INTERVIEW CLASSIC (10 YRS AGO): Austin warns about Reigns's shortcoming before his Rumble win, Sami Zayn praise, McMahon interview insights
Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast
Wade Keller
3.9 • 903 Ratings
🗓️ 26 January 2025
⏱️ 143 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
- Was Roman Reigns ready and the right choice for the big push he seemed to be on the verge of getting going into the 2015 Royal Rumble?
- Big praise for Sami Zayn's upside as a potential top tier star
- Hulk Hogan shining against Nick Bockwinkel and how he compared at a similar stage to Reigns
- How Austin compared himself to Hogan when it came to reading a crowd
- Austin's thoughts on breaking character on social media and how some messages are better saved for private texts
- Austin on who he'd like to see go into the WWE Hall of Fame
- Austin's clear-cut answer on how he feels about a comeback in the ring
- The strengths and weaknesses of Seth Rollins as a babyface and heel, and why Austin preferred one role over the other in his career
- Live callers also got to talk to Austin and ask questions
- Austin's insights on his interview with Vince McMahon and what McMahon thought of it afterward
- Austin asks Wade to do a Mauro Ranallo impersonation and then reacts
- Memories of Austin being asked to drop the U.S. Title in WCW to Hacksaw Duggan
- The importance of Paul Heyman to Austin finding his voice during his pitstop in ECW before going to WWE and how his segments came about on ECW TV
- Was WWE oblivious to fans rejecting Reigns as a Rumble winner like they were for Batista?
- Is there anyone alive who could convince Vince McMahon that what pro wrestling needs most is an immersive sports environment instead of the comedic variety show aspect McMahon pushed?
- Who did Austin think were the best overall athletes he wrestled who could excel on the Skull Buster Challenge?
- Rusev
- The mid-'80s glory period of in-ring wrestling and what wrestlers then had that the modern era wrestlers didn't
- Austin's reaction to McMahon saying Cesaro was "too Swiss"
- Austin on his last match ever
- Whether the clock was running out on Samoa Joe being a top guy
- And much more
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Transcript
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| 0:52.1 | slash paper copy. |
| 1:09.9 | Now, PWTorch and Spreaker bring you the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling podcast. |
| 1:15.8 | It's time for this week's interview classic, where Wade Keller interviews one of pro wrestling's newsmakers. |
| 1:30.8 | Ten years ago this week, one of my favorite and I think one of the best interviews I ever conducted, Stone Cold Steve Austin, two plus hours a conversation on so many topics that hold up today in terms of relevance beginning with steve's take on what seemed to be on the verge of |
| 1:36.5 | happening which was roman rains becoming the top baby face after winning the world rumble was |
| 1:40.9 | to be aware of the possible backlash like there was against Batista or was |
| 1:45.8 | Vincent McMahon in particular oblivious to it? Also, what was missing about Roman Reins in the |
| 1:51.4 | opinion of Steve Austin? Also, comparisons between Hulk Hogan and Roman Rains at similar stages |
| 1:57.0 | of their career and what Austin saw in Hogan that he had yet to see in Reins. |
| 2:01.5 | And also, by the way, how Austin compared himself to Hoke Hogan when it came to reading a |
| 2:04.8 | crowd. |
| 2:05.8 | Steve also gave us thoughts on wrestlers' breaking character on social media needlessly. |
| 2:10.5 | And is it better to just send someone to text or direct message sometimes? |
... |
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