The March 2022 announcement that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin would appear on the KO Show at WrestleMania 38 sent immediate shockwaves through the wrestling world. Kevin Owens had spent weeks running down the state of Texas and calling Austin a “broken-down man” and a “shell of his former self” . When Austin accepted the invitation in a pre-taped desert promo, promising to open up “one last can of whoop-ass,” fans dared to hope—but few truly believed they would see the Texas Rattlesnake wrestle again after 19 years .
🏟️ The Build: A Homecoming 19 Years in the Making
For nearly two decades, Austin had been one of wrestling’s most famously retired icons. His last match came at WrestleMania XIX on March 30, 2003, where he lost to The Rock in what was believed to be his final bout . Severe neck and knee injuries forced his retirement, and for years, he repeatedly shot down rumors of a return .
But WrestleMania 38 was different. The event took place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas—Austin’s home state . The location held deep personal significance: Austin had his very first match in Dallas at the legendary Sportatorium with the Von Erich family . As Austin himself later explained:
“I always said I would never get back into the ring. I was done, but I always said I would if the stars aligned properly, and they did.”
The stars aligned in the form of Kevin Owens—a performer Austin called “golden on the mic and awesome in the ring” . What began as a simple talk show invitation evolved through creative discussions into something far more significant .
🎤 The KO Show: From Talk Segment to Impromptu Match
On the night of April 2, 2022, the main event slot of WrestleMania 38’s first night belonged not to a scheduled match, but to the KO Show . The segment began with Owens holding court in the ring, microphone in hand, drawing thunderous boos and “Austin” chants from the Dallas crowd .
Owens doubled down on his weeks of Texas-bashing, calling Texas “the ass of North America” and mocking everything from the state’s flat terrain to its “dumb belt buckles” . He apologized—not for his words, but for telling “the absolute God’s honest truth about your pathetic condition” .
Then came the sound the world had waited to hear.
The glass shattered. Steve Austin emerged on the stage, wearing his classic “3:16” shirt and jean shorts . Rather than walking directly to the ring, he climbed onto his signature four-wheeler, drove around the ring, and systematically destroyed the KO Show set pieces .
When Austin finally entered the ring and took his seat across from Owens, the verbal fireworks began. Austin called Owens a “stupid son of a bitch” for running down Texas . Owens fired back, mocking Austin’s age, his injuries, and his 19-year absence from the ring. Then came the challenge:
Owens told Austin he hadn’t invited him for a conversation—he wanted a fight. A No Holds Barred match. Right then and there .
Austin paused, looked around at the roaring crowd of over 75,000, and delivered a simple, emphatic answer: “Hell yeah.” He called for a referee, and the impromptu match was officially on .
⚔️ The Match: A Brawl for the Ages
The match lasted approximately 13 minutes and 55 seconds . What followed was less a technical wrestling clinic and more a violent, emotional brawl—exactly what a Stone Cold match should be.
Early Exchanges:
- Austin immediately stomped a “mudhole” in Owens in the corner, then paused to drink a beer mid-assault
- Owens was thrown into the barricade and sent crashing into the announce table
Into the Crowd:
- Owens took control, sending Austin head-first into the ring post
- In a moment that silenced any doubts about Austin’s willingness to take risks, Owens suplexed Austin on the exposed concrete floor outside the ring
- The two brawled into the stands, with Owens kneeling on Austin’s midsection before returning to ringside
The Four-Wheeler Sequence:
- Owens attempted a dive from the barricade, but Austin caught him and slammed him through the announcer’s table
- After destroying the table, Austin grabbed several beers, drinking and spitting them on Owens
- Owens tried to escape on Austin’s four-wheeler, but Austin chased him down, punching him in the back, then drove the vehicle up the stage with Owens on it
- On the stage, Austin delivered two brutal suplexes to Owens on the metal ramp
The Finish:
Back in the ring, Owens caught Austin with a Stunner. He went for the pin—but Austin kicked out at two . A frustrated Owens grabbed a steel chair, slid back into the ring, and swung at Austin’s head. But Austin moved. The chair rebounded off the top rope and smashed Owens directly in the face .
Seizing the opening, Austin delivered his own Stone Cold Stunner to Owens. The referee counted three. The stadium erupted .
🍺 The Celebration: One Last Beer Bash
The match was over, but the night was not. Austin celebrated in the ring with a cooler full of beer, soaking in the adulation of his home-state crowd . He delivered a second Stunner to Owens for good measure, then—in a moment of pure Attitude Era chaos—invited announcer Byron Saxton into the ring to share a beer… only to Stunner him as well .
The show ended with Austin’s brother joining him in the ring, the two sharing a toast while the crowd chanted “You still got it!” . Austin grabbed the microphone and delivered one final line:
“It’s good to be from Dallas, Texas, because that’s the bottom line, ’cause Stone Cold said so!”
📊 Significance and Legacy
| Statistic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Years Since Last Match | 19 |
| Last Previous Match | WrestleMania XIX (2003) vs. The Rock |
| Match Time | 13:55 |
| Result | Win (6–2 all-time WrestleMania record) |
The moment was instantly recognized as one of the greatest in WrestleMania history. WWE later ranked it among the 42 Greatest WrestleMania Moments, celebrating Austin’s improbable return to active competition after nearly two decades .
For Austin, the match represented closure. He had retired in 2003 on a loss, forced out by injuries rather than choice . Now, at age 57, in his home state, he got the ending he deserved:
“I had my first match in Dallas, and I could have my last match in Dallas.”
He did both—and walked out on his own terms, having stomped a mudhole one last time, opened a final can of whoop-ass, and proven that even after 19 years, the Texas Rattlesnake still had plenty of fight left in him .
✅ Conclusion
Steve Austin’s unretirement at WrestleMania 38 was more than a surprise return—it was a storybook ending for one of wrestling’s most iconic figures. What began as a talk show segment in Dallas became a physical, emotional brawl that saw Austin defeat Kevin Owens clean in the main event of WrestleMania . For fans who had long accepted that Austin’s career ended in 2003, watching him raise those beers one last time was nothing short of unforgettable.