It’s once again that time, ladies and gentlemen. Stone Cold Steve Austin debuted a brand new podcast on the WWE Network, this time recorded at his Broken Skull Ranch home. Guest of honor Shawn Michaels didn’t stick around for as long as some of the past interviewees, but he still dropped some great stories from his legendary career. Here’s some of what he had to say.
– On the legacy of Ric Flair, and retiring him at WrestleMania XXIV: “If somebody asks me [to name the greatest of all-time], I’m always going to say Ric. If you ask Ric, he says it’s me… He went everywhere… I told him that I loved him. I can’t say it without getting weepy half the time.”
– On his initial relationship with Bret Hart: “It started out not very competitive. We were friends, the respect was there, very mutual… Even when he got the championship, I was very happy for him. We felt like it was turning over, a new beginning.”
– On the Montreal Screwjob: “Hunter’s words were, ‘If [Hart] doesn’t want to do business, maybe we should do business for him…’ It sucked. Even with all of our differences, it ain’t an enviable place to be. We had personal problems with each other. It’s a whole other thing to live it all out on pay-per-view frickin’ TV. Nobody wants to do that… First, Bret wants to talk, we have a long talk and it’s one of the best talks we’ve ever had. And we end up shaking hands when it’s all over with… I just said [to Vince McMahon], ‘Look, I put him in the Sharpshooter, you gotta ring the bell…’ What bothered me more than anything is that Vince was adamant that I deny it. He wanted to take responsibility for it.”
– On the formation of the Kliq: “It was really just us hanging out. I was working with Scott [Hall], and then Nash was in as the bodyguard, and he and I hooked up right away. We were working with each other, so the three of us were traveling up and down the road together… At that time, the business was everything we had. We’re doing it all the time. My goodness, you might as well have fun while you’re doing it… [X-Pac] jumps in with us, and of course it’s ‘Poor thing, didn’t stand a chance.’ He was probably 19 years old… Fast-forward to WrestleMania XI, Kevin and I are working with each other, and in comes Hunter. He introduces himself and [we were] like, ‘Hey, buddy, you’re more than welcome to jump in with us.'”
– On the career of Triple H: “I’m not surprised by his accomplishments in the ring or out of the ring… In the ring, there’s no surprise whatsoever that he attained the success that he got. He loved it, and he was going to make sure he was going to be good at it, he worked hard… You and I don’t have the patience for certain things that go on within the industry, I think that would be a fair statement. He does, though… He’s under a phenomenal learning tree, no matter what anybody says about Vince. When it comes to the business end and business in general, the man is very wise. All he’s got to do is sit under that… It doesn’t surprise me about the shape that NXT is in. I’m not saying it because he’s my buddy, I’m saying it because I believe it to be true.”
– On being influential to current wrestlers: “It’s nice. It’s what Ric Flair was to me. It’s very flattering, but not your intention when you’re getting in… From that standpoint you go, ‘God, I’m pretty thankful. This turned out a heck of a lot better than I ever imagined.”
– On current roster members that might carry the company forward: “I think Rollins is one, I think Ziggler is one, I like Ambrose. I like Bray Wyatt — he’s not my style, but I really like him. I think it was SummerSlam, I remember watching his entrance and thinking, ‘He’s The Undertaker of this generation.'”
– On taking his Sweet Chin Music superkick from Chris Adams: “The first time I saw him do it, he actually jumped off the top rope and did it to a guy, but then he just started doing it in matches and I thought, ‘That’s awesome.’ So, it was one of those things you incorporate, and then when Marty [Jannetty] and I got together we’re doing double ones.”
– On the influence of Pat Patterson: “Pat is what, 70-something? Still as passionate about the business as he was 25 years ago when I came into the WWE.”
– On making regrettable choices early in his WWE run: “There are different things I look at that make me cringe for different reasons. Some of them, I know where I was at personally. There are times I look at my face at [WrestleMania XIV] and I don’t look good, Steve. I look unhealthy. I can see the bags [under my eyes] and stuff like that. Physically, I look like a million bucks, but up here I can see it and I’m like ‘Ugh, jeez.'”
– On the role Vince Russo played in the Attitude Era: “When he came in, he unleashed something in me and Hunter. Because creatively, everything was available. Nothing was off-limits. So, you just got a chance to try anything, and that was inspiring to me.”
