direction from him. But I don't think that was the truth-it certainly seemed that Raw was completely based around him."

Michael Hayes addressed rumors that Austin had become difficult to work with from a creative perspective.

"I don't think he was any harder to work with than he always was," Hayes said. "I don't think he was being hard just to be hard-he was trying to get the best out of the situation. I think part of Steve's frustration was the fact that he kept wanting to stay in that same mould, and I think he preferred working with people he was more comfortable with, such as Hunter and 'Taker. These guys are great, and they have pulled this wagon unbelievably. But quite frankly, people were tired of seeing them all face each other.

"I think the Stone Cold Steve Austin character still had a lot of legs, with somebody else, somebody new. I think his unwillingness to explore some of that could have been part of his downfall. It's difficult to continually top yourself. The Stone Cold phenomenon was one that was born, in my estimation, out of the ability to break all barriers and all rules. And he did it well, better than anybody. But sooner or later, I think you have to evolve.

"People get to the top of their profession because they know what they're doing, so you have to listen to talent. They know their character better than anybody. But every time you put limitations [on creative], it's difficult. Any time you have parameters and rules governing what you can and cannot do with a character, you're going to end up hitting a wall. You're going to run out of ideas.

"Steve did a lot for this company, and he deserves to be remembered that way. But he also deserves to be remembered as the guy that walked out on us. It was a responsibility, yes, but it's one Austin gladly took, and then he just kicked us all in the balls. Maybe this is something he needed to do, but it wasn't a good way to do it."

Members of the creative team also say that Austin was constantly pushing for Debra to be more involved in story- lines, but add that all their suggestions were shot down. Austin refused to do storylines that would separate the two of them. While he was opposed to her competing in the ring, he was also apparently unwilling to allow her to participate in the most recent Divas photo shoots, which involved the full complement of the WWE Women's roster.

"He wanted her on the show," Hayes said. "I don't know if that's what he really wanted, or if she was pressuring him. I don't know where it derived from, but with the stipulations imposed on us, it was next to impossible. It was a double-edged sword."

Hulk Hogan didn't want to speculate on what's going through Austin's head right now, but as a main-event Superstar for more than two decades, he offered an analysis of what can happen in such situations.

"The first thing that happens is that you try to distance yourself personally," Hogan said. "You try not to follow the general code of ethics, following a business rule of thumb, and you start talking in third-person on a business level-such as 'Hulk Hogan wouldn't do that. That's not good for Hulk Hogan's character.' Business talk, not just interview talk-

'Stone Cold wouldn't do that.' That's the first sign of when you're trying to be protective and you have your guard up, of when you don't trust people. If you mix that with some personal problems, you can play mind games and get so far away from what is really happening and from what the company's intent really is, that you don't know if you're getting screwed, or if you're being told the truth. You're in another world, on another planet, nothing is real and nothing is right. Nothing works for you because everyone's out to get you."

Although Vince stated on Confidential that the door was closed for Austin, most Superstars in the locker room say they expect him to be back one day, once he works out his problems. Until that day, says Big Show, there's one word to sum up the Situation - sad.

"It almost feels like a storyline sometimes," Show said. "I think about it, and it's like, 'What the hell is going on?' Just thinking about the respect he and Vince had for each other ... you'd see it in the locker room and the work Steve produced. Maybe sometimes you have to blow up the kitchen, stand back, take a look at it, see if it's worth fixing and how to fix it.

"I just think this is a real sad situation. The fans are robbed of a great talent. The guys in the locker room are robbed of a great leader and a guy who gives a lot inside the ring. And Steve's robbed of the performance factor. This is one situation where nobody wins. And that's the worst kind of situation of all."

Phil Speer and Chris Gough contributed to this story. Special thanks to the producers of WWE Confidential and to KMOL-TV in San Antonio.

TROUBLE ON THE HOMEFRONT

On June 15, the Stone Cold saga took an unexpected and stunning twist. According to a police report obtained by KMOL-TV Channel 4 in San Antonio, Debra called the San Antonio Police Department at 4:00 a.m. Saturday morning after Austin allegedly struck her. An officer arrived at their home soon after, finding Debra standing at the door crying.

The officer noted that Debra "had a large noticeable welt below her eye" and marks on her back and shoulder. She told police that her husband had left the scene in his Corvette. Debra also admitted to the officer "to have been assaulted numerous times, but failed to report her husband due to his fame and notoriety."

While the officers were with Debra, Austin reportedly called home twice. A police officer spoke with him and asked him to return home. Austin allegedly refused, and the officer told him that they would be in touch with him. According to the police report, Austin then thanked the officer and hung up. Debra refused medical attention, but did accept an icepack from the officer before he left.

At the time of this writing, Debra has not filed charges against her husband, and the couple are reportedly home in San Antonio attempting to reconcile their differences.

IN THE LOCKER ROOM

Chris Jericho is quick to give his take on why Stone ColdSteve Austin walked out of WWE. "I think Steve lost faith in the company and lost faith in the whole creative process, and as a result just didn't give a damn anymore and decided he'd had enough," Jericho said. "He took his stand and made his decision. Is it something I would have done? Probably not. Am I disappointed? Yes. I feel let down that he left the company.

