New Steve Austin Interview Highlights

Steve Austin spoke with ESPN.com this week to promote the release of WWE All Stars. Here are some highlights:




So how perfect of a feud would "Stone Cold" versus CM Punk have been if you were still wrestling?



When you have a storyline like that, and the way CM cuts his promos, I think it would damn sure be entertaining and fans would latch onto it. He's done well in WWE, and I think he's got bigger fish to fry and bigger things to do in that company. I look for big things from him. And damn right, that would be a good program. I would love to be a part of that.



Wrestlemania is coming up this Sunday and you're refereeing the match between Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler. How did it feel the other night to dump all that beer over Cole's head?



Damn, that was fun. [laughs] Michael Cole has done a tremendous job playing the role of the heel announcer. He has that cocky swagger about him, and he's crossed that line to where now you're seeing the true Michael Cole. He's a good guy, but he's really turning it on. I've been really proud of what he's done from a work standpoint. Then you have Jerry Lawler, who is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time. If you never saw him work in his prime or never saw some of his work in the Mid South, then you really missed out. He's a great talker, a great worker in the ring, and there's no better person to be in this match with Cole than Lawler. Then you have me as the referee and Jack Swagger roaming ringside and I think anything can happen that night.



When you're pouring beer on Michael Cole and the crowd is going crazy and people start to chant: "One more match," do you ever get the itch to come back for maybe one more main event?



I'll tell you what, sometimes you do, but it's just like an itch that you scratch and it goes away. We had that ring at Tough Enough, and it's the same WWE ring they use every week, and I got the chance to bounce around and take some bumps from one of the kids in the contest and gave him a few bumps. Could I still do it? Damn right I could. It may not be quite as good as I used to, but I got it out of my system. I hope people enjoy Tough Enough because I had so much fun doing it, but that's about as close as I want to be to a business that I love.



The other big storyline in WWE right now is the return of The Rock. What did you think of him getting physical with Miz and Cena on Monday night?



I thought it was great entertainment. It's good for Rock, it's good for John, it's good for Miz, and it's good for the fans. Everybody is winning all the way around. He got out of the business and went on to do what he's done and I'm proud of how successful he has become. But now that he's back, it's a win-win for everybody, but especially the fans. Whether you love him or you hate him, depending on what your opinion of Cena is, he's definitely made an impact and it will be interesting to see how this thing plays out.