WWE: Unreal is already greenlit for Season 3, but it remains a divisive inclusion in professional wrestling. While some fans enjoy it, others have taken issue with how it's promoted during the actual product, which, of course, is scripted. Wrestling legends seem to be on both sides of being in support or against it, and finally, we have Stone Cold Steve Austin's take on it.

Austin was one of the baddest men in the ring during the Attitude Era, but these days, he spends more time doing cold plunges and other goofy stuff that might shock a time traveler from 1997. The WWE icon talked about the docuseries available with a Netflix subscription to SI.com, and revealed his feelings before and after watching WWE: Unreal:

Though plenty of wrestling fans were aware during the Attitude Era that the WWE is a scripted product, Stone Cold Steve Austin said it was still important for talent to maintain the illusion. To his credit, that mindset helped keep his brand strong as the tough guy of the WWE, so we still find it odd to see him doing talk shows and other things like that, even now.

Imagine if we'd seen the real Steve Austin outside of the ring on another show, not long after seeing him do some of the most shocking things we've seen in the WWE. Fans would react to him differently now, which he suspects will be the case with the current roster when fans see them:

I love hearing his perspective as a WWE legend, especially with WrestleMania 42 just around the corner. How does the WWE being more candid about its scripted nature impact it as a product, and how will the fans respond to it as more seasons come out?

There's also the meta crowd who then see supposed "candid" moments with Charlotte and CM Punk, and wonder how much of WWE: Unreal is just what the company wants us to see. One could make that guess, given it's made in-house, though that hasn't kept the Netflix series entirely free from controversy.

Love it or hate it, WWE: Unreal remains a fixture in the product, at least for the foreseeable future. It'll be interesting to see how the series continues to evolve, and which main roster talent agree to participate, while others stay away. After all, some wrestlers may prefer the old way of doing things, perhaps to keep their mystique and hopefully reach Stone Cold Steve Austin status one day.

Stream Season 1 and 2 of WWE: Unreal on Netflix right now. As a wrestling fan, I generally like watching it, though I can't imagine I would've enjoyed it when I was a kid! I wanted to believe it was real, even if I knew deep down it wasn't.

WrestleMania 41 gave fans a lot more to talk about during Night 2 compared to Night 1, but not all of it was positive. As CinemaBlend reported in our live blog of the event, Stone Cold Steve Austin's entrance hit a snag when the WWE legend drove his ATV into a barricade, knocking a fan to the ground. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only vehicle-related incident that happened that night, as footage began circulating showing another fan getting struck by a golf cart after the event.

As fans filed out of Allegiant Stadium, the WWE staff was trying to make sure its superstars could get back to their lodging and get some rest as well. After all, many of them will be popping up on Monday Night Raw on Netflix less than 24 hours after the event concluded. Unfortunately, that can be difficult to navigate, as @elliiuudd's video showcased, as a fan was unfortunately hit by a golf cart carrying Dominik Mysterio:

It's unclear what happened in the video, although it appears the fan was part of a crowd that wished to get close to Dominik Mysterio as he passed by with his new Intercontinental Championship. But it doesn't appear that the person driving the golf cart was handling it recklessly, and instead seems like overzealous fans mobbing the cart were more at fault.

It's probably not the viral video the WWE wants circulating on social media, especially after so many people watched Stone Cold Steve Austin driving his ATV into the barricade whilst making his entrance. A woman was seen falling not long after, though it's still unclear at this point whether it was the barricade or ATV that made contact with her.

The WWE has edited that specific moment out of its official video of the entrance, but those with Peacock subscriptions saw it live, and clips of the collision continue to make rounds on social media,

WWE President Nick Khan was seen checking on the woman after the collision, though there hasn't been any official word on whether she was injured or what her status is. What we have since learned is that Stone Cold Steve Austin had trouble finding the ramp to enter the stage, ultimately needing some assistance to properly make his entrance. Take a look:

Time will tell if this incident ends up becoming a story that goes beyond WrestleMania, or if it'll be quickly forgotten like a chunk of the matches we covered in the Night 1 live blog. I know there's speculation the WWE could face legal action after what happened, but again, nothing official.

The Texas Rattlesnake has not offered any public comment following the incident, which seems slightly odd, given this was his biggest Mania moment since he had an unexpected match against Kevin Owens. Of course, I think it's possible that he might've been advised not to speak on the incident, given the delicate nature of it all.

The ATV incident is one of the many ongoing storylines following WrestleMania 41, as many wonder why Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was absent after he was teased to play a major role in the story of John Cena's shocking heel turn. It would be nice if he made an appearance on Monday Night Raw at the very least to tie this story together, but we'll just have to wait and see if that happens.

Monday Night Raw is on Netflix at 8:00 p.m. ET, and the one following WrestleMania is usually one of the best episodes of the year. Tune in to see what will happen and who might show up!

With the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony right around the corner, there’s a lot to be excited about. On top of inductees like Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Michelle McCool, the Natural Disasters, and Lex Luger, WWE is also inducting a match for the first time, and it’s starting with a legendary and game-changing bout.

In March 2025, WWE announced that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Bret “The Hitman” Hart’s epic and bloody five-star classic from WrestleMania 13 would receive the inaugural “WWE Immortal Moment” Award to honor the iconic submission match that forever changed the landscape of wrestling. I, for one, think this is the perfect way to kick off the latest award, and I have plenty of reasons to back it up. Let’s break it down…

Steve Austin And Bret Hart's WrestleMania 13 Match Is Considered One Of The Best Of All Time

If you pull up lists of the best WWE matches of all time, a large portion of them will have Steve Austin and Bret Hart’s WrestleMania 13 submission match at the top. And, there are so many reasons for that. The physicality, the brutality, the way these two bitter rivals crafted and told a story in the ring (though the match did take over the ringside area and went into the capacity crowd at the Rosemont Horizon), is simply unmatched.

One of only four WWE matches that received a five-star rating from Dave Meltzer in the 1990s (Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania X, Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart at SummerSlam ‘94, The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at In Your House 18: Badd Blood are the other three), this fight had everything you’d want in a marquee bout at the “Showcase of the Immortals,” and then some. Top-notch wrestling, a captivating story, and a whole lot of blood have made this the stuff of legend.

The Brutal Submission Match Led To A Monumental Change For The Wrestling Industry

On its own, the WrestleMania 13 submission match is worthy of receiving the first-ever “Immortal Moment” award, but it’s everything surrounding the March 1997 spectacle that makes it so iconic. Taking place in a grey area between the New Generation and Attitude eras, Stone Cold and the Hitman helped push the company, and industry as a whole, towards a monumental change, one that would bring on perhaps the most successful era in wrestling history.

Vince McMahon wouldn’t drop his epic “Attitude Era” promo until December 1997, but this match laid the groundwork for everything that led to that game-changing moment. The double-turn (Hart was a face going in and left a heel, vice versa for Austin), the rawness, the sense of reality, and the sheer brutality of it all led to WWE presenting its wrestlers in new, and more dynamic, ways.

If King Of The Ring '96 Put Stone Cold On The Map, WrestleMania 13 Made Steve Austin A Top Star

For the past 30 years, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s iconic “Austin 3:16” promo has been seen as a landmark moment that made the “Texas Rattlesnake” one of the most impactful wrestlers of all time. Though it is true that the King of Ring ‘96 promo put Austin on the map, it was WrestleMania 13 that made him a top star in the company and would set the path for him winning his first WWE Championship the following year.

Austin’s all-time great WrestleMania entrance in March 1997, with the broken glass and powerful guitar track, set the tone for everything that would follow, a match that would put him on the “Mount Rushmore of Wrestling.” After 22 minutes of intense fighting and mayhem, Austin never tapped out, but passed out from blood loss, pain, and exhaustion after Hart put him in one final Sharpshooter submission hold. The legend of the “Toughest S.O.B in WWE” was cemented that night.

The Double-Turn Also Led To Bret Hart's All-Time Great Heel Run

Another reason Hart and Austin’s WrestleMania 13 match is so iconic is the fact that it kicked off one of the best and most shocking heel turns in wrestling history. After months of feuding with “Stone Cold,” the “Hitman” didn’t get a whole lot of satisfaction out of the victory after his opponent passed out instead of tapping out, so he took things to the next level. This vicious post-match attack turned Austin into one of the biggest babyfaces in the company and Hart into its most dastardly heel. But, this was just the beginning.

Throughout the summer of 1997, Hart, with his reformed Hart Foundation, became a super heel (except for in his native Canada, of course) and made himself one of the most interesting wrestlers on the planet. Yeah, it would all lead to the infamous “Montreal Screwjob” at that year’s Survivor Series, but that’s a completely different story.

Are There Better WWE Matches? Yeah, But Few Had The Impact Of Austin Vs. Hart

I’m sure a lot of people are wondering why matches like Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania III, Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25, or even CM Punk vs. John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011 didn’t receive the first even “Immortal Moment” award. Each of those classics are considered some of the best examples of WWE’s style of wrestling, each made an impact on the industry, and each is burned in the memories of millions of fans around the world from multiple generations. There’s a case to be made for those, and others like it, but Austin vs. Hart is simply the best and most impactful.

Not to put down other matches on the WrestleMania 13 card, but when people think of the 1997 “Showcase of the Immortals,” this is the first thing that comes to mind, which is crazy because it wasn’t even the main event (that went to the late Sycho Sid defending his WWE Championship against the Undertaker).

All in all, WWE made the right decision by giving “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Bret “Hitman” Hart the inaugural “Immortal Moment” Award. Now it’s time to go back and watch the epic fight with my Peacock subscription before the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony kicks off on Friday, April 18th.

Seth Rollins has been filling in on NFL Network's Good Morning Football in between preparing for upcoming WWE events like the highly anticipated WrestleMania 41, and wrestling fans are getting treated to some great stories from the superstar. This included a rather unexpected tale in which he credited Stone Cold Steve Austin as the reason he had a baby with his wife and fellow superstar Becky Lynch.

Lynch gave birth to their daughter, Roux, in December of 2020, about nine months after a revered holiday in the pro wrestling world. March 16th, or 3/16, is typically known as Stone Cold Day in the WWE, thanks to the wrestler's famous "Austin 3:16"promo. Steve Austin usually appears on Monday Night Raw or SmackDown if it falls on the day, and it just so happened to fall on a Raw at the height of COVID lockdowns. Seth Rollins talked about that night and how it ultimately led to him having a child (via WrestlingInc.com):

I'd like to think Becky Lynch pounded those drinks in the ring with Stone Cold Steve Austin and was like, "Yeah, that will hold me over for the next nine months," and committed to having a baby with Seth Rollins. It sounds like she didn't go the Stone Cold method of "wasting beer," as some fans would say, and the rest is history!

What's hilarious is that, watching the segment years later, it does seem like Becky Lynch drank more of that beer than she spilled. It's honestly impressive, especially with how she managed to drink two beers at the same time without getting it all over her body, unlike The Texas Rattlesnake.

Watching that video made me realize how great it would be to see Stone Cold Steve Austin cracking beers and hitting stunners in the ring again, possibly at WrestleMania 41. That said, the chances of the legend having another official match after his impromptu showdown with Kevin Owens years ago feel slim, though I wouldn't rule it out completely. Who wouldn't want to see him take on The Rock one last time?

As of writing, it doesn't even seem like The Rock will have a match at WrestleMania, as he's enlisted John Cena as his enforcer to dethrone Cody Rhodes in Las Vegas. The Champ vows to "ruin wrestling" when he beats Ric Flair's overall championship record, and he even called out The Nature Boy in his latest promo on Monday Night Raw. Ric Flair responded well to being called out, but I would love to see what Stone Cold would do if Cena set his sights on him. Maybe Cody can call the legend and see if he'll be in his corner for the big match?

We still have some time until WrestleMania 41, which will be held on April 19th and 20th. I can't wait to see what the WWE has cooking as we get closer to the big night and what surprises we'll get along the way.

Did you know that WWE has a YouTube channel dedicated to sharing old matches, Coliseum Video releases, awesome behind-the-scenes videos, and so many other great and random clips? I recently found out about the WWE Vault, and over the past few weeks, I’ve spent a ton of time watching some of my favorite WWE moments of the New Generation and Attitude Era, as well as things I never knew existed.

Seriously, if you’re a wrestling fan and want to check out stuff you’d expect on the old WWE Network that’s not available with a Peacock subscription or with a Netflix subscription, this channel is going to scratch that itch. Here are five things I cannot recommend enough for die-hard wrestling fans or those just now getting into the product since the start of the Triple H Era!

So Many Classic Matches Are In The Vault And Easy To Watch

Don’t get me wrong, I love watching classic pay-per-view events and random episodes of WCW Monday Nitro on Peacock, but sometimes I just want to go back and revisit a one-off match without having to skip two hours into a show and end up in the middle of the bout. While the WWE Vault YouTube channel doesn’t have every single match of all time, there are some absolute bangers in the vast collection of over 1,000 videos. Here’s one particular match I had a lot of fun revisiting:

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Triple H – Three Stages of Hell at No Way Out 2001

I recently went back and watched the 2001 Royal Rumble match, and couldn’t get enough of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s brawl with Triple H as the Texas Rattlesnake was trying to enter the match (he would eventually win and headline WrestleMania X-7). Not long after, the WWE Vault shared their brutal “Three Stages of Hell” match (Fall 1 - Singles, Fall 2 - Street Fight, Fall 3 - Steel Cage). I immediately watched the grueling affair in all its bloody glory.

Watch Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H’s Three Stages of Hell Match on YouTube.

These Old Coliseum Video Home Releases Are Are Great

Some of my favorite childhood memories involved going to Blockbuster with my dad to pick up wrestling tapes from the surprisingly stacked collection. Over the years, I had hoped the now-defunct WWE Network or current WWE Network on Peacock would host these old pay-per-view releases and Coliseum Video compilations, but they never showed up or were removed before I knew better. However, that all changed with the Vault, as the channel continues to upload several old VHS tapes each month. But there’s one old compilation tape from what appears to be 1993 that I can’t stop thinking about:

Smack ‘Em Whack ‘Em

I never knew the Smack ‘Em Whack ‘Em tape existed until a few weeks ago, but I’m so glad I found this gem. Not only does it showcase Bret Hart defeating Ric Flair for the WWE Championship (The Hitman’s first WWE Title), but also features Razor Ramon vs. The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels vs. Hart for the WWE strap, and some hilarious segments with The Bushwhackers and Lord Alfred Hayes. Seriously, this was an unexpected and amazing trip down memory lane.

Watch Smack ‘Em Whack ‘Em on YouTube.

The Must-See Dark Matches Compilation Is Full Of Forgotten And Random Matches

There is something about watching dark matches that has always felt so intriguing and wrong, like I wasn’t supposed to see these clips or something. Over the years, videos of tryout matches and pre-show bouts to get the crowd hot for Raw, SmackDown, or ppvs have leaked online, but the Vault has now put out a 34-minute compilation featuring everyone from Paul London and Brian Kendrick to Justin Credible to PCO. But there’s one that particularly caught my attention:

Dr. Death Steve Williams vs. 2 Cold Scorpio

It’s a shame Dr. Death Steve Williams never got a decent run in WWE, because he was an absolute legend in WCW, AJPW, and pretty much everywhere else he wrestled (including the time I saw him tag with Hacksaw Jim Duggan at a Boat Show in high school). Well, this compilation features a great dark match between the late wrestler and 2 Cold Scorpio from what looks like early 1998 (WWE was still using the pre-Attitude Era font at the time). I’m not kidding you, go watch this match!

Watch Dr. Death Steve Williams vs. 2 Cold Scorpio

There's A 4.5-Hour Terry Funk Mixtape Full Of Great Promos, Matches, And Horse Farts

The world of professional wrestling lost one of its toughest, craziest, and most prolific figures in August 2023 when Terry Funk died at 79. From his days as NWA Champion to his resurgence as one of the industry’s premier deathmatch wrestlers, and everything that happened in between, the Funkster was a legend among legends. The Vault recently put out a massive four-and-a-half-hour compilation featuring all sorts of matches, promos, and random shots of Funk with a farting horse. But there’s one section that I’ve loved the most:

Terry Funk and Jerry “The King” Lawler’s Empty Arena Match

In the midst of an epic feud, Terry Funk challenged Jerry “The King” Lawler to an empty arena match at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee, back in June 1981. Nearly 20 years before The Rock and Mankind duked it out during the Super Bowl halftime show, these two bitter rivals went to war in front of a cameraman and commentator Lance Russell (who kept trying to get Funk to quit cussing). It’s epic, it’s iconic, and it’s so much fun to watch.

Watch Terry Funk and Jerry “The King” Lawler’s Empty Arena Match on YouTube.

The WWE Vault Will Randomly Release Behind-The-Scenes Videos From Past Royal Rumbles And Other Iconic Moments

Much like the compilations of dark matches, the Vault also releases random behind-the-scenes videos that show everything from “found footage” from ECW and WWE shows to the recording of the 1995 Monday Night Raw intro atop Titan Towers in Stamford, Connecticut. Speaking of which:

The Raw Rooftop Open BTS Video

If you want a throwback to the New Generation and see how one of the most iconic (and certainly the most ambitous) wrestling intros came to be, then check out this behind-the-scenes video. Though I had seen the hilarious clip of The Undertaker giving Hunter Hearst Helmsely and Goldust some serious side-eye as they played the WrestleMania arcade game, a lot of this was new to me.

Watch the Raw Rooftop Open BTS video on YouTube.

But, this is barely scratching the surface of the WWE Vault, as the channel continues to add more and more matches, shows, and random videos each and every day.

Dave Meltzer might be one of the more controversial and divisive journalists covering professional wrestling today, but the man who has been putting out the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON) for more than 40 years knows a thing or two about good matches. Over the years, he’s handed out a couple hundred 5-star ratings (or higher) for matches from promotions like WWE, NJPW, AEW, WCW, and dozens of other companies worldwide.

After Cody Rhodes received a 5-star rating for his main event match against AJ Styles at Backlash France in May 2024, his second since returning to WWE, I started wondering how many other matches were given a stellar rating by Meltzer over the years. Though he often gives a match, like the wild WrestleMania 40 main event, too low of a rating, the legendary wrestling historian has made the right call for some of the company’s most iconic matches.

Below is a breakdown of those matches, split up into decades, and how to watch them with a Peacock subscription, whether you’re revisiting a classic from your childhood or just now getting into wrestling. Let’s take a trip down memory lane…

WWE 5-Star Matches From The 1990s

Dave Meltzer didn’t give any WWE matches a 5-star (or better) rating in the 1980s, though Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and “Macho Man” Randy Savage deserved one for their game-changing WrestleMania III classic. It was a different story in the 1990s, as Meltzer, according to ProFightDB, considered five matches from the decade 5-star affairs, including some of the most iconic matches of all time.

Razor Ramon Vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania X)

Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels both claimed to be the Intercontinental Champion heading in WrestleMania X in March 1994 and so WWE decided to settle this dispute with a ladder match. These two rivals pulled out all the stops to be the undisputed champion, creating a historic contest that ended with “The Bad Guy” standing atop a ladder with two belts held above his head.

Stream WrestleMania X on Peacock.

Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart (SummerSlam '94)

In the highly anticipated rematch to their “Brother vs. Brother” match at WrestleMania X earlier that year, Bret Hart and Owen Hart competed in an even better SummerSlam ‘94 match that has become the stuff of legend. “The Hitman” not only got his win back in the brutal steel cage match, he also received one of the highest ratings of his career.

Stream SummerSlam ‘94 on Peacock.

Bret Hart Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (WrestleMania 13)

A contest that saw one of the greatest heel turns ever in professional wrestling, the no-disqualification submission match between Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 in March 1997 is one that helped usher in one of biggest boom periods in the sport’s history. These two rivals didn’t main event (they should have), but they did get a 5-star rating from Meltzer and legendary status for their efforts.

Stream WrestleMania 13 on Peacock.

Shawn Michaels Vs. The Undertaker (In Your House 18: Badd Blood)

In Your House 18: Badd Blood saw the first Hell in a Cell match, the debut of Kane, and one of the greatest fights in WWE history when Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker squared off. All these years later, this match is still a banger.

Stream In Your House 18: Badd Blood on Peacock.

WWE 5-Star Matches From The 2010s

Dave Meltzer didn’t give any WWE match a 5-star rating in the 2000s, which is crazy, considering Steve Austin vs. The Rock at WrestleMania X-7 and Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 both took place that decade. Anyway, Meltzer changed his tune in the 2010s, especially in the final few years of the decade when he sang the praises of NXT’s up-and-comers.

CM Punk Vs. John Cena (Money In The Bank '11)

Though the Summer of Punk went out with a whimper, the months-long program did give us one of the best WWE matches of all time: CM Punk vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship. The main event of 2011’s Money in the Bank PPV took place in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, and you can tell by the raucous crowd. Seriously, in terms of atmosphere, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Stream Money in the Bank ‘11 on Peacock.