"When Steve walked out after WrestleMania, I gave him a call to tell him I was on his side, whatever it might be. When it happened again ... I don't know if he handled things the way I would have handled them. If there's something you don't like, there's always ways to get around it, to change it, to make it better."

When word of Stone Cold's walkout began to spread in the locker room, most Superstars were shocked and disappointed in Austin.

"You can always communicate with the boss instead of just going off the deep end," Goldust said. "If you don't like some- thing, vent it, explain it. You ain't gotta get crazy and walk out on the company that's done so much for you-my God, made your name. Steve Austin was made here in WWE, and Vince gave him plenty of opportunities, more than enough."

William Regal calls Austin "one of only two or three real friends I have in the world," and says that many of his and Austin's conversations over the past few months have been about things that happened a decade ago, which he took as a sign that Stone Cold was unhappy. Regal-whose own personal demons have been well-documented-says that it's hard to explain what Austin is going through to someone who hasn't gone through a similar situation. "You can never condemn somebody until you've walked in their shoes. You know when you watch VH1's Behind the Music and you hear people say, 'Money doesn't mean anything when you're= miserable. The most important thing in your life is your health and your happiness,' and people always go, 'Ah, that's rubbish'? But they've never been through it.

"No matter how much money you've got, no matter how famous you are, if you're not happy, none of it is worth any- thing. I've been through that, where life means nothing to you. It's a miserable way to be. It's no life. You can have all this money and be the loneliest person in the world. You've got to have gone through that to understand it."

Chris Benoit had a high-profile departure of his own back in January 2000, when he parted ways with WCW. Like Austin's situation, Benoit's departure from WCW was due to creative differences. However, he and WCW mutually agreed to part ways, rather than Benoit simply walking out as Austin did.

"I'm not sure about Steve's side or the company's side, but I disagree with how he left," Benoit said. "I believe there's a way to do it, and I disagree with just walking out. Unless you've been physically threatened or your life depends on it-not much beyond that. In my opinion, there's never a reason to walk out."

Added D'Lo Brown, "To me it's a slap in the face to everyone who's helped create Stone Cold, because he didn't do it himself. The millions of WWE fans and the guys under contract helped build him. As talent, we know who the 'moneymaker' is, that we ride on their backs, and that they support the company. And when this person doesn't want to do business, it affects everybody. Up to this point, l've had a lot of respect for [Austin] as a man, as a performer and as an entertainer, and this really changes my whole outlook on him as a person."

D'Lo said that Austin's abnormal behavior was nothing new. "He was becoming very introverted in the back. Before he would always be joking, laughing, relaxed. In the few months l've been back, I've seen him sitting by himself. Maybe that's just my perception; maybe I didn't see every- thing going on. But it seemed he was a little quieter in the back, not that open person anymore."

Said Brock Lesnar: "He was easier to talk to when I first got here. He's been a different person as the months went on. He's had a lot of pressure on him for a lot of years ... but still, sit back, relax and enjoy it. Some days it's hard to do, but jeez, make me a millionaire and you won't see me unhappy. Lesnar says he looked up to Austin as a locker-room leader, but adds that won't stop him, among others, from seizing the opportunity presented by the Rattlesnake's absence.

"If he's going to leave, it opens a bigger door," Lesnar said. "It would have been a bigger door for me if I'd had the chance to work with him, but that's the crazy thing about this business: anything can happen. If you're not around, it just opens a spot for somebody else to step out and take over." Goldust, who considers Austin a friend, says the company will go on, with or without him.

"Life will go on," he said. "We can do without him. We've got more talent than ever before. We don't need Stone Cold Steve Austin. We don't need anybody. Vince is a smart businessman. He knows this s ***. It would be nice to have [Austin], but he's got some personal problems and some issues he needs to deal with. I'm sure any one of us would help him if he asked for it."

Added Jericho, "My company is WWE, and I stand behind my company. If you're not here anymore, thanks for everything you did, but it's time for us to continue on and make more stars, make more Steve Austins and make this company even stronger."

Bradshaw is quick to point out that his words, and the words of his fellow Superstars, are intended purely on a professional level-not a personal one. "I'm not attacking Steve at all, and I don't believe anybody is," Bradshaw said. "I don't know what Steve is going through at home. I don't know what he's going through contract-wise or what all his gripes and complaints are. I love Steve. He's been a good friend of mine for years and will continue to be But the take in the locker room is that he let everybody down.

You just don't do that."

Although Vince McMahon said on Confidential that the door is closed for Austin to return, when RAW Magazine asked the Superstars if they thought Austin would be back, more than a dozen answered the same way-"never say never."

"Steve loves this business," Bradshaw said. "He loves everything about this business. He loves performing, he loves going out in front of the crowd, he loves the one-on- one of a great match. He has a passion for this business that is almost unparalleled. In that respect, I definitely see Steve wrestling again. I'd love to see him come back, mend fences and finish out his career here. There's no better place. This is where he built his name."

