By Phil Allely
Stone Cold Steve Austin needs very little introduction to wrestling fans, he was one of the WWE’s biggest and most popular stars during the 1990s, the bald headed maverick single-handedly he helped their attitude era of wrestling beat their close rival WCW into submission.
A severe neck injury that forced him to retire from the ring was the only thing that stopped him still being there today.
Here the WWE ‘Hall of Famer’ talks to Phil Allely about wrestling and his new movie release Hunt to Kill.
Steve does still watch wrestling and has his own opinions on the direction the product is taking today.
‘I watch WWE, I watch TNA, I don’t like it when people say, hey you’re a WWE guy why do you watch TNA. I love pro wrestling, I watch all wrestling when I can, be it TNA or WWE, it’s a passion, I have always had that passion for the sport. That’s what inspired me to enter the ring in the first place, I watched wrestling avidly and back then it was guys battering each other in smoke filled arenas and blood flowed freely’.
In his prime Stone Cold rose from the opening act on WWE cards to the main event star in very quick succession, his character striking a chord with millions and making him a real life icon to them all.
‘I was Stone Cold Steve Austin and my era and my style was what worked (very successfully) back then (when I was active). In WWE today I guess PG works business wise for them right now.
That’s why I watch wrestling whenever I can today, it‘s entertaining and takes me back, I do have fond memories of my time there in the ring. When it took off with me (as Stone Cold) it was so hot and so fast, I realise now it was not designed to last forever, when I got dropped on my head that all changed.
I lasted a while longer only after that match with Owen Hart. But I had a lot of fun as that guy, I ran through and had so many exciting moments as Stone Cold.
My career was what it was, I had some 15 years of cuts, stitches, injuries and much more, I cant say nothing bad about it. I met some great guys and had some amazing matches’.
When he left WCW Austin joined the more violence orientated ECW for a short while and still has a lot of respect for the Philadelphia company that spawned so many of today’s top stars and wrestling icons, many of which have now cropped up in TNA recently.
‘ECW was a blast back in the day and you know who’s gonna fault them being back in the limelight again, we all have opinions on who should be on TV or not, but at the end of the day its good to see the guys getting a payday and the respect they deserve.
Those guys in TNA today (as EV2.0) many of them are old road buddies of mine and I have the utmost respect for them’.
‘To be honest its great to see some guys still performing out there after the injuries they’ve had. I’m lucky, you know my neck is 100% these days, I can do my own stunts and fight scenes where I can. I don’t claim to be a tough guy, but give it a go. My neck was fixed in 2000, I had to leave the ring because of the damage, but in my normal life and movies it’s fine, wrestling wise I’d be a total mess right now’.
‘You know I’m hearing Hulk is talking about getting back in the ring, even though his backs messed up. You know he was a big guy, all that wear and tear takes a toll on the back and the bigger the guy the harder it is. He was working with big guys too, like Andre, John Studd and such. He’s a big boy and more power to him if he thinks he’s fit to step in the ring. He’s the immortal and only Hulkster, so ultimately he knows his body best. I respect whatever decision he makes’.
‘I never thought I’d say it, but when I’m asked about one more match these days I do tend to say Never say never, so don’t rule it out’.
‘I sometime wish Hogan and I had have had a run a few years earlier, imagine how good that could have been, given the chance I’d have loved to have faced legends like Harley Race, Nick Bockwinkle and Andre the Giant, those guys in their prime and me in mines would have been great’.
Though he’s no longer an active wrestler and now a respected action movie star with his own vehicles, such as The Stranger and new film Hunt to Kill under his belt Steve has also starred in one of the most highly anticipated and successful action films of the last year The Expendables, where he rubbed Shoulders with many of the genres greatest stars.
‘On The Expendables I was number 12 on the call sheet, that was a great experience though, I learnt so much from all of those guys, in particular Sylvester Stallone, he was the number one box office star in action films and has taught me so much’.
Action may be the natural acting genre of choice for an ex-wrestler with a hard as nails character, but Austin has other thespian aspirations too beyond his chosen comfort zone.
‘Comedy I‘d love to do that, but right now after doing this, action’s my genre and learning from Stallone and the guys on The Expendables, I just want to do more. Next February I’m off to Vancouver for a SWAT team film and now I’m just itching to go and do more back-to-back ones.
My brand and my style are there to build on. I want to take the training wheels off (the Steve Austin action movie juggernaut) and get going. I’d really love to do some comedy, a horror or a sci-fi film, but action is my thing right now’.
Steve Austin’s new film Hunt to Kill is released on DVD and Blu-Ray on October 11 by Anchor Bay Entertainment and features him as a Montana Border Patrol Officer who not only has to deal with a rebellious teenage daughter, but a gang of dangerous criminals who are in search of a missing horde of cash.
The action packed film is Stone Cold’s biggest solo project to date and promises to ‘Hunt to Thrill‘.
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