Andrade "Cien" Almas Vs. Johnny Gargano (NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia)

Andrade "Cien" Almas, who lost his last name after WWE went crazy in the mid-to-late 2010s, put on a killer match against Johnny Gargano to defend his NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia in January 2018. A grueling back-and-forth affair with some killer hope spots, this is one of the black-and-gold brand’s best showings.

Stream NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on Peacock.

Adam Cole Vs. EC3 Vs. Killian Dain Vs. Lars Sullivan Vs. Ricochet Vs. Velveteen Dream (NXT TakeOver: New Orleans)

Arguably the peak of the classic version of the brand, NXT TakeOver: New Orleans was the first event in WWE history to have two 5-star match ratings. The ladder match for the inaugural NXT North American Championship is one of the best in the gimmick’s history and one that every wrestling fan should watch.

Stream NXT TakeOver: New Orleans on Peacock.

Johnny Gargano Vs. Tommaso Ciampa (NXT TakeOver: New Orleans)

Though the WrestleMania 34 main event the following night was nothing to write home about, it’s a different story for the final match at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. Former DIY tag team partners Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa concluded their year-long feud in one of the most emotional and hard-hitting contests in NXT history in this unsanctioned match.

Stream NXT TakeOver: New Orleans on Peacock.

Moustache Mountain Vs. The Undisputed Era (NXT)

NXT tag teams Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate and Trent Seven) and The Undisputed Era (Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly) proved that you don’t have to wait for a TakeOver event to put on a 5-star match in July 2018. During an episode of NXT’s weekly show, these four wrestlers put on an instant classic in a physical and emotional fight.

Stream the July 11, 2018 episode of NXT on Peacock.

Adam Cole Vs. Johnny Gargano (NXT TakeOver: New York)

Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano, who had history going back to their time in PWG, put on the highest-rated match in WWE history (5.5 stars) with their phenomenal two-out-of-three-falls contest for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: New York in April 2019.

Stream NXT TakeOver: New York on Peacock.

Johnny Gargano Vs. Adam Cole (NXT TakeOver: XXV)

Gargano and Cole would meet again at NXT TakeOver: XXV in a highly anticipated rematch that was right up there with their previous fight. Though it only received 5.25 stars, it’s still one of the best NXT and WWE matches of all time.

Stream NXT TakeOver: XXV on Peacock.

Walter Vs. Tyler Bate (NXT UK: TakeOver: Cardiff)

Walter, the man who would be renamed Gunther, put on some outstanding fights in NXT UK before being called up to the main roster, including his August 2019 main event match against Tyler Bate. With a 5.25-star rating, it's one of the highest-rated in WWE history.

Stream NXT UK: TakeOver: Cardiff on Peacock.

WWE 5-Star Matches From The 2020s

We are currently living through one of professional wrestling’s boom periods, and it seems like WWE is not only getting more popular but also getting much better from an in-ring standpoint. We’re not even halfway through the decade, and Dave Meltzer has already given out nearly as many 5-star ratings as in the 2010s. Let’s take a look at those decorated matches, even those not involving King of the Ring Gunther.

Walter Vs. Ilja Dragunov (NXT UK)

Who would have thought that a random episode of NXT UK would produce one of the best matches of the past five years, but that’s what happened on October 29, 2020, when Walter and Ilja Dragunov put on an outstanding fight. But this wouldn’t be the only time…

Stream the October 29, 2020 episode of NXT UK on Peacock.

Ilja Dragunov Vs. Walter (NXT TakeOver 36)

NXT TakeOver 36, the final installment in the PLE series, saw Walter earn another 5.25-star rating when he unsuccessfully defended his NXT United Kingdom Championship against Ilja Dragunov. Taking what made their previous bout so damn good and expanding upon it, these two created a legendary match for the ages.

Stream NXT TakeOver 36 on Peacock.

Cody Rhodes Vs. Seth "Freakin" Rollins (Hell In A Cell '22)

Cody Rhodes had a series of stellar matches against Seth “Freakin” Rollins upon his April 2022 return to WWE, including the iconic Hell in a Cell match that June. Wrestling with a torn pectoral muscle, which took him out of action for seven months, Rhodes put on a clinic with his rival, and they were rewarded with a 5-star match rating from Meltzer.

Stream Hell in a Cell ‘22 on Peacock.

Gunther Vs. Sheamus (Clash At The Castle '22)

Gunther and Sheamus didn’t main event Clash at the Castle in September 2022, but these two meat-slamming brawlers did put on what could be one of the best WWE matches of the past decade. Slaps, chops, kicks to the head, and old-fashioned ass-kicking were all on full display.

Stream Clash at the Castle ‘22 on Peacock.

Kevin Owens And Sami Zayn Vs. The Usos (WrestleMania 39)

One of the best matches of WrestleMania 39, the Night 1 main event featuring Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn challenging The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship is one of those matches that checks all the boxes. Story, wrestling, emotion, and pure energy make this a 5-star showing we all can agree on.

Stream WrestleMania 39 Night 1 on Peacock.

Gunther Vs. Drew McIntyre Vs. Sheamus (WrestleMania 39)

Gunther, Drew McIntyre, and Sheamus weren’t the main attractions at WrestleMania 39 Night 2, but they did tell one hell of a story in the ring that night. This triple-threat match for the Intercontinental Championship was all killer and no filler from start to finish. Everyone came out looking better than they did going in, especially the “Ring General.”

Stream WrestleMania 39 Night 2 on Peacock.

Cody Rhodes Vs. AJ Styles (Backlash France)

Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles, wrestling one another for the first time, put on one hell of a match in front of a lively crowd at Backlash France in May 2024. The former Bullet Club members tore the house down with their Undisputed WWE Championship match that saw both competitors pull out some hellacious offense.

Stream Backlash France on Peacock.

CM Punk Vs. Drew McIntyre (Bad Blood '24)

In October 2024, CM Punk earned his third overall 5-star rating and first since Money in the Bank 2011 when he defeated Drew McIntyre in a brutal and bloody Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood. The match, which saw the HIAC format return to its roots, was everything you'd want in a HIAC match and then some.

Stream Bad Blood 2024 on Peacock.

Kevin Owens Vs. Sami Zayn (Elimination Chamber '25)

Longtime friends-turned-rivals-turned-bitter-enemies Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn gave fans one of the most brutal and personal matches in a very long time at Elimination Chamber 2025. The unsanctioned match (Raw General Manager Adam Pearce didn't want WWE to be held accountable for what happened) started slow, but the pace picked up as the two former WWE Tag Champions wrestled throughout the Rogers Centre and pulled out everything from double-stacked tables to a chair covered in barbed wire.

Stream Elimination Chamber on Peacock.

With so many promising upcoming WWE events on the horizon, there will surely be more 5-star ratings in the coming months. When that happens, we’ll make sure to keep this list updated with all the pertinent information.

When pulled off properly, few things bring as much excitement to the world of professional wrestling more than a heel turn. Over the years, wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and Stone Cold Steve Austin have turned around their respective careers (and respective companies) when they decided to finally go bad. 

Whether it’s in a game-changing WrestleMania match, at a seemingly normal WCW pay-per-view event that immediately becomes the stuff of legends, or deep in the heart of Texas, a well-timed and pulled-off betrayal can be a sight to see. Here are 32 of the most shocking heel turns in professional wrestling history. 

Hulk Hogan Forms The NWO

A decade after “Hulkamania” first ran wild on the then-WWF (now WWE), Hulk Hogan’s peak seemed to have come and gone by the mid ‘90s. That all changed on the night of July 6, 1996, when the Hulkster changed the game and joined the NWO alongside Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. Truly, this is a heel turn and a big-time wrestling moment none will ever forget.

Shawn Michaels Throws Marty Jannetty Through The Barbershop Window

Shawn Michaels super-kicking and then throwing his tag team partner, Marty Jannetty, through the barbershop window turned HBK from a talented mid-carder to a massive superstar. Michaels would go on to have one of the most successful careers of any WWE Hall of Famer, even if he had to get his hands dirty.

Stone Cold Sides With Mr. McMahon

Sometimes you have to make a deal with the devil, and that’s exactly what Stone Cold Steve Austin did in the main event of WrestleMania 17, where he allied with longtime foe Mr. McMahon. The image of a bloody Austin shaking hands with his arch-nemesis is one that is still crazy to think about 20-plus years later.

Seth Rollins Turns On The Shield

The Shield – Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose – arrived on the scene in November 2012 and made an immediate impact as one of the craziest and most dominant factions in WWE. But, that all came crashing down in June 2014 when Rollins was revealed to be Triple H’s “Plan B” to stopping the Shield once and for all. 

Andre The Giant Joins The Heenan Family

For years, Andre the Giant was one of the WWF’s top babyfaces as well as one of Hulk Hogan’s closest allies. That all ended in February 1987, when the massive French wrestler turned on the Hulkster and aligned with Bobby Heenan and his family. Andre ripping Hogan’s shirt and cross from his body gave the superstar immediate heat.

Roman Reigns Turns Heel In His 2020 Return

Years after being booed mercilessly by crowds around the world, Roman Reigns finally gave into the temptation in August 2020 and returned as a heel when he viciously attacked The Fiend and Braun Strowman and then aligned with Paul Heyman. The shocking and much-needed change led to Reigns’ historic 1,316-day championship run and the creation of the Bloodline, one of the best stables of all time. 

Kevin Owens Turns On Sami Zayn

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, wrestling as Kevin Steen and El Generico, respectively, had one of the craziest histories in the indie scene. That history repeated itself in late 2014, when Owens made his NXT debut, congratulated his longtime friend after his NXT Championship victory, and then viciously beat him outside and inside the ring. Talk about a debut.

The Montreal Screwjob

A prime example of when wrestling got a little too real, the “Montreal Screwjob” is still considered one of the most impactful moments in the sport’s history. Though it’s not a traditional heel turn, Vince McMahon forcing referee Earl Hebner to end the match and give Bret Hart’s WWF Championship to Shawn Michaels via a submission that never happened ushered in the legendary Mr. McMahon character.

The WrestleMania 13 DoubleTurn

Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart went into their WrestleMania 13 submission match as a heel and babyface, respectively. But by the time the grueling, blood-soaked bout ended 22 minutes later, the “Texas Rattlesnake” and the “Hitman” pulled off the rare double-turn. Austin refusing to tap out and Hart refusing to let go of the Sharpshooter is an ending like no other.

Stephanie McMahon Sides With Triple H

Long before she and Triple H dominated the WWE landscape as the Authority in the early-to-mid 2010s, Stephanie McMahon was the young, innocent, and loving daughter of Vince McMahon. But, that all changed in late 1999, when Stephanie sided with the D-Generation X leader and kicked off the McMahon-Hemsley Era.

The Rock Becomes Joins The Corporation

Two years after making his WWF debut, The Rock, an on-the-rise babyface at the time, turned heel and joined The Corporation in November 1998. The shocking turn and alignment with Vince McMahon’s authoritarian regime would lead to some of the greatest moments in the young wrestler’s career up to that point.

Tommaso Ciampa Betrays Johnny Gargano

In May 2017, the DIY exploded when Tommaso Ciampa turned on Johnny Gargano in the final moments of NXT TakeOver: Chicago. Just after the main event and while the WWE trademark information was on the screen, the Sicilian Psychopath laid waste to his longtime friend in a shocking display of violence.

The Fabulous Freebirds Turn On The Von Erichs

In December 1982, Kerry Von Erich was inches away from defeating Ric Flair for the WCCW Championship in a steel cage match. But before the hometown hero could secure the victory, Terry Gordy, of the Fabulous Freebirds, slammed the steel door on his head. Not only did it help the Nature Boy win the match, but it also kicked off the legendary Freebird/Von Erich feud.

The Mega Powers Explode

Macho Man Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan had a legendary match at WrestleMania V, but the heel turn that started the feud was just as epic. Bitterly jealous of his partner in the Mega Powers, Savage viciously attacked Hogan backstage in early 1989, which is still shocking decades later.

Dusty Rhodes Joins The NWO

In the months and years following the formation of the NWO, the group was getting larger by the day and even had its own PPV titled “Souled Out.” During the January 1998 event, Dusty Rhodes, to the shock of everyone, revealed he was with NWO when he turned heel on longtime friend Larry Zbyszko. 

Mark Henry's 'Retirement' Speech

In June 2013, Mark Henry entered the ring in a salmon-colored suit and told the world he was retiring from wrestling. But things weren’t as they seemed, as Henry used the fake retirement speech to get John Cena to come out so he could attack him and challenge the WWE Champion for his belt.

Scott Steiner Betrays His Brother And Becomes 'Big Poppa Pump'

Scott Steiner, one of the most ridiculous wrestling figures of all time (just look up “Steiner Math”), wasn’t always a brash, heelish, genetic freak. Going into WCW’s SuperBrawl VIII in February 1998, Steiner was a successful tag team wrestler with his real-life brother, Rick. That changed later that night when Scott turned heel on his older brother, a decision that would give birth to “Big Poppa Pump.”

Kevin Owens Attacks Chris Jericho At The 'Festival Of Friendship'

Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho had a fun team in late 2016 and early 2017, but that all came to an end when Owens turned on his mentor and friend during the “Festival of Friendship” on Monday Night Raw. Growing tired of Jericho, Owens attacked with his WWE Universal Championship in a manner that was equally hilarious and sad.

Jake 'The Snake' Roberts Turns On Ultimate Warrior

Though Jake “The Snake” Roberts was mostly known for his heel work, his betrayal of Ultimate Warrior in 1991 was still shocking to say the least. In an absurd scene that looked like something out of a B-movie, Roberts locked his one-time friend in a room where he was bitten by a cobra snake. Sadly, Warrior was fired later that year and the feud never really went anywhere.

Bayley Finally Turns Heel

After spending the majority of her career as a beloved babyface, Bayley shocked the world in September 2019 when she turned heel on Becky Lynch in brutal fashion. All that pent-up rage and frustration came out as she attacked “The Man” with a series of chair shots to the back. A new, meaner, Bayley was born.

Prince Devitt Forms The Bullet Club

Prince Devitt, better known as Finn Balor in WWE, kickstarted one of the most popular stables in all of wrestling in May 2013 when he formed Bullet Club in NJPW. Following a losing effort in a high-profile tag match, Devitt turned on partner Ryusuke Taguchi and unleashed a new attitude as the “Real Rock ‘n Rolla” of the company. 

Dean Ambrose Turns On Seth Rollins

Though more than four years had passed since Seth Rollins broke up the Shield, and though they were once again on good terms, Dean Ambrose got his revenge on Rollins in October 2018 during a shocking heel turn. After winning the tag team championship (the same night Roman Reigns stepped away because of leukemia), Ambrose viciously attacked his friend in and outside of the ring. 

CM Punk Turns Heel At Raw 1000

Raw 1000 was supposed to be a celebration of WWE’s flagship show. And while that was true for the first two-and-a-half hours, the show ended on an intense note when WWE Champion CM Punk turned his back on the fans by viciously attacking The Rock in the middle of the ring.

Owen Hart Turns On Bret

In 1994, Bret and Owen Hart had one of the best WrestleMania opening matches of all time and a five-star classic a few months later. There were some precursors to the epic feud, but it got started proper at that year’s Royal Rumble when Owen brutalized his older brother after they failed to capture the tag titles.

The Miz Attacks Logan Paul

The Miz has turned heel more than anyone not named Big Show, but the betrayal that was the most surprising was his turn on Logan Paul at WrestleMania 38. What made it even more shocking was the fact the “star-crushing finale” attack on Paul came after the pair won their tag team match.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan Betrays America

Few wrestlers used American patriotism more than Hacksaw Jim Duggan, which is what made his 2000 heel turn in WCW so wild. Breaking the hearts of millions of Americans, Duggan joined Team Canada and carried a Canadian flag opposed to Old Glory for a short time.

Larry Zbyszko Betrays Bruno Sammartino

Larry Zbyszko and Bruno Sammartino are two of the most respected men in the history of wrestling, and the pair were longtime friends. However, Zbyszko had enough in 1980 and turned against his friend/mentor, kicking off a killer and legendary feud.

Cactus Jack Turns On ECW Fans

Of all of Mick Foley’s characters, Cactus Jack has always been the most violent, most aggressive, and most hardcore. Well, shortly after joining ECW in the mid ‘90s, Foley turned on the more hardcore audience when he spotted a sign saying “Cane Dewey” which referenced his 3-year-old son. Though shocking, the turn was justified. 

Eddie Guerrero Betrays Rey Mysterio

The late Eddie Guerrero had quite the history with Rey Mysterio. The longtime friends came up around the same time, survived WCW’s cruiserweight division together, and put on killer matches in WWE. But in 2005, that all came to an end when Eddie finally turned heel on Rey, a shocking moment to say the least.

Nikki Bella Double-Crosses Brie Bella 

After nearly a decade of being by her twin sister’s side in the WWE ring, Nikki Bella turned against Brie and cost her a victory against Stephanie McMahon at SummerSlam 2014. Following the heel turn, Nikki became a quasi-member of the Authority faction for a short time.

The Four Horsemen Turn On Sting

There have been countless members of the Four Horsemen over the years, and that includes Sting. For a short time in the late ‘80s, the group, which predominantly worked as a heel faction, went good with Stinger on the roster. However, it was short-lived and the remaining members would turn on Sting a few months after he joined.

Chris Jericho Snaps On Shawn Michaels

Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels had some great matches over the years, and the pair of in-ring veterans seemed to have mutual respect for one another despite a dust-up following their WrestleMania 19 bout. However, that came crashing down in 2008 when Y2J turned on his idol and kicked off another heated feud.

Some of these 32 shocking heel turns led to some of the greatest moments in wrestling history and continue to resonate years, and decades, later. 

We're well on the road to the upcoming WrestleMania 40 and, with that, rumors about Stone Cold Steve Austin possibly attending are now in effect. Sure enough, he's already fielding questions about whether or not he'll appear and have another match, despite the previous rumors about him facing CM Punk falling through after the latter's injury. Now, in the wake of an interview that suggests the superstar is looking back at his last match, I have a theory about how he could be used. 

After the WWE passed on Steve Austin for WrestleMania 39, could he be in the mix for a match in Philadelphia? I suspect the answer is yes after reading his latest comments. On that note, let me explain how I believe he can still get in on this massive wrestling event.

Stone Cold Said He Watched His WrestleMania 38 Match Ahead Of An Unspecified Project

Stone Cold Steve Austin spoke with ESPN recently and, as he often is during WrestleMania season, he was being cagey about his plans for the coming months. Austin revealed that he recently looked back at his surprise match at WrestleMania 38 with Kevin Owens in anticipation of a project he couldn't discuss. Here's what Austin had to say about that, as well as the possibility of a return: 

The news outlet went on to report that it didn't seem likely that 59-year-old veteran would compete at WrestleMania 40, and that tracks because there are no plans at present to include him. With that said, there's still a way he could be used in what could end up being one of the most iconic matches of his career. 

How Stone Cold Steve Austin Could Be Used At WrestleMania 40

While no official plans for WrestleMania 40's main event for Night 1 have been announced, it seems as though the WWE is building toward Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins teaming up for a tag-team match against The Rock and Roman Reigns. That would come ahead of Rhodes and Reigns' rematch on Night 2. One hang-up is that Rollins must also defend his Heavyweight championship amid the proceedings and, assuming that happens on Night 1 before the speculated tag-team match, he might be unable to compete. 

Let's not forget that Seth Rollins was legitimately injured recently and is rehabbing to be cleared to compete at WrestleMania 40. I see a scenario where either the WWE uses this injury to justify Rollins missing out on the tag match, and Cody Rhodes is left without a partner. 

Assuming that happened, who else but Stone Cold Steve Austin would be the perfect tag-team partner for Cody Rhodes to stand alongside and battle Roman Reigns and The Rock? It's the only scenario in which I believe the WWE could create a better main event than the tag match we're presumably heading towards. I'd wholly assume that's something people would be checking out with a Peacock Premium subscription.

That said, this theory is way out there due to the sheer amount of speculation. For it to even come together, we'd at least need to know Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes will indeed join forces against The Rock and Roman Reigns in a tag match set for the main event of WrestleMania Night 1. Secondly, there would need to be some way for Rollins to be unable to compete, be it through having to defend his title ahead of the match or some other reason. Even if those elements come together, we'd still need Stone Cold Steve Austin to be willing to return. For now, this is just a long-shot assumption, but one I'd love to see happen if possible!

WrestleMania 40 will take place on Saturday, April 6th, and Sunday, April 7th. As for what Stone Cold Steve Austin will be up to that day, we'll just have to wait and see. I know I'd love to see him have a match if he's up for it, and to see him compete against The Rock at an upcoming WWE event would be a dream come true. 

Stone Cold Steve Austin is no stranger to staying healthy, and when you get as shredded as him from working out in the gym, recovery periods can be rough. Perhaps that's why The Texas Rattlesnake checked out the benefits of a cold plunge, even if it resulted in him blasting out just about every curse word in the book during his first shot. 

