Did Stone Cold Steve Austin miss WrestleMania 40 because he wanted the spotlight for himself? Exploring the real reason for absence

Leading up to WrestleMania 40, several rumors suggested Stone Cold Steve Austin would be present at the PLE to help Cody Rhodes win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. However, Austin wasn't there, and reports later suggested WWE and Austin couldn't reach a financial agreement.

However, the real reason behind Steve Austin's absence at WrestleMania 40 was neither the financial agreement nor his wanting the spotlight for himself. During an appearance on Unlikely with Adrian Hernandez, Austin stated he and his wife had prior commitments, which meant he wouldn't reach Philadelphia in time.

Steve Austin said:

"It was close, and they certainly reached out to me. We had conversations, but my wife and I had some things going on, and I didn't need to go to Philly at that time."

You can check out what Stone Cold Steve Austin said in the video below:

Steve Austin further mentioned that Philadelphia has been a great town for him. While he missed WrestleMania 40, Austin added that WrestleMania 41 will take place in Las Vegas. The 59-year-old wrestling legend expressed his desire to be a part of the upcoming premium live event.

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Wrestling veteran says Stone Cold Steve Austin's finishing move is over The Rock's

Stone Cold Steve Austin's Stunner and The Rock's People's Elbow are two of the deadliest moves in professional wrestling. Both superstars have used their respective finishers to neutralize their opponents. However, when compared with each other, a wrestling veteran said Austin's Stunner is more over.

The wrestling veteran in question is Vince Russo. During an appearance on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Legion of RAW, Russo was asked about the most over-finishing move in professional wrestling history. Picking Steve Austin's Stunner, Russo said:

"That one I agree with [Stone Cold’s finisher being the most over-finishing move]. It’s a ton more over than the People’s Elbow. I think so. I am watching so much Attitude Era now, bro, for Russo’s brand, and every time he hit the Stunner, people came out of their clothes." [From 58:56 onwards]

You can check out what Vince Russo said about Stunner vs. People's Elbow in the video below:

Even today, Steve Austin and The Rock hold the capacity to captivate audiences with their finishing moves. While The Rock has already done it at WrestleMania 40, it will be interesting to see when Austin returns to the Stamford-based promotion and catches someone with a vicious Stunner.