10 Reasons 2022 Was Wrestling's WILDEST Year Ever
5. Stone Cold Comes Out Of Retirement
You know how crazy 2022 was? “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
returning to the ring to wrestle his first match in 19 years at WrestleMania 38
wasn’t even the biggest, wildest story of the weekend, let alone the
year.
Still, Austin making a comeback after nearly two decades of resisting calls to compete again was a gigantic story. After all, Stone Cold was the biggest star of his era, selling out arenas throughout the Attitude Era and leading WWF/E to the wrestling dominance it continues to enjoy today. And after refusing numerous opportunities to step back into the ring, many fans had to figure that day would never come.
But Kevin Owens spent weeks taunting Stone Cold before finally inviting him to appear on the KO Show at Mania, which led to an impromptu main-event match that Austin won. The match itself was the Attitude Era brawl that Stone Cold popularized and served the then-57-year-old well.
The quality of the match, combined with Austin’s own discerning attitude, leaves the door open to Stone Cold competing a few more times, if the circumstances are right.