Steve Austin discloses WrestleMania 39 plans

Former WWE wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin revealed in an interview that he had talks with WWE about wrestling at WrestleMania 39, but his new reality show, Stone Cold Takes on America, kept him away from the ring.

Austin returned to the ring at WrestleMania 38 in 2022 after an 18-year hiatus, but due to his busy schedule with the show, he couldn't commit to a proper match at WrestleMania 39.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated, the WWE veteran said:

"I met with some people from WWE. We talked about the possibility of me wrestling at WrestleMania 39. The biggest thing in my mind was the presentation and what kind of match it was going to be."

"I didn’t want it constructed as a real match, per se," he explained. "I needed something that could turn into one, and it did, but I think that's why we got away with it.

"The Dallas crowd was very receptive. I hadn't been around, so the timing was right."

He explained that he would need to be in top form to perform and that his production schedule only allowed for a 30- or 40-minute daily workout, which wouldn't be enough to get him ready for WrestleMania.

"I was really protected at WrestleMania 38," he added. "This time, that wasn't going to be the case. That was a true statement: Until this show was over, I couldn't commit."