Neck problems plagued Stone Cold Steve Austin for years and he was ultimately forced to retire from in-ring competition in 2003. During a recent interview with the State of Combat podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer was asked if he's ever considered retirning to the squared circle (bear in mind it wasn't that long ago he said he was cleared to compete).
"Man, not close at all," Austin confirmed. "Not close at all. I am done. No one in the wrestling business or in show business---you know, they all say never say never, and hey man, I was talking on an interview earlier and when WWE rebooted Tough Enough I loved that because I was as close as I wanted to be in the business."
"I love being in business with WWE and I get a chance to live vicariously with the stories who come on my show and talk to me about," he continued. "That is as close as I want to be in WWE. I am not saying that I don't have a Stunner or two left in me, but a full-blown match, it is not happening."
Unfortunately, it really does sound as if Austin is done when it comes to in-ring competition and that's a shame as it would be great to see him in at least one more match. However, if Shawn Michaels' Saudi Arabia return proved anything, it's that sometimes it's better for legendary wrestlers to remain retired rather than hurting their legacy with an unnecessary match.