Stone Cold Steve Austin has addressed a potential dream match with CM Punk, following the Best in the World’s return to WWE.
When Punk made his shock return to the company at Survivor Series 2023, it wasn’t long till talk began regarding WWE finally putting on the match we always wanted but never got between he and The Rattlesnake.
There were even rumors that the match could potentially happen at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.
While it wasn’t seeming to be in the cards this year, any hope of seeing it at this year’s Showcase of the Immortals was dashed when CM Punk suffered a torn triceps at the 2024 Royal Rumble.
Despite this however, the match is not something fans are likely to let go, so it’s no surprise that Austin was posed that exact topic in a recent interview with ESPN.
Firstly, Austin discussed his future inside a WWE ring in general, having returned after a 19-year absence at WrestleMania 38 against Kevin Owens.
Austin said:
“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 six-time WWE Champion was also asked if he had an opponent in mid for a potential return match, to which Austin revealed he did, but would not name any names.
Which led on to the topic of CM Punk, someone who Austin considers a “great friend”, and refused to rule out facing inside a WWE ring in the future.
Austin said:
“I like Punk, and I think Punk likes me — so, as long as he can take a (Stone Cold) Stunner (laughs). I consider him a great friend, a great guy and a great wrestler who’s had a great career. We’ll see.”
Although Austin remains noncommittal on a future return match with Punk, he opened up on how “addicting” he finds stepping into a WWE ring and how much he loves the business overall.
Austin continued:
“I love the sports entertainment business more than anything I’ve ever done in my life. And you get a dose of it, and you want more.
“And so here I am talking to you a couple years later about doing it again. And that’s how addicting it is to me, just to talk about it. And I get excited, and I’ll start talking too fast.
“But it’s not gonna happen. But it could.”
As well as a Punk vs. Austin match, another potential bout we could see in Punk’s WWE return run is against Drew McIntyre, the man who is taking credit for putting the former AEW star on the shelf.
McIntyre has continued to rub salt in the wounds regarding Punk’s injury, with the Scottish Warrior even receiving a fine for his actions on last night’s Raw (February 12).
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