WWE Reportedly Pitches Steve Austin WrestleMania 39 Match Against LA Knight

WWE has taken another big swing at landing “Stone Cold” Steve Austin for a match at WrestleMania 39 after two blockbuster misses.

According to Fightful Select (h/t No DQ), WWE made a pitch to the legendary performer to have a match against rising star LA Knight at WWE’s flagship pay-per-view: “Of late, we’ve heard that a very in-shape Steve Austin was made additional pitches to get on the show, but not for necessarily marquee matches. LA Knight was a name rumored online, and we can confirm that’s at least been pitched. However, nobody close to Austin or in WWE have been able to verify that it’s happening as of yet.”

Earlier this year, Austin reportedly rejected big-money deals for two high-profile matches, with both Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns idealized as potential opponents for arguably the biggest star in WWE history. So, why on earth would Austin—after rejecting those two dream matches—agree to face a midcard star like Knight?

Well, the answer is simple, really. Facing Knight is a much easier task.

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At WrestleMania 38 last year, Austin—who’s reportedly “open-minded” about wrestling again—did the unthinkable and ended a nearly two-decade retirement by returning to the ring to face Kevin Owens in the main event of the show’s first night. Given Austin’s lengthy absence, expectations going into that much weren’t very high, and Austin blew them out of the water. His match against Owens was wildly entertaining, and it ended WrestleMania’s first night in memorable fashion with a victory for “The Texas Rattlesnake.”

Perhaps just as importantly, though, the masterfully crafted match demonstrated that Austin still has some gas left in the tank and could potentially be used as a part-time attraction for WWE if he chooses to lace up the boots again. The company even offered Austin another match last year, which obviously never came to fruition, but Austin vs. Knight, in some ways, would be the perfect fit for “Stone Cold.”

Of course, Austin vs. Lesnar or Austin vs. Reigns, two never-before-seen dream matches, would be absolute spectacles, but expectations for both of those bouts would be sky-high, especially coming off Austin’s incredibly impressive performance at WrestleMania 38. A match against Knight, however, would be virtually pressure-free.

Knight is tremendous on the microphone and above average in the ring, but he’s not at all known for putting on in-ring classics. Last year, WWE built up the feud between Owens and Austin on the ridiculous premise of Owens suddenly hating the state of Texas. A Knight vs. Austin feud wouldn’t need much of a backstory either, as Knight is already teasing the idea that WWE can’t have a WrestleMania in Los Angeles—a.k.a. LA—without him. And of course, Knight could use a match with Austin to ignite the reported push that is planned for the elite promo man.

The story writes itself, and Austin is the perfect man to answer the call, much like he did against Owens last year when he gave fans an unforgettable WrestleMania moment and a show-stealing brawl. Austin wouldn’t need to step into the ring with Knight for more than a few minutes to give the fans what they would primarily be there to see: A Stone Cold Stunner.

Consider that Knight’s lone high-profile match thus far came against Bray Wyatt in a gimmick-filled bout at Royal Rumble that lasted just five minutes, and it becomes clear that Knight doesn’t need to be in the ring even that long to accomplish what Austin would be there to do, which is to send the crowd home happy.

Austin vs. Lesnar or Reigns, on the other hand, would have significantly loftier expectations. Lesnar vs. Austin, after all, is one of the most talked about dream matches that never happened, a huge encounter that could have been built around the very real-life circumstances of a prime Austin walking out of WWE rather than lose to the rookie Lesnar in a random Raw match with zero build.

Austin vs. Lesnar would be a fun storyline to watch, but it’s also one that would have begun already if it was going to happen. Lesnar, at this stage of his career, also wouldn’t make the ideal opponent for Austin, who is 58 years old and might struggle to have a match with the sheer physicality of Lesnar’s typical matches.

While Reigns vs. Austin sounds just as appealing on paper, that’s also a match that doesn’t fit the stories WWE is trying to tell with The Bloodline, though the bout itself would likely be solid. So, WWE’s best option is to take a page out of its own playbook and do what it’s done with stars like John Cena and The Rock in the past.

Remember when Cena didn’t wrestle at WrestleMania 35 but simply hit Elias with an Attitude Adjustment? How about when The Rock beat Erick Rowan in just six seconds at WrestleMania 32? Those moments are still remembered to this day, and they didn’t require a 10 or 20-minute match with nearfalls and high spots.

WWE could and should use that exact same formula with Austin if the two sides can agree to financial terms for an appearance from the former WrestleMania headliner. That situation is the best of both worlds in that it wouldn’t clog up the card with another lengthy part-timer match, but it would add some much-needed star power to the show while creating a magical Mania moment that fans won’t soon forget.