5 best Stone Cold real life stories

#4 Advising Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens got some key advice from Steve Austin in a chance encounter

Kevin Owens is one of the top stars in WWE today. He never wrestled or teamed up with Stone Cold Steve Austin. However, the two did have a chance encounter at an airport many years ago that was important to Owens’s development as a young wrestler.

Owens relayed the story on a visit to the Steve Austin Show podcast, saying that he was in the early stages of his career on the indies when he spotted Austin in the terminal. Though he was nervous, he knew he’d always regret it if he didn’t make contact, so walked over and shook Austin’s hand. Before they parted ways, Owens explained he was trying to make it as a wrestler, too, and asked if Austin had any advice.

Stone Cold told him he ought to never stop talking in the ring. It’s a small detail, but not an insignificant one that if you watch Austin’s matches over the year, he was constantly running his mouth in the ring. He’s discussed elsewhere that a lot of that had to do with selling the attitude of his character and making fans pay attention.

He’s also relayed the practical functions—that on account of his poor hearing, he usually called his matches, and so would intermix directions with the trash talk.