Real Reason Steve Austin's KO Show Is Main-Eventing WWE WrestleMania 38?

Why the Steve Austin/Kevin Owens segment, not a match, will headline WrestleMania 38's first night.

By Andy H Murray /

WWE

Although the situation has changed several times over the past few weeks, the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer reported on Tuesday that 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's appearance on The KO Show is set to close WrestleMania 38's first night (Saturday 2 April).

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Even if it looks like he won't be wrestling on the show, as was originally rumoured, Austin's confrontation with Kevin Owens is going to end the night rather than a match. It's an untraditional move motivated, perhaps, by the acknowledgement that 'Stone Cold' is comfortably the biggest name working either night of WrestleMania 38.

Speaking on the same episode of Wrestling Observer Radio that brought the above report, Meltzer speculated that WWE may be putting Austin on last as they don't want to risk the possibility of people leaving 'Mania after seeing him live and in the flesh.

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This will be Steve's first true WWE appearance since March 2020, when he featured on the company's first pandemic era Raw at the Performance Center. Austin has, however, appeared in several video packages leading up to WrestleMania 38.

SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey had previously been listed as Saturday's 'Mania main event.

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