Shawn Michaels is living proof that there's no burned bridge that can't be rebuilt in sports-entertainment. He also says he can foresee a day when Austin returns to WWE. "[Vince] is an unbelievably forgiving man," Michaels said. "I put him through a lot. He will tell anybody-nobody pushed him like I did. And he always forgave me.'

Triple H said he wants to see Austin come back-but says it's more important right now for Stone Cold to sort out his personal problems. "I hope the best for Steve Austin as a person," he said. "Forget wrestling; if his life is falling apart outside this industry, I hope he can pull it all together, because once that downward spiral happens, it's hard to get out of. It's happened to a lot of people, and I just hope he's not one of them." 

Hulk Hogan echoed "The Game's" comments, saying he too hopes to see Austin back one day, and added some poignant words of advice. "Believe in yourself," Hogan said. "Steve, the one thing I can tell you-and some people will say I'm full of s ***- is that Vince McMahon is Stone Cold Steve Austin's friend. I can tell you that unequivocally, without a shadow of a doubt. Vince wants to be-and is-one of Stone Cold's best friends. I know that for a fact."

Guerrero offers Austin a simple piece of advice-hang on. "Don't give up," Guerrero said. "Whatever it is, you can get through it."

 

 

 

[jm29195]

Six months ago, RAW Magazine ran a cover story on me leaving WWE, and Confidential did a whole show about it. They both said it was "the whole story." Well, it wasn't the whole story, because you never heard my story. I can answer the first question [most people have] right up front: No, I don't regret leaving, but I wish it would've never happened. I mean, I wish it could have happened a different way.

Why?

Here's Why

BY STEVE AUSTIN

IF YOU WANT THE WHOLE DAMN STORY, YOU NEED BOTH SIDES. HERE'S MINE.

My problems with WWE had been building for a while, going back to WrestleMania X-7 when I wanted to change the direction of my character. I felt a little stale, and I wanted to switch things up.

Maybe it wasn't the greatest idea in the world, but I always think back to that night at WrestleMania when I was whaling The Rock with a chair. I shouldn't have just flipped flat-out and erased the mystique of Stone Cold. Hell, Stone Cold is unpredictable, because you never know what the hell he's going to do next. I should have put the edge back where it needed to be. Instead, it became predictable.

Then Rock was gone. Everybody was gone. I didn't have a lot of people to work programs with, and the fans didn't really know how to take me. But anyway, the creative [direction] got real wishy-washy after that, and I wasn't happy with the direction anything was going in.

When I took off for a couple of weeks after WrestleMania X8, I heard and read a lot of people saying it was because I was pissed off about the nWo coming in and because of my match at 'Mania with Scott Hall. I really didn't have a problem with the nWo. Me and Kevin Nash used to be riding partners. He's a damn good friend of mine. When Hall and Nash were in WCW, they stirred up a lot of crap. The only one I heard that was a pile of trash was [Hollywood Hulk] Hogan, because he's a manipulator and does backstage politics; he's proven that to this day. I just didn't think it was going to work out gangbusters like it was planned to be.

I knew going into the match with Scott Hall that I was going to go off the next day. I was f *** ing fried. I was burned out and frustrated. They had me in a third or fourth main event It wasn't even a main event; it was just some match on the card. And I wasn't happy with that at all. You can tell me this business goes in cycles, and sometimes you're not as hot as you want to be, but where I was on that card didn't make sense to me.

The match wasn't promoted properly. It wasn't built properly. Nothing. People said I had personal problems with Scott Hall, or he had problems with me. I didn't. I like the guy. He's got personal problems; that's stuff he's got to deal with. As far as getting in the ring with Scott, I enjoyed it. But you can't expect that guy to come in here and in three months be in a WrestleMania match. So I wanted to wrestle with somebody different. I got no animosity toward Scott Hall. He's as good as gold with me.

When I went home the day after WrestleMania X8, I was going to get my head together, man. The way things were going, I needed to step back and say, "Man, let me take a breath of fresh air," because when The Rock was off making his movie and Triple H was down with an injury, I was working over- time. When they get me hot and rolling, I'm out doing every single thing they got. I worked my ass off, just like everybody else on the crew. It's part of being a top guy. I worked every damned show there is. I was burned out physically. Damn it, I'm not a spring chicken anymore. I can go with the best of them, but I was burned-out. That's the bottom line. I knew I was going to come back. I just needed some time off, and I didn't need to negotiate it or talk about it with anybody or anything like that. I wanted to go home, and I did.

I go back to that deal with Rocky at 'Mania. That was one of the best promoted matchups in history. To me, it was on fire. It was awesome. And it went down from there. I'll shoulder some of the blame, because I made character decisions that weren't in my best interest. But I wasn't in Vince's ear. His ear was somewhere else. Maybe he was as burned out as I was going to become.

When I came back about six weeks later things were just the way they were. I did an interview on Byte This on WWE.com, and I had a lot of things to say about the creative direction that got me in some hot water.

See, here's the problem with creative: You got people writing storylines who ain't never been in the ring, that don know what the hell's in my head. And here's someone who's going to sit there and write words for Stone Cold? Uh-uh.

