Steve Austin talks about the rise of Kevin Owens.
Over the past couple of months, Kevin Owens has begun using the Stone Cold Stunner as his finishing maneuver. The use of the Stunner has inevitably brought up comparisons to Steve Austin, who famously dished out Stunners during his run through the 90s and early 2000s.
Austin is quick to pump the brakes on any comparison between himself and Owens.
“With Kevin Owens, don’t throw my name on there,” said Austin in an interview with Sports Illustrated. “This guy can talk a lot of trash, he is great in the ring, and he’s using my finisher, but hell, no one is going to be the next Steve Austin. I remember when people were saying I was going to be the next Ric Flair when I was in WCW. No one’s ever going to be the next Ric Flair, and you’re not going to see the next Hulk Hogan or the next Bret Hart, either. It just doesn’t happen that way. People like to say that because of the similarities, but what we should be saying is, ‘I want this guy to be the next big thing.’”
Austin continued, "It’s just like when people wanted to compare me to Becky Lynch. We have similar attitudes, but she’s done things so differently than I have. She’s running her own race, she has her own career, and she’s doing a phenomenal job. People are comparing her to me because she’s got that abrasive attitude like I did, but that’s what we are supposed to have in pro wrestling. You know, I always hated when people called the ‘Attitude Era’ the ‘Attitude Era’ because I always thought professional wrestlers had attitude to begin with."
Austin admitted in the interview that others used the Stunner before he made it famous and he had no issue passing the move to Owens. And while Austin may want to pump the brakes on any comparison between him and Owens, he doesn't want WWE pumping the brakes on Owens.
“So just let Kevin be Kevin, put him in good situations and don’t put the brakes on him. If you’re going to run with this guy, then let him be the biggest, baddest, best Kevin Owens he can be.”
Austin returned to WWE TV last Monday at the Raw Reunion. And while he didn't drop anyone on that stack of dimes they call a neck, he did bring with him plenty of Broken Skull IPA's, toasting to the WWE family in the final segment of the night.
