Steve Austin Says Not Getting Match With Hulk Hogan Is One Of His Top Regrets, Recalls Resenting Hogan in WCW

– During his latest episode of the Steve Austin Show, Austin spoke with Hulk Hogan and recalled missing out on the planned feud and match between them. The plan was to have Austin feud with Hogan after Hogan faced The Rock at WrestleMania X8. However, Austin was mentally burned out at the time and walked away from the company in June of 2001 when he was booked to lose to Brock Lesnar, and didn’t come back until 2002. Austin told Hogan that not getting to do that match between them is one of the biggest regrets of his career.

Highlights from the discussion, as well as the full podcast, are below:

Hogan on his chemistry with The Rock and how he imagines it would have been with Austin: “Brother, it was there the moment we walked in the ring. Such as it would have been there if you had ever wrestled me. That’s what would have happened. That’s what it would have been. We could have looked at each each other, and the roof would have blown off the place. You were so over at the time, and they hated me so much from trying to put WWE out of business for ten years. It would have been great.”

Austin on why the feud didn’t happen: “Dude, I was in such a different headspace back when that window of opportunity presented itself. And sometimes I kick myself in the ass over it now. I think, ‘Man…’ I don’t know, I just was so frazzled towards the end, I was just in a bad space. And I don’t know, it just, it never happened, and it should have happened.”

Austin on having bad feelings regarding Hogan in WCW: “But you know what would have [happened]? I think if we could have just got in a room, you and I, and just talked. Because you know what? And you probably never knew this. But I was down — and we’re gonna jump back to a little bit of stuff back in the early days of WWF. But you remember when you had those, headlined those seven out of eight WrestleManias down there in WWF. You left, what, ’93, ’92? But you ended up in WCW in ’94. I remember all of a sudden, the word on the street — and I’m Stunning Steve, man. I’m upcoming, I’m gonna be the next Ric Flair! Well, we always know that there’s never gonna be another Ric Flair, there’s never gonna be another Hulk Hogan, there’s only gonna be the next whoever you are. But all of a sudden, here comes the biggest attraction in the history of the business to WCW. And I’m thinking, ‘Great.’ I’m sitting there right across from you, we’re your house. And I say this with respect, because I respect your career. But I’m thinking, ‘Okay, here comes the top attraction in the world. He’s coming to WCW, I was fine when you were in WWF. But all of a sudden you come down here and now I’m another notch down the ladder.’ I always had this grudge against you because you were the guy! How am I going to overtake this when I can’t even get past three-quarter, midcard status? So there was always that grudge, and it was competitive! I was like ‘Man, why is this guy here now?'”

On regretting not doing the feud with Hogan: “But I think if we had ever got into a room [in WWE] and had a, just a chill conversation, we probably could have done business together. And that’d probably be — I guess it is — one of the biggest regrets of my career other than not jobbing for Brock [Lesnar]. I never would have done a job, but I wish I would have showed up. But I would have loved to work a program with you.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit the Steve Austin Show with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.