When I came back in 2000 from my neck surgery, it was kind of a different system. I just kind of fell into it because I was insecure. I was worried about getting back in the swing so I just started going with the new system. But when I was at my very hottest ... when I first came around. I started off as the Ringmaster. I came up with my own material. Well, I was coming up with all my stuff myself, and that made me a hell of a hot talent, because I was spitting out all this s *** I'd heard in Texas my whole life. And that's what made me what I was. All of a sudden you've got someone putting words in your mouth-you can't do that. The writers are taking the business from the boys, and that's what the problem with creative is. They've got to give the business back to the damn boys. When you got a guy who's been in the business three, six, eight, ten or fifteen years, it doesn't matter. Asking a damned writer what he's supposed to say? There's a problem.

When I was at my hottest, selling out everywhere we went, no one was telling me what to say. They'd give me a few little bullet points, "I'd like you to cover this or that," and then like all talent should. I'd feed off the crowd and make the rest up.

When Ric Flair was at his hottest in the NWA days, he wasn't doing comedy. He was saying what was on his mind, and it came from his heart and his head, because he believed in what he was doing. I believed in what I was doing. Hogan, for what it's worth, when that guy was hot, he was saying what was in his heart and in his mind. He didn't have no one-some 25 year old, fresh out of sitcom school or whatever the hell it is-telling him what to say. That's a big problem to me.

I'd made it pretty clear that I wasn't happy, but from where I stood, things had changed between me and Vince. It just seemed like when I had to take a damn year off with my neck-and that sucked, to he on top of the world and then get shut down and sit there and watch. When I took that year off, that leave of absence, I didn't know if I was going to come back or not, because my neck was a serious deal, and it still is. When I came back, things were different between me and him. When I came back ... if I don't see you for a year but you're my friend-boom-we're right back on the same page from when I left. That's how work. Vince, it seemed like he was on a different page from where I was. I know he had to be in tune with the other guys, and that's fine. You can't sit there thinking about Stone Cold. I'm at the house. I'm not making money for anybody; I'm not entertaining the crowd. I'm just trying to heal up. But when I came back, in my opinion, things had changed. It seemed like people were in his ear for their own agendas, and not the direction or agenda of WWE.

Man, I'll tell you what, I give you everything I've got, and when I keep giving it to you and I keep getting tuned out and shut down, I just get fed up. I got so frustrated that I was like, "F *** it." That's how I operate. It's probably one of my biggest quirks or faults or whatever-traits, I don't know. I'm still going to work hard for you, but I know the situation isn't what it needs to be. I know whatever I do at my best, if the situation is dogs *** , it ain't gonna work.

And that's where I was in June, right before I went home for what I thought was for good. We were just finishing Knoxville or somewhere in Tennessee, and we were going to go down to Atlanta for Raw the next night. I got to the hotel and J.R. called and talked about my matchup for Monday night, and I said, "Man, I don't like that." He said, "Well, that's what we're going to do," and I said, "Well, then I'm not going to be there." He told me I was going to be facing Brock [Lesnar] in an unadvertised Raw match-no buildup, no promotion, no nothing. I said, "I don't like it." Later that night, at about two in the morning, I called Vince and he ran the same scenario by me. I sat there, listened and said, "Okay." And he's thinking I'm saying okay because I agreed to it. I was saying, "Okay, I'm f *** ing fed up. This is bulls *** "

I started seeing the writing on the wall. That's when I decided to walk. Here's the bottom line: I'm Stone Cold Steve Austin. I've drawn more money than anybody in the business.

I've sold more merchandise than anybody in the business, and I've sold more pay-per-views than anybody in the business. I'm not the first in line for Brock Lesnar. I'm the last in line. I'm happy to do business with anybody-when it's time to do business. That was the dumbest business decision I've ever heard in my life. If you're a stupid S.O.B., you say, "Yeah, Austin, do it." But if you know the business, and you know what is business, then I'm the last one for Brock.

That's the money match. That's the promotion. That's the match everyone wants to see. Then whatever the outcome is, it's fine by me. But I'm the last in line, I'm not the first.

So, I packed up my gear and got on a plane back to Texas, and J.R. called me on my cell phone while I was sitting on the plane, waiting for it to take off. He told me to get my ass back to the building. Man, that was a hard day, but I had already made up my damn mind what I was going to do, because I wasn't going to go to the building and negotiate with Vince about working with Brock Lesnar. It's got nothing to do with Brock-I like the guy. I think he's an awesome talent, and I think he's going to be a big star. But when you sit there and all of a sudden they want me to go to Raw and compete with Brock when it wasn't time, they're screwing with me and the business. They're basically jabbing me with a stick. And you can't tell me different, because those weren't good business decisions. So I was not going to get off that plane to negotiate. I was going to go to the damned house, because that was the only way I figured I was going to get Vince's damn attention and wake him up and say, "F *** you, man. This ain't right!"

