Exclusive: ‘Stone Cold' Steve Austin Reflects on Wrestling Career, Retirement, and if he'll Appear at WrestleMania 39

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin is easily one of the most influential, and arguably greatest professional wrestlers of all time.

Born in Austin, Texas, Steven James Anderson, grew up riding four-wheelers, hauling hay, hunting, and doing manual labor. He played football in high school and received a full scholarship to play linebacker and defensive end at the University of North Texas.

Despite his success on the gridiron, Austin aspired to be a professional wrestler ever since he fell in love with the business at seven years old. After college, Austin became a wrestler changing his name, gimmick, and persona multiple times while trying to grow his career.

Austin joined the WWF in 1995 after Diesel and Jim Ross convinced owner Vince McMahon to give him a shot. He debuted as "The Ringmaster," but struggled over the first year of his career to find an identity. He changed his name to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and began to vent his anger and frustration regarding his career outwardly and in the ring. Austin won the 1996 King of the Ring and afterward his now-iconic catchphrases "Austin 3:16" as well as "and that's the bottom line, because Stone Cold said so," was born.

Over his illustrious career, Austin became a six-time WWF champion, three-time winner of the Royal Rumble, and headlined the main event at WrestleMania four different times. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 and now spends his time in Nevada where he owns a ranch. Between the occasional appearances with WWE, Austin hosts podcasts, game shows, and reality shows. He also is in the beer business, collaborating with El Segundo Brewing back in 2014 for his line of Broken Skull beers.

NBC LA recently caught up with Austin at El Segundo Brewing to discuss the launch of his newest beer, his career journey, how he stays busy in retirement, and whether or not he will make an appearance at WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on April 1 and 2.

Here's the full interview in its entirety:

We are here at El Segundo Brewing Company where you currently have two beers that you've created here: the original Broken Skull IPA you created in 2014, and the Broken Skull Lager that debuted last year. Now I hear you may have a third one?

It's the third beer. We started with the IPA, due to popular demand we came out with an American Lager last year on 3/16 and just today we released a double IPA. So we have three out. It tastes great. I'm a fan of the original. They all have my stamp on them, but I go to the IPA. I'm really proud to be in business with El Segundo brewing company because they make the best beer around.

Your favorite is always the IPA? Or are you a pairing guy where you prefer different beers based on what you're eating?

I pair an IPA with anything I eat and I'm good. I'm not a pairing guy. I think the lager is a great selection when it's a warmer day. The double IPA is a little stout for me, we created it, I put my stamp of approval on it, but the IPA is my go-to.

I know you're keeping busy, you look like you're fit and in-shape. You've got your podcasts, your reality shows, what do you have going on right now or that's coming up on the docket?

Well, right now we're running around all over the place filming a reality show for A&E Network. It's going to come out on April 30, or something like that. So we've been hot and heavy doing that. We're filming here in town for a couple days and then we're going back to Nevada to start back the process. We've been at it for four months, and we finish in two weeks. It's going to be an extravaganza to see and it's called "Stone Cold Takes on America."

I like that and we'll look for that when it comes out. Now we're also here to promote WWE2K23. I know you're in the video game, but I want to talk a little bit about your wrestling career. How has retirement been treating you?

You have to understand that I retired in 2003, so it's been a long time, so I'm over it. But when I walked away from the business of Sports Entertainment I endeavored into other things: I work with Kawasaki motor sports on the side by side division, I'm in the beer business, and I do other things. Coming back to do something from time to time is fine, because I love my relationship with WWE, but my days in the ring are done…although, I did do the main event at WrestleMania last year in Dallas, but that was kind of a fluke and we pulled it off. It's good to be back and see some of the faces. I'm looking forward to the guys I'm going to see tonight, but I've been gone for a long time, and I do not miss it.

You don't miss anything about it? Do you miss the camaraderie?

Well yeah, I miss the boys. That's what I miss. You miss going up and down the road telling stories, laughing, and doing things to entertain each other when you're doing the grind on the road…just living life. It's a different breed of animals, or guys, or human beings, that get into this business, and birds of a feather flock together and the sports entertainment industry draws some very unique characters.

You talk about the birds of a feather flock together and the different people in this business. Let's talk about your story in this business. I know a little bit about it. I know when you first came up and were trying to make it as a wrestler you tried different gimmicks, different characters so to speak, but it really feels like you hit your stride and became the superstar that you ultimately did when you were yourself. Is that what you found, and describe that progress and journey for you?

When I came into WWE they started calling me "The Ringmaster," and I had been wrestling as Steve Austin for about 7 years and so I just didn't have an identity and it wasn't working and I was frustrated. So then, we came up with the name, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and I shaved my head and grew in the goatee and then things started clicking for me. Once I found my identity and knew who I was. I was basically a guy who had been kicked around and nobody saw any future in me, so I just started venting, and I got pretty angry. As far as in the ring goes, I acted like I was going to be in a regular physical endeavor like competitive football. I took my killer instinct from the field and took that attitude into the squared circle and Stone Cold Steve Austin grew up in South Texas hauling hay, hunting, doing manual labor and driving a fork lift on a dock, I started talking all that trash that I heard. I just started regurgitating that and a lot of other stuff I heard from Richard Pryor and my parents. So I started cutting promos and Stone Cold Steve Austin came alive and turned into a force to be reckoned with. He started off as a heel and in the transition of one match he turned into a good guy and the rest is history.

Like you said, you drive four-wheelers, you're talking the language that you heard as the Texas Rattlesnake, you're drinking beers on camera and in the middle of events. That's you, right? Are we seeing a version of yourself?

It's me doing what I do, and I have the volume turned up to 11. Sometimes I get Steve Austin confused with Stone Cold, but Steve Austin is the guy talking to you right now, it would be over the top for me to be Stone Cold right now.

We were talking about some of the wrestlers that will be here tonight. What's your relationship with Hunter [Triple-H] like and some of the younger wrestlers in WWE today?

I don't know who all is going to be here tonight. I know Bailey is going to be here, and her and I go way back so we have great history. I absolutely love her. She's a great talent and she's coming back off a successful surgery and coming back from an injury. I know Miz is going to be here. Miz is one of the hardest workers in the business who really worked hard to get himself in the position that he's had. Xavier Woods and Tyler Breeze are going to be here, I've known those guys for a long time too. We're like birds of a feather. I don't text with those guys or call them on the phone, but when we congregate together we're right back on the same page from where we left off.

Now I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't ask you this. But because you brought it up too… WrestleMania 38 last year in Dallas, Texas, your home state, you get back in the ring for a match for the first time in almost 20 years with Kevin Owens. Now, you look like you're in great shape, WrestleMania is just going to be down the street from here in a couple weeks, are we going to see you back in the ring here at SoFi Stadium soon?

Man…I've just been busy working on this show. I haven't got a phone call yet and it's about two weeks away so I don't expect to be there, but anything can happen.

I like that, anything can happen so make sure you tune in on Peacock and stream it there. We're going to hang out with you pouring beers later and hopefully, I can drink and cheers with you.

Absolutely, we will be drinking the Broken Skull IPA because I believe that's the best beer in America.