As wrestling fans prep for upcoming WWE events, including the fast-approaching WrestleMania 40, Steve Austin has been hanging out in his garage and testing the benefits of stone-cold plunges. Unfortunately, the Hall of Fame wrestler realized that sitting in a frigid tub can be much more painful than a Figure Four Leg Lock, and he tapped out of his first attempt at three minutes. He also swore up an unholy storm,  and was humble enough to show the failed experiment to all his followers on Instagram: 

Stone Cold Steve Austin famously refused to tap out to Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13, choosing to go unconscious rather than give an opponent the satisfaction of making him submit during such a big match. Thank goodness Austin didn't show that same stubbornness during his cold plunge, as prolonged cold exposure past a person's limits can result in some hazardous consequences. All we saw here, however, was a bunch of swearing by Austin, who didn't look too eager to dive back in. 

So, why exactly is Steve Austin putting himself through such seeming torture? As mentioned, the WWE legend has always been big into working out, and he was interested to try out this unique recovery method. Whether or not it has any correlation to the world of pro wrestling is anyone's guess. It is worth mentioning that there are rumors of CM Punk and Stone Cold having a match at WrestleMania 40, though I personally take any of that chatter with a grain of salt. 

While that first try was a failure, Stone Cold Steve Austin wasn't about to give up. The wrestler decided to it another on-camera go just ten minutes after the first attempt, and this time, he went beyond his own three-minute goal. That second go-around can be found below, but the swearing coming out of his mouth is around the same level as the first video, so be warned!

It's good to see Steve Austin give it another go and complete it, though I still have questions about whether or not he'll continue to utilize the icy plunges going forward. If he does and is able to master the recovery technique, imagine the marketing opportunities! 

I'm not sure if I'll ever purchase a cold plunge for my home, but if I was, I would go for the one endorsed by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. It wouldn't make the experience any easier to bear, but at least I'd feel as tough as the former WWE champion or Hugh Jackman after a Wolverine workout every time I nearly froze to death.

Check out some of Steve Austin's greatest moments in the WWE with a Peacock Premium subscription. There may even be a few moments on there more painful than a cold plunge, though based on what I saw in the above videos, I'd say that's a tall order. 

Everything is bigger in Texas, they say, and that certainly includes the star power of its homegrown celebrities. From the biggest stars in music to the biggest on the silver screen, the biggest celebs in the squared circle, and almost everywhere else, Texas has bred them all. 

California may be home to Hollywood, but there might not be a Hollywood without its biggest legends who hail from the Lone Star State, so here is our list of some of the biggest stars from Texas

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey was born in Uvalde, Texas, raised mostly in Longview, TX, went to college in Austin, and got his first big break in show business in Dazed & Confused, which was, of course, filmed in Texas. McConaughey still lives in Austin. It makes sense that the proud Texan wants to see more movies made in his home state. McConaughey has also sparked rumors in the past that he might be interested in running for political office in Texas, though he's usually brushed them aside. Politician or not, the man sure loves his home state. 

Renée Zellweger

She may have won accolades for playing an English woman, but Renée Zellweger is Texas through and through. The Bridget Jones' Diary star was born outside Houston in Katy, TX, and grew up there before attending the University of Texas. It was in Austin that she discovered her love for acting and she landed her first on-screen role as an extra in Dazed & Confused. 

Owen Wilson

Dallas-born Owen Wilson has played a lot of fantastic roles over the years, but none better than his many roles in the films of Wes Anderson. Wilson and fellow Texan Anderson have been friends since their college days at the University of Texas. It's also worth noting that both of Owen Wilson's brothers, Luke and Andrew, also hail from Texas, of course. 

Jim Parsons

While some people ooze "Texas," Houston native Jim Parsons doesn't, really. You might guess he'd be from New York or Chicago, but nope, he's a Texan. Born and raised in the suburbs of Houston, he also attended the University of Houston before striking out for Hollywood and making it big. 

Carol Burnett

Comedy legend Carol Burnett grew up in California, attending high school right in Hollywood, but the Annie star was born deep in the heart of Texas, in San Antonio in 1933. Though her vast career has taken her far from Texas, the state can still call her one of its own. 

Beyoncé

If the stars are brighter and everything is bigger in Texas, then it only makes sense that one of the biggest stars would come from Houston. There is no bigger star on the planet than Beyoncé, who was born and raised in Texas along with her sister Solange and her Destiny's Child bandmate, LaTavia Roberson. 

Selena Gomez

Like many other native Texas, Selena Gomez is proud of her Mexican heritage. The Only Murders In The Building star was born in Grand Prairie, Texas, near Dallas, and although her many acting roles and career took her to California early in life, her family's roots are firmly in the Lone Star State. Gomez is named for another Texas native as well, the late Tejano superstar Selena, who was murdered in Corpus Christi in 1995. 

Woody Harrelson

Woody Harrelson first got famous playing a farm boy-turned-bartender from Indiana on Cheers, and while he moved to Ohio as a teenager, Harrelson was born in Midland, Texas. He's also tight with his occasional co-star and fellow Texan, Matthew McConaughey, and, according to McConaughey, the two could even be brothers! 

Tommy Lee Jones

Sure, he was roommates at Harvard with Al Gore, but Tommy Lee Jones is all Texan. The No Country For Old Men star was born in the small town of San Saba, Texas, and raised in Midland. He's never really strayed far either, as he has resided in Terrell Hills, TX, near San Antonio, for years. He's also a member of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the Texas Film Hall of Fame. There really isn't another actor who screams "Texas" like Jones, is there?

Steve Martin

Waco-born Steve Martin is one of the funniest people in film history. While he grew up mostly in Southern California, his roots are originally in central Texas, where he was born in Waco, on August 14th, 1945, the same day that the Japanese surrendered in World War II. 

Jamie Foxx

The multi-talented Jamie Foxx started acquiring his many skills as a kid in Terrell, TX, outside Dallas, where he was born and raised. As a kid, he played piano and excelled at sports at Terrell High School. He moved to Southern California after school and in 1991, scored a role on In Living Color, and the rest is history. 

Jennifer Garner

Jennifer Garner moved to West Virginia when she was just three, so she probably doesn't remember much of anything from her early life in Texas, but the Daredevil star was born in Houston. 

Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson exploded into show business by winning the first-ever season of American Idol and she's been a star ever since. It's a journey that started when she was born in Forth Worth, TX, and raised in the suburb of Burleson, just outside the city. While her career may have taken her to LA and New York, her heart (and sports allegiance) has stayed in Texas.

Wes Anderson

People love to debate what the best Wes Anderson movie is, but if you are wondering what is his most personal, it's probably Bottle Rocket, which was filmed almost entirely in Anderson's home state of Texas. It stars a couple of fellow Texans as well, Owen and Luke Wilson. While the Wilsons are from Dallas originally, Anderson hails from Houston. 

Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion is a triple threat. She proved herself on the mic, and on the dance floor, first, then she started taking over TV and movies by starring in her first film in 2023. Before all that happened, though, she grew up in and around Houston. The “H-town Hottie” even got her nickname, Stallion, in the city. 

Michelle Rodriguez

Michelle Rodriguez has been in some huge film franchises, like Fast & Furious and Avatar. She kind of grew up all over, including in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, but she was born and lived for a few years of her life in San Antonio, TX. 

Ethan Hawke

Ethan Hawke's parents were high school sweethearts who had Ethan shortly after they were married. Born in 1970 in Austin, TX, Hawke moved to the Northeast with his mother but spent his summers in Fort Worth with his dad. His grandfather even served in the Texas House of Representatives for 10 years. He has deep Texas roots that he is proud of. 

Hilary Duff

Lizzie McGuire star Hilary Duff is another Texas girl. Born in Houston, her family also spent time in San Antonio before moving to California when Duff was still young to pursue her acting career. Boy did that pay off quickly! 

Jennifer Love Hewitt

From a young age, Jennifer Love Hewitt was showing off her talents, singing and dancing across Texas, where she was born in 1979. Eventually, even the Lone Star State could not contain her and she moved to LA with her family, where she soon landed her first starring role on the legendary Party Of Five, after having roles on the Disney Channel and elsewhere as a kid. 

Eva Longoria

Born in Corpus Christi, TX in 1975, Eva Longoria has always been proud of her Tejano roots. In fact, her ancestry and culture are so important to her that she returned to college to earn a Master's degree in Chicano studies from Cal State-Northridge.

Forest Whitaker

Though he went to high school in Los Angeles, Forest Whitaker's life began in Longview, Texas. Every summer of his youth, he spent time with his grandparents in Longview and still has family all over Texas. 

Taylor Sheridan

It's no surprise that Taylor Sheridan is from Texas. While he was actually born in North Carolina, the Yellowstone creator is the definition of a true Texan. Not only did he grow up in Fort Worth, but he owns a working ranch in the Lone Star state called 6666 Ranch. He and his family live in Weatherford, Texas.

Farrah Fawcett

She might have had the reputation of being the all-American blonde from California, but Farrah Fawcett was born and raised in Texas. After high school in Corpus Christi, she attended the University of Texas before heading to Hollywood where she immediately started landing acting and modeling jobs. Once she scored her role on Charlie's Angels, the rest is history. 

Isaiah Washington

Controversial actor Isaiah Washington's most prominent role was in the first three seasons of Grey's Anatomy. Since then, he's worked on numerous films and TV shows, before announcing his retirement in 2023. He was born and raised in Houston. 

William Jackson Harper

Star of The Good Place William Jackson Harper is a native Texan, born in Dallas and raised in Garland, TX, where he first started acting in high school. His Texas-sized determination kept him going when he struggled early in his career, before finding a starring role on the Kristen Bell-led sitcom. 

Dakota Johnson

It might be surprising to learn that despite being the daughter of Hollywood royalty, Dakota Johnson was born in Texas. She was born to Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson in Austin while her father shot a movie in the Lone Star State. The star was then raised in Los Angeles, of course, but Austin will always be where she came into this world. Since then, she's built a great career. 

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin

Steven James Anderson loves his home state so much, that he took a name based on its capital, Austin. Better known as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the WWE superstar was, in fact, born in Austin, though he was raised mostly in Edna, TX. The wrestler still owns property in the state, Broken Skull Ranch, near Tilden, TX. It's not like he hides his love for the state either, as one of his many nicknames is "The Texas Rattlesnake."

Gary Busey

People sometimes forget that Gary Busey was once nominated for an Oscar for playing Texan Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story, and the actor also hails from Holly's home state. Busey was born in the Houston area; Baytown, Texas, to be exact. He moved to Oklahoma in elementary school and it was in Tulsa that the enigmatic actor began his show biz career. One of his first big breaks in Hollywood was a TV show that was set in Texas called, appropriately, The Texas Wheelers.

Gina Carano

Gina Carano was controversially dismissed from The Mandalorian and whether you agree with the decision or not, it's hard to argue that the MMA star brought a little bit of that strong individualism Texas is known for to the role and her career. Something that might be inherent in her, as she was born in Dallas County Texas.

Shaquille O'Neal

Texas is a huge state, with a lot of personality, so it only makes sense that a celebrity who's physically large and has a personality to match would hail from the state. Shaquille O’Neal is an Army brat, so he moved around a lot as a kid, including being born in New Jersey. It's in Texas, however, where the world started to pay attention to O'Neal as he became a standout basketball star, eventually becoming a top college recruit and going to LSU for school. He was drafted into the NBA as the #1 overall pick in 1992, and the rest is history.  

Robin Wright

Robin Wright might be best known for playing a Washington insider on House Of Cards and a Buttercup in The Princess Bride, but before all that, she was born in Dallas in 1966. Her parents divorced when she was young and her family moved to Southern California, but for those two years, she was a Texan. 

Michael Strahan

He first made a name for himself playing football in New York, and now he's known for hosting Good Morning America in New York, but Michael Strahan is a born and bred Texan. He was born in Houston, and went to high school there, though for a little while he lived with his family in Germany where his father was stationed in the Army. 

There you have it, a list that proves everything is, indeed, bigger in Texas. The toast, the steer, the plains, and the stars. Not just the stars in the sky, but the stars in Hollywood and beyond. Few states can compete with the Lone Star state when it comes to star power. 

Have you opened Wrestling Twitter in the last week? If so, you’ve probably seen a barrage of rumors about WWE allegedly wanting a match between CM Punk and Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania. If you’ve seen those, you’ve probably also seen a horde of wrestling fans celebrating like we’re getting Bret Hart and Kurt Angle squaring off in their primes, but I don’t get why they’re so excited at all. In fact, I think CM Punk and Stone Cold Steve Austin fighting at WrestleMania 40 is one of the worst ideas I’ve ever heard, and I’m baffled other people don’t feel the same way I do. Let’s talk this out.

Before we get into my personal views though, let’s back up and talk about how we got here. CM Punk made a surprise return to WWE last weekend at Survivor Series in what has to be a top 100 all-time WWE moment. I cover wrestling for a living and had no idea it was happening. I felt like a little kid again, and clearly, millions of other people did too, as his return set all kinds of wrestling-related social media records. The next few days was a flood of stories and videos about Seth Rollins allegedly not being happy about his return, and the general consensus become almost immediately that we’d see Punk and Rollins in the Main Event of Night 1 at WrestleMania 40. 

But not so fast. Then we started hearing rumors that WWE was actually planning to have Punk vs Rollins at The Royal Rumble in January and instead, some big voices were pushing for CM Punk and Stone Cold Steve Austin to be the WrestleMania Night 1 Main Event. The typically reputable Fightful confirmed those whispers were happening, though Dave Meltzer said those talks have not gotten to Stone Cold yet. Regardless, there are now countless WWE fans rooting for the match to happen. And I don’t get it. At all. 

I’ll be the first to say I loved Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38. That entire segment and match were an absolute blast, and it was one of my favorite things I watched that entire ‘Mania weekend. I’d love to see Austin come back, and I think CM Punk would be an ideal opponent for him. If Austin agreed to do a couple of Raw episodes prior to the show, those promo wars would be fantastic. Putting these two together is a great idea and would be fantastic for business… at some point in the future.

But CM Punk has the potential to have a world title run right now. He is quite possibly the most over superstar in the entire company at this moment, while simultaneously being hated by another healthy segment of fans. If you keep Seth Rollins as a babyface and let CM Punk continue to be himself, WWE has the potential to create a babyface vs babyface Ultimate Warrior vs Hulk Hogan style main event at ‘Mania. The company guy who stayed and persevered, through numerous creative directions and down periods in the business versus the guy who left, trashed everyone and came back. It would be the biggest moment of either of their careers and potentially turn both into bigger stars. Who wins would have major ramifications for WWE for months or even years to come.

CM Punk and Stone Cold Steve Austin is a sideshow. It’s a glitzy exhibition that would be entirely engineered to create one fun, standalone experience. Steve Austin is not returning full-time to WWE. A win from CM Punk would do nothing to bring him closer to a major title run, and a loss would put him further away from a title run, given Austin is nearly 60. It would also do nothing to turn Seth Rollins or anyone else into bigger stars. It would simply exist for its own sake.

Popularity can be fleeting in wrestling. Even the all-time greats ebb and flow in terms of how much the crowd cares at any given moment. CM Punk is having a moment right now. He has the chance to become the biggest star in the entire industry and carry WWE into its next chapter. He also has a chance to help elevate Seth Rollins and turn The World Heavyweight Championship into something actually on par with The WWE Universal Championship. I get the appeal of Austin and Punk, I really do. But Punk and Rollins is what’s right for the future of the business, and WWE would be fools to flush that in favor of a one-off match with zero stakes. 

Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the most popular wrestlers of all time, hands down, and those hands are almost definitely wrapped around some 12-ouncers. Even though he only occasionally appears in and around the ring these days, having found a second calling as a host and interviewer, fans will no doubt continue showing up at upcoming WWE events with their "Austin 3:16" t-shirts and signs, just as it's gone for the past 27 years or so. The phrase still secures a prominent spot in the company's merchandising, but with so many years between now and the its origins, it can be easy to forget where it all started.

Wrestlers try out a bunch of lines over their career, but barely any of the ones that stick are able to reach the heights of popularity and financial domination as the Texas Rattlesnake's semi-slogan. But Austin 3:16 did indeed dominate for a good bit of the Attitude Era, and it started primarily because of a match Steve Austin took part in just as his Stone Cold persona was gaining stream in the WWE. 

Stone Cold Steve Austin First Used The Phrase At King Of The Ring 1996

Though Stone Cold Steve Austin certainly made his debut with that moniker ahead of the fall pay-per-view, many credit the athlete's official burst into WWE superstardom to his work during 1996's King Of The Ring tournament. Austin punched and kicked his way through the tournament and made it all the way to the finals, for which he took on another serpent-related WWE legend, Jake "The Snake" Roberts. 

At the time of this match, Roberts had his own new gimmick of sorts, where he was a born-again Christian lugging around a white Burmese python named "Revelations" in his signature snake sack. The gimmick was meant to mirror the real-life change experienced by Roberts as he embraced Christianity. 

The match was originally planned to be a close contest, with the older Superstar falling just short of defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin. Unfortunately, Roberts was already suffering from an injury sustained during his previous bout with the late legend Vader, and as such, the plan shifted to have Austin defeat him quickly to prevent further injury. As Roberts hobbled his way to the back, Austin added insult to injury and said the following to his opponent during a post-match interview with Michael Hayes: 

So it was spoken, and so it would remain for many years to come. But what makes that night and that interview even more amazing is that the Biblical reference wasn't the only iconic catchphrase making an introduction. 

It's also noteworthy that Austin dropped perhaps his second most iconic catchphrase in this promo: "And that's the bottom line!" It's here that wrestling historians officially coronated Stone Cold Steve Austin, both literally and figuratively, and ran with the gimmick like wildfire. Those looking to watch the iconic moment can view the full pay-per-view with a Peacock Premium subscription. 

What Stone Cold Steve Austin Has Said About The Catchphrase And Promo

Stone Cold Steve Austin has talked about that iconic moment over the years, and in particular spoke about the creation of "Austin 3:16" at length during an interview with the titular host of The Rich Eisen Show in 2022. Austin revealed he'd also sustained an injury earlier in the night, and it was when he returned from being treated that Michael Hayes alerted him about Jake The Snake Roberts cutting a promo about needing God's help to win the match. 

Austin explained that was when the gears started turning in his head regarding how he could spin that, and after he was reminded of a once popular trend at various sporting events, the iconic moment came together. In his words:

Thinking on his toes paid off big for the wrestler, and there's no explaining just how lucky he was to catch fire right when he did. Triple H was supposed to be the winner of King Of The Ring 1996, but was punished for breaking character at a house show at Madison Square Garden in an incident known in the wrestling world as the "curtain call." 

This meant Stone Cold Steve Austin was able to take the win, and when the spotlight was on him, he took full advantage. Austin continued and talked about how influential the promo was, and how it started the massive run he had as Stone Cold:

To think, had that promo been any less electric, Stone Cold Steve Austin might've never taken off in WWE on the level that he did. Fortunately, Vince McMahan ran with it, and we saw the Texas Rattlesnake open up cans of whoop ass for many years after. 

The Legacy Of Austin 3:16

Catchphrases mean cash in the WWE, and they can have some real moneymaking staying power if they're popular enough. It's well-documented that while Steve Austin rarely appears in the ring anymore despite frequent rumors of his return, his "Austin 3:16: shirt remains the best-selling t-shirt that the WWE sells. That's a pretty impressive feat, especially in an era that's seen Dwayne Johnson, John Cena, and plenty of other larger-than-life wrestling superstars who transitioned to Hollywood. 

The "Austin 3:16" merch has been so successful that the WWE currently has spin-off shirts that feature the "3:16" fronted by the names of cities where events take place. The popularity may have grown far beyond what the original phrase was all about, much like Austin's use went beyond the religious origins, but wrestling fans seemingly recognize it enough and continue to buy it all the same. It's a pretty simple story, but one that has become a major part of WWE history. 

Stone Cold Steve Austin hasn't had another match since his surprise return at WrestleMania 38, but there's hope he'll be included in the fun at WrestleMania 40. Regardless of his involvement, I'm sure there will be plenty of "Austin 3:16" merch seen on-screen regardless.  

Stone Cold Steve Austin spent months denying that he was working on anything for WrestleMania 39, and he did indeed skip both nights of the big event in Los Angeles, but that doesn't mean the Texas Rattlesnake wasn't entertaining the idea of a return. Austin recently revealed that he did talk to the WWE about a match and shared why it didn't happen. 

There were many rumors about Stone Cold Steve Austin talking about a match at WrestleMania 39, and it turns out those are true. The wrestler revealed in an interview with Sports Illustrated that he did sit down for conversations with the WWE about having a match at WrestleMania, likely due to the warm reception of his match against Kevin Owens the year prior:

Stone Cold Steve Austin is right in the sense that WrestleMania 38 really felt like a moment when the stars aligned for his return. Seeing Stone Cold return and break a decades-long retirement to wrestle in his home state of Texas was a mic drop moment that the WWE will struggle to replicate going forward. Bringing him back for a match the following year certainly wouldn't have had as great of an impact, but I'm sure many fans still would've loved it. 