And everybody said, "That wasn't the way to do it. That for position, and everybody was saying, "Oh, he's different, wasn't the way to do it." Nobody knows, because nobody back there in the damn dressing room has ever been in my knee braces. I ain't being cocky. I'm just telling you. And then they said, "Okay, well, Stone Cold was holding the talent down, now new guys are going to come up and be big stars." Well, you name me that big star who stepped up that I was holding down. Because I can't think of one. Edge has come up, but when was I holding him down? I helped anybody out there who asked me for an opinion. Could I have gotten off that plane? Yeah but I wasn't going to go negotiate nothing. I made up my mind I got a bloody mary. I wasn't happy about what I was doing, but I was stubborn. I thought that's what I needed to do, and that's what I did. J.R. said, "That was the dumbest thing you ever did," or "That was the biggest mistake you ever made," and I'm living with it. Whether it was a mistake or whatever, I did what I thought I needed to. And I can't go back in time to change it.

At that point in time, in my mind, I was done. That was it. There was so much in-fighting between these guys jockeying, saying he’s different, he's that, he's not a team player." Man, I saw right through all that bulls ***. And when I busted my ass for the company and done what I done, and whenever I said I was hurt-and l rarely missed shots until I was taken out with serious injuries- if I tell you I'm hurt, I'm hurt. And I ain't got the sniffles, I ain't got PMS, I'm f *** ing hurt. If I tell you something, it's the truth. I busted my ass for that company. I damn near got paralyzed and turned into a quadriplegic-and that was a very, very lucky damn thing that didn't happen to me. I came back from that.

I came back from neck surgery, and I've got bad knees and I've got a lot of other problems. I've given this company everything I got. I'm not complaining about it. because they pay me. They pay me to give that up, and It provides me with income. So I'm not whining about it. I'm just saying, "I give you everything I've got, now you give me everything you've got." I'm not talking about money. I m talking about the best creative possible. Because I drew you a lot of money and I sold you a lot of s ***. Now treat me like it. And not like a prima donna, because I'm not.

And then I got the label of being paranoid. I'm not f *** ing paranoid! I mean, Jesus Christ, when I left, people started voicing their opinions and saying I was different or I was paranoid, whatever. I feel what I feel. You can't ask anybody back there. They gave their opinion, but it's not a valid opinion, because nobody back there has ever been in the shoes I'm in. But that all came during the famous WWE smear campaign, as I like to call the Confidential show and the RAW Magazine article, and all the things that came out right after I left. "Austin took his ball and went home." It was all bulls *** propaganda. And, again, it wasn't the whole story, because you never heard my story.

There were some other things that went on while I was gone that pissed me off. Like during the smear campaign when I was sitting at the house and had to turn on the TV and see The Rock making a special appearance on Raw. This was during the "Get the 'F' Out" campaign, when we had to change our name to WWE-which completely sucks. So all of a sudden, you've got Rock out there saying, "You know, if you don't want to be here, then get the 'F' out!" Well genius, I'd already been out and got out. So, I didn't need you to come on TV flapping your gums telling me to get the "F" out. To me, that was the thing that got my ass the most. Here's a guy who I was a tremendous influence on his career in the ring. He'll tell you the same thing- and if he don't, he's a liar. Anytime he needed advice for a problem, I'd give him the best advice I could. I always helped that guy out-I helped every- one who asked. If you wanted my honest opinion, I'd give it. So anyway, the problem was with me and Vince, it wasn't with me and Rock. I thought that was the biggest chickens *** thing I'd ever seen done to me, so far in the business, for him to go out and call me out. That's how he pays me back? That was pathetic.

And the other one-Triple H's constant references to me taking my ball and going home. "You want me to pull an Austin?" or whatever. Here's a guy who needs to stop worrying about me-I'm not even with the company right now. He needs to worry about his own character and drawing big money for the company. "Oh, but the business is in a down cycle."

That's very convenient. In my view, he's not where he should be with the amount of TV time invested in him. So, don't worry about Stone Cold because some- where along the line, in the transition from being a Greenwich snob to being the toughest guy ever towalk in the ring who walks down the ramp all jacked up spewing water, I missed it. And you know what?

When I look back at old films from when I was gone in 2000, that was the year Triple H stepped up huge. That was the year Triple H carried the entire company. That's the year Triple H was a hell of a hand. So knock off 25 pounds and go back to doing that and being one of the best. It's f *** ing simple.

So about three months passed, and I was still home and damn sure I was done. I was not going to call the company, because I figured I didn't hand in a written notice. I didn't hand them anything saying "I quit" or anything like that. I just figured, "F *** that, it's over." Finally, I get a card in the mail from Jim Ross. It just said, "Hey, if you need me, I'm here," and it was just signed, "Jim Ross." The letter was as simple as that. And I said, "Well, goddamn, that was cool." When he sent me that card, I picked up the phone and gave him a call, and we talked for two hours. Two hours, just about what the hell was going on and things like that. He said to me, "You know, Steve, what do you think about talking to Vince? He's a fair man, and he's always willing to meet you, you know.

Let me talk to him and see if we can't get you guys together.

