411’s Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions Report: Big Show On His Issues With the nWo, WCW Days, Being Sent Down to OVW

411’s Steve Austin Broken Skull Sessions Report: The Big Show
-Original air date: 02/23/20
-Run time: 1:24:33

* We are back with the 4th installment of Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions. This time Austin welcomes The Big Show and I have high hopes for this one as Show is always great in interviews and should be right at home talking to Austin. As a reminder I’ll be back tomorrow morning with Episode three of the Ruthless Aggression series. First though, It’s The Big Show!
* Austin welcomes us and calls The Big Show the largest and handsomest athlete in the world.

* Show opening.

* They talk about the inside joke of doing a worker’s handshake and the only one that Show was ok with doing it was Mean Gene.

* Next they make more small talk and this time about the studio. Austin says with 100% truth he did one percent of the work on the set-up. He hung the Texaco sign behind Show and that’s all. Austin says he is disappointed with Show as he was out in LA for three-four days and Show didn’t call him. Show says he hasn’t been around much and he knew he had this interview coming up with Austin and decided to met some other people that also wanted his time.

* Austin brings up that Show has been wrestling in parts of four decades and Show jokes that a few weeks later DDP put over that he has worked in five decades. They joke that DDP is the world’s tallest 6’4” guy and always has done something better than someone else. Show talks about getting a text from Vince on a Friday for him to show up on RAW for the six-man tag with Owens and Joe. Show asked Vince if it was a single or tag and when he said tag, Show said he was in. He talks about how different ring shape is compared to anything else. He had to take a bump from AOP and calls them great guys, but he hasn’t taken a bump in two years. He calls the bump a safe one, but he was sweating it because he is now thinner and it’s been so long. He was tight as steel waiting for the bump and then when it happened it was like he never left. His body knew what to do and his brain just got in the way.

* Growing up he idolized Ric Flair and Arn Anderson. He of course knew who Hulk Hogan and Andre were, but he loved Arn and thought he was the toughest guy. He talks about going to a show when he was 12 years old. He cut some grass to get the money and the tickets were double because The Horsemen were in town, so he couldn’t pay for one. So he stood on a bike and could see the wrestlers walking into the building and he saw Arn who looked like the toughest guy in the world.

* Austin wants to talk about Andre and Show mentions Andre did a Honey-comb commercial (which they show and that’s awesome). The commercial made Show ask his mom for the cereal as he wanted to grow big like Andre. Austin says there are two real giants in the business: Andre and Show. He mentions other tall guys who had runs, but to him it always comes down to Show and Andre.

* Show says that back in the day you were always related to someone and that’s why he was introduced as Andre’s son. He says it was kind of a curse as he didn’t work like Andre and it kind of sucked that fans would come up crying because they loved his “dad.” He thinks it was kind of shady, but the business was protected back then. Even to this day he still gets some fans (mostly in the South) coming up thinking his dad is Andre.

* They show highlights of his first match which was against Hogan at Halloween Havoc. They talk about and show where he gets lost and how Hogan walked him through parts of the match. Show says he was waiting for everything to happen and he was doing everything he was being told by Hogan. Austin and Show put Hogan over for being a smart guy that could get him through the match. They joke that a bearhug is a green guys best friend and especially for a giant. They show The Yeti coming down and Show says Ron was a great guy. They show the double dry hump of death and Show says that spot blew him up. Luger had to come over and tell Ron, “Dear God, let him go.” This is fantastic! Show says that Ron was just as green as he was and had great conditioning. He just couldn’t connect the dots and got different gimmicks and just never worked out for him.

* The play video of Show throwing dropkicks and all the crazy things a giant shouldn’t be doing. He worked with the biggest stars in WCW within his first year and taking bumps like a 270 lb guy. That was his way of getting reactions to make himself more exciting. He wishes he would have figured things out sooner as he wasn’t Andre, Kane, or Taker, but was somewhere in the middle. He loved everyone he worked with and they were his heroes. He wasn’t going to tell those guys he wanted to do something a different way.

* Austin relates it to a guy his size working too fast to get pops, and in the end they all have to slow down. Austin asks how Show went about saying no to all those top stars. He says it was hard and he didn’t have the experience to politic. He mentions if there is a good top guy that is open to listening then it works out, but at times there were guys who wanted to do things their way. They have a photo of him giving Flair a press slam and Show says that is why he is bald as Flair would always grab his hair and pull on the way down. It got to a point Show didn’t want to do the move anymore, but Flair loved taking it. He then jokes Austin must have given Flair press slams as well. Nice!