Despite this, Stone Cold Steve Austin felt like he couldn't commit to the idea in good faith. Austin explained that he needed a lot of time to get in shape for any type of proper match, and that wasn't going to be possible thanks to an A&E series he had already committed to: 

Stone Cold Takes on America prevented the WWE legend from the training required to put on a match at the level wanted. That last bit is surprising to hear, as it sounds like the WWE was pitching Steve Austin having a match that was, somehow, more demanding than what he did with Kevin Owens the year prior. Who would've been granted the honor of having a legitimate match with The Texas Rattlesnake? 

Based on rumors, it seems that L.A. Knight was one of the names floated for a match with Stone Cold at WrestleMania 39. It's not incredibly hard to imagine, given that L.A. Knight seems to be a crowd favorite, and part of his character feels inspired by the Stone Cold character. Mainly, it's the fact that he wears vests, and the whole "Yeah" chant has the potential to be just as iconic as the "What?" chant. 

While it's disappointing that Stone Cold Steve Austin couldn't commit to a match at WrestleMania 39, it is encouraging to hear that he at least entertained the possibility. Whether or not that means he'll be available for a match at the iconic 40th WrestleMania is still unknown, but I feel better about it now after reading his comments than I did prior. Hopefully, we'll get another chance to see him wrestle at some point, at WrestleMania or some other upcoming WWE event. 

Stone Cold Takes On America premieres on A&E on Sunday, April 30th at 10:00 p.m. ET. Anyone who has a Peacock Premium subscription can watch some of Stone Cold's greatest matches right now and see why so many want to see him step into a ring again all these years later. 

WrestleMania 39 is gearing up to be an absolutely stacked two nights with some awesome matches. For all the fun we already know about, there are always a few surprises in store for the audience in attendance and the many people watching the upcoming WWE event home. Naturally we don't know what such surprises are right now, but we could make some guesses about who is involved based on which big wrestlers haven't been confirmed for the event. 

Below, you'll find a list of the most likely wrestlers to make an appearance at WrestleMania 39. Granted, there are no guarantees, and there may be someone left off the list, but here's who is looking most likely or available in the limited time that we have left. 

Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold Steve Austin brought the house down with his surprise match at WrestleMania 38, so it's silly to think the WWE hasn't tried to court the legend for doing something again for WrestleMania 39. After all, even if Austin isn't willing to do a match, just an appearance can be enough to get people talking on social media and hype up the crowd in attendance. 

So far, Austin has claimed he hasn't been contacted for an appearance. With that being said, it seems like he might be playing coy, given the videos of him looking absolutely jacked in the months leading up to the event and the rumors he might be worked into a segment involving L.A. Knight. I certainly would love to see that happen, if only to hear the crowd alternate between "What" and "Yeah" chants. 

Randy Orton

Randy Orton quietly exited the WWE in 2022 for what fans first thought was a scheduled break. After about a month, however, it was reported that Orton suffered a back injury and there was no timetable on his return. The year ended with no sightings of Orton in the WWE, and fans began to worry the longtime WWE superstar could be out indefinitely. 

Fortunately, it's looking increasingly likely that Randy Orton is not only on the mend, but prepping for a return to the WWE. The superstar has been spotted in numerous photos as of late, and he's looking like he's in pretty good shape. It was also widely reported back in February that Orton rang up the guy that makes his boots for the WWE, which seemingly meant he was planning to make a return to the ring soon. There's no real plan for what The Viper might do, though we have an idea of who he might reappear alongside. 

Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle took some time away from the WWE after reportedly failing to comply with the WWE's wellness policy. He's spent some time in rehab since then and recently posted a photo of himself looking to be in good health. Could we be in for an RK-Bro reunion at WrestleMania 39? 

I'm personally hoping so, and given these two were about the most prominent tag-team on the roster before they both exited, I think it's a safe bet to think they'll be back in the WWE sooner rather than later. The question is really whether or not it'll happen at Mania, or maybe in the weeks after instead. 

AJ Styles

AJ Styles is always someone toward the top of WWE's plans for big events, but things changed right at the end of 2022. Styles suffered a broken ankle during an event, and as a result, he's been on the sidelines since then. The wrestler announced he didn't require surgery, but could be out of commission for a while. 

Styles noted in late February it could take up to four months for him to recover (via Sportskeeda). The wrestler was recently featured in a commercial for Snickers, though it's not entirely clear when that was filmed. In either case, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he made a surprise return at WrestleMania, and that there are plans for The Phenomenal One we don't know about. 

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

We know for sure that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson won't be taking on Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39. The Rock didn't feel confident he'd be in shape for the main event, but that doesn't mean he won't be down to make an appearance in some capacity on one of the two nights. 

Dwayne Johnson is the biggest WWE star to make it as an actor in Hollywood. As such, it feels like a colossal waste of an opportunity if he isn't available to be involved in the festivities in some way. Of course, sometimes things just don't work out, so maybe it's not in the cards for Johnson to appear at WrestleMania this year. 

Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss hasn't appeared in the WWE a lot in 2023 so far, which led to fears that the company put one of its best wrestlers on the back burner. Of course, we've since learned that Bliss was treated for skin cancer, and she also performed on The Masked Singer, which helps explain why we've seen less of her as of late. Does this mean we'll finally see what became of her ongoing quiet feud with Uncle Howdy? 

CinemaBlend can confirm that Alexa Bliss will be at WrestleMania 39, but if she'll perform is a complicated question. Bray Wyatt's reported injury has made him a big question mark for the show, and if Wyatt is unavailable, does that mean Uncle Howdy is as well? If so, that could impact if Bliss is involved, which is a real shame. 

Gangrel

A blast from the past, Gangrel was a memorable vampiric character who had memorable stints in the WWE and other pro wrestling organizations, but hasn't been with the company in a long time. It looks like he may be making a return, as PWInsiderElite alleged he's being flown to WrestleMania 39 in order to take part in the match between Finn Balor and Edge. 

This would make sense considering he was in the Brood with Edge. With that said, Gangrel has been away from the WWE for quite a while, and while it's not unheard of for superstars with this type of gap in their stint to return, it doesn't happen often. 

Jay White

Jay White just left NJPW as one of its bigger stars and is looking to make a splash after moving back to the United States. He's a legit talent in the ring with the chance to become a superstar, and I wouldn't be surprised if both WWE and AEW have courted him with offers. 

The only downside of Jay White is that a mainstream WWE audience may not be as familiar with him, which would make a WrestleMania debut a good way to educate the masses. One match and folks would see what is special about White and why he could be one of the brand's top stars in a relatively short amount of time. Who knows where he'll go, though, as Tony Khan may have an edge considering White's already appeared on AEW television. 

FTR

If you're keeping up with the pro wrestling news cycle, you'll know AEW tag-team duo FTR hasn't exactly been quiet about the upcoming expiration of their contracts. This is set to happen in April, so there's a chance that we could be seeing them make their way back to the WWE under their previous tag-team name, The Revival. 

It seems like the WWE would welcome FTR with open arms, but it's still a question of how serious FTR is about leaving AEW. If Tony Khan passed on keeping them in the company, I would say their odds of a WWE debut are pretty high. Whether that will happen before WrestleMania 39, I have no idea. 

Make sure to stream WrestleMania 39 with a Peacock Premium subscription on Saturday, April 1st, and Sunday, April 2nd. Tune in for some surprises because, as we went over above, there are a lot of possibilities! 

Stone Cold Steve Austin blew the roof off of AT&T stadium when he had an unexpected match against Kevin Owens at WWE's WrestleMania 38. So when wrestling fans saw videos of him looking absolutely shredded in the gym recently, they got excited about the prospect of him returning to the ring once more. Many specifically wondered if The Texas Rattlesnake was preparing for yet another Mania showdown. Well, Austin took to the Internet to address the speculation and possibly set the record straight regarding what’s going on. 

After teasing fans with workout videos for a bit, Stone Cold Steve Austin finally revealed via his Instagram why he's been getting fit. Based on this comment, it sounds like this was mainly about getting himself good shape for his own well being and less about getting ready for an upcoming WWE event:

I give all credit to Stone Cold Steve Austin for doing what he can to get in great shape, but will wrestling fans believe he’s only doing it solely for his health? On the one hand, Austin has always been known as a wrestler who's stayed relatively fit, despite him pounding beers in the wrestling ring. There’s a good chance this is all about getting healthy and, if it was any other former wrestler, we might not question it. 

At the same time, the star didn’t explicitly deny he’s not preparing for a return to the WWE.  The words "speculate what you want” indicates that he's more like he’s content keeping wrestling enthusiasts guessing, which also isn’t out of character for him. During a podcast appearance with Paul Heyman back in 2015, the wrestler notably cut a promo about taking on Brock Lesnar, but such a match never happened (via CagesideSeats). So it's possible that he's keeping things vague regardless of whether he’s working on a match with the WWE or not, meaning we’ll be left to speculate. 

At this point, the only thing that would've been suspicious is if Stone Cold Steve Austin said nothing about the workout videos and just continued to look like a wrecking machine in the gym. He certainly looks capable of having another match, but whether or not he’d want to usurp his showdown with Kevin Owens as his potential final match in WWE is a different story. Kevins’ use of The Stunner and the fact that WrestleMania 38 took place in Texas helped set up the perfect return for Austin. Is there any more enticing storyline that could bring him back for WrestleMania 39? 

One possibility is a match with CM Punk, whose status with AEW remains up in the air. Austin and Punk came up in different times in the WWE, but their characters just so naturally oppose each other. Many fans think that a feud between the two would result in a dream match for wrestling fans everywhere but, at the moment, it seems like more of a pipe dream. If there two are in some way appearing at WrestleMania 39 though, surely we’ll get some more definitive signs of that in the coming months. 

In the meantime, pick up a Peacock subscription to see some of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s greatest matches in the WWE and, trust me, there are quite a few. 

Stone Cold Steve Austin gave wrestling fans the shock of a lifetime when he brawled in an impromptu match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38. While many knew he’d appear to confront Owens, few likely expected a feature-length match from one of the rare WWE legends who actually stayed retired when he hung it up decades prior. Of course, it seems like all wrestling veterans are destined to return to the ring in some capacity, and it's looking like a rather hasty return might be in the cards for Austin, thanks to this recent viral video of the athlete that followed rumors of another WrestleMania return. 

Wrestling fans might’ve read recently via GiveMeSport that Stone Cold Steve Austin was so happy with how his last match went that he’d likely be open to booking another one in the future. It's a nice and obviously exciting thought, but not a rumor with enough credence on its own to give Stone Cold fans confidence that he's actually considering anything. That is, until one watches this video of Steve Austin getting absolutely shredded in the gym, as seen below:

The 57-year-old wrestling legend is looking as absolutely jacked as ever in that video, and appears physically ready to make a run for any title if it was so desired. Of course, Stone Cold Steve Austin has essentially always looked like ready and capaple of returning to the ring in the years since his retirement, and his consistent fitness is part of what's caused fans to speculated about his return so regularly. Of course, his literally comeback for WrestleMania 38 makes it feel at least possible that we could see more like it for next year's big pay-per-view, but what would the plan be? 

Back when Stone Cold Steve Austin wrestled at WrestleMania 38, it all felt fated to happen. The big event was held earlier this year in the Texas Rattlesnake's home state, and his eventual opponent, Kevin Owens, had been utilizing the Stunner as his finisher for quite a while. So the stage was set for Stone Cold to arrive and kick Owens’ ass for disrespecting him. The WWE has a lot of interesting storylines happening right now, but is there room for Austin at the upcoming WrestleMania? 

That’s a great question, especially considering the mounting amount of arcs being planned for next year's event set for Hollywood. We’re expecting Cody Rhodes to return at some point from his pectoral tear, while Bray Wyatt is doing strange things with new trademarked characters, and let's not forget The Rock is rumored to be returning to challenge Roman Reigns in the coming months. 

Sure, there are plenty of wrestlers still available for a bout against Stone Cold Steve Austin, but would anyone really want to push the Texas Rattlesnake to anything less than a main-event match? I know I personally would love to see Austin back in a ring, but I’d also like for it to be a truly one-of-a-kind scenario. I’d also be just as excited if this was all for a surprise Royal Rumble appearance, since watching Austin take on dozens of athletes instead of just one would be wild. But I guess we can only wait and see what the WWE might have planned for the legend. 

There’s no telling right now if Stone Cold Steve Austin is planned for any upcoming WWE events, but plenty of reasons to watch Monday Night Raw and SmackDown in the meantime. That said, anyone hungry for more Stone Cold can easily access some of his greatest moments with a Peacock Premium subscription.

Young Rock Season 2 came with the promise that fans would see the early years of Dwayne Johnson’s career in the WWE, and that slice of the timeline has now arrived.  Wrestling fans will soon see Johnson entering the organization's roster just ahead of the massively popular Attitude Era, which means a bunch of familiar wrestling legends will make their debut. Or at least the actors playing those legends will, as The Rock himself revealed the first look at The Undertaker, Mankind, a pre-3:16 Steve Austin and more, and the visuals are kinda wild. 

Dwayne Johnson took to Instagram to share photo stills from the upcoming Young Rock episode "Corpus Christi," which will feature “Rocky Malvia” (the athlete's original in-ring name) meeting “The Ringmaster” (Steve Austin’s thankfully short-lived gimmick) for the first time. Take a look at the photo gallery below, and check out the actors taking on these iconic WWE behemoths.

Professional wrestler Luke Hawx comes into Young Rock as Steve Austin, and while he didn't wrestle with the beer-chugging icon, Hawx did do some work in WWE and ECW briefly throughout the 2000s. Hopefully, his experience across several different organizations (slightly echoing Steve Austin's career) will help him really find the Stone Cold persona should Young Rock highlight that era, if not the "Stunning" era that preceded it. 

As for other actors featured, we have Mick Foley and his Mankind alter ego, as played by Brock Dunstan, Josh Rawiri as Undertaker, Brad Burroughs as Michael PS Hayes, Miles Burris as Hunter Hearst Helmsley, and Gawain Johnstone as Mantaur. Someone who didn't show up in the pics was Adam Ray's Vince McMahon, but this crew (alongside Brett Azar reprising his recurring role as Iron Sheik) will help bring the spirit of '90s WWE to NBC primetime, and I personally can't wait to see it.  

It’s so bizarre to see other people playing these WWE icons, who are obviously now a little too old to convincingly play their younger selves from over twenty years ago, as fun as that would still probably be. As such, we have actors standing in for wrestlers like Mick Foley and Undertaker, and I think it’s safe to say the look isn’t 100% on point. Of course, I can imagine it’s hard to find body doubles for guys like Undertaker, and the fact that some of these guys are still in the limelight definitely makes it harder to fool audiences with a lookalike. Masks help, at least. 

Something else I love about Young Rock tapping into this specific point in time is the reminder of what Steve Austin looked like with hair before he transformed into the Texas Rattlesnake. It really makes me excited to see what other nods to gimmicks of the time that Young Rock will throw into the mix, especially if they go for some lesser-remembered deep cuts. 

When CinemaBlend talked to Uli Latukefu, who portrays Dwayne in the 1996 timeline, the actor was excited for fans to see his character finally get into the WWE, and as he took some some in-ring training for this season's episodes. Considering the episode takes place on the night of Johnson's first match, it's safe to assume we'll get to see him show off those skills for the episode, with more of The Rock’s notable matches hopefully yet to come. 

I’d love to see some re-enactments of what went on behind the scenes during Rock’s electric feuds at the peak of his fame, and some of his biggest moments with Stone Cold. Even if most of those key matches are available to watch in their original form with a Peacock premium subscription, I like the comedic slant and insight Young Rock adds to the already familiar bouts. 

Of course, it’s not always fun and games on Young Rock. The show often touches on Dwayne Johnson’s rough past, and his complex relationship with his father. The show tries to keep things light when it can, but it can occasionally get heavy with its family drama. Those moments will likely continue even as the show gets into the WWE years, when it wasn’t so great for the future superstar while trying to make a name for himself.

Young Rock airs on NBC on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Season 2 is officially in the back half, so it's time to get ready for what might be a high-flying season finale. 

WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin walked away from the squared circle nineteen years ago as one of, if not the most, over performer in the history of the wrestling business. He’s made the occasional appearance in the time since, always getting a pop from the crowd that could be described as prime Hulk Hogan-esque, but until last night, these were always fleeting moments. And for awhile, it seemed like that’s what last night would be too. 

Austin was the guest on the KO Show at WrestleMania 38. For the past month or two, Kevin Owens has been appearing regularly on WWE programming to insult the state of Texas, where WrestleMania was being held and/ or to insult Stone Cold Steve Austin, goading him to appear on his talk show at ‘Mania. Austin accepted the appearance, and it was widely assumed he’d come out, deliver a few stunners, drink a beer or two and send the crowd home happy. All of us here at CinemaBlend have been stoked even if we weren't sure what he was going to do exactly. But the Texas Rattlesnake came to the ring with knee pads on, and when Owens challenged him to a real match, Austin paused for the crowd and said, “If you want Stone Cold to have a match with this sorry sack of shit, give me a hell yeah.”

Those watching both in the audience and on Twitter reacted hard, as did other current and former wrestlers including Sasha Banks and the Iron Sheik who both tweeted. No one, not even Brock Lesnar or Roman Reigns, generate the level of excitement Stone Cold Steve Austin is able to, and fans went absolutely nuts just at the mere anticipation of seeing him go again. 

Now, ordinarily when people step away for more than a decade and come back, there’s a wave of nostalgic excitement, but the actual quality of the match is ehhhhhhhhhh at best. Now, I’m not saying last night was prime Steve Austin and Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13, but it was way better than I expected. It was a legitimately fun, well put together match that, thanks to a no holds barred stipulation, took place all over the arena. They fought in the crowd. They fought on the entrance ramp. They fought outside the ring.

Booking it that way was brilliant because it allowed Austin to focus more on crowd interaction and individual moves rather than the type of agile, high-speed maneuvers he would have needed inside the ring. It also allowed Kevin Owens to sell for him, and he sold everything brilliantly like a lifelong Stone Cold Steve Austin fan. I loved every single second of it, and so did everyone I spoke to or saw on Twitter. Here’s an example tweet…

And of course we need to talk about the bump. For those of you who might not watch wrestling on a regular basis, a bump is a higher risk spot that typically involves some level of physical pain or danger. Taking a few bumps is within the course of duty for an active wrestler, but typically when older performers make appearances, the younger performer takes all of the bumps. For awhile, it seemed like that’s what would be happening here, but when Austin agreed to come back for a match, he apparently agreed to come back for a real match. He took quite a few real moves and most surprisingly, took a suplex onto the floor without padding while he was in the crowd. 

I about lost my mind when I saw him get lifted. I couldn’t believe he took it like a complete badass, and not surprisingly, other fans could not get enough either. The response was one of collective shock and excitement…

I don’t want to oversell this, but last night was why so many of us love wrestling. The entire show (apart from a very real and very sad Rick Boogs injury) was so terrific. Cody Rhodes returned and delivered an incredible match with Seth Rollins. Logan Paul wrestled and was an absolute natural, so much better than expected, and it appears he’ll be sticking around and feuding with The Miz. Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair maybe delivered the match of the night. There wasn't a bad match on the card. It was all really, really good. For my money, it was the best premium live event WWE has delivered in awhile, and it ended exactly as it should have with Stone Cold Steve Austin pounding beers and celebrating with 75,000 screaming fans. 

Stone Cold Steve Austin (with an assist from many others including The Rock) took wrestling to a level of mainstream crossover rarely seen. He, unfortunately, had to step away from the ring way too early thanks to knee injuries, but nineteen years later, he gave us one more iconic wrestling moment. At fifteen-seven-years-old, he showed just how much he still understands and gets the business and delivered an absolute stunner alongside pro Kevin Owens. If that’s not worthy of a hell yeah, I don’t know what is. 

WrestleMania 38 concludes tonight with part two. I have no idea how it could possibly top night one, but with Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, plus a ton of other great matches, I can't wait to see it try. You can check out our full predictions here.

With WrestleMania 2022 right around the corner, WWE has been hard at work preparing the card for the two-day event at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas (well, technically the suburb of Arlington) to ensure it’s the best entry in the history of the “Showcase of the Immortals.” One of the ways the company is setting out to make this the greatest of all time is the mysterious showdown between “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Kevin Owens that is being booked as the return of “The KO Show,” but feels a hell of lot like some kind of physical interaction between the two.

Even though I’m fully aware there’s a chance ends up being similar to previous appearances by the “Texas Rattlesnake” at WrestleMania, I can’t help but feel like this is something different, and I’m super pumped about it all. 

I Never Thought I’d Get To See Stone Cold Wrestle Again

When The Rock defeated “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at WrestleMania 19 in March 2003, I thought it would be the final time I would get to see him in a WWE ring. After suffering through the pain caused by countless knee injuries, a broken neck, and a myriad of other issues, it seemed like Austin 3:16 was just a thing of the past. 

