'Stone Cold' Steve Austin is returning to the ring at 'WrestleMania 38'.
'Stone Cold' Steve Austin is making his long-awaited return
The former world champion will make his long-awaited return to the WWE at this year's 'WrestleMania', when he'll face Kevin Owens at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
Stone Cold - whose last match was against Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in 2003 - said in a video posted on the WWE Twitter page: "Nineteen years ago, I wrestled my last match in a WWE ring. After three Rock Bottoms, one-two-three, I lost the match. And for 19 years, I’ve had to live with that defeat, knowing my time was up.
"Kevin Owens, I want to thank you. I want to thank you for waking something up deep inside me that I’ve kept buried for 19 years. Ever since you started running that mealy mouth of yours taking about the state of Texas - the great state of Texas - you got my attention.
"Why would you want to do that, Kevin? I can think of two reasons.
"One: You are one dumb son of a b****. And two: You are fixin’ to get your a** kicked by Stone Cold Steve Austin.
"Whether you want to call this ‘The KO Show’, a match, a fight, a brawl - whatever. I’m gonna guarantee you this: In Dallas, Texas, where I started my career, at 'WrestleMania', Stone Cold Steve Austin is gonna open up one last can of whoop a** on you, Kevin Owens.
"And that’s the bottom line, cause Stone Cold said so."
By contrast, Stone Cold previously admitted he was hesitant about making a return to the ring.
He explained on Chris Jericho's 'Talk Is Jericho' podcast: "I think Vince [McMahon] tried talking me into coming back a couple of times. But you know Chris, I love the business so much – I can’t say I love it more than anybody else, I can only speak for myself.
"But I just love the damn business, and it hurt me so much to leave it. And to me, going back for one match, being like man, why? What am I proving? What are they going to remember?
"It ain’t about the money. It took me a long time, damn near three years to get over the fact that I left the business."
Tagged in Dwayne Johnson Steve Austin