Jim Ross cleared up some recent comments about “Stone Cold” Steve Austin during his week’s Grilling JR. As noted, Austin accepted Kevin Owens’ invitation to appear on the KO Show at WrestleMania 38.
Ross previously stated that he thinks if Austin was going to wrestle then he would want to know several months in advance.
The WWE Hall Famer also noted that the episode where he said it sounded as if Austin was not enthusiastic about WrestleMania plans was taped before WWE announced Austin would be at WrestleMania.
“I want to clear something up. Somebody wrote that I talked to Steve and I had and I do. We’re friends. Oftentimes we talk about everything but wrestling. That’s what friends do. And because we’re in the wrestling business, we’re not living under some precedent that we can’t have a friendship.”
“When I talked about Steve, it was taken way out of context and way out of the timeline. When I talked about Steve being uncomfortable about wrestling at WrestleMania, it was because of that, not WrestleMania because he had to prepare to have another match. He’s not a spring chicken. He’s had neck injuries. He’s had knee injuries. His apprehension was, ‘I’m not sure I could get ready to have another match.’ The same thing that anybody in his age group with his litany of injuries would say. He never once complained and everyone’s had second thoughts. His only worry was himself and could he live up to his expectations. Now obviously with that kind of motivation already in your mind, and knowing Stone Cold Steve Austin, he will far exceed expectations against Kevin Owens, and I don’t know if they’re having a match or — you know the physicality is coming because that’s what people want to see. And that’s easy to execute.
Ross added, “But anyway, I want to clear that up because it was simply a matter, ‘can I get ready to represent my legacy, my brand at WrestleMania in the state of Texas.’ So there you go. It was printed after the announcement he was going to do WrestleMania. So then when they said JR talks about Austin’s apprehensions or whatever, they’re thinking it’s in real time..Maybe I didn’t put in the right words. He’s a perfectionist. I’ve never seen anybody like him that second guesses his own work. He would have a great match on Raw and I go back after the show and he’s pissed off. ‘What’s wrong with you?’ [Austin would say] ‘Ah hell, we could have done a lot better.’ So that’s just him. And by never being content, he gets better.”
“So I want to clear that up because I didn’t want to throw any shade on Steve, God I love Steve.”
