Stone Cold Steve Austin is viewed by many as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. In a recent interview, former WCW and WWE star Erik Watts recalled how Austin once proved his ability to his co-workers before a show.
It is often said that a wrestler with world-class in-ring skills is capable of having a match with anyone and anything, including a broom. The phrase is usually used when fans and critics discuss the likes of AJ Styles, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, and Shawn Michaels.
On the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast, Watts said Austin showed how good he was by producing a five-minute match with a broom in WCW:
"There was about five, 10 guys out by the ring and we were all kinda working out, and he threw a broom into the ring and did about a five-minute match with a flipping broom, bro. I was cracking up and yet he was, I don't know how long had he been in wrestling, four years, five years, eight years, hell, I don't know, but he literally made that broom look incredible." [11:21 – 11:44]
Austin worked for WCW between 1991 and 1995. After leaving the company, he had a short stint in ECW before becoming one of WWE's top stars.
Erik Watts on Steve Austin's passion for wrestling
More than two decades after his full-time in-ring career ended, Steve Austin is still passionate about wrestling to this day. The Texas Rattlesnake watches the modern-day product and is friends with many current WWE stars.
Erik Watts, the son of legendary promoter Bill Watts, witnessed Austin's love for the wrestling business first-hand:
"Talk about confidence. People talk about, 'Oh my gosh, Ricky The Dragon Steamboat, Ric Flair could make a broom look good.' This wise guy got in the ring, and only in front of five, eight, 10 guys, so he wasn't doing it to say something. He was just doing it because he ate and breathed and dreamed pro wrestling success this whole time." [11:46 – 12:05]
Austin was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. The 59-year-old recently confirmed he is willing to wrestle again if the right storyline comes along.
Do you think Stone Cold Steve Austin is the greatest of all time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Please credit the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.