Over the years, Austin has shown up to perform a Stone Cold Stunner on various wrestlers and personalities, and cut a few amazing promos as well, though he’s largely stayed out of the action. With Austin getting back in shape and having a personal wrestling ring at his house, though, as posted by the HighSpots Twitter account in August 2021, it seems like the former world champ is up to something.

There Are Few Active Wrestlers Better For This Opportunity Than Kevin Owens

It is hard to think of anyone in WWE who is better to be paired with Steve Austin than Kevin Owens. Sure, it would have been great if CM Punk and Stone Cold would have been able to wrestle more than a decade ago, but that time has passed and CM Punk is now with AEW. So, back to KO and why I think he's the best person for the job.

First, Owens is one of the best in the world in terms of his ability to work a crowd on the mic (and on Twitter). Love him or hate him, the audience eats out of his hands and hangs on to every word whenever he’s cutting a promo, which is exactly what Austin did 20+ years ago. Also like the “Texas Rattlesnake,” KO has a brawler style of wrestling with the ability to pull out some theatrics (much like Austin before his broken neck and run-down knees).

WWE Has Been Doing A Great Job Of Building The Tension Between The Two  

WWE has been teasing some kind of interaction between Kevin Owens and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in the months leading up to WrestleMania 38, which has included some tweets from the former Universal Champion dragging the good name of Texas (Austin’s native state) through the mud. All of this led to Owens issuing his challenge to Austin on the March 7, 2022 episode of Monday Night Raw with one of the best promos of his career, and in all of WWE in quite some time.

Even without Stone Cold being in the arena, appearing on screen (via satellite), or interacting in any way, Owens was able to build up tension, excitement, and anticipation for their WrestleMania confrontation, one that could be “The KO Show” or something special for KOManiaVI in Austin’s backyard. This has such a big-time feel to it, which will be needed, considering the WrestleMania 38 Saturday card doesn't have as much star-power as the second night.

Stone Cold’s Video Accepting Kevin Owens’ Challenge Gave Me Goosebumps

On Tuesday, March 8, 2022, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin responded to Kevin Owens and his WrestleMania 38 challenge, not through an appearance on one of WWE's streaming talk shows, the Pat McAfee Show, or press release. Instead, Austin and WWE gave us one of the most exciting (and well-produced) video segments in recent memory: the "Texas Rattlesnake" in the middle of Lone Star State in an ATV talking about his career and everything that happened during his time in the ring.

As soon as Austin gets fired up, he doesn't slow down one bit. From talking about Owens waking up something inside that has been dormant for nearly 20 years to threatening the former NXT Champion for disgracing the state of Texas, Austin looks and sounds a lot like that fiery and hungry competitor from all those years ago. Then he says he's going to open one last can of whoop ass at WrestleMania, which is the chef's kiss of this whole situation.

If All Else Fails, We’ll At Least Get Some Beer Chugging And Stone Cold Stunners

Even if this showdown between Steve Austin and Kevin Owens on “The KO Show” ends up being something similar to what Austin has done in the past, at least we’ll still be entertained. If all else fails, we’ll get get to see the two WWE superstars tear one another down on the mic, see some beer-chugging action, and then get a stunner at the end to close out the segment. Personally, I hope it’s more than what Austin did at WrestleMania 25 and WrestleMania 32, where he came out, said a few things, performed a stunner, and drove a 4-wheeler around for a few minutes under the Texas moon, but I will be jumping on my couch either way.

I Can Finally Show My Kids Stone Cold Steve Austin In Action

One of the reasons I am most excited about this whole situation is the fact that I will be able to show my kids “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in action. As I mentioned earlier, watching the “Texas Rattlesnake” wrestle on TV every week was a highlight of my childhood, and I still hold on to those memories of iconic moments, like King of the Ring 1996, WrestleMania 13, and SummerSlam 1998, where Austin went from a successful wrestler to an icon of the industry. Sure, I’ve shown my kids clips of Austin before and my son is obsessed with my Austin 3:16 shirt, but this will be the first time they’ll see one of the heroes of my childhood live and in color. 

Who knows what’s going to happen between “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38, but if you want to watch the two-night event go down, you’ll need to pick up a Peacock Premium subscription or you’ll miss out. 

Stone Cold Steve Austin shocked the wrestling world when he announced an upcoming appearance at WrestleMania 38, which initially seemed like it'd be a match with Kevin Owens. Of course, the WWE's official wording so far for Austin's return is very cryptic, and while it’s possible a match could happen, there is now skepticism about how involved it will actually be, with a decent enough chance that it could amount to a short segment meant to hype up the Dallas attendees. Such doom-laden theorizing just got bolstered by wrestling legend and current AEW commentator Jim Ross, who shared some surprising thoughts on Stone Cold’s return. 

Jim Ross talked about Stone Cold Steve Austin on a recent episode of his podcast Grilling JR, and to put it simply, he doesn’t feel like fans should be getting their hopes up for Stone Cold going ham in a full-on match against Kevin Owens. Ross spoke about his recent conversation with the WWE legend, and shared his assessments based on what they spoke about.

That doesn’t sound like anything fans excited to see Stone Cold Steve Austin return would want to hear, especially the fact he allegedly wasn’t “overwhelmingly enthusiastic” about  Of course, Jim Ross is an employee of AEW currently, and while I don’t think he’d intentionally misrepresent a friend that he has a repertoire with like Stone Cold, it does warrant a consideration that Ross isn’t necessarily incentivized to hype up any planned WWE events.  

Jim Ross went on to say that Steve Austin is a perfectionist, and someone who stays in shape in order to put on the best show possible, whatever that show might be. Ross added that if he had planned out this event, with wrestling absolutely being involved, then he’d have had Austin’s involvement locked down at least six months in advance, so that the retired star could have enough time to train and readjust to taking bumps. It’s not entirely clear when the WWE confirmed Stone Cold’s involvement in WrestleMania 38, though the official announcement of his involvement came less than a month before the two-night event. 

Jim Ross added a few other predictions to the mix, based on his past experience with Stone Cold Steve Austin, that cast further doubt on the Texas Rattlesnake actually having a match at WrestleMania 38. Ross admitted he might be wrong, but that the Stone Cold he knows likely wouldn’t put on a match with so little lead time. 

The sad truth of many legendary wrestlers' returns is that the idea is often much better than the execution. I’m sure few would declare that asome of Undertaker’s final return matches in the WWE are among his best, and the same goes for Goldberg and others. (Maybe Sting gets a pass here. Maybe.) Those guys remained active in wrestling longer than Stone Cold Steve Austin did, thanks to his career-shorting neck injury, so it’s hard not to take Jim Ross’ word (even if he has some unpopular opinions at times) that there may not be much wrestling happening. Of course, he doesn’t know that, but he also knows a bit about the situation to make an educated guess that fans can trust. Another educated guess? That Austin will smash up at least a 12-pack of beer just on his way to the ring that night.

Regardless of how he’s involved, WrestleMania 38 will feature Stone Cold Steve Austin. Anyone interested in watching will need a Peacock premium subscription or a willingness to order it on pay-per-view on Saturday, April 2nd, and Sunday, April 3rd. Here’s hoping, whatever that WWE has planned, that fans aren’t left disappointed. 

WrestleMania 38 is just around the corner, and amidst rumors that plans for the show were still in flux over the past couple of weeks, the most welcome breaking news possible surfaced. WWE legend "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is making his long-awaited return to the ring for the top-tier pay-per-view event for a presumed match with Kevin Owens. I’m sure there are many former wrestling fans well-aware of Stone Cold Steve Austin's excellence and his achievements, but probably fewer who know about his opponent, Kevin Owens, and why he deserves to square off against such an icon.

Those who keep current with the wrestling world, however, have a good idea of why Kevin Owens is the perfect choice to take on Stone Cold for his big comeback. Regardless of anyone's awareness before now, we're going over the biggest reasons why this is a WWE match for the ages, for fans both new and old.

Stone Cold Is A Huge Kevin Owens Fan

Stone Cold Steve Austin doesn’t always share his opinions about current wrestlers, but he’s made a point to say positive things about Kevin Owens over the years. Austin’s publicly stated he believes the Canadian-born wrestler is a great talent in the ring and has awesome promo-cutting skills (via Sports Illustrated). Austin even gave his blessing for Owens to use the “Stone Cold Stunner” as his finisher, and that’s an incredibly huge deal, considering that few, if any, WWE talents haveused the finisher since Austin’s leaving. (And it's not like retired athletes gift their signature moves willy nilly.) The fact that Stone Cold came out of retirement for this speaks volumes to his opinion of Kevin Owens, so fans should definitely look forward to a fun time. 

Kevin Owens Is A Huge Stone Cold Fan

One could argue that most current WWE superstars have a special spot in their hearts for Stone Cold Steve Austin, especially considering he serves as the beer-swilling face of the Attitude Era alongside The Rock. Even so, Kevin Owens has spoken often in recent years about his love of Stone Cold, and that half of the reason he does the Stunner as his finisher is as a tribute to the iconic wrestler. In fact, Owens revealed that one reason he utilizes the move without any personalized modifications or twists is to make it clear that he’s using the very same finisher that Stone Cold made famous (via Inside The Ropes). Owens has tons of respect for Austin, which often makes for great chemistry for guys in the ring. Of course, don’t expect to see that respect on Monday Night Raw or at WrestleMania, as Owens is clearly the heel in this matchup. 

Despite Main Event Status, Kevin Owens Has Lacked Big Opportunities Lately

Kevin Owens recently signed a big contract renewal with the WWE, much to the dismay of some fans hoping he’d join AEW for more creative opportunities. The former Universal Champion hasn’t had many titles runs since the start of his WWE career, and while it doesn’t seem like he’ll get another too soon, this might be the next best thing. Owens will likely be the first person to square off against Stone Cold Steve Austin in a match since 2003 (Austin does sporadic WWE appearances and has his own show on Peacock), which is incredible. Win or lose, Owens will be the subject of interest and highlight reels for many wrestling fans around the world, which can always help build a wrestler’s momentum up for a significant title run in the future. Perhaps Stone Cold knows that, which is why he hyped up the ordeal further with this iconic video:

When it comes to entertaining matches, few can blow the roof off a house with a quality match the way Kevin Owens can. Even his smaller storylines over the years typically appeal to the fandom, mainly because of the exceptional quality he brings vocally to the microphone and technically to the ring. It’s hard not to have high expectations with this match, and with Owens involved, it’s impossible as a wrestling fan to believe he won’t live up to such hopes based on his stellar work in the past. 

Expect more details on Kevin Owens’ upcoming WrestleMania 38 showdown with Stone Cold Steve Austin on Monday Night Raw, which airs over at USA on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Of course, anyone looking to see some iconic matches from either wrestler should definitely pick up a Peacock premium subscription and revisit some of their most iconic matches. 

Wrestlers from the WWE are most often known for their work inside the ring, but that’s a trend that’s increasingly becoming a thing of the past. Wrestlers like Dave Bautista, John Cena, and of course, Dwayne, “The Rock” Johnson, have paved their way in Hollywood, and as a result, perhaps gotten other wrestlers a bit more respect. Of course, one could argue that had it not been for guys like Randy Savage and their excellent cameos in big films, wrestlers wouldn’t have a place in movies now, period.

The following aren’t necessarily WWE wrestlers' best movie cameos in terms of screen time, but certainly among the most memorable. These athletes have worked with some of the best actors we have, and made themselves stars in their own right, even with relatively small roles in some notable films.

Randy Savage (Spider-Man)

Even without his cowboy hat and colorful attire, it’s hard not to recognize Randy Savage in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. The gravely-voiced WWE legend is seen towards the beginning of the movie and is Peter’s opponent, Bonesaw, at the pro wrestling venue. The moment itself isn’t too unique, because Savage is doing pro wrestler stuff in his scene, but it’s always a great time to bring up that Bruce Campbell shared a wall with Savage during filming and was often subjected to the sounds of passionate love-making as a result.

Hulk Hogan (Rocky III)

Hulkamania ran wild in the early 1980s, and it’s probably because of that phenomenon that Rocky III featured a scene in which Hulk Hogan went up against Rocky Balboa in the ring. Of course, Hogan didn’t portray his real-life persona, but a womanizer heel-type wrestler by the name of Thunderlips. He goes a little hard on Rocky in their encounter, but Rocky ends up giving as good as he got later in the match. Everyone in the crowd seemed pleased with the match, outside of Clubber Lang, and to be completely fair, Lang clearly had some stuff going on, given how upset he was about the charity match.

Big Show (Jingle All The Way)

Before The Big Show had his own short-lived series on Netflix, he made a splash in an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. No, WWE’s seven-foot giant wasn’t featured in one of his action thrillers, like The Terminator or Predator. Instead, Big Show came on as the absolutely massive Santa featured in the warehouse scene in Jingle All The Way. Big Show’s Santa absolutely made life difficult for Schwarzenegger’s character and only backed off his attack after a wayward punch blasted a smaller Santa (played by Verne Troyer) clear across the warehouse. Maybe not the most notable pick on the list, but certainly memorable.

Chris Jericho (Jay And Silent Bob Reboot)

The Rock, John Cena, and Dave Bautista may have paved the way for wrestlers to get more prominent parts in movies, but that doesn’t mean all wrestlers get bigger roles. Chris Jericho had a notable gig in 2019, in which he appeared in Jay And Silent Bob Reboot as a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Not exactly the type of part I’d think any budding actor would wish to seek out, but Jericho plays the character of an ignorant racist quite well, and it makes for a comedic scene in the movie.

Kevin Nash (John Wick)

Kevin Nash may not get quite the level of love as the most respected pro wrestlers turned actors, but make no mistake, he’s done some impressive stuff throughout his career. Some of you may know him as Super Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, or maybe one of the many other characters in his career where he played a strong, imposing guy. My personal favorite is in John Wick, which, by and large, I think has been a great franchise for actors from other backgrounds. Nash doesn’t say much in his scene, but the short exchange his character has with John really sets the tone for the weird relationship that assassins have in this film universe.

John Cena (Sisters)

John Cena’s journey in Hollywood has had some ups and downs, but thanks to his role as Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad, I think it’s fair to say he’s back on an upwards trajectory. That’s thanks in part to some more minor roles he had in films leading up to that, one of which may be my favorite pro wrestler cameo in any recent film. John Cena plays a tattooed drug dealer in Sisters, and it’s mainly hilarious because it’s just so wildly out of character with everything John Cena is known for. Check it out if you’re a wrestling fan, and secretly wish this was the villainous persona Cena would adapt before he retires from the WWE.

Stone Cold Steve Austin (Grown Ups 2)

Stone Cold Steve Austin was absolutely not someone I ever expected to do anything but pro wrestling, but the iconic WWE Superstar has surprised audiences a lot over the years. He's actually a nice surprise in Grown Ups 2, as Austin was able to hold his own as an actor in his brief exchanges with Adam Sandler. It's also one of the few wrestling cameos that can make me legitimately laugh out loud, mainly because it's just such a departure from what he did during his time in the WWE.

Goldberg (Looney Tunes: Back In Action)

WCW booked Goldberg as one of the most dominant wrestlers of his era in his prime, and even now he’s put up against the best of the best in WWE. I guess it's for that reason that I can’t help but find it so hilarious that he was in Looney Tunes: Back In Action as the muscle for Steve Martin’s Mr. Chairman. What’s better is that we learn in the movie that he’s actually a Tazmanian She-Devil. Again, we’re not going for the most Oscar-winning performances here, just the ones that stick in our brains. This one, if nothing else, is certainly memorable.

Ronda Rousey (Furious 7)

OK, so technically, Ronda Rousey was known as a UFC star when she appeared in Furious 7, but the fact that she was in WWE a year later makes it feel like this should certainly count as a notable cameo by a pro wrestler. Rousey’s fight with Letty gets a good bit of screen time in the movie, and her appearance was noteworthy enough to be a selling point for some people to see it. Rousey wasn’t in the WWE as long as some of the legends on this list, but it’s hard to dispute she’ll be remembered as a notable women’s wrestler in the company all the same.

It’s an exciting time to be a WWE fan, with the rivalry between it and AEW ramping up. CinemaBlend will have a lot of the latest news on the pro wrestling organizations, including the key WWE star who will reportedly be off television for a good while.

CM Punk has always been a person who says exactly what’s on his mind, even if it’s controversial to some. It’s part of his brand and a big reason why he’s considered one of the greatest modern wrestlers of all time. Punk recently revealed he’d love to use that title to help those in the business around him and talked about other greats like Stone Cold Steve Austin while also disparaging others, including Hulk Hogan.

Punk appeared as a guest on the Barstool Wrasslin’ program and answered what it’s like to receive the type of crowd response at shows that only other major names like Stone Cold Steve Austin or The Rock get. He also talked about reaching the point in his career where he's considered the "top guy," and the privilege that comes with that territory that he’s actively trying to avoid.

CM Punk was honored to be mentioned in the same breath as Stone Cold Steve Austin as a top performer, but also definitely took that opportunity to take a shot at Hulk Hogan and make his thoughts known on the legendary superstar. It's hard to be more specific than calling out someone as a "piece of shit," really.

In addition to the various controversies throughout Hogan’s life, he was also someone who reportedly worked to ensure other wrestlers weren’t put above him throughout his career. Truthfully, there’s also a ton of evidence Stone Cold Steve Austin also tried to stifle talents throughout his career, so Punk’s dislike for Hogan isn’t entirely tied to what he talked about in his response.

This wouldn’t be the first time CM Punk has openly talked about his disdain for Hulk Hogan. The wrestler mentioned once he met Hogan in person backstage when he was working on Monday Night Raw, and when he went up to introduce himself, Hogan blew right past him. Shortly after that Stone Cold spotted Punk and gave him a big hug, so perhaps that’s why Punk may be more forgiving of one individual's shortcomings as a top WWE talent compared to another's. Ultimately though, he has committed to say he won’t be that guy in AEW, so we’ll see how he’ll help other talents try to reach his level of fame.

AEW has Night 2 of its Grand Slam event happening on Rampage Friday at 10:00 p.m. ET on TNT. For more on AEW and its wrestlers, read up on Bryan Danielson’s recent debut and the odd request the WWE made before he switched to the rival organization.

Stone Cold Steve Austin enjoyed one of the most celebrated careers in WWE history, and he's beloved by everyone from the Rock to your drunkest uncle. Which is pretty wild considering injuries forced him into retirement after only wrestling professionally for around 14 years, and he only employed the Stone Cold persona for the back half of that run. Despite the brevity of the Texas Rattlesnake's domination over WWE rings and TV screens, fans will never forget the power of Austin 3:16, and nor will we forget the ridiculous amount of beer that regularly accompanied Austin to the ring, regardless of the situation.

As much as he's known for drinking said beer, Stone Cold is also known for his signature beer smash, in which he slams two open cans together to create a suds explosion. Which was usually followed by big open-mouthed chugs, and semi-full cans being flung around. It's always a big, glorious mess when it happens, truly. However, wrestling fans over the years have ribbed the Hall-of-Famer for "wasting" beer all the time, and you bet your ass the Straight Up Steve Austin host had an expletive-filled zinger of a response, telling TheWrap:

And that's the bottom line, though it's currently under about a 12-pack of Miller Lite at the moment. Rarely does a celebrity, or anyone else in the world, answer a question with a more on-brand response than Stone Cold Steve Austin did above. I mean, anyone who tells Austin he doesn't know how to drink a beer definitely deserves being told to fuck off, and the WWE legend is arguably one of the few people who is more than happy to offer up that kind of applicable response.

He's not incorrect with his assessment, either. If Stone Cold would have just walked out to the ring for every Monday Night Raw and took tiny sips of beer without ever spilling a drop, it would have been extremely odd, and not very exciting. Can you imagine if he'd brought out flutes of champagne to sip on after a big win? Or, to counter that, if he brought flutes of champagne out to smash over his own heads? No, it seems like Steve Austin figured out the perfect way to handle things: beer smashes easy, beer drinks easy, beer is good. (So long as it's real beer, that is.)

I can't imagine how bloated and blah I would feel if I had to drink a half a case of beer on such a regular basis like Steve Austin did during his career. Granted, he was doing all of it to the cheers of 20,000-80,000 people chanting his name and his catchphrases. (Though not so much in the current climate.) So in that context, I suppose the energy would be palpable enough to get me through the experience without puking up foam. Maybe. I could probably do it easier playing one of these nifty-looking wrestling games.)

Check out Stone Cold Steve Austin in full beer-smashing action below for one of his treks back to the WWE, and wonder like I do how quickly he jumps into the shower after getting soaked by Miller Lite, or any other kind of beer.

While his time in the ring is kept to a bare minimum at this point, Stone Cold is currently the host of USA' Straight Up Steve Austin, which kicked off Season 2 on USA on Monday, January 11. While waiting to see if he has other F-bombs to throw at critical fans, head to our Winter and Spring TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way.

If you have ever attended a live wrestling show, watched WWE or AEW on TV, ventured down a certain aisle in the toy section of your preferred big box store, you know there is a big market for merchandise aimed at your standard wrestling fan. Replica belts, shirts with their favorite wrestlers, and books ranging from collections of stories about all-time greats to encyclopedias are just some of the items fans of the sport can’t live without.

