Steve Austin discusses WWE WrestleMania 38 match vs. Kevin Owens, says lack of prep hindered him

Steve Austin, in an interview with Zack Heydorn on The Takedown on SI, said that a lack of prep timed in the ring hindered him during his impromptu match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38.

“I was happy in a moment, but, you know, they didn’t send me a ring down,” said Austin. “I didn’t have any timing. I think they interviewed Triple H, The Undertaker, and Hogan. Each one of them said something that was so true.

“Paul said, you can come back, but you don’t know what you have, because you haven’t been out there. Undertaker said, you’re not going to have any timing. He was right. I didn’t have any timing. Hell, I hadn’t hit a set of ropes in 19 years. Hadn’t thrown a punch in 19 years. Hogan says, you know, you’re just not calloused up. Your body is not as hard as it used to be. And he was right, because when you when you take off, people talk about ring rust, that’s timing. So, I had no timing.”

Austin also said he couldn’t hear the crowd during the match against Owens. “And when I went out there, I think I couldn’t hear the crowd as much as I wanted to,” said Austin. “When I watched it back, the crowd was into it. It was very, very loud, yes, but I wish I would have taken more time, savored more moments, and worked the people a little bit more than I did. I think I was in a space of not knowing what I had and trying to be a little too frantic. I could have slowed down drastically and made that better. And I wish that I would have. I haven’t told too many people that, but I told you.”

The full interview with Austin will be released on March 16.