How did Brock Lesnar react to Stone Cold Steve Austin leaving WWE? Exploring the little-known story

Brock Lesnar and Stone Cold Steve Austin are some of the most notable names in WWE history and wrestling in general. Despite their larger-than-life character, they have never faced each other in a ring, but that doesn't mean they collide now and then.

Stone Cold Steve Austin is regarded as one of the many WWE legends who became the face of the Attitude Era, and his name remains relevant decades later. However, there was a time in 2002 when he walked out of the company. Although he was enemies with Brock Lesnar on-screen, the latter had nothing but good things to say about The Rattlesnake.

In Brock Lesnar's 2012 memoir Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival, he expressed that Steve was a good guy, and The Beast, along with the rest of the people in the company, were shocked when Stone Cold left as they thought he was a WWE Lifer.

The Beast Incarnate stated that he doesn't have many regrets about his run in the company, but he wished they had one match against each other. Lesnar detailed how their characters would clash well and could draw money.

"His character and my character would have been natural enemies. That makes for great box office! Steve [Austin] and I could have drawn a lot of money against each other. That would have been something special. Who knows? Maybe one day, we'll do it!" wrote Lesnar.

---

What role did Brock Lesnar play in Stone Cold Steve Austin's WWE walkout?

The Rattlesnake has since returned to the company and would make sporadic appearances, even wrestling in 2002. On the other hand, The Beast works on a part-time schedule. Despite this, they still haven't faced each other inside a ring.

After WrestleMania 18, the Stamford-based promotion advertised a tournament match for the King of The Ring between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Brock Lesnar. However, the encounter never happened as Austin refused to perform jobs for The Beast without any build-up to their program. Due to this, The Rattlesnake decided to walk out of the company.

Reports suggested in 2022 that a match between Stone Cold and Brock Lesnar was supposed to happen at last year's WrestleMania. However, the Hall of Famer turned down the match once again.

While it may have been interesting to see a match between both men, the likelihood of it happening is slim. Still, they have proven to be dominant in their own right.