Would you be willing to do that?" And I said, "You're damn right I'd be willing to do that, because I'd like to look him in the eye and ask him what the f *** happened. And if he wants to ask me something, I want to tell him to his face what I think, what I thought, and why I did what I did. But I got to ask him the same questions." I said, "Jim, the deal is this:  Even if I don't come back, I had a lot of fun working for that man. I had a lot of fun working for that company, so why should I have to leave on such a down note? And when people ask me about WWE, [why should I] have to give them a negative response? I had too much fun for that. I'd at least like to meet with Vince and shake his damn hand and thank him for the job I had a hell of a lot of fun at." We had our disagreements, but I respect the s *** out of the guy. I love the guy. And I'd have done anything for him. So Jim set up the meeting in Houston when WWE was in town for Raw.

It was one on one, me and Vince, in a hotel room in Houston. Like he said, I didn't know if we were going to fight or hug each other. I told him I felt the same damn thing. We shook hands, hugged, talked and parted ways But we buried the hatchet. So when I come and step in, I can look anybody in the eye, and I look Vince in the eye, because the hatchet is buried with him.

We talked about why I left and all that stuff. We started talking about maybe coming back. I told him "You know, I got no problem showing up backstage at a show or anything like that, because I've paid my dues. I earned my stripes." I've been in this business 13 years, and I pulled my damn share of the load. pulled the wagon. I drew money. I got it done. So I can look anybody in the eye. I don't give a damn if it's a top guy, a middle guy or a bottom guy; man, woman. whatever. Hell, I'm Stone Cold Steve Austin. In this business. I f *** ing did it, and I still want to do it. So I can look anybody in the eye. I got no problem facing anybody in that locker room. I paid my dues. If you like me, you do. If you don't, you don't. If they've got a problem with me, I've got a Stone Cold salute for them.

But we didn't agree to bring me back in the ring just yet. I said, "You know what? My contract's pretty close to being up." I have seven months left on it. Or four months left on it, but I was gone for several months, so he goes, "Let's roll the contract so that we can go back to where it was." I told Vince, "I ain't the guy you're going to build your future on. I've been here, I've done it. I just turned 38, but I can help some of these new guys that you want to hang the company on develop into the next big Superstars." I'm talking from a standpoint of knowledge and understanding and psychology of the business. Promos-delivery, execution, conviction in how they say it, the speed at which they say it, how they react to the fans and still get their point across. What they do in their match-mannerisms, physicality, energy and heart, all the little things that nobody really knows how to do anymore, maybe only à few guys. Coming back, I don't see myself as a manager. I don't see myself as an announcer-I don't have that kind of voice. But I also said, "If I do come back, I'm not saying I don't want to get back in the ring, because maybe if I start feeling frisky, well, hey, if I start going around and start feeding off of it, maybe something will happen. Maybe I'll go haywire and want to jump back in the ring and start working again." I think the door is open to do anything, but we have to sit down and talk about that part of it.

And here's one thing I'm going to talk about: They need to let the wrestlers be more hands-on and yank the wrestlers who are in the television production meetings out of those meetings, because it's a separate agenda. They need to give the damn business back to the boys. I'm not saying the people who are in creative now can't come up with good ideas, but when they try to write them out verbatim and tell you to follow them, you become a follower instead of a leader. To be a good hand in the ring, you gotta be a leader. To go out there with some words some sumbitch writes on a piece of paper, and he's going to tell you what to do and you do it, that's not what this business is all about. We ain't actors. Same thing with the matches. The matches move too fast. These aren't quick answers on how to change the business, but I think they will. Bottom line is, it's got to go back to being a competition. It's not a performance. You've got performers in WWE right now, not workers. Go back to what it's supposed to be. And I'm not running down everybody backstage. I'm just saying, you just stick any two random guys, or any two random girls, and say, "Hey you guys are having a match, and let it fly and see what happens." That's the only way you're going to put any feeling back in the business. Take the business away from the writers and put it back into the wrestlers' hands, because that's where it's supposed to be. This is a whole different animal from Hollywood.

I don't know what I'm going to do when I get back, but I am looking forward to just getting into the mix and seeing what happens once I kind of get there. Kind of hanging around a few TVs and seeing what I feed off of or how I feel. Maybe if I get in the ring and work out, seeing how my body feels. But I'm not in ring shape. I'm in okay shape just sitting here, but ring shape is a whole different deal.

I have a big problem with the way the business is being run right now, because it's not a wrestling show anymore.

That's what, to my thinking, is one of the big things wrong with the business. There are no issues that are larger than life that people have just got to see. I don't know. I think they should do away with all the prefab backstage stuff, and let guys go back to relearning what this business is all about. Put that product in the ring and tell the writers, "You want to lay out some s ***? Use Jim Ross, lay out the format of the show- here's your matches and a couple of promo segments." But have guys go out there and say, "Okay, Booker T, you're going to battle Kurt Angle tonight. Terri Runnels is going to interview you, and then Kurt is going to have an in-ring promo." And that's it. Let them f *** ing go. Man, that's what the business is about! Ric Flair and those guys in the NWA or World Class Championship Wrestling-they didn't tell them what to do. You knew your program. That's how you get depth in this business. That's how you get your scholarship. You're put in a situation, and you're forced to respond. You can't have some 25-year-old guy hand you a bunch of f *** ing words and draw money that way. The only way you're gonna put any feeling back in the business is to [put it] back into the wrestlers' hands, because that's where it's supposed to be.

