Stone Cold’s Only Possible Opponent

Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the most famous wrestlers of all time and his name carries a lot of weight. Some of the most famous and memorable feuds in WWE history, the unruly, and unapologetic attitude, and of course, the ring name ‘The Ring’ icon made the WWE what it was during the Attitude Era. From the war with Vince McMahon to the battles with the Rock, Austin created the legacy that will endure the time.

Since his retirement in 2003 because of neck and knee injuries, the fans have been demanding the dream match of the Texas Rattlesnake. The rumors of Austin’s last match swelled when he suddenly came to the WrestleMania 38 in 2022 to fight Kevin Owens in a fight that was not planned. But the question remains: who could possibly face Stone Cold Steve Austin in what would probably be his last bout?

In this article, you will learn why CM Punk is the best choice for Stone Cold Steve Austin, most reasonable, and the most exciting opponent, and why this dream match may become one of the best in WWE history.

The Effects of Stone Cold on Wrestling

In order to understand why CM Punk is the best possible opponent for Austin, one has to analyze the effects of the latter’s career. Austin was the figurehead of WWE during the late 1990s which saw him leading the battle in the Monday Night Wars against WCW and steering WWE towards becoming the world’s biggest wrestling company. The persona that he portrayed was unique, a rebel who constantly fought with the WWE owner Vince McMahon which was something that the fans had never seen from any wrestler.

The path to Stone Cold’s superstardom can be dated back to the famous “Austin 3:16” promo after the win against Jake “The Snake” Roberts at the King of the Ring event in 1996. This single moment put him to the top, as he would later become a multiple time WWE Champion, main eventer at WrestleManias, and a true legend of the WWE. However, the intensity of his wrestling style affected his health by getting injured severally and thus Austin retired from wrestling after Wrestlemania 19 in 2003.

Austin not being in the ring only made him more enigmatic and to this day WWE fans have remained to wonder if they will ever see the Texas Rattlesnake in the ring again. His one shot at WrestleMania 38 proved that the old Stone Cold spirit is still alive and now, the door has been left wide open for one last match.

Why CM Punk is the Only Possible Opponent for Stone Cold

1. Rebellion vs. Rebellion: An Ideological Enculturation

Another convincing argument of why CM Punk should face Stone Cold is the fact that there is a lot of history between the two characters. Austin and Punk are rebels in the world of professional wrestling but are rebels in different ways that create an interesting dichotomy.

2. The Mic Work: A Truly Epic Battle of Words

But one of the biggest draws of a Stone Cold vs CM Punk feud would be the back and forth promo war between the two. Stone Cold Steve Austin also had the best promos that were cutting and to the point that fit his persona as a beer-drinking, blue-collar brawler. Be it when Austin was verbally attacking Vince McMahon or when he was having a feud with The Rock, his promos were simply real and that is what the fans loved about his character.

While Curtis Axel for example is one of the worst talkers of his generation, CM Punk is one of the best. Due to Punk’s capacity to perform promos that are almost documentary-like in their realism during his 2011 storyline with John Cena, he was dubbed ‘The Best in the World.’ Punk was also among the most engaging characters in wrestling today owing to his biting humor, use of real life frustrations, and fourth wall breaking.

The promo wars that Austin and Punk engaged in would be epic at best. Do you remember how the Texas Rattlesnake would get to the point and be very ‘in your face’ compared to Punk’s use of sarcasm and biting tongue? Punk could remind the viewers that Austin has been out of action for many years and doesn’t have a place in modern wrestling anymore, especially after he retired in 2003. Punk, in return, could mention Austin’s controversies and point to him that he has not been wrestling in a while and therefore cannot be truly dedicated to the fans.

Such a verbal confrontation would not only create the foundation for an amazing bout, but it would also use real feelings and real history, which would make the enmity genuine.

3. Real-Life Conflict and Appreciation

Austin and Punk have never really had a rivalry in WWE but there has always been tension between the two. Both men have said in interviews that they would like to fight the other, but they’ve also engaged in veiled (and sometimes not so veiled) jabs at one another.

In 2011 to promote the WWE video game WWE ’13 Austin and Punk faced off in an interview where they spoke about the possibility of them wrestling. They both continued to boast on who would emerge a winner between Punk, who was the WWE Champion then and Austin, the star of the Attitude Era. Punk, always the wise ass, even went so far as to say that Austin would be drinking ginger ale instead of beer after their match, which was an obvious shot at the King’s drinking issues.

While both men have always had respect for each other they have always kept things professional but it is quite evident that they look forward to the challenge that the other presents. This real-life tension could easily be transferred into a WWE storyline, both men are trying to be the most rebellious figure in wrestling history.

4. The Storyline: A clash of generations

It is hard to imagine that a story can be written for a match between Stone Cold and CM Punk. Stone Cold Steve Austin, the face of the attitude era, comes back to WWE for one last match but his comeback is cut short by none other than CM Punk. Punk could say that even Austin, the famous one, is a relic of a previous generation of rebels, one that was all about breaking things, guzzling beer and brute strength. Punk on the other hand could afford to be the voice of a more refined process of rebellion, one that comes with intelligence and planning.

Austin, as we all know, would not take kindly to Punk’s words and thus, a battle of the generations was on the horizon. It is for this reason that the storyline could integrate some real life facts like for instance Austin’s retirement due to injuries and Punk’s termination from WWE in 2014.

 Before the match, both men could recall their most memorable achievements: Austin could prove that he is one of the greatest legends of the WWE, and Punk could prove that only he is the true spirit of the anti-hero of the new generation of wrestling.

5. In-Ring Chemistry and Storytelling

Although Austin and Punk perform in different ways in the ring, the focus on the narrative and the psychology of the bout would create an interesting match. The fight between Austin and Punk would have been an interesting one because Austin was known for his brawling, smash-mouth style he would have probably gone for Punk with a lot of aggression unlike Punk who is more technical and methodical.

The match wouldn’t even have to be the most technically sound to work, it would be about the passion, the fans’ engagement, and the narrative that is portrayed in between the ropes. Austin’s physicality of selling a story along with Punk’s psychology and ring awareness would make for a good story that would keep fans engaged and enthralled.

6. Legacy on the Line

Last but not the least, a dream bout between Stone Cold Steve Austin and CM Punk will have a great impact on both the wrestlers. To Austin, a win over Punk would place him not only as the king of the Attitude Era but also as a wrestler who could compete with the best of any generation. To Punk, it would be sweet to defeat Austin and prove to the world that he is the true embodiment of rebellion and defiance as he considers it as the biggest highlight of his career.

This would be a very high risk for both men and the match would be very dramatic.

Conclusion

Stone Cold Steve Austin is the kind of performer who you only get once in a lifetime, and if he is to have one final bout, then it should be against an equal who not only brings the kind of star power that would complement his own but also talent that could go head to head with him. CM Punk is that opponent. They both rebelled, they both had mic skills, they both were great at in-ring stories, and they had real-life heat.

 If WWE ever decides to make this dream match a reality, it will be considered as one of the biggest and most popular wrestling feuds of all time.