10 Missed Opportunities In Steve Austin's WWE Career

3. CM Punk

CM Punk and Steve Austin have a mutual respect for each other and, despite their differing lifestyles (redneck beer drinker versus straight edge punk rocker), the two actually share a lot in common. Both men made it to the top of WWE when they weren't 'supposed' to and both men weren't afraid to walk out on Vince McMahon when push came to shove. Punk grew up watching Austin and has stated many times his desire to wrestle him. Austin has consistently sung Punk's praises and said that a programmed with the Second City Saint is one of the only things that could potentially coax him out of retirement. With Punk now referring to himself as a 'retired pro-wrestling' and trying to launch a successful UFC career and with the likelihood of Austin returning getting less and less, there is virtually zero chance that a Punk/Austin match is ever going to happen. If it was going to happen, it would have by now. The time to do it would have been 2011, when Punk was on a hot streak as a heel. The two had a memorable backstage confrontation on the June 2011 Raw which many felt was WWE planting the seeds for a future programme (it wasn't). The lack of a Punk/Austin match/programme is a missed opportunity in Stone Cold's career.