But, like I told Vince, I'd like to finish out my obligation to the company, because I did a lot for the company, and the company did a lot for me. I realize that, and I appreciate all the stuff they've done for me. So I'd like to finish my obligation. That's why I said I'm not 100 percent sure I'd like to get back in the ring, because in any other role, I could ad-lib and say things and do this and that and create and be just fine. Will I still care then? Of course I'll care.

I always care. If I'm doing something, the result always has to be A-number 1, because I don't want anything less. But it's easier to just go out there and do stuff than to wrestle. The stuff I'd do if I weren't back in the ring would be simple to me, because it would be executed and done the way I want it to be done.

I don’t have a clue as to what’s going to happen when I come back. Like I said, we can start something and see what's going to happen. I know I'm willing to consider anything. Especially if I get that damn adrenaline going, that whole, "Okay, damnit, let's go, damn it," and start feeling attached to the program.

I guess right now I just feel so distant. I've been watching for so long and I am still frustrated. It's just an issue with me. So I'm not saying I will and I'm not saying I won't. It's just some- thing that's still a work in progress. Am I still hungry? Yeah. I just don't want to jump back in the ring for the sake of jumping back in the ring.

Mentally, yeah, I'm recharged. But also, I'm still stagnant, because I'm not sitting here thinking of ideas for shirts or merchandise or things like that, which was always a constant driving force with me. I guess I just thrived on selling all that stuff, because back in WCW, Eric Bischoff said I was never going to be successful and that I wasn't marketable. And then my good friend Jimmy Miranda who passed away last year-came up to me and said, "Steve, they finally want to make a t-shirt of you." And after that first t-shirt-I came up with the idea for that-that's what gets my gears going and gets me going. That's what I thrive on. I put some damn heavy metal on, some Black Label Society or something like that, and I go, "Oh s *** , here comes an idea," and I grab a piece of paper. That's what charges me up. I'll come up with a story about what I can do with this guy or that, stuff like that. But I'm stagnant as far as that goes. Mentally, I'm stagnant. But one of the saving graces has been doing appearances again. Getting out, and seeing all those people has always been a rush for me. Getting out in front of people again has been great.

I know where I'm at right now. I was out with injuries twice, and then I walked away from the business, so it's come and gone from my life several times. I know I exist without it. I'm happy when I'm in it. Coming back, if we sit down and come up with some scenarios that are worthwhile and that would entertain the fans and bring business back up to whatever degree ... There's no saying that it's a one-man save right now. But coming back, starting from where I come back, I don't want to recreate the old Stone Cold or the Stone Cold from '99. I'll be the Stone Cold from 2003, whatever that is. I've watched Shawn Michaels, and I think Shawn's done well. I think he goes on about religion too much, but I'm not knocking Shawn, because I think he's awesome. He's one of my favorites. I just want to do whatever I can do and go on from there. I've been the guy. Can I be the guy again? S *** , I don't know. I could have been anything I wanted in life. What I turned out to be was an entertainer. A professional wrestler. I don't want to do anything else. Maybe something entertainment- oriented-a bulls *** part here or there, or something with World Wrestling Entertainment. When I met with Vince we talked a little bit about extending my contract. We were talking about in-ring work, but I said I always saw myself being associated in some shape or form with WWE. They put me on the map, and I helped bring that company back around again. And I had so much fun doing it. Man, I love WWE. My damn career certainly hasn't been no storybook where everything always happens right. It took me a lot of time to get up. I've had some bad injuries and setbacks, but I kept coming back from those. But through it all, I'm in the entertainment business. I work for World Wrestling Entertainment. I'm a professional wrestler. That's what makes me happy.

FAST ON THE HEELS OF HIS JUNE 10 WALKOUT, THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING STEVE AUSTIN GREW ON JUNE 15 WHEN SAN ANTONIO POLICE RESPONDED TO AN INCIDENT BETWEEN AUSTIN AND HIS WIFE DEBRA AT THEIR HOME. ALTHOUGH DEBRA DECLINED TO PRESS CHARGES, AUSTIN WAS CHARGED WITH ASSAULT BY THE LOCAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY SENTENCED TO A YEAR'S PROBATION, COMMUNITY SERVICE AND A FINE. ALTHOUGH THE COUPLE ATTEMPTED A RECONCILIATION, AT PRESS TIME THEY WERE SEPARATED AND HAD FILED FOR DIVORCE. FOR THE FIRST TIME, AUSTIN RESPONDS TO THE INCIDENT AND THE MEDIA UPROAR IT CREATED.

The other thing that I want to respond to is everything that happened between me and Debra. Well, me and Debra saw fit to argue pretty often. I don't know. I was just coming off a divorce, and Debra and I just started talking. She's a beautiful woman and an absolute sweetheart. I loved her to death.

I still love her. But two people in this business, it's tough. When she married me, there wasn't any top-notch storylines. You're not the top woman because you're attached to me. It was the exact opposite. Because if she's married to me, how is she going to go out there and continue to do storylines from when before she was married to me? You know, and vice versa. I never do stuff on TV with women or anything like that. To a degree, it kind of put a damper on what l could do, because people really didn't see Stone Cold out there with a woman, whether she's his wife or not. Business is business.