If you are looking for the perfect present even Vladimir the Super-Fan would approve of, you've come to the right place because we've put together a 10-count of great gifts that will surely please wrestling fans of all ages this holiday season. There is a lot to unpack here, so let’s get this show on the road…

A Copy Of The WWE Encyclopedia

As a company, WWE takes its history seriously. And why shouldn’t they, considering the names like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Hulk Hogan, John Cena, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin have all become household names because of the sports entertainment company. And there’s no better way to explore the company’s history, as well as those of its biggest superstars, than by digging into the WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment, a 400-page guide to all those iconic wrestling moments.

This version, which was published in September 2020, has everything you’d want from an encyclopedia of the popular wrestling company, including lists of title reigns, the history of those exciting WrestleMania matches, and more. Best of all, it comes in a single volume.

Buy the WWE Encyclopedia on Amazon.

An Amazon Exclusive Funko Pop! Set Featuring Hulk Hogan And Mr. T

And since we're talking about WWE history and the titans of the industry who made names for themselves over the years, now is the perfect time to recommend the Amazon exclusive Funko Pop! set featuring Hulk Hogan and Mr. T as they appeared at the original WrestleMania held at Madison Square Garden back in 1985. Funko Pop! figurines are popular with nearly every fanbase out there, and that's no different for WWE fans and wrestling fans in general. Considering the popularity and collectibility of the WWE-themed vinyl figurines like this, don't hesitate to snag this set for that wrestling fan in your life.

Buy the Amazon Exclusive Funko Pop! Hulk Hogan and Mr. T Set on Amazon.

This Razor Ramon Vintage T-Shirt

The wrestling world lost one of its most legendary figures in March 2022 with the passing of Scott Hall, who old school wrestling fans will remember as Razor Ramon. The self-described “Bad Guy” will forever go down as one of the most transformative personalities in the business thanks to his size, charisma, and natural in-ring talent that provided WWE’s “New Generation” with some of its biggest moments. And that’s before Hall went to WCW to start the NWO faction with Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan.

This Razor Ramon vintage shirt is the perfect gift for that big wrestling fan in your life, especially if they grew up watching the WWE hall of famer during his first run. 

Buy this Razor Ramon T-Shirt on Amazon.

This Royal Rumble Card Game For Pay-Per-View Parties

Who knows how Royal Rumble parties, or the annual Royal Rumble event itself, will look in 2021, but there is something to hold the wrestling fans over in the meantime. The WWE Legends Royal Rumble Card Game from Ravensburger comes with 30 of the most popular and prolific names in the history of WWE that you can then use to reign supreme over the competition at any gathering or a not-so-quiet night watching old wrestling videos with your brothers. This easy-to-understand game can be enjoyed by as many as 10 players or as few as two, and takes anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to complete. And best yet, this Royal Rumble game won't have the damaging effects on your body, mind, soul, and even friendships like all of those unofficial Royal Rumble drinking games.

Buy the Royal Rumble Card Game on Amazon.

This AEW All Out 2022 Event Poster

There’s a good chance AEW All Out 2022 will be one of those wrestling pay-per-views forever living in infamy due to the behind-the-scenes drama that went down the night of the event. But before the alleged brawl between CM Punk, the Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and others took place, AEW put on a remarkable show with an incredible card. And now you can own a copy of the event poster to never forget the night.

Buy this AEW All Out 2022 Event Poster at ShopAEW.com.

A Copy Of The Squared Circle: Life, Death, And Professional Wrestling

There are countless wrestling books out there, but let's be honest, not all of them are great or even moderately entertaining or enlightening. That's far from the case for David Shoemaker's 2014 book titled The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling. This nearly 400-page history of the art of professional wrestling told through the stories of some of the sport's biggest and brightest stars. With chapters and subchapters dedicated to the legacy of the iconic Bobo Brazil, Junkyard Dog, the Von Erich family, and other legends of wrestling, Shoemaker offers an unparalleled recounting of those individuals' lives and legacies. Shoemaker's writing style, his extensive use of footnotes, and general love of professional wrestling's memorable stories make this a must-read.

Buy The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling on Amazon.

This Classic New Japan Pro Wrestling Lion Crest T-Shirt

There are few promotions in the wrestling industry more respected than New Japan Pro Wrestling, and there are few logos as recognizable as the company’s classic “King of Sports” Lion crest. If you have a wrestling fan in your life that got into NJPW the past couple of years but doesn’t have this simple yet visually striking shirt, now is your perfect opportunity.

And don’t get worried about not having the shirt shipped in time, as it is printed and delivered by ProWrestlingTees, the wrestling apparel company that handles a lot of NJPW’s merchandise orders in the United States. Long gone are the days of waiting a month or more for a T-shirt to arrive from Japan.

Buy This Classic New Japan Pro Wrestling Lion Crest T-Shirt on ProWrestlingTees.com.

This Lucha Wars Dice Game

If the Royal Rumble card game mentioned earlier isn’t enough for you or the wrestling fan in your life, then check out this Lucha Wars dice-rolling game. As many as eight players can take part in this competitive and easy-to-play game that features all kinds of zany and cartoonish characters fighting for the top prize and all the glory.

Each roll of the dice leads to a different outcome, whether that means knocking your opponent off a ladder or knocking them out of the match for good. And there are multiple match types including singles matches, tag team bouts, and other gimmick matches including one set in a steel cage, but only if you’re up to the challenge.

Buy this Lucha Wars Dice Game on Amazon.

WWE Championship Replica Belt / Universal Championship Replica Belt

There is never a shortage of replica championship belts in the crowd at live wrestling shows. But if you want to stick out and show your fellow wrestling fans you mean business, pick up these incredibly detailed belts directly from WWE. You can buy the WWE Championship belt or the Universal Championship belt (both are the same price), or buy both and live out your fantasy of being the undisputed champion like Roman Reigns. 

Again, these have a lot of details, which makes them more expensive than the plastic belts you see at the store. But if you are serious about your fandom, this is the way to go.

Buy the WWE Championship Replica Belt at the WWEShop.com.
Buy the WWE Championship Replica Belt at the WWEShop.com.

A Copy Of WWE: The Official Cookbook

If you know someone who is a fan of cooking, puns, and WWE, then you have to grab them a copy of WWE: The Official Cookbook. Loaded with dozens of recipes ranging from Big Show's World's Largest Pancake to Batista's Ba-Quiche-Ta, this 128-page cookbook has it all. And who knows, maybe the next time you go to their house for brunch or a wrestling-themed dinner party, you can finally find out what The Rock was cooking all those years (it may or may not be Jabroni Macaroni Salad). The easy-to-follow recipes are simple enough that even the most novice of at-home chefs can knock them out with little trouble.

Buy WWE: The Official Cookbook on Amazon.

And that is just a sampling of all the great WWE and wrestling-themed gifts you can purchase right now. With so many online retailers and wrestling promotions, there is no telling what you can find for the wrestling fan in your life.

In this day and age, it's rare to see a WWE superstar hang up his or her boots and stay retired, especially after seeing everyone from Edge to Daniel Bryan do that very thing in recent years after stepping away due to health concerns. And with the recent announcement that The Undertaker was calling it a day after 30 years in a WWE ring, I started to think about the wrestlers who STAYED retired after saying their time had come and they were exiting the ring for the final time.

Coming up with a list of wrestlers who have announced their retirement stayed true to their word surprisingly took a fair amount of time to put together, but the names that did came up are worth mentioning. From the likes of Dave "Batista" Bautista to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to The Iron Sheik, here are a few of the most popular WWE superstars who actually retired and stayed retired.

Dave 'Batista' Bautista - 2019

To most of the world, Dave Bautista is best known for his portrayal of Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy and other movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but before the Hollywood action star found success on the big screen, he had multiple monster runs in WWE as Batista. "The Animal" as he was called during his wrestling days, debuted with WWE in 2002 but really found his footing the following year when he joined the "Evolution" faction alongside Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Triple H, the man he would face in his final match at WrestleMania 35 in April 2019. One day after losing a heated match against his former stablemate, Bautista hung up his boots for good and committed himself fully to movies.

'Stone Cold' Steve Austin - 2003

There is no getting around it, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is one of the most popular and successful wrestlers of all time and carried WWE (then WWF) on his shoulders during the height of the Attitude Era, even if it meant he had to work through some severe injuries during that time. The wear and tear of years on the road and in the ring caught up with the "Texas Rattlesnake" in the early 2000s and Austin decided to call it quits and hang up trademark boots and vest following his loss to longtime rival Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at WrestleMania 19 in March 2003. And while Austin has come back time and time again for appearances (both physical and non-physical), he still has not wrestled a match since that night in Seattle.

'Macho Man' Randy Savage - 2004

In terms of continued success over an extended period of time, there are few that hold a candle to the greatness that was the late "Macho Man" Randy Savage. By the time Savage joined WWF in 1985, he was already an established star having wrested all over the world before joining up with Vince McMahon. The former WWF Champion, Intercontinental Champion, and WCW World Heavyweight Champion remained a fixture of the wrestling world up until WWF's purchase of WCW in 2001 at which time the Macho Man took a four-year break from the ring. He would return in a short-lived part-time role for rival promotion TNA Wrestling in 2004, but quickly left and called it quits. Sadly, Savage passed away in early 2011.

Bruno Sammartino - 1987

Back when WWE was still called the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) and led by Vince McMahon Sr., there was one wrestler who was a bigger name, draw, and champion than Bruno Sammartino. Over the course of his two reigns as WWWF Champion, Sammartino held the belt for more than 11 years, with one of those reigns lasting a historic 2,803 days. "The Italian Strongman" would end up retiring in 1987 after nearly 30 years in the industry, and unlike a lot of those who came after him, Sammartino remained retired until his death at the age of 82 in April 2018.

Stacy Kiebler - 2006

Although known more for her role as a manager and a valet in WCW an then WWE, former Dancing with the Stars contestant Stacy Keibler had a short-lived in-ring run in the wrestling industry before she stepped away from the profession to pursue other opportunities in 2006. Whether it be working with the Dudley Boyz, The Hurricane and Rosey, or Scott Steiner, Kiebler remained one of the most prominent figures in WWE in the early 2000s. She last appeared on WWE programming in April 2019, when she inducted Torrie Wilson into the WWE Hall of Fame.

CM Punk - 2014

Former WWE Champion CM Punk was on top of the world when he shocked wrestling fans with his sudden departure WWE following the 2014 Royal Rumble. Those watching at the time will remember how "CM Punk" chants filled the air at every Monday Night Raw, Friday Night Smackdown, and pay-per-view event for months before finally dying down. Punk seemed to confirm that not only was he done with WWE, he was finished with wrestling in May 2014 when he said it felt good to retire at 35 years old. He wouldn't stay out of action sports for too long, however, as CM Punk has fought, and lost, two bouts in UFC since leaving the squared circle.

AJ Lee - 2015

During the time of "Divas" in WWE, there was some counter-programming in the form of AJ Lee, the multi-time WWE Divas Champion who walked all over the competition during her brief yet monumental run with the company. The real-life wife of CM Punk who would stick around for about a year after he husband's departure, and eventually retired from professional wrestling in April 2015. She has since turned her focus to a writing career in place of wrestling day-in and day-out.

The Iron Sheik - 2010

The Iron Sheik is probably better known for his insane Twitter account these days, but back in his prime, the Iranian heel was one of the most fearsome and formidable villains in the WWF. A one-time WWE Champion and WWF Tag Team Champion, The Iron Sheik provided for some of the best matches in the early days of Hulkamania and even lost the belt to the rising Hulk Hogan in the mid-1980s. He would stick around the company for a number of years, and even win the Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania 17 in April 2001 and eventually call it quits for good in 2010.

Ron Simmons - 2010

One of the most dominant wrestlers of his time, and the first African-American WCW Champion, Ron Simmons' career is one of many chapters, with each being more successful than the last. Known as Faarooq for much of his time in WWE, Simmons was the leader of the Nation of Domination stable that gave The Rock a place to shine in his early days and then formed a tag team with John Bradshaw Layfield known as The Acolytes before becoming The APA (Acolytes Protection Agency). Simmons started to step away from the ring in the early 2000s and eventually officially retired in 2010.

John Bradshaw Layfield - 2009

Ron Simmons' long-time tag-team partner (and partner in crime) John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) continued wrestling and even had a successful singles run following the departure of his old friend, but time caught up with him and he called it quits following a shocking loss at WrestleMania 25 in 2009. JBL spent a substantial amount of time as a WWE commentator following his retirement, but stepped away from that in 2017. The former WWE Champion continues to work with WWE, however, and last appeared at The Undertaker's retirement special in November 2020.

Those are just 10 former WWE superstars who retired from professional wrestling and actually stayed retired. I intended on including Sting on this list especially after sustaining a career-ending injury in 2015, but the 61-year-old former WCW icon shocked the world in early December 2020 and debuted on WWE-competitor AEW for one final run.

As one of the biggest stars ever to hit the squared circle within the WWE, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has amassed not only a huge fandom among the general public, but also behind the pro wrestling curtain. Johnson comes from a family of wrestlers, with his own WWE debut happening 24 years ago, so when he publicly shares his opinions about the Greatest of All Time athletes in the sport's history, it's definitely worth listening.

While taking the time to answer questions from fans on Twitter, the Rock was faced with what would seemingly be a hard question, to name his wrestling G.O.A.T. But there was no hesitation when he laid his answer out there. In his words:

Surprisingly enough, The Rock's first choice for his pro wrestling G.O.A.T. isn't Ric Flair or Bret Hart or one of the many crowd-building superstars that held long championship reigns within WWE history. Instead, he went with Downtown Bruno, perhaps better known to '90s wrestling fans as Harvey Wippleman (whose real name is actually Bruno Lauer).

Having started his career off wrestling and managing in independent wrestling promotions around the South, Bruno Lauer took his Harvey Wippleman persona to the WWE (then WWF) in the 1990s, serving as a great foil as a manager for wrestlers such as Giant Gonzalez and Kamala. Wippleman was involved in some of the more ridiculous matches in that era, including the Tuxedo Match against his rival, ring announcer Howard Finkel (R.I.P.). He also became the first man to win the WWE Women's Championship belt, while dressed as a woman and going under the faux persona Hervina.

It's no secret that Dwayne Johnson was something of a troublemaker in his teens in Hawaii, having been evicted from his apartment at 14, and having to rely on stealing from tourists to acquire funds. So it's obviously great that he was able to eventually cross paths with Downtown Bruno Lauer in Nashville to find some temporary shelter. Apparently that graciousness meant the world to Johnson, who gave Lauer the ultimate compliment by giving him G.O.A.T. status.

A wrestler who needs no introduction, if only because he'd do a way better job of giving it himself, Stone Cold Steve Austin made the cut as The Rock's second-tier G.O.A.T., which feels like a slightly more fitting answer for the question, since he was a proper WWE superstar that arguably laid the "referring to himself in third-person" groundwork for The Rock's rise as a microphone master.

Steve Austin took on various personas in the wrestling world prior to his Stone Cold debut – including "Stunning" Steve Austin in the WCW, and The Ringmaster in the WWE – but everything changed in 1996, when the outspoken wrestler dropped one of pro wrestling's most beloved (and lucrative) catchphrases: Austin 3:16. It's almost hard to believe that was the same year that Dwayne Johnson got hired to the WWE and fought under the name Rocky Maivia. (Fun fact: The Undertaker thought that Johnson wouldn't last after his Madison Square Gardens debut.)

You can check out The Rock's tweet below.

With occasional appearances from Dwayne Johnson, Monday Night Raw and Smackdown respectively air on Monday nights on USA, and on Friday nights on Fox.

Over the past 35 years, titans like Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Daniel Bryan, and Becky Lynch have all cemented their legacies with electrifying main event matches at WrestleMania. These headlining matches have helped usher in stars in the making while serving as swan songs to wrestlers hanging up their boots.

Since WrestleMania was first held in the famed Madison Square Garden on March 31, 1985, wrestlers from every era have fought like hell to be one of the last night names called at WWE's flagship event. And with so many great match-ups, emotional victories, and upsetting losses over the years, the "Showcase Of The Immortals" has given fans some of the most iconic moments in WrestleMania history. Here are some of the most electrifying main event matches in the history of WrestleMania.

Hulk Hogan Vs. Andre The Giant - WrestleMania 3

Although this wasn't the first (or last) time Hulk Hogan took on Andre The Giant, their main event match from WrestleMania 3 is all anyone talks about more than 30 years after it first went down. Booked as the anchor to WWE's (then-WWF) biggest show (a disputed attendance record of 93,173) at the time in the Pontiac Silverdome, this historic championship match between former friends turned foes isn't the greatest technical wrestling match you'll see, but I'll be damned if it isn't one of the most spectacular the company has produced. It was even one of the focal points for the amazing 2018 HBO documentary on the French wrestler.

The Undertaker Vs. Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania 26

Wrestling fans are still anxiously awaiting the A&E wrestling documentary series on icons like Shawn Michaels. When the documentary finally sees the light of day, it'll hopefully include clips from the Heartbreak Kid's retirement match against The Undertaker from WrestleMania 26. Booked as a "Career Vs. The Streak" match (The Undertaker was still undefeated at WrestleMania), this headlining match from the 2010 event had a lot to live up to after the two battled one another the previous year. Not only did the match live up to the hype, it exceeded it, especially after the last few minutes where Michaels looked like an old dog waiting to be put down by a merciful Taker.

Ronda Rousey Vs. Charlotte Flair Vs. Becky Lynch - WrestleMania 35

Anyone who watched WrestleMania 35 will agree that the event ran way too long. Despite the overly bloated card and long runtime, barely anyone in the crowd left ahead of the main event triple threat match between Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey, Smackdown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair, and 2019 Women's Royal Rumble winner Becky Lynch. The first women's match to headline WrestleMania was well worth the wait as the three athletes put on one of the most exciting matches of the night and in recent memory. And even though the end of the match was a little wonky, seeing "The Man" lift both belts was amazing image.

Randy Orton Vs. Batista Vs. Daniel Bryan - WrestleMania 30

As far as I am concerned, there hasn't been a better angle leading into WrestleMania than Daniel Bryan's unlikely run from "B+ Player" to WWE World Heavyweight Champion, at least not since Stone Cold Steve Austin ushered in a new era in the late '90s. Bryan went to Hell and back in order to qualify for the main event triple threat against champion Randy Orton and Batista, but it was all worth it as the leader of the "Yes! Movement" went head to head with two of the most highly decorated wrestlers in the last 20 years. I still get chills each time I see Bryan tie up Batista in the "Yes! Lock" to gain a submission victory.

Shawn Michaels (With Mike Tyson) Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - WrestleMania 14

One year after Stone Cold Steve Austin gave a career-making performance in a loss against Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Austin was ready to prove to the world that he was in charge when he challenged WWF Champion Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 14. Leading up to the match, Michaels had teamed up with boxing legend Mike Tyson who would appear as a special guest enforcer for the main event match in Boston. With a combination of Michaels' D-Generation X stable at ringside and Tyson being an active part of the match, this main event contest had all of the ingredients for a historic title fight. And when Austin overcame the odds (and whooped the mess out of Michaels), the Texas Rattlesnake was in full control of the crowd and the WWF.

The Rock Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - WrestleMania 17

The Rock and Stone Cold Steven Austin had three of the most memorable matches at WrestleMania 15, 17, and 19. Sandwiched in the middle is the match between the Texas Rattlesnake and the People's Champion in the Houston Astrodome in 2001. Considered by some to be the unofficial end of the Attitude Era, this WWF Championship match consisted of some of the best back and forth wrestling before Austin turned on everyone and joined sides with his longtime nemesis Mr. McMahon in a vicious assault on The Rock with a steel chair. The event was one of the first to be held in a large stadium, and you can hear all 67,000 fans raining down boos on their former hero.

Brock Lesnar Vs. Roman Reigns Vs. Seth Rollins - WrestleMania 31

What was originally supposed to be a one-on-one match for the WWE Championship between the champ Brock Lesnar and challenger Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 31 became a triple threat (and much better match) after Money In The Bank Winner Seth Rollins cashed in his briefcase for a championship opportunity and worked his way into what would become a triple threat match. Rollins, who was in the middle of an impressive heel run, was showered in cheers from the crowd that could just not warm up to the idea of a Roman Reigns title run. The closing shot of Rollins standing at top of the ramp with the belt high above his head as fireworks shoot off is one that fans won't forget.

Randy Savage Vs. Hulk Hogan - WrestleMania 5

In the year leading up to WrestleMania 5, Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan formed the Mega Powers tag team, a partnership that would end in a blowout and culminate at the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall in April 1989. Bill as "The Mega Powers Explode," the match saw Hogan challenging his former friend and partner in a singles match for Savage's WWF Heavyweight Title. Everything from the back and forth promos leading up to the event to the amazing poster featuring the two wrestlers standing back to back all made this one of the greatest events in WWF's history.

