We're well on the road to the upcoming WrestleMania 40 and, with that, rumors about Stone Cold Steve Austin possibly attending are now in effect. Sure enough, he's already fielding questions about whether or not he'll appear and have another match, despite the previous rumors about him facing CM Punk falling through after the latter's injury. Now, in the wake of an interview that suggests the superstar is looking back at his last match, I have a theory about how he could be used.
After the WWE passed on Steve Austin for WrestleMania 39, could he be in the mix for a match in Philadelphia? I suspect the answer is yes after reading his latest comments. On that note, let me explain how I believe he can still get in on this massive wrestling event.
Stone Cold Said He Watched His WrestleMania 38 Match Ahead Of An Unspecified Project
Stone Cold Steve Austin spoke with ESPN recently and, as he often is during WrestleMania season, he was being cagey about his plans for the coming months. Austin revealed that he recently looked back at his surprise match at WrestleMania 38 with Kevin Owens in anticipation of a project he couldn't discuss. Here's what Austin had to say about that, as well as the possibility of a return:
I dissected what I did, and I know that I can improve on what I did. I said I'd never get in a ring again unless all the stars aligned. And for some reason, somehow, they all did. And at the age of 57, I headlined the first night of WrestleMania. I never thought I'd do that. If you'd have told me that when I retired in [2003], I'd have said, 'You're crazy.' So I'm not gonna sit here and say no to anything because you never say never in this crazy business of sports entertainment.
The news outlet went on to report that it didn't seem likely that 59-year-old veteran would compete at WrestleMania 40, and that tracks because there are no plans at present to include him. With that said, there's still a way he could be used in what could end up being one of the most iconic matches of his career.
How Stone Cold Steve Austin Could Be Used At WrestleMania 40
While no official plans for WrestleMania 40's main event for Night 1 have been announced, it seems as though the WWE is building toward Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins teaming up for a tag-team match against The Rock and Roman Reigns. That would come ahead of Rhodes and Reigns' rematch on Night 2. One hang-up is that Rollins must also defend his Heavyweight championship amid the proceedings and, assuming that happens on Night 1 before the speculated tag-team match, he might be unable to compete.
Let's not forget that Seth Rollins was legitimately injured recently and is rehabbing to be cleared to compete at WrestleMania 40. I see a scenario where either the WWE uses this injury to justify Rollins missing out on the tag match, and Cody Rhodes is left without a partner.
Assuming that happened, who else but Stone Cold Steve Austin would be the perfect tag-team partner for Cody Rhodes to stand alongside and battle Roman Reigns and The Rock? It's the only scenario in which I believe the WWE could create a better main event than the tag match we're presumably heading towards. I'd wholly assume that's something people would be checking out with a Peacock Premium subscription.
That said, this theory is way out there due to the sheer amount of speculation. For it to even come together, we'd at least need to know Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes will indeed join forces against The Rock and Roman Reigns in a tag match set for the main event of WrestleMania Night 1. Secondly, there would need to be some way for Rollins to be unable to compete, be it through having to defend his title ahead of the match or some other reason. Even if those elements come together, we'd still need Stone Cold Steve Austin to be willing to return. For now, this is just a long-shot assumption, but one I'd love to see happen if possible!
WrestleMania 40 will take place on Saturday, April 6th, and Sunday, April 7th. As for what Stone Cold Steve Austin will be up to that day, we'll just have to wait and see. I know I'd love to see him have a match if he's up for it, and to see him compete against The Rock at an upcoming WWE event would be a dream come true.