* Austin talks about all the big stars Show worked with in WCW. Show talks about being the young guy who was seen as everyone’s younger brother. He was everyone’s friend and acted like a kid in the candy store. It was when he went North that he had his feelings hurt. He mentions all the guys in WCW saw the potential and knew they could make money with him. Austin asks what he took from Hogan, Flair, Savage, Luger etc. Show says knowledge did sink it, but it took some time before it all made sense. He puts Randy over for always telling him that less is more. He does a great Randy Savage impression and tells how Savage always told him to keep his money and if Hogan wanted to pay, to let him pay. Show didn’t want to be seen as a free loader, but Randy would tell him over and over to let Hogan pay if he wants to.

* The talk about how he would growl and yell and that it was insecurity. It was a way to buy time as he was looking for something to do. They show his match on Nitro with Flair where he won the World Title back. Show puts over Flair for being able to go and says he was such a mark he almost put himself in the figure-four. He gets a chokeslam out of the figure four and wins the World Title. He says Flair is one of his heroes and it killed him when they had a hardcore match in ECW and he had to slam him on thumbtacks.

* They bring up the nWo and Show talks about the nWo going into the Hall of Fame. Show is happy they are going into the Hall, but he wants to give them the Austin salute. They worked him as they got heat for beating him and then never got their comeuppance because they put him in the group. He says they got one over on a lot of guys as they had nearly everyone in the group at one point,

* Austin brings up working with Sting. Show calls him great and that he liked to tell an in ring story of throwing everything he had at Show to get him to drop.

* We move to Show coming to WWE and jump real quick to WCW going out of business. Show was sad for the business as there needs to be places for the boys to make money. He talks about how there is no place to reinvent yourself with only one place in town. He saw the writing on the wall in WCW with the rise of the nWo. He talks about them being the cool heels and it killed their babyfaces. Austin wants to talk about Show’s contract and if it expired or what led him getting to the WWE. He starts by talking about how he got to WCW where he went to an autograph signing and all the kids were coming up to him thinking he was a wrestler. He was asked how he was and said he was 22 and was told they don’t hire people that young. He went from there to the Monster Factory and they only thing he really learned to do was run the ropes. He learned from Terry Taylor how to do it without killing himself. He filmed three minutes of him hitting the ropes and sent that tape to WCW and Bischoff saw it.

* Austin asks about his dealing with Bischoff and Show calls them good. Bischoff saw the potential in him, but he also knows Eric was handling a lot on his plate. He knows Eric was influenced by who was sitting next to him whether it be Terry (Hogan) or Hall and Nash.

* Now we get to the WWE as Show debuts at St Valentine’s Day Massacre by popping through the ring during the Austin/Vince cage match. Austin says he was trash talking Vince to buy time asking where Show was. We see the end with Show tossing Austin through the cage and accidentally giving him the win.

* They talk about the lack of a real blow off with their feud. Show says the goal was originally to get him and Austin at Mania the following year. Show wanted to show he was a team player and said he would put Steve over anytime. He says he was his worst enemy there and Vince wanted to here that he would beat on Steve and steal his truck. So they blew the feud off on RAW a few weeks later and they went about their separate ways.

* The talk about the dressing room in the WWE at the time. It was full of sharks who weren’t impressed with Show. He says it was so bad that he had to ride with Public Enemy (all due respect from both men to the PE). He says Rock was friendly with him. He knows everyone was pissed off because he was this new, big guy from WCW who got a big contract. He was still only three years into his career and he worked with top talent, but they still had to lead him through each match.

* Austin talks about Taker taking Show under his wing. Austin calls him the ultimate learning tree and Show says he listened to learn from Taker. Hell fell on his face and Taker wanted to get him straight to see what he had. He mentions he was good friend with Brian Adams and that helped as Adams was good friends with Taker. He talks about Taker bitching him out after matches and would do things to avoid him after matches just to get five minutes before getting chewed out. Everything he was being told was good stuff, but to him it was vague being told “work like a giant.” He had Vince telling him one thing, Patterson another, and the boys telling him not to listen to Vince as he doesn’t know what he talking about.

* It got so bad he had thoughts of driving his car off a bridge just to end it. He would look in the mirror and question why he couldn’t figure this business out. He could have good matches with certain guys and when it was a new opponent it could go either way. He didn’t understand his place in the industry even though people like Austin and Taker did.

* Austin brings up how Taker had the same deal to overcome as he knew he could have great matches, but that didn’t work for his character. Show relates as he knows he couldn’t have the great matches to blow the roof off the place with moonsaults and sunset flips, but he had a job to do and had to be different than the smaller guys.

