WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin has teamed up with Entertainment Weekly to promote the upcoming A&E / WWE documentary Biography: Stone Cold Steve Austin. The topic pertains to Austin’s game on WrestleMania 19 against The Rock, a game that was just as remarkable for what happened off screen, just as it was on.
“It was an interesting day at the office,” Austin recalls. ‘I was in the gym with Kevin Nash and my reflexes were very moving that day. We were on light bikes and my feet kept pulling. I did not think anything of it.
“I left Nash and went to my room on the 27th floor of the Grand Hyatt Hotel and my heart started beating from my chest before the elevator opened.”
Austin was in the midst of a panic attack that would force him to be taken to the hospital and jeopardize his match with The Rock. According to Austin, he was not even cleared to leave the hospital, let alone from the competition.
“The end result was that I drank too much alcohol and caffeine and didn’t get enough rest,” Austin said. “I was not released to leave the hospital, but I left because I was going to wrestle with The Rock.”
The game remains the last game Austin would ever have. To this day, it remains an emotional topic for the Texas Rattlesnake.
“Almost no one on that day knew it would be my last game,” Austin said. ‘My nerves were acting because of my previous spinal injury that I knew it would be my last one.
‘As you can see, I’m still getting emotional because I’m even talking about the story and going back there. I almost started crying in the documentary. My love for business is so much, it’s the only thing I really wanted to do in my life. It was very difficult to step out of the dream at 38. ”
If there’s one thing Austin is grateful for from the game, it’s the last gesture he’s received from his opponent.
‘Normally if someone wins a match, they stay in the ring. Rock won, but because I was leaving, he made me call so I could say my last goodbyes. He gave me that moment and it was really cool. ”
Biography: Stone Cold Steve Austin will premiere on April 18th.
