"I talk to Steve about once a month" - Jim Ross finally reacts to Stone Cold Steve Austin's rumored WWE return

Steve Austin's reported return to the ring is one of the most discussed stories in wrestling as we approach WrestleMania 38. Jim Ross recently reacted to the ongoing rumors in an "Ask JR" session on AdFreeShows.com. The AEW announcer shared his honest take on the possibility.

Jim Ross said that while Steve Austin is still passionate about the business, he wasn't sure whether his former colleague would want a full-fledged return to the squared circle.

JR also mentioned Sting's success in AEW and questioned whether it might have influenced Stone Cold into rethinking his retirement status:

"Well, you know, Steve still has great passion for the business. He is 50 years old; I don't think he wants to reignite his wrestling career. I don't know if the success AEW has had with a guy that's older than him and another legend in Sting has influenced that creative or that idea I don't know," said Jim Ross. [11:54 - 12:14]

Jim Ross helped Steve Austin get signed by WWE before the Attitude Era kicked off, and he has since been a close friend to the legendary star.

While Ross speaks to Austin every month, he admitted that they rarely talk about wrestling, and he had no idea about the Texas Rattlesnake's apparent desire to wrestle again.

"I talk to Steve about once a month, and more often than not, we don't talk about wrestling. He didn't watch a lot of wrestling, and I probably watch too much. If it's a football conversation, or it's home improvment stuff, it's food, the grill, things like that. We're old friends, and there are milliions of things we can talk about without talking about pro wrestling," added JR. [12:15 - 12:41]

If he wants to do it, I hope he does: Jim Ross would love to see Steve Austin come out of retirement

Steve Austin hasn't stepped foot inside the squared circle for over 19 years. Meanwhile, many fans of the present-day product probably haven't seen the Hall of Famer perform in all his glory.

Jim Ross was confident that Austin's comeback match would help WWE sell many tickets. Considering how close WrestleMania is, the iconic commentator also predicted the company to make its move soon to get Steve Austin back.

The AEW announcer felt fans should take every rumor with a grain of salt but noted he would be delighted to see Stone Cold Steve Austin come back for a big-money match.

"It's an interesting concept. He will sell a lot of tickets if he is booked, but you know, they are burning daylight getting closer and closer to their D-day. So, one would assume that if Steve was going to do something, that would be finalized sooner than later. I just don't know if it's going to happen. So, if he wants to do it, I hope he does. I think it will be great because there is a whole generation of fans that haven't seen his full presentation, and I think that would be entertaining for anybody," stated Jim. [12:42 - 13:25]

The Texas Rattlesnake is widely expected to face Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38 but is WWE moving in the correct creative direction? A former WWE personality thought otherwise and pitched a compelling angle to book Austin's long-awaited return storyline, which you can check out right here.

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