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One of the biggest pro-wrestling stars of all time, Stone Cold Steve Austin, thrived with competition around him. During his days as a megastar in WWE in the late 90s, the global juggernaut faced fierce competition from WCW.
Even then, the Texas Rattle Snake succeeded and played a major role in putting World Championship Wrestling out of business. Two decades later, a similar situation has cropped up with Jacksonville-based promotion, AEW, emerging as a threat to Vince McMahon's company.
Naturally, fans want to know Stone Cold Steve Austin's opinion on AEW since he excelled in an era when WWE wasn't the only force to be reckoned with in the business.
So, what does Stone Cold Steve Austin think of AEW?
Earlier this year, the former six-time WWE Champion opened up about Tony Khan's promotion and had nothing but praise for it. Stone Cold Steve Austin believes having more than one major wrestling company in the industry will help more people find employment.
Furthermore, he also explained how having AEW compete with WWE is beneficial for the latter. The legendary performer stated that with competition around, WWE wouldn't get complacent and would consistently put out compelling programming for fans.
Here's what Stone Cold Steve Austin said about AEW:
"Man, I love it. I think it's competition by proxy, just because you know they're wrestling. WWE is wrestling, but I don't think they're directly trying to compete, but in essence, they are. So, I love it because it gives more people within the industry jobs, it gives more people a chance to work, and it makes WWE, you know, it forces them to push the envelope rather than just sit back and just push out content. So now you know your competition makes everybody better I'll bottom line and like that, without going into minutiae and details."
As far as Stone Cold Steve Austin appearing in AEW sometime down the line is concerned, the chances are slim at best. The WWE Hall of Famer has been faithful to Vince McMahon's promotion for quite a long time, and it doesn't seem like things will change anytime soon.
That said, being one of the most unpredictable businesses in the entertainment industry, nothing can be ruled out in pro-wrestling.
Do you agree with Stone Cold Steve Austin's statement about AEW? Sound off in the comments section below.