* Austin asks when did he finally learn to work like a giant. Show says it was in England when he worked with a top guy over there that he calls a prick. He was a nice guy outside the ring, but in the ring he would beat on him, and talk crap, and dump beer on him. It is obvious he is talking about Austin and sure enough it clicked for him on that tour when he worked with Austin and learned to fire up and fight back. Show says he learned that he didn’t need to wait on his comeback and that he is a giant and it was when he was ready. He has been trying to get the same thing out of Braun and he chewed him out after a match with Sami. He says all due respect to Sami who is great, but Braun should be eating Sami like a ham sandwich. He was too giving and let Sami drop him with a clothesline. He knows what Braun was thinking as he’s been there, but at that time Braun had to know that it was his day and not everyone can win.

* Austin brings up Show being sent down to OVW and his thoughts on that. Show had knee surgery and he didn’t know anything about physical therapy. He was off three weeks and was brought back to work with Taker during the period where he was feuding with DDP. Show says he was out of shape and takes all responsibility. He blew up in the match and his knee wasn’t what it should have been. He blew some spots and Taker was livid. So he went from WrestleMania to OVW and we get footage of him showing up and confronting Batista. He says it was good as he got to meet Brock, Cena, and Batista.

* Show talks about the heat he had and says it was because he couldn’t keep up in the ring psychology wise. He took the business on a more serious note when he came back from OVW. It was humbling as Cornette had him set the ring up in OVW and he never had to do that. He jokes his dodge truck he showed up to the shows in was worth more than the promotion. He learned it was a man’s business and he needed to step up.

* Austin wants to talk about developing a relationship with Vince. Show says his relationship with Vince was spotty. He says Vince knew he was a good person, but he was just green and dumb when he first came to the WWE. It took time to learn that if Vince was calling him it was business and not time to shoot the breeze. His relationship improved when Johnny L took reigns of talent relations. He mentions JR was always on him about losing weight and wanted him under 400 lbs. That rubbed him the wrong way and he knows now JR was trying to help him because he saw how Andre broke down later in his career.

* Austin asks if Vince ever compared him and Andre. He says Vince never did and wanted more out of him than Andre. He saw the potential, and charisma and he was disappointed in what Show was doing as he was just happy being one of the boys.

* Austin talks about how he is serious in the ring and Show has found a niche where he doesn’t always have to be serious. He wants Show to go through the different incarnations of his character. Specifically they throw up a photo of him dressed like Hulk Hogan, Rikish, and others. Austin says you couldn’t pay him a million dollars to do that. For Show he was hired to work by the WWE and signed his name to do whatever they asked. He had fun doing that stuff as it got him on TV and showed a human side to him. He jokes he has more heel turns that NASCAR. He would be a happy guy, then turn heel to get someone over, and then get lost in the shuffle again.

* Austin brings up Show working with Floyd Mayweather and he thought there was a match with Shaq that was supposed to happen. Show says he just ran into Shaq and gave him a hug because of the things he is experiencing with Kobe passing. He thinks Shaq just has so many things happening and they just haven’t found the time to get it done. He thinks it would be entertaining and he would have to work hard to make Shaq look good. He would prefer if it was a tag so they had guys to work with them in the match.

* They talk about Kurt Angle and Show loves him. He puts over how great he is, and that he is a legitimate athlete that could stretch everyone in the dressing room, but has no problem going on worldwide TV wearing a child’s size cowboy hat. Austin says he blew Kurt up during a match and Show is stunned by that. Austin says it is the truth as he had Angle three shades of purple and he will text Angle from time to time to remember Fresno. Angle will text back a bunch of middle fingers and he tells Kurt that it means he could have beaten him in 1996 for the Gold. Show says he loves Austin’s math on that one. Great story!

* Now to Brock Lesnar and Show had great chemistry with him. Austin brings up the suplex spot that exploded the ring and it’s still one of the coolest spots ever. The crowd reaction with off the charts. Show compares it to lightning going through you when you get a reaction like that. He says he was against repeating that spot as he protected that spot for years to fans. He never let on that the ring was prepped to do that.

* Austin asks for Show’s favorite version of is WWE character. He says the 2011-2014 period when he was working all the time, having good matches, and things were just clicking for him. He loved working with Cena as he let John be John and Cena let him be a giant. They never did anything hokey as he knew Cena would let him beat his ass and then make the comeback when needed. They talk about Cena’s strength and they show him lifting both Edge and Show for an AA at Mania XXV (I was at that show). Show says Cena is a different kind of strong. He says Brock is the strongest guy as far as explosive power. When he snatches you he just tosses you out of your boots. He says Henry is just scary strong as he thinks he could just rip him out of his skin if he wanted to. He says Cena is the strongest functionally and compares him to a mechanical forklift as there is no weakness or wobble when he lifts big guys.

* They talk about Mark Henry and show a photo of them arm wrestling. Austin asks who wins and Show says he does. He mentions he has never been beaten in arm wrestling and says he beat Scott Norton, which shocks Austin.

