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 Over the past 15 years, WWE “Raw” has introduced some of the biggest names in sports-entertainment to millions of fans across the globe. From Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan to The Rock and John Cena, practically anyone who’s anyone in professional wrestling has stepped into Vince McMahon’s squared circle. And while the world anxiously awaits for Mr. McMahon to announce who “Raw’s” greatest Superstar will be during the special, three-hour 15th anniversary celebration Mon., Dec. 10 at 8 p.m., regardless of who’s named the greatest, there’s no question who’s the most unforgettable: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
After spending three weeks at his ranch hunting deer, the fan favorite (and arguably WWE’s most profitable Superstar) recently spent some time reflecting on his career in WWE…and what the future holds not only for “Raw,” but also for the Rattlesnake.
“Man, you’re talking about 15 years. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite,” Austin replied when asked about his favorite “Raw” moment. “I had so many classic moments with Vince McMahon and all the vehicles I got to drive. I think really one of my favorites was whacking Vince in the head with the bedpan when he was in the hospital. And I really enjoyed my moments in the ring working angles with Bret Hart. Anytime I was in the ring with him was a lot of fun, and he really kind of helped put me on the map in my career.”
Austin’s 1998 visit to the hospital to check on the Chairman of the Board actually made WWE’s Greatest “Raw” Moments list, coming in at No. 11. Of course, WWE could have its own “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s Greatest Moments list if it wanted to with all the memories the six-time WWE Champion has created since first coming to Vince McMahon’s empire in 1995. In fact, Austin has been involved in so many memorable moments and matches that even he can’t keep track of them all!
 “I have a DVD coming out [in 2008] that’s going to be pretty much my whole career before WWE, with ECW and then WWE,” Austin said. “I am looking forward to seeing that because, to be really honest, I’ve forgotten a lot of the stuff that I’ve been in. I love to talk to Ric Flair about all of his matches because he’s my favorite professional wrestler, and sometimes I’ll ask him questions and I don’t feel so bad because he doesn’t remember half of them either.”
Despite all his memories inside of the ring, there is one person who Austin never got to wrestle during his run as “Raw’s” biggest Superstar.
“I wouldn’t have minded wrestling Bill Goldberg,” Austin said. “It probably would have been a pay-per-view match, though. I thought he should have come to WWE way before he did, but he was getting guaranteed money and I can’t fault him on that decision. But it probably would have been fun to work in a program with him.”
While Austin never got the opportunity to face Goldberg, he did have the honor of refereeing the Superstar’s last match in WWE…unfortunately.
 “I remember a few years back when I was refereeing a match at Madison Square Garden--and I love Madison Square Garden and the people there used to really love me, too--between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar,” Austin recalled, “and it was an absolute stinker. To sit there and be a part of that was very, very hard. You always want to be part of a good match, do your part and watch guys work up-close, but that one wasn’t one you’d want to write home about.”
Another WWE moment Austin would rather soon forget was his match against former WWE Superstar Kurt Angle in Angle’s hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Despite Angle being the “hometown guy,” the crowd’s reaction was really flat, something Austin still hasn’t figured out.
“Usually Pittsburgh’s such a strong town, but for some reason, it just didn’t work out,” he said.
Luckily, Austin’s latest return to the ring fell far from flat. Working opposite Santino Marella, who for weeks on “Raw” was continuously slamming Austin’s performance in The Condemned, Austin admitted that although he knew who the rising Superstar was before their storyline, he “didn’t really take notice of him.” However, once Austin got in the ring with the former Intercontinental Champion (if only to give him a Stunner and hose him down with beer from a Budweiser truck), he quickly discovered what “Raw” fans have been saying about Marella for weeks: that he’s one of the most entertaining Superstars on the roster today.
 “I enjoyed his accent, his voice and he’s a great talker,“ Austin said. “For six weeks in a row or seven, however many weeks it was where he was out there just blasting me and the movie, he got better--I mean a whole lot better. I think he’s very, very entertaining. I enjoyed doing business with him and I think he’s got a really bright future ahead of him. Right now, and he’s just kind of getting started in WWE, he’s one of the best talkers they have. I had a hard time not laughin’.”
When asked about the Superstars of tomorrow--the ones who might be named “Raw’s” greatest Superstar at the 25th anniversary special--Austin had plenty to say.
“John Cena just gets better and better; unfortunately, he’s sidelined with an injury,” Austin replied. “Ken Kennedy was doing really good there for a while, but I think he kind of lost track a little bit. I think it was too many people trying to give him too much advice. He needs to go back to what he was doing and I think he’s going to get there.”
“MVP,” Austin continued, “I like the guy, but he still needs to think about the entertainment part of it; he's got the mechanics down. I think Randy Orton is really good in the ring. I’d like to see him a little bit better on the microphone still and have an extra gear in his work, but he’d be one of the top guys. I could go on and on and pretty much go down the roster, but those are the guys that are up there right now. Umaga has also really impressed me. All of the Samoan guys have always been great workers in the ring and he’s no different. He’s a great big man, and I wish they’d keep pushing him and using him even more than they are. He’s really, really good.”
 While Austin would be honored to step in the ring with any of “Raw’s” current Superstars, if he could have just one more match--one last match--he’d want to step in the ring with those who currently rival him as one of WWE’s greats.
“I’d love to have one more match with Bret Hart. But I’d also love to have a match with Ric Flair, but when I was a few years younger and he was a few years younger. I don’t think we’d want to do it now, although Ric is still one hell of a performer in the ring. I wish we were in the same era together,” Austin said. “But if I had to have one more, I’d have to go with old Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart.”
So will fans ever see Austin wrestle “one more match?” If there’s anything “Raw” has proven in its 15 years it’s to never say never. But for the time being, Austin’s happy with his past run on “Raw”--but that doesn’t mean fans have seen the last of the future Hall of Famer.
“Where I’m at physically right now, I feel pretty dang good,” Austin concluded. “When you last 15 years in the ring with my type of style, which was very physical, very aggressive, you’re going to have some wear and tear. But where I’m at in my life, I feel really good. I’m heading back to Los Angeles tomorrow; I’ve got some projects going on there that we’re going to start in January. And I’m really looking forward to doing another movie with WWE Films, it’s just been really hard to find a really great script. I was very proud of The Condemned. I enjoyed making the movie and I’m just looking forward to getting started on another one. In anything you do, and to me acting is no different, you get better with repetition. That’s what I’m looking forward to--more and more repetition and more experience. I could probably, if I really wanted to and if I needed to, I could go out and get two hard years in the ring, but at this point it’s not worth it. I feel really good, and in 10 years when I’m in my 50s, I want to still feel this good. So it’s time to hang it up."
“Raw's” 15th anniversary special airs Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. on USA.
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