Steve Austin Details Difficult Transition To Normal Life Following Retirement As Pro Wrestler

Former WWE Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin recently admitted to facing issues while adjusting to life outside the squared circle following his retirement at the age of 38 in 2003.

The Texas Rattlesnake wrestled The Rock in the final match of their epic trilogy at WrestleMania 19, following which he decided to step away from in-ring duties due to his troubled neck. However, for someone who had experienced unparalleled highs as a professional wrestler like Austin did, the transition proved to be extremely difficult.

In a recent conversation with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on DJD Classics, Steve Austin admitted that he didn’t handle the transition well in the first few years following his retirement. He revealed that for the first three years, he drank and “did a lot of stupid things” before finally realizing that his activities were detrimental in the long run.

“Hell, I retired when I was 38. [It’s not] just about the money; it’s about the good times, being with the boys, traveling down the road, being in front of a crowd, and getting that adrenaline rush. That’s what I lived and breathed, and so, I didn’t handle it well. For about three years, I drank, I hunted, and I fished, and [I] just did a lot of stupid stuff, and one morning, I woke up, and I went in the bathroom, [and said], ‘Dude, the things you’re doing are not conducive to living a long life,'” he said. [H/T: Wrestling Inc.]

Austin has largely stayed away from the ring since his retirement. However, he did return for a one-off match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38.