25 Most OUT OF POCKET WWE Attitude Era Moments
8. Steve Austin Plays Word Association
Steve Austin was more of an angle man than a promo guy in the Attitude Era. If you want to hear him rip ass on other wrestlers, you’re better off hunting for his May 1998 interview with Michael Landsberg for Off The Record, at the end of which Landsberg challenged Austin to a game of word association. This brought the very best out of Austin and his brusque demeanour.
When asked about Hulk Hogan, and whether he’s the best there ever was, Austin said “not even close”. His one-word assessment of Sable - “chick” - was pretty nasty. He was nasty about Shawn Michaels, too, but his turn of phrase was exceptional. Austin said “Extremely talented. Kinda started crying there a little bit at the end there. Hopefully he can get his act together and come back to the WWF”.
To recap: Shawn Michaels was mired in substance abuse issues and facing career-ending back surgery. In every definition of the word, he was troubled - and to an alarming extent. Or, in the words of men’s mental health advocate Stone Cold Steve Austin, “Kinda started crying there a little bit at the end there”.
He saves his most brutal assessment for last. When asked about Ric Flair, Austin says “One time he was great. Now it’s time to hang it up”.
Flair was past his prime in 1998, but he was capable of casting old man magic deep into his career. Did Austin not want to see Flair sell his ass off against Triple H, or become quietly great at ladder matches against Edge?
Nope. Immediate retirement. As soon as Austin finished recording the interview, Flair was done.