The Rock Vs. John Cena - WrestleMania 28

It's hard to believe that The Rock and John Cena were given a year to build hype for their head-to-head match at WrestleMania 28 in Miami. Booked the night after the previous WrestleMania, these two superstars spent the next year trading jabs (both verbal and physical) before they brought the house down in South Florida. Though The Rock was a little rough around the edges in the early goings of the match, he pulled through and defeated Cena in a match that would lead to another encounter between the two the following year.

Those are just a few of the 35 main event matches that have closed out WrestleMania in the past. Which one is your favorite? Make sure to let everyone know in the poll down below. And let me know if I left off your favorite match.

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What do Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Becky Lynch, and Daniel Bryan have in common? Well, besides being some of the most highly decorated wrestlers in WWE, these four superstars have given fans some of the most stunning and mesmerizing entrances in WrestleMania history. From Stone Cold breaking through the glass at WrestleMania 13 to "The Man" Becky Lynch holding an entire football stadium in the palms of her hands, there have been memorable and star-making entrances at the "Showcase Of The immortals" over the years.

For the first time in the event's storied history, WrestleMania 36 will not be held in an arena, a stadium, or even outdoor pavilion in Las Vegas. Instead, it will be held in the confines of WWE's Performance Center (and other locations) over the course of two nights (another first). No one really knows what the entrance situation will be like this year since the event is being broadcast from what is essentially a closed studio set, so now is a better time than ever to look back at some of the best wrestler entrances from the previous 35 events.

Coming up with such a list is no easy task, but after much deliberation and hours of scouring the WWE Network, I have come up with a list of 10 of the greatest entrances in WrestleMania history.

Triple H - WrestleMania 30

If you looked at Triple H's WrestleMania entrances alone, you'd probably think he's the biggest and most highly decorated performer in WWE history. And while he doesn't have the best record at WrestleMania, "The Game" has gone all out for each and every one of his entrances, at least in the past 10 years or so.

This is most notably seen at WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans, where Triple H, decked out in a golden crown, skull mask, and chain mail sat atop a throne flanked by some of WWE's up-and-coming female superstars, prepared for battle against the underdog Daniel Bryan. Serving as the gatekeeper between Bryan and a championship match later in the night, Triple H looked more like a mad king than a wrestler and WWE executive. Add a ton of smoke, more lasers than a Pink Floyd concert, and mood lighting, and you have yourself one hell of a way to start a show.

Daniel Bryan - WrestleMania 30

Triple H's opponent that night, Daniel Bryan, came out in a manner that held off on the theatrics of the "Cerebral Assassin" but provided for one of the most satisfying and epic moments in WrestleMania history. Leading up to their opening match, Triple H, and the Authority, had put Bryan through the wringer time and time again starting with a heel turn at SummerSlam the previous year.

As soon as Bryan's music hit and the undersized "B+ Player" started up with his signature "YES! YES! YES!" chant, the entire Superdome was on his side. You could barely hear his music as he marched down the ramp, with the crowd chanting "YES!" in unison. This entrance, the match, and everything that led to it and followed make this my favorite WrestleMania match and moment.

Becky Lynch - WrestleMania 35

Similar to Daniel Bryan five years earlier, Becky Lynch spent the better part of a year becoming a fan favorite while being forced to overcome setbacks and betrayals by her fellow wrestlers and some pretty gnarly injuries. Developing "The Man" persona, Lynch became not just everyone's female wrestler, but everyone's favorite wrestler in general.

This all led to Lynch (along with Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey) being involved in the first women's match to headline a WrestleMania for a triple threat contest for both women's titles. Flair flew in via helicopter and Rousey's entrance featured Joan Jett performing "Bad Reputation," but Lynch stole the show with her simple, yet highly contagious theme song playing over a stripped down entrance. The way Lynch confidently makes her way down the long ramp at MetLife Stadium made for an instant classic.

Stone Cold Steve Austin - WrestleMania 13

Why the five-star classic between Stone Cold Steven Austin and Bret "The Hitman" Hart didn't close out WrestleMania 13 will always be a mystery to me. This submission match which featured a star-making performance from longtime journeyman Steve Austin against the fed up and out of touch Bret Hart in the Rosemont Horizon, one of the greatest wrestling venues in the history of the sport.

Going into the match, Austin had won that year's Royal Rumble match and had been on a tear for the better part of a year following his "Austin 3:16" promo after winning the 1996 King of the Ring tournament. As Austin breaks through the glass of the WrestleMania 13 entryway, his head is bopping, he's cussing up a storm, and ready for a fight. The "Texas Rattlesnake" got his fight and then some and became a fan favorite in the process. Seriously, they pulled off the "double switch," which has never looked any better.

Ric Flair - WrestleMania 24

I've talked a lot about star-making entrances and performances from up-and-coming wrestlers so far, but the annual event has also featured some of the greatest swan songs in the history of the sport. Case in point, Ric Flair's retirement match at WrestleMania 24 at the Florida Citrus Bowl. In the months leading up to the match, Flair was told that the next match he lost would be his last. Flair came up victorious in multiple "career threatening" matches before he challenged Shawn Michaels to a bout at WrestleMania.

The writing was on the wall that this was going to be Flair's final match, and his entrance essentially plays off that assumption with a large firework display going off high above the elaborate stage, Flair's iconic robe, and a mixture of emotions all while "Also Sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss plays throughout the stadium.

Charlotte Flair - WrestleMania 33

Nearly a decade after Ric Flair wrestled his final WWE match, his daughter, Charlotte Flair, followed in her father's footsteps in the same exact stadium where he hung up his boots. After becoming the inaugural WWE Women's Champion at WrestleMania 32, Charlotte Flair had become a bona fide superstar leading up to the fatal-4-way Raw Women's Championship at WrestleMania 33.

Much like her father did almost 10 years earlier, Charlotte came out for a career-defining entrance that included all the fireworks, charisma, and robe that her father brought to the stage throughout his career. Charlotte Flair looked and acted like the queen of the division as she confidently and arrogantly made her way down the ridiculously long entrance ramp. And while she didn't capture the gold that night, Charlotte proved that she could make an entrance like the best of them, her father included.

Hollywood Hulk Hogan - WrestleMania 18

Prior to returning to the WWF 2002, Hulk Hogan, now going by Hollywood Hulk Hogan, hadn't been had a match at "The Show Of Shows" since the much-maligned WrestleMania 9 back in 1993. For this reason, among others, Hogan's one-on-one match against The Rock in the Toronto SkyDome at WrestleMania 18 such a momentous occasion.

Leading up to the event, Hogan was still a major part of the NWO heel stable, so you'd think that the capacity crowd would boo him for leaving all those years ago and coming back as the villain, but no, the crowd lost their minds upon seeing Hogan come back home, so to speak. With his signature NWO theme, the customary black and white filter, and a new boa, Hogan set up the "Icon Vs. Icon" match better than anyone expected.

Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania 12

You'll never see anything like Shawn Michaels' WrestleMania 12 entrance, at least not in WWE. Three years before Owen Hart fell to his death in a similar stunt, Michaels made his way to the ring against Bret Hart for a 60-minute Iron Man match main event not by entering through the stage, but on a zipline high above Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.

Zipping from one side of the arena to the other, Michaels looked down on thousands of fans screaming his name in this insane and extremely risky entrance. Love him or hate him, Shawn Michaels will remain as not only the "Heartbreak Kid" but also "Mr. WrestleMania" after this stunt.

The Undertaker - WrestleMania 30

Going into his match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30, The Undertaker was undefeated in previous years and had a record of 21-0. At this point, "The Streak" had become one of the star attractions of each year's Mania after The Undertaker built up a list of victories over the likes of Ric Flair, CM Punk, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and more than a dozen other wrestlers. Going by the lead up to the match, no one thought it would be any different. How wrong we were.

Looking back on the entrance six years later, there are a plenty of signs that this was going to be it for "The Streak," as Taker walked by a casket representing each of his opponents in a cloud of smoke, lasers, and his iconic funeral hymn. There's not much difference between this entrance and the 21 that came before it, but knowing the outcome of the match makes it that more ominous.

Andre The Giant - WrestleMania 3

Long before WWE invested millions of dollars in to pyrotechnics, elaborate stages, and videoboards, the company put on one of the greatest achievements in sports entertainment. After the previous two events were held in sports arenas, the WWF went all out and booked the Pontiac Superdome, the home of the Detroit Lions, for WrestleMania 3, which was needed for a main event as historic as Hulk Hogan going up against Andre The Giant.

With all the lights in the stadium shut off except for a few spotlights pointed towards Andre and manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan on a motorized cart meant to look like a small wrestling ring, the aged and fragile wrestler was pelted with cups, wrappers, and all other sorts of trash from the record-breaking crowd. Seeing the massive giant being sprayed with trash and debris to a chorus of boos is not only one of the greatest entrances, but one of the greatest WrestleMania moments.

These are just 10 of the greatest entrances in the 35-year history of WrestleMania. Do you agree with my list or do you think I should have included The Ultimate Warrior, Macho King Randy Savage, or John Cena on the list? Do what any good wrestling fan does online, and tell me what I did wrong.

Like many other major entertainment organizations, the WWE has been forced to make some changes in recent weeks. Unlike other organizations, however, the company is still broadcasting episodes live to its television audience while opting to leave the audience at home. The resulting product has been quite different from what fans are used to seeing, but somehow Stone Cold Steve Austin still managed to raise a sufficient amount of hell on Monday Night Raw.

The WWE had its living legend on in order to celebrate 3/16 day, an unofficial holiday dedicated to Stone Cold Steve Austin. The wrestling organization probably had an original plan of having Austin deliver a biting promo to an over-hyped audience screaming "What?!," but was forced to improvise in wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The result may be one of the most bizarre segments Stone Cold has done in his history with the WWE, but still worthy of a hearty "Hell yeah!"

There is just too much going on in this clip to get in one go. For example, Stone Cold Steve Austin just keeps randomly hocking loogies and spitting in the WWE Performance Center. It's the kind of thing one notices during a quarantine, but I'm sure the WWE Legend was properly screened and won't expose any of the current WWE roster to coronavirus or any illness ahead of WrestleMania.

Then there's the stunner on WWE commentator Byron Saxton, which he took like an absolute champ. Especially considering, if you go back to 3:10 in the video, you can hear Stone Cold Steve Austin's foot connect with Saxton's groin. Maybe when there's no crowd noise to get in the way, talent has to do a little more selling of the action than they normally would? I doubt Austin intentionally meant to injure Saxton in any way, but sometimes actual hits are just a reality of working in WWE.

Much like his buddy Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Stone Cold Steve Austin is known for his electrifying charisma. It turns out that that's just as entertaining to watch when there aren't thousands of people in a stadium to cheer and goad him, even if it's in a different way. This whole segment felt like watching an episode of The Eric Andre Show, and I mean that in the best way possible.

Stone Cold's bizarre but entertaining bit on Monday Night Raw may be what WWE fans can expect going forward, as all of its events for the forseeable future will be held without an audience. This includes WrestleMania 36, which was originally scheduled to take place in Tampa Bay, Florida. While it will be quite a shock to see a lower budget version of WrestleMania, this bit with Steve Austin has me intrigued to see what WWE has in store for the big event.

Monday Night Raw airs on USA Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for updates on what's new on television and for more updates on how coronavirus is affecting productions around Hollywood.

If there is one thing WWE fans love - well, more than yelling about Brock Lesnar being in the main event of WrestleMania yet again, or booing John Cena - it's merchandise. And boy, do wrestling fans love branded merchandise. Like all fandoms, wrestling fans will spend loads of cash on replica title belts, closets of wrestling shirts, and toys. Why do you think there are so many different WWE Funko Pops (no fewer than 75) have been released over the years?

And with nearly 100 different variations of legendary wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and so many more, there's something for everyone. Well, except for those of us who'd kill for Funko Pops of Eddie Guerrero, Rick Rude, The Legion Of Doom, and other classic wrestlers. What are we supposed to do, buy a "Custom Pop" figure on Etsy, wait until Funko and WWE release an official figure, or do what wrestling fans do best - complain on the internet.

With so many wrestlers being left off the official list of figures, let's take a look at just 10 WWE Funko Pop figures we can't believe they haven't made yet.

Classic Undertaker

I know, I know, there are already two different Undertaker Funko Pops in the WWE collection, but neither are the classic Undertaker look from his debut at the 1990 Survivor Series as the mystery partner for Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Team. Back in those days, The Undertaker was depicted as a western mortician character and wore a trench coat, a tie with a gray stripes, a black hat, gray gloves that went up his forearm, and gray boot spats. The Undertaker slowly started making changes to his attire as his character evolved from the classic western mortician outfit to a more stripped down version with black pants and top with purple gloves.

Why this wasn't one of the first Funko Pops to be licensed by the wrestling promotion is beyond me, as you would think that both companies would want to monetize on such an iconic look for one of the most celebrated wrestlers in the history of the sport.

Classic Kane

As a kid, there was nothing more frightening than seeing Kane rip the door off the Hell in a Cell and viciously attack his "brother" The Undertaker at Badd Blood: In Your House in October 1997. "The Big Red Machine" as he would later be called, wore a black and red mask and a red and black bodysuit that covered his entire body except for his left arm. For the longest time, Kane didn't show his face or speak (except the time he used the weird voice box), he just destroyed anything and everything in his path.

And yes, there is already a Kane Funko Pop, but that is from later in his run when he began to show more of his face and even started using his normal speaking voice for promos. The figure is cool and all, but like the new version of his character, it lacks the mystique and fear associated with Kane's original attire.

Legion Of Doom

Also known as The Road Warriors outside of WWE, the Legion Of Doom was one of the most formidable and bruising tag teams to ever enter the squared circle. Comprised of Road Warrior Hawk and Road Warrior Animal, the Legion Of Doom ran roughshod through the tag team divisions in every promotion from the American Wrestling Association to New Japan Pro Wrestling and everywhere in between before they debuted in the World Wrestling Federation in July 1990. They would only stay in the promotion for two years before leaving after SummerSlam 1992 and went back to New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Funko has already made several WWE tag team sets, so it seems like it's a no-brainer to release a version of the Legion Of Doom that pays tribute to the legendary team. Perhaps they could include the motorcycles the Legion Of Doom rode during their classic SummerSlam 1992 entrance. WHAT A RUSH!

The Mega Powers (Hulk Hogan And Randy Savage)

There are already three different versions of Macho Man Randy Savage and at least four different versions of Hulk Hogan, but nowhere in the long list of Funko Pops do you find The Mega Powers, the legendary team consisting of the two wrestlers between 1987 and 1989 that culminated in the massive feud between the two at WrestleMania V. During their run, The Mega Powers were at the top of their game.

Funko and WWE could take two separate, yet equally awesome routes if they ever wanted to make a box set featuring The Mega Powers. One, they could have Hogan and Savage in their matching trunks from SummerSlam 1990, or they could play up the "Mega Powers Explode" angle from the lead-up to their WrestleMania V feud. Like I said, either would be awesome and a much-needed addition to the collection.

Eddie Guerrero

I searched long and hard for this one, but I could not find any trace of there being an Eddie Guerrero Funko Pop. Like many other wrestlers, there are "custom" figures popping up on Etsy, eBay, and other online retailers, but no official "Latino Heat" figure has been announced. If you want to get one, you'll have be like Eddie, and "lie," "cheat," and "steal" one of your own.

Eddie Guerrero was a member of the famed Guerrero wrestling dynasty and worked for promotions based in Mexico, Japan, and the United States where he bopped around Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling before he signed with the World Wrestling Federation in 2000. Guerrero would later become the WWE champion in 2004 after defeating Brock Lesnar at the No Way Out pay-per-view event. Sadly, Guerrero died a year later on November 13, 2005, as a result of acute heart failure. A Funko Pop would be a sweet tribute to the wrestler who passed away nearly 15 years ago.

Stone Cold With The Beer Truck

Stone Cold Steve Austin has several Funko Pops in the official collection, but none of them capture some of the Rattlesnake's most iconic moments. There are so many iconic moments like Austin dressing up like a doctor to attack Vince McMahon in the hospital, Stone Cold riding a Zamboni into an arena, and Austin riding an ATV through Reliant Stadium at WrestleMania 25, but nothing will ever compare to the time he showed up on Raw with a beer truck and proceeded to spray down McMahon, The Rock, and the rest of The Corporation.

Just imagine buying one of the oversized Funko Pops that features Stone Cold Steve Austin on top of a beer truck with a hose in hand. They could make a killing off those things, and it would serve as a tribute to one of the most memorable moments of the Attitude Era.

Shawn Michaels Throwing Marty Jannetty Through The Barbershop Window

Long before he formed D-Generation X with Triple H, Shawn Michaels was a member of another tag team called The Rockers alongside Marty Jannetty. Between 1985 and 1992, The Rockers wrestled in different territories including NWA Central States Wrestling and the American Wrestling Association before taking their act to WWE (still called the World Wrestling Federation at the time) where they were one-time WWF Tag Team Champions.

Despite some success in WWE, the team is mostly remembered for one moment that led to one half of the team going on to become one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and the other, well, he didn't do too hot. I'm talking about the January 12, 1992, edition of Brutus Beefcake's "Barbershop" where Shawn Michaels superkicked Marty Jannetty before throwing him through the window. The incident would go on to propel Michaels into stardom, which is why it would make a much needed addition to the WWE Funko Pops collection.

Lita

The WWE Funko Pops collection essentially has every major female wrestler from the current roster as well as some of the trailblazers of the division like Trish Stratus. One female wrestler missing from the collection, however, is one of the most notable omissions - Lita. Throughout her lengthy run with the company, Lita was part of some of the most important women's matches as well as inter-gender bouts (when WWE still allowed it), so there's more than enough reason for the WWE Hall Of Famer to join the collection.

There are plenty of ways Funko and WWE could introduce a Lita figure. They could give Lita her own figure, release a combo pack with Trish Stratus, or make a three pack that would include Lita and the Hardy Boyz, with whom she spent a great chunk of her career. Either way is fine, but please, let's get a Lita figure sooner rather than later. If we're going to have Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Asuka Funko Pops, we should at the very least have the woman who inspired all them to get in the ring.

Edge And Christian

Along with the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz, Edge and Christian helped usher in a new era of tag team wrestling in the late 1990s. The three teams went head to head several times in TLC (table, ladders, and chairs) matches between 2000 and 2001, putting their bodies on the line when they jumped off dangerously tall ladders onto multiple levels of tables over the ring. Those matches were absolutely insane.

Over the years, Edge and Christian both had great singles runs in WWE where both captured multiple championships and other accolades in the ring. This is what makes it so confusing that neither Edge nor Christian have Funko Pops made in their likenesses. It's not like Edge and Christian have any bad blood with WWE as both have continued to work with the company over the years. It wouldn't be hard to come up with a great idea for the set as the team already has a "five-second pose."

Bobby Heenan And Gorilla Monsoon

And finally, there's the commentator team of Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon. Between 1986 and 1993, this legendary broadcast team guided fans through the largest moments in wrestling history. The straight-shooting Monsoon and the wise cracking Heenan played off one another better than any other team in the history of the business, and for that they should be honored with a Funko Pop of their own.

Surely, if Mene Gene Okerlund can have his own Funko Pop, the team of Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon can have one too.

What do you think of our list? Is there someone we failed to mention that would you would to see in the WWE Funko Pop collection. Let us know in the comments.

We're on the cusp of a new decade, and the WWE still seems like it might live up to its tagline "Then, Now, and Forever." The brand has been the dominant name in pro wrestling for decades now (despite the rise of competitors throughout the years), and while the sport itself is arguably about as strong as its ever been, there may be many who feel the brand used to be better about the entertainment in the olden days.

For that reason, I decided to take a trip back through recent decades of WWE history in order to celebrate some of the uniquely entertaining moments from bygone eras that likely would never happen in today's version. To note, we're considering the "modern" era of WWE to have set in when guys like The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin stopped making frequent appearances. With that in mind, let's step into the ring.

Hulk Hogan Slamming Andre The Giant At WrestleMania III

Hulk Hogan's career is filled with many iconic moments, but few are as talked about or as noteworthy as his match with Andre The Giant at WrestleMania III. In the final moments of the bout, the crowd erupted when the Hulkster picked up the massive Andre and slammed him into the mat. Hulk performed the impossible, and the crowd got even noisier as he hit the leg drop that put Andre down for the three-count.

By modern WWE standards, Hulk Hogan body-slamming Andre the Giant is fairly simplistic. Far more purposefully insane things have gone down over the years, but I think that's precisely what makes this moment so magical. It's essentially a big, strong dude lifting a truly gigantic man, with the crowd going ballistic over the feat of physical strength. It's a great example of how the business used to be much simpler and more streamlined, and that audience expectations may have been much lower than what they're grown to be.

Kane Making His WWE Debut

There are few wrestlers that have earned as much respect in the business as The Undertaker. The tombstone-loving "Dead Man" was a WWE staple for years without much of a detailed backstory, but a new chapter was unveiled in the mid-to-late 90s. After the 'Taker's falling out with manager Paul Bearer, a dark secret was unveiled about the wrestler's past: Undertaker had burned down his parent's funeral home as a child and killed his parents(!!!), and Paul Bearer had proof.

