At Survivor Series , Bill Goldberg made his return to the ring in a match against Brock Lesnar. At 49 years old, Goldberg hit Lesnar with two spears and a Jackhammer before pinning him for the lightning-fast victory. The following night on Monday Night Raw , Bill announced that he would be participating in the 2017 Royal Rumble match as he looked to add one more match onto the end of his career.
After Goldberg announced that he would be in the Royal Rumble match, Brock Lesnar also entered the match as WWE tries to make it one of the most interesting pay-per-views in years by loading it with huge names. We will find out on January 29, 2017 if the strategy works for the company’s sagging viewership.
With Goldberg making a comeback, the rest of the WWE Universe has been hoping to see some of the biggest stars from the Attitude Era make a return to WWE programming in the near future. One of those guys is former WWE champion “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
Happy 52nd Birthday to the king of @WWE – Stone Cold Steve Austin. pic.twitter.com/iHnnlb1x2c
— TheSPORTbible (@TSBible) December 18, 2016
Austin hasn’t wrestled since he was beaten by The Rock at WrestleMania XIX in 2003 due to multiple knee injuries and a serious neck injury. Now 52-years-old, Steve has been getting requests from fans to return to the ring, but it doesn’t sound as if he has any interest in coming back, according to Wrestling News Source .
That time Stone Cold @SteveAustinBSR hit Santa with a Stunner https://t.co/sMN3vWv2B5 pic.twitter.com/WCMWyjEvYb
— Cageside Seats (@cagesideseats) December 24, 2016
“I rode off into the sunset in 2003, whenever it was, after WrestleMania 19 ; came back for a couple of appearances, but I’m done, and I’m happy being done, and I don’t want the pressure of having another match on my shoulders, because I don’t have to have another match because I’m satisfied with the career that I had…Pro wrestling has spring boarded every endeavor that I am involved in right now, and I love the business, and the WWE and all the organizations that I work for, but man, I’m done,” Austin recently said on his own podcast
Wrestling world, let’s wish a Happy Birthday to Stone Cold Steve Austin (52), Rob Van Dam (46) and Trish Stratus (41)! pic.twitter.com/3gnhjHbbIh
— Alexander The Great (@WWETheAlexander) December 18, 2016
Austin also said that he was happy for his friend Bill Goldberg coming back and defeating Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series , but reemphasized that he has not interest in getting back into the ring.
It’s not a surprise that fans are wanting to see the return of “Stone Cold” as he was one of the biggest personalities to ever grace the WWE. Whether scripted or created on his own, Austin repeatedly defied authority and marched to the beat of his own drum. He could never be trusted by anyone else and he never trusted anyone else.
The WWE has consistently faced ratings drops since Austin retired and part of that has to do with the man himself, but part of it also has to do with the WWE going more PG with its storylines due to investors. We will no longer see scenes where Steve Austin would chug beers to celebrate a victory. Nor will we see Austin drive a beer truck down to the ring.
Instead, we’re stuck with James Ellsworth getting destroyed by A.J. Styles in a match that should’ve never happened and Roman Reigns being in every main event.
For those of you hoping to see “The Rattlesnake” make a return to the ring, and the edginess that comes along with it, it sounds like you’re out of luck.
[Featured Image by Moses Robinson/Getty Images]