But the two kind of had a head-on collision, and it just didn't work. She was frustrated to the nth degree, and rightfully so, because she's good at what she does So, she was frustrated. I was frustrated. I was listening to her, and she was listening to me. With all the burnout factors, and being together absolutely 24/7, it just kind of took a toll on us.

Things just started down the spiral.

There were really great days, and there were bad days. And the bad days started to become more and more frequent, like in a lot of relationships. It was weird. Like I said, to this day, God, I love her to death. It was a deal where we were almost too alike. Too headstrong, to some degree. Things just self-destructed from that point. Looking back now, there's a lot of things l'd do differently. There are situations I would have handled differently, a little more intelligently. I thought after my last divorce that I would be better at marriage the next time around, but obviously, from where we're at now, I wasn't so successful.

Then there was the incident that happened at the house, which was completely blown out of proportion. Completely. But nonetheless, charges were filed. And then the media got a hold of it. I'd go to the store, and they'd follow me around in helicopters. I had a bright yellow Corvette which I got rid of because it was easy to spot. They made it look like I was running from the law. Some [district attorney] here in San Antonio was trying to hang her hat on this case, tried to make a name for herself off of me. I don't want to get into too many details about that. I'll just say that it happened. It was a long process. I went to court, l've taken responsibility for my actions. I'm living up to that, and I'm moving on. I ended up filing for divorce, but I really didn't want to get divorced, so I tore it up. But we filed for divorce again and we're living in separate properties right now. I still talk to her every now and then, and, well, the situation pretty much sucks.

I got probation for a year. I got 80 hours of community service, no alcohol as long as I'm on probation, and some other stuff. That's the gist of it. And the part about not being able to drink is interesting. I never read the Internet a whole lot, but I bought a computer and started reading it, because | wasn't in the business and wanted to know what was going on. And I wanted to know what was being said. All of a sudden, it was like, "Yeah, Stone Cold, toward the end had a drinking problem," and "He drinks way too much," and "Alcohol is bad for him." I've never had a drinking problem in my life.

I drink beer on TV. To a large degree, the people writing this stuff on the Internet are complete idiots, and they're very, very young people. I really love when they talk about the business, about how a match is built or about how this guy is a genius. Oh, it's just horrible. But the alcohol thing-I don't know how long l've been on probation now, but | haven't had a drop of alcohol, and | don't miss it. You break the cycle, and-bam- you're done. I got in shape for this photo shoot, and not drinking made me look better for this thing. Now, I don't even want a beer. When I get off probation, am I going to drink a beer? Damn right I am, because I do drink, but I drink responsibly. I enjoy beer.

But is it a problem? No. I've never had a problem with alcohol. I've never had a problem with anything. I've had other problems-a lot of work, a lot of stress and a lot of personal problems. And over time I've sorted them out, and the fact is that I didn't handle a lot of them as well as I could have. So, I look at myself in the mirror, I take the blame for everything, and learn from this deal and go on to the next one. I've taken my share of the blame for everything and l've learned something: Every time you have a problem in life and live through it, you just get stronger and smarter.

CHISELED OUT OF STONE

The minute Stone Cold Steve Austin stepped out of the Olympic Gym in San Antonio to greet the crew from RAW Magazine, one thing became immediately obvious-Austin had been spending a tremendous amount of time hitting the weights, and looked to be in the best shape of his career.

The pictures that accompany Austin's first-person account of the recent events of his life and career bear that out. Stone Cold is indeed in amazing shape, although he was quick to point out that he still had a long way to go before he was in ring shape.

"I'm in okay shape just sitting here," he said, "but ring shape is a whole different deal, a whole different variety." Austin has been doing two-a-day workouts, heavy on both weights and cardio, more or less since he left WWE in June.

He gives the credit for the amazing results to his friend and personal trainer, Skylar Craig. When Austin and Craig began working out together, Austin weighed 254 pounds and had 13 percent body fat. Craig bulked up Austin to nearly 280 pounds, while reducing his body fat, before bringing him down to 260 pounds and 8 percent body fat-an amazing ratio.

In the weeks leading up to this photo shoot, Craig designed a 10-day concentrated carb-depleted diet for Austin to get the subcutaneous fat out and have him looking his best for the shoot. For 10 days Austin ate little other than steamed mahi and steamed broccoli and cauliflower, with no salt, butter or other garnish on either.

Austin drank a gallon of water on the first day of the diet, two on the second, and so on up to between three and four gallons of water on the fourth and fifth days. He then cut back to between 35 and 40 ounces of water a day for the remainder of the diet, while slowly increasing his carb intake daily.

"Skylar knows his stuff. He's been working hard with me and I really appreciate it," Austin said. "The diet hasn't been easy. As soon as the photo shoot is over, I'm going out and having a steak. But I'm sticking with what l've been doing because it's been working for me."

 

 

Edited yesterday at 10:33 AM by jm29195

[BarryOVega]

Vaguely remembered him burying Hogan around that time but I've never seen his quotes about Triple H before, I know it's not like he was shooting on Raw but surprised they put that in the magazine with how strong it was, completely true as well