* Next they talk about The Special Olympics. Show is a global ambassador to the events. He loves being around the athletes and says it is the human spirit at it’s finest. It is more than just the games and winning medals. They help them get things they need and help correct some issues they may have as far as the wrong prescription glasses or getting medical to review why they may have hearing issues. The athletes don’t want to be treated any different and they have lit into Show about John Cena handing him his ass.

* Austin asks when Show will know, no more matches. He isn’t sure, but he can’t do five nights a week anymore. He isn’t ready to go yet though and would like to do a European Tour again. He loved working the Euro Tour with Primo and Epico in handicap matches. He had a blast with them and puts them over for being great in the ring.

* Who is Show’s favorite person to work with: He says Cena as they made a ton of money and there were zero headaches. Toughest as in it was like being in a fight was Sheamus. He was always covered in bruises after their matches. One of his favorite matches was with Sheamus and he would get intense in his early days. He hadn’t worked with Sheamus and did a spot where Sheamus kicked him in the knee and Show thought it blew his knee out. He told Sheamus to not do that spot again and he wanted to do it the following night. He let Sheamus just sit on the mat and then rushed him with a boot to show he didn’t want to do the spot again.

* Next up is Kane and when he was there with Austin, Kane called Show the best big man ever. Show says Kane should get that honor. Austin wants to talk about Show’s body of work and what he thinks looking back on it. Show gets emotional (no shock there) and calls Austin a son of a bitch for putting him over like that. It is humbling to have someone like Kane talk like that about him. He never thought he would have a 20 plus year career, but he always remembered Vince telling him to treat every day like it’s your first day of work.

* Moving on to being able to give back and Austin talks about Show being a mentor. Show says it is a responsibility that he takes seriously. He fought very hard to understand and learn this business. He has loved this business since he was a kid. He loves finding people who really love the business and it is easy to see the guys that do and others that are using wrestling as a pit stop. He likes helping the guys from the top of the roster to the bottom. He spends a lot of time talking to the 205 Live guys. He knows he can’t work their style obviously but tells them the finish has to be the biggest pop of the match. He tells them about working with Rey Mysterio who did amazing stuff, but his finish was always the thing that brought the fans out of their seats. He talks about helping Rusev and says he is great.

* They talk about the acting career and if it satisfies him. He says filming it in front of a live audience did. He plugs his show, The Big Show Show, and it’s a joint venture with WWE and Netflix. Show is retired in the show and has to raise a family in Florida. The idea is a guy that has always been on the road is now settling down with his wife, two daughters, and 16 year old daughter from a previous relationship. He says that people that have watched the show really think that is his family. Show says he has had a bug for this type of live comedy since he appeared on SNL with The Rock.

* They talk about finding something to fill the void when wrestling is gone. He says not a single day on the show was like work. He was the first one there and the last one to leave. He has developed relationships with the girls and even took them to an Ariana Grande concert. Austin says he is a fan and Show jokes “who are you, and what have you done with my friend Steve.” Tremendous! Show says he has gotten a new demographic as now the 13-17 girls are cheering for him and Steve says that’s the Ricky Morton and Shawn Michaels pop. Netflix studies have shown that Show is testing really good with teenage girls as he is the cool dad they want as a father.

* Final question as Steve asks Show’s thoughts of the state of the WWE right now. Show doesn’t think they have ever had more athletic talent. He thinks it is good, but everyone is too nice, too happy, and too comfortable working there. He wants to see people stepping on toes and he isn’t asking for someone to be a dick on the dressing room, but someone needs to step up and eat through someone to get to the top. They are there to make money and not play Madden football on the computer in the back. He thinks they are making good progress with Drew McIntyre. He has always been a fan of Drew and says he isn’t out there passing out flapjacks. He isn’t knocking New Day as they are great, and he mentions he wants to see Big E get more aggressive and make a singles run.

* Show wants Austin make a guest appearance on season two of his TV program. It seems Foley, Henry and Rikishi all had parts during the first season. He says the episode was one where he took his wife on a wrestling cruise and everything went wrong.

* Austin wraps up the show as he thanks The Big Show for joining him.

* Another fun episode as this series is batting a thousand. Show is a wonderful guy to listen to and comes off great in this setting. He has a fantastic story to tell and his career is a legendary one that should be shared with the masses. The stories he told were great and his education in the business is a strong lesson to learn. You can see how the early days in the WWE had him so confused with all the people in his ear while also dealing with megastars that weren’t about to babysit. His thoughts on today’s roster was kind of interesting as he made mention of the guys playing video games in back and thinks they need to be more concerned about the business. Overall this was fantastic as Austin does a wonderful job of leading the conversation and it always comes across as two veterans shooting the breeze about the wrestling business which is all I want from these. Thanks for reading!