Just when WWE fans thought Kevin Owens couldn’t get any more personal with his enmity towards “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, especially with his irrational hatred towards Austin’s home state of Texas and recent mocking of his iconic “Austin 3:16” speech, Owens takes it to the next level on last night’sWWE Raw, where he would dupe both the live and viewing audience with a full-on mocking “tribute” to Austin’s legendary entrance, bald skull cap, knee braces and all.
These mind games are just the latest salvo in a volleying war of words between Owens and Austin before theirhighly-anticipated encounter at WrestleMania 38, where Austin will be the guest on Owens' “KO Show” talk segment. This came as a result of Owens putting out a last-ditch proposal to get himself on the Mania 38 card after he and Seth Rollins recently came up short in their pursuit of the RAW Tag Team Championship.
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When fans heard glass shatter to kick offWWE Rawlast night, everyone rose to their feet in delight and anticipation of Austin’s return toWWE, only to be utterly gobsmacked at the appearance of Kevin Owens, who would come out in a full-on “Stone Cold” ensemble, from a bald skull cap to an “Austin 3:16” shirt to knee braces. The cheers turned to boos as Owens would enter the ring, swaggering from one turnbuckle to the next, “saluting” the fans not unlike how Austin typically would. Then Owens, using his best guttural “Stone Cold” voice, goes on a whole tirade, mocking Austin’s oft-overused “What?” chants and his speaking tics.
When Owens attempted to sign off by stating thatAustin has no chance of one-upping himand any fan who thinks otherwise is a “sorry son-of-a-b*tch,” the glass would shatter one more time, heralding the real Austin…only for it to be yet another dupe on the fans by Owens. He then topped things off with a mockery of Austin’s post-promo “beer bash,” even pretending to drop a can unlike the sure-handed Austin and ‘stunning’ the poor stagehand who came to hand it to him. It’s not uncommon to see a wrestler’s entrance, mannerisms and outfits mocked by other wrestlers, and it’s certainly not the first time Austin has been parodied on WWE television, but not to the level of vitriol that fans saw out of Owens on last night’sWWE Rawepisode.
WWE’s “honest liar” seems intent on doing everything to disparage Austin’s name and legacy going into theirheated encounter at WrestleMania 38, and given the vociferous reactions of the live audiences to his “Stone Cold” cosplay, it appears to be working. However, whether it will undermine the “Texas Rattlesnake” or incite him even more to ‘stomp a mudhole’ in Owens come April 2 remains to be seen.
WrestleMania 38airs live on April 2 & 3, 2022.
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