That proof was revealed at the hilariously titled PPV Badd Blood: In Your House 1997, during Undertaker's Hell In A Cell Match against Shawn Michaels, when Paul Bearer unexpectedly appeared alongside a fearsome-looking giant covered from head to toe in red and black. That beast was Undertaker's half-brother Kane, and with his arrival – and him jaw-droppingly putting Undertaker in his own finishing movie, the Tombstone Piledriver – another legend was born. Kane remains a legend in the WWE to this day – and a large part of it is thanks to that incredibly bonkers and one-of-a-kind debut.

D-Generation X Invading A WCW Event

The WWE has waged battles against rival wrestling organizations in the past, but none were as heated or crazy as the "Monday Night Wars" with WCW. The ratings competition between Raw and Nitro led to quite a few crazy moments for both promotions, though the politically incorrect D-Generation X's invasion of a WCW event was the epitome of WTF madness. In a taped segment, Triple H and the rest of the DX crew secured a tank and hung around outside the WCW's Virginia venue, being total nuisances as fans waited to get inside.

D-Generation X's tomfoolery included asking fans about "free tickets" they were given to fill seats and barking over a megaphone that Monday Night Raw was the superior show. They even attempted to gain entry into the arena to make it onto the live show, and though that final part wasn't successful, the fans loved it. Considering the WCW was known to dump WWE championship belts in waste baskets, as well as revealing the results of pre-taped WWE telecasts, the rival company didn't really have a leg to stand on in calling DX's move classless. It was a war!

The Big Boss Man Stealing The Casket Of Big Show's Father

Perhaps this wouldn't be found in a list of the greatest wrestling moments of all time, but these oddball antics are a fantastic sign of proof that the Attitude Era was so great. To set the scene: the Big Show was mourning the loss of his father along with his family, when Big Boss Man showed up on the scene with a hearse. After a brief confrontation, Big Boss Man knocked Big Show to the ground and drove off with the casket bouncing around behind the car. Big Show jumped on the casket, but ultimately fell off.

It's easily one of the most outlandish examples of the Attitude Era's anything-goes mentality. The bit did garner some spectator controversy, considering Big Show's actual father had died a few years before. (Wouldn't that have also been uncomfortable for the wrestler to revisit?) The WWE has since steered away from doing quite as many over-the-top angles on this level, though we still see a fair few. After all, Bray Wyatt is practically Pee-Wee Herman mixed with Michael Myers.

Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs. Bret Hart At WrestleMania XIII

Two wrestlers met up for a submission match for the ages back in 1997. One was a rising star with a hellacious mean streak, while the other was a legendary babyface who never went low. Amazingly, Bret Hart wound up crossing that line during WrestleMania XIII and officially became a villainous heel by destroying Stone Cold Steve Austin in the latter half of their match, causing him to bleed. Like, a lot.

By the end of the match, the WrestleMania crowd was heavily booing Hart, and cheering on the previously villainous Austin. The latter had "passed out" from the pain, as opposed to saying "I quit," and Hart temporarily duked it out with guest referee, UFC legend Ken Shamrock. After the match, Stone Cold Steve Austin's popularity continued to skyrocket, and to this day he remains one of the most popular names synonymous with WWE, with the match itself also entering pro wrestling infamy.

The Marriage Of Macho Man And Miss Elizabeth

Not all great wrestling moments are violent and blood-filled, of course. Macho Man Randy Savage's televised marriage with Miss Elizabeth is proof of that. The two had actually been married for years before their Summerslam 1991 nuptials, but though the wedding was fake, it remains one of those moments that showed wrestling could be heart-warming and good. (The couple's marriage eventually went south, and they split, leading to Elizabeth Hulette's problematic relationship with Lex Luger, but that's a story for another time.)

And as heartwarming as the wedding was, it's not like outlandish wrestling antics were completely removed from the event. The couple opened up a wedding gift from Jake "The Snake" Roberts and – surprise, surprise! – there was a living snake inside. Macho Man then got jumped by Roberts and The Undertaker, and that's how you transition from a high-profile wedding right back to squared-circle shenanigans.

Stone Cold Steve Austin Drenches "The Corporation" With A Beer Truck

On a short list of the greatest feuds of WWE, few are as memorable for wrestling fans as Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vince McMahon. The blue collar man was taking shots at the corporate big wig, and fans loved to see McMahon get embarrassed by the feuds between the two. Every time it seemed McMahon got the upper hand, Stone Cold emerged stronger than ever and delivered some payback.

Such was the case in the iconic "beer truck" segment, in which Stone Cold drove a beer truck up to the edge of the ring and proceeded to drench The Corporation with a beer truck. The Rock and Shane took their licks from the hose, but the real star of the show was Vince McMahon. Vince flopped and flailed like a cartoon character tripping on a banana peel, and really sold the disgrace of the moment to a "t". Perhaps that's why it's remembered as one of Raw's most iconic moments to this day.

The Undertaker Throws Mankind Of The Top Of Hell In A Cell

Mick Foley was never the biggest, strongest, or most charismatic wrestler in the WWE, but few would dispute he had the most heart. Foley was notorious for doing what it took to put on a great match, and put his body on the line night in and night out, all in the name of entertainment. He has his battle scars to show for that, some of which came from one phenomenal match with The Undertaker.

The throw off the top of the cage (and onto the announcers table) was brutal enough, but it's the fact that Foley then decided to get off the gurney escorting him out of the arena and return to the match that makes this moment iconic. As luck would have it, he ended up getting spiked by Undertaker into the cage, which then had its zip ties break sending Mankind flat onto his back into the ring. That part, as the story goes, was not scripted into the match, but Foley soldiered on and completed his role in one of the most brutal matches in WWE history.

Dave Bautista Confirms WWE Retirement With Touching Note To Fans

For those that still like to follow modern wrestling regardless of if they prefer the olden days, WWE now has shows on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays across NBC and USA. Check your local listings, and continue to stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest and greatest news happening in the world of movies and television.

Wrestling fans now have more entertainment than they can shake a stick at on Monday nights, thanks to USA's new interviews-and-fun series Straight Up Steve Austin. The new series highlights WWE Legend Stone Cold Steve Austin hanging out with celebrities and doing cool stuff while sharing some touching and surprising stories. It's a format that could have a long lifespan, especially if it continues to have Monday Night Raw as a lead-in going forward.

Season 1 of Straight Up Steve Austin will feature superstar Becky Lynch, but when CinemaBlend recently talked to Stone Cold Steve Austin about the new show, I asked him what other world-of-wrestling personality he'd most want to have on a future episode. Without hesitation, Austin told us there's one person he'd like to have on Straight Up Steve Austin, and it's certainly someone fans of the Attitude Era and even non-wrestling fan audiences can get behind: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. In Stone Cold's words:

Stone Cold Steve Austin picked Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as his dream guest, which shouldn't be too much of a surprise to anyone, especially those who'd answer the same way. The two WWE legends have a friendship that stretches as long as any of their coinciding careers, and they were Vince McMahon's top guys during their merchandise-heavy heyday.

It's safe to say if Stone Cold and The Rock were stepping inside a ring to talk shop while waxing nostalgic during stories for a special episode of Straight Up Steve Austin, there'd be a small army of wrestling fans tuning in to watch. Can you smell-ll-ll-ll what that small army is cooking?

Austin seemed to think Johnson may be too busy to make it happen, which is understandable given the multitude of shows and movies he's attached to. With that being said, Rock does host The Titan Games for NBC. With USA being a sister station under the NBCUniversal umbrella, some execs could feasibly incentivize the duo to collaborate to help cross-promote both shows. As Steve Austin told us, there's some serious earning potential for the network in putting these guys on the same program, so hopefully someone is working on making it happen.

Why Dave Bautista Actually Left The WWE

Having earned pretty decent demo ratings for a show of its kind, Straight Up Steve Austin airs on USA on Monday nights at 10:00 p.m. ET. Stick with CinemaBlend for more information on current and upcoming fall shows, and for the latest on what's happening in the world of movies.

Stone Cold Steve Austin has been a WWE champion, a reality competition host, a podcaster, and now he's doing something a little different with the premiere of USA's Straight Up Steve Austin. In it, Austin meets up with celebrities from all different walks of life, and the two engage in fun activities while sharing some personal stories. CinemaBlend wanted to get a sense of what sets this show apart from traditional television talk shows, so we went straight to "The Texas Rattlesnake" himself to find out.

How does Stone Cold compare himself to the other hosts known for getting chatty during primetime and late-night? Steve Austin isn't promising he'll climb the top of the late-night ladder like he did during his prime in the WWE, but he did indicate that viewers who tune in will understand him and the show's format through and through.

Straight Up Steve Austin is, at times, almost more about the Steven Austin and his guest getting invested in their activities than the interviews themselves. Having their bodies and brains focused on other things allows the guests and Stone Cold Steve Austin himself to loosen up with one another, and it allows them to bring the fun back whenever conversations start to slow down.

As Steve Austin noted above, though, the conversations he has with his guests lead to revealing stories about their pasts and their personalities, and sometimes, even Stone Cold himself will open up about a thing or two. Along with opening up cans of beer and whoop-ass, no doubt.

Straight Up Steve Austin may not be as talk-heavy as Austin's podcast The Steve Austin Show, but Stone Cold told CinemaBlend there are some advantages to doing a show like this when compared to the typical podcast format. Austin got into some of that below, and also shared a bit about what audiences can expect in the series premiere.

Actor, Holey Moley host (and almost full-time marine) Rob Riggle is just one of the many guests lined up for Season 1 of Straight Up Steve Austin. Austin will also hang with Impractical Jokers star Sal Vulcano, WWE superstar Becky Lynch, comedian Gabriel Iglesias, racing legend Dale Earnhardt Jr., country music star Trace Adkins, and NFL quarterback Baker Mayfield. Stone Cold hangs with everyone involved and gets into some antics that audiences and fans might not expect from the bad ass wrestling icon (and actor).

Dwayne Johnson, John Cena And The Other WWE Wrestlers That Transitioned Into Movie Stars

Premiering tonight, August 12, Straight Up Steve Austin airs on USA network Mondays at 11:00 p.m. ET, right after Monday Night Raw. Stick with CinemaBlend for more on the latest goings on in the world of television and movies.

One of the most celebrated pro wrestling superstars of all time "Stone Cold" Steve Austin continues to win fans over years after he left the squared circle in a full-time capacity. Much of it has to do with his unique loquaciousness and interview techniques, which were utilized in full for his highly popular podcast. Now, Austin will finally get to show off those skills on his own official talk show. Cue the theme. [glass breaking]

USA Network announced that it has issued a straight-to-series pickup order for Straight Up Steve Austin, which will be a half-hour series mostly centered on Stone Cold interviewing various celebs. It will likely surprise no one to learn that USA will be pairing Straight Up Steve Austin with Monday Night Raw, with the chat show making its debut on Monday, August 12.

Because putting "Stone Cold" Steve Austin behind a desk inside a soundstage studio is the antithesis of the wrestler's vibe, Straight Up Steve Austin will fling that format into the turnbuckle. Instead, Austin will be joining a celebrity guest for a story-swapping trip across different cities throughout the U.S. Though some of those stories will likely touch upon some uncomfortable topics, the point of the show is to deliver some "good old-fashioned American fun."

Naturally, the quality of the celebrity guests can sometimes be as important as the host, although Steve Austin could interview a jar of pickles and it would easily be peak entertainment. For Straight Up Steve Austin, the wrestling icon will talk with current WWE superstar Becky Lynch, but surprisingly, she's the only guest noted that hails from his former employer.

Beyond Becky Lynch, Steve Austin will talk with country singer and actor Trace Adkins, Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, comedian and retired military man Rob Riggle, Impractical Jokers star Sal Vulcano, comedian Gabriel Iglesias, and NASCAR giant Dale Earnhardt Jr. That's a fairly wild lineup outside of this context, but those guests will definitely be welcomed by WWE fans all over.

A lot of former wrestlers try to make waves in the acting world, which Steve Austin also did for a spell, but his gift of gab opened him up to the world of TV hosting, which doesn't embrace WWE icons very often. Can you imagine Macho Man as a Family Feud host, for instance?

Austin first got in front of the camera as a host for the first season of the wrestling competition series Tough Enough, and he followed that up by hosting five seasons of the CMT reality show Redneck Island. He also took on duties hosting CMT'S physically rigorous series Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge.

While those shows got Stone Cold more comfortable in front of a camera in different capacities, the projects that solidified his interview magic were his podcasts The Steve Austin Show and The Steve Austin Show – Unleashed!, with the latter being a more adult-oriented listen. (You bet your ass Stone Cold gets explicit when the time calls for it.) Some of his podcast episodes have gotten broadcasted on WWE Network in the past, unwittingly foreshadowing what everyone can expect from the new show.

Straight Up Steve Austin will be produced by Wilshire Studios. Steve Austin will be serving as an executive producer alongside former Dirty Jobs EP Dave Barsky. Speaking of Dirty Jobs, former host Mike Rowe would make for an excellent future guest, if the show makes it to Season 2.

While waiting to see what Austin's upcoming A&E docuseries episode will be like, don't forget to grab yourself an ice chest full of suds and check out Straight Up Steve Austin in its post-Raw time slot on USA on Monday, August 12, at 10:00 p.m. ET.

Reality TV comes in all shapes and sizes, with all manner of personalities finding their ways in front of the cameras. Celebrities and entertainers definitely aren't excluded from that, with the early 2000s being a particularly booming time for celeb-reality, as VH1 so wisely(??) dubbed it. So even though there aren't as many as there once were, you can still find plenty of famous faces using reality series to make that money, either on the side or as a full-time gig. Here are 8 such faces.

Vanilla Ice

After adopting the shiveringly flavorful rap persona, Robert Van Winkle went To the Extreme as Vanilla Ice and later became intrinsically linked with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles before fading away from the public eye. He resurfaced briefly for his rap-metal remix of the inescapable "Ice Ice Baby" before finding a temporary home on The Surreal Life, solidifying his reality TV placement. Seemingly out of nowhere in 2009, the DIY network decided to pay that funky white boy not for his music, but for his home renovation and house-flipping skills, and The Vanilla Ice Project has been on the air for six seasons so far. That's a load-bearing mind that it boggles.

Caitlyn Jenner

Once an Olympic athlete that graced the front of a Wheaties box, Caitlyn Jenner found a completely different kind of spotlight (as Bruce), appearing on Keeping Up with the Kardashians for years before reaching yet another previously untapped pinnacle of fame once the full transition to Caitlyn became public knowledge. Her journey would not be one experienced in secret, either, as E! picked up the docu-series I Am Cait to let the world get a peek into an increasingly common lifestyle that TV formerly tiptoed around. No news on any future seasons of I Am Cait has come out, though one can easily imagine Jenner finding another corner of the reality TV world to call her own if it's cancelled.

Adam Levine

For over a decade now, Adam Levine has been selling albums like hotcakes with the Grammy-winning band Maroon 5, occasionally making other pop culture appearances on things like American Horror Story, Saturday Night Live and Pitch Perfect 2. But the easiest way for fans to get to watch Levine on a regular basis is through NBC's hit reality competition The Voice, on which he has appeared for all ten seasons, with Season 11 coming in September. At the TCA press event (via Variety), NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt joked that Levine and co-coach Blake Shelton "love the paycheck" before saying the pair's relationship over the years has been the heart of the show. (Stands up on chair and claps.)

RuPaul

Easily the world's most popular drag queen by several orders of magnitude, RuPaul has been a household name for over two decades now, working it as a musician, an actor, a talk show host and another paragraph's worth of accomplishments. But there are many out there who think he changed the world in the biggest way through Logo's fab-fab RuPaul's Drag Race, the competition series in which the whole point is becoming a drag superstar, gifting TV with its unique lineup of contestants. (It had its own spinoffs in RuPaul's Drag U and RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race, too.) Still going strong after eight seasons, RuPaul will will once again bring the mighty judgment down for Season 9 in the future.

Kendra Wilkinson

2005 was a really big year for the then-20-year-old Playboy model and Hugh Hefner girlfriend Kendra Wilkinson, who made a splash on the small screen with the Playboy Mansion-set reality series The Girls Next Door, as well as a cameo on Curb Your Enthusiasm. (She was also on the high-diving competition Splash, though that didn't go so well.) She went on to get her own E! spinoff, Kendra, before cutting ties with the network and moving to WE tv for Kendra On Top, which ended its fifth season in May. Not to mention stints on Worst Cooks in America, the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, Dancing with the Stars, Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars and more. Reality series have been quite kind to Wilkinson and her fans.

Stone Cold Steve Austin

Steve Austin spent many years telling people what the bottom line was as one of the WWE's greatest superstars, along with pulling off a decent small-scale acting career. Though his ring presence is now minimal, his podcast The Steve Austin Show Unleashed offers fans some far more unadulterated fun. And if you're looking to catch the verbally gifted beer-guzzler on the reality show front, you'd be doubly in luck. He's hosted the ridiculous elimination-based Redneck Island for five seasons so far on CMT, the same network where he's spent three seasons (with a fourth on the way) hosting the athleticism-focused competition series Steve Austin's Broken Skull Challenge. He's good at it, too, cause he said so.

Toni Braxton

In the early 1990s, you couldn't turn on the radio or MTV without hearing and seeing the award-amassing Toni Braxton, and the multi-hyphenate entertainer has sold over 67 million records over the years. While there's no proper way for someone's reality TV career to match up to such a staggering feat of success, Braxton has settled quite nicely into her role as part of WE tv's Braxton Family Values, which has been on the air since 2011, with two episodes left to air in Season 5. The sister-filled series has been a big hit for the network, especially in the female demographic, so don't expect her to give this gig up anytime soon.

Tiffani Thiessen

So many child actors take wrong turns in their lives that lead to hardships, but Saved by the Bell star Tiffani Thiessen kept her career on point following her Kapowski years with TV series such as Beverly Hills 90210, White Collar, and Fastlane, along with a handful of features. Strangely enough, the former teen magazine mainstay is now on the small screen as Tiffani Thiessen - Herself for the Cooking Channel series Dinner at Tiffani's, where she entertains guests (normally fellow celebrities) and involves them in cooking a meal that they eventually share. The second season's finale featured SBTB's Zack Morris himself Mark-Paul Gosselaar and his wife Catriona. Nobody call Screech.

Today 2K Sports revealed the cover athlete for WWE 2K16. Stone Cold Steve Austin will be featured on the packaging for the wrestling series' latest installment.

Austin needs no introduction to most WWE fans. He's earned 21 championships through his career with the organization. The WWE inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2009. Though he's retired from the ring, he still has close ties to the WWE. He hosted the 2011 relaunch of reality series Tough Enough, in which amateur wrestlings compete for a contract with the WWE. Austin also currently hosts a monthly interview show on the WWE Network.

He's well-known enough in pop culture that his choice for cover athlete makes sense. Austin makes the game appealing not only to hardcore fans but also casual viewers who potentially haven't watched WWE since the hugely popular Attitude Era in the early 2000s. Even if you've never watched WWE, you probably know who he is. That's very helful to the folks marketing the game.

This isn't the first time that 2K has tapped a retired great for one of their sports game's covers. For example, they hired Michael Jordan for NBA 2K11. Rival sports publisher EA has done the same, tapping former superstars like Mike Tyson and Barry Sanders for their games.

2K vice president of marketing Chris Snyder said that Austin will help the developers in making the game as well:

Austin will have a lot of opponents in WWE 2K16. The development team said last week that the game will have over 120 characters at launch. By comparison, WWE 2K15 had 67:

WWE 2K16 is in development for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4 and PS3. Long-time series developer Yuke's is collaborating with Visual Concepts on the project. They plan to release the game across all platforms on October 27th in North America and October 30th internationally.

The Expendables was such a smash hit that Sylvester Stallone is already planning Expendables 2. This time around we’re certain to get a lot more of Bruce Willis than just a cameo, and he seems excited to become a full time member of the group. So excited that Bruce spent the weekend talking up the possible sequel while out promoting his new movie Red.

When Coming Soon asked him for Expendables 2 details Willis said, “I talked to Sly and he's going for all the marbles this time, and he's going to get everybody in this time.” Exactly who “everybody” is remains to be seen but Stallone’s been vocal about wanting to get more of Schwarzenegger and he’d probably like to get Seagal and Van Damme involved too. They turned him down on the first film.

Apparently everybody even means people who were in the first film, but didn’t make it to the end credits in one piece. Yep, Stone Cold Steve Austin will be back for more. In the first film Stone Cold Steve Austin played one of the bad guys fighting against Stallone and his motley cadre of action movie icons. Up against such an unstoppable force, Austin was of course, doomed to lose. He took two bullets in the process of trying to stop the good guys, but Bruce Willis says that bullets aren’t an obstacle and Stone Cold will be back too, assuming they “start shooting it while we're young enough to survive.” Everyone knows real men can’t be killed by gunfire.