Stone Cold Podcast with Paul Heyman

Austin welcomed viewers to the show and noted that he's only 75 miles from his ranch. Austin also addressed the recent flooding in Texas and said his thoughts go out to everyone who were impacted by the rain. Austin also noted that the podcast could also be heard on Podcast One.

-Austin introduced Heyman, who said he's humbled and feels like he's the one who should be conducting the interview. He explained that with everything Austin has done, he feels like he should be interviewing him instead. Heyman also noted that he will turn 50 on September 11.

-Austin said people ask him if he's going to ask the tough questions. He asked Heyman if he had any tough questions for him. Heyman asked for the capital of Nebraska. Funny.

-Heyman said he and Austin met at Center Stage (in Atlanta). Heyman mentioned Austin's ex-wife Jeanie (a/k/a Lady Blossom). Heyman said he and Austin were going over the show and he kept noticing Austin. He said there was something about Austin that kept drawing his attention. Heyman recalled Austin entering the ring and hitting the ropes. "I've never seen anybody hit the ropes as frantically and as hard as you were hitting the ropes," Heyman said. He added that he feared Austin was going to break the ring. Heyman said he turned to Ross and said they just scored with this kid (Austin). Heyman said they were together five weeks later as manager and wrestler.

-Heyman said the idea of the Dangerous Alliance was to create a new Four Horsemen around Rick Rude. Heyman mentioned the potential players, and said he called Dusty Rhodes and told him Austin was the missing piece. Dusty was apprehensive, but Heyman played the Texas card, and Rhodes said he always knew the next big star in WCW would be in Texas.

-Austin asked if Rude was cool with him joining the group. Heyman said he absolutely was. He said Austin had a great buzz coming out of Texas, and he had an intensity in the ring. "Your stuff looked like a fight," Heyman said.

-Austin asked about Brock Lesnar and when he will return. "I think it's rather public knowledge that Brock is coming back very soon," Heyman said. He added that Lesnar is a farmer and a hunter. He said that what you see with Lesnar is really what you get. Heyman said Lesnar buys farm land and goes back to the farm because he's a farmer at heart.

-Austin asked Heyman if he could set up a hunting trip for him and Lesnar. Heyman said he could organize it, but he's a Jew and not a hunter. Austin played into the theme by bringing up diamonds, furs, the movie business, and monopoly. "My people, we own everything," Heyman said. Heyman cracked that they picked the only piece of land in the Middle East that doesn't have oil.

-Austin asked if Lesnar was sincere in his desire to go back to UFC or was it a leverage move. "If he had to," said Heyman. He said Lesnar opened a training camp and prepared in case he didn't work out a deal with WWE. "I think Brock was very torn by his decision because this run in WWE truly was so enjoyable," Heyman said. He mentioned conquering Undertaker's streak and destroying John Cena at SummerSlam. Heyman said the flip side is that Lesnar is a hunter who does view himself as the baddest man on the planet.

-Austin said people question whether Lesnar loves the business. Austin defended Lesnar and said he knows he does love the business.

-The idea of Heyman managing someone other than Lesnar came up. Heyman said he and Lesnar have such a defined relationship on television. He said it mirrors their real life relationship. "When you put me with someone else, it's always Brock Lesnar's advocate with that other person," Heyman said. He said it's a tough position for that other person to be in. He said the one person it worked with was C.M. Punk and noted that they also have a close friendship.

-Heyman said Punk wishes he would have made the switch to MMA sooner. He said Punk is accepting of whatever happens in his fight and is man enough to accept the consequences.

-Austin brought up Jake Roberts and the DDT. Austin vented (fairly) about how the DDT has become a random move. Austin said the guys in the ring are better athletes than he was, but they are working hard and need to work smart. Heyman recalled Rocky Johnson winning matches with a dropkick. Austin mentioned Harley Race won matches with a suplex.

-Heyman was asked if the guys are out-working themselves. Heyman laughed about being the owner of ECW and being asked that question. Heyman throughout the scenario of Mark Henry using a headlock and everyone else being told that the move was off limits. Heyman guaranteed that move would be over as a finisher and said other moves can get over if they are presented, sold, and protected. Austin thanked him for saying that.

-Austin said there is something miss in the big picture when it comes to promos today. He called Heyman the Promo Master, and asked about the art and science of a promo. Heyman said the question to ask in today's environment is where is the money. Heyman recalled a promo he cut that he was happy with when he was young that resulted in Dusty asking him that same question. "I never sold Starrcade," Heyman said of the promo.

-Heyman said people need to ask what they are selling. He mentioned the way he says Brock Lesnar's name and how he did an entire summer of promos boasting about Lesnar ending Undertaker's streak.

-Austin said a lot of people didn't like Ultimate Warrior's promos, but he did because they were an endorsement of his character. "He was being true to the Warrior," Austin said. "He was further embracing his character." Austin said it's not always about content, it's about how you say it.

-Austin asked how to change the promo system. He said Heyman gave him and others confidence. He asked if Heyman talks with young talent about that. Austin said he talks with anyone who approaches him, but he doesn't impose. Heyman said there's a disconnect when people dissertate right off the bat. He said he counters that with is self introduction. He said there is too much preaching and pontificating to the audience.

-Heyman told the story of how he hustled his way into the business. A photo of Vince McMahon Sr. and Andre the Giant appeared on the screen. "That's the picture," Heyman said. It was the photo that he sold to Vince Sr. Heyman said he knew where Vince's inner circle met, so he called the office and said he met Vince there and was told to come pick up his press pass. It took several conversations with multiple people including Vince Sr. before he got his pass. Heyman printed out an 8x10 of the Andre picture. He waited for Vince Sr. to be alone, then he rushed up and put the photo in his hand. Heyman said two security guards pushed Heyman against the wall. Heyman said Howard Finkel asked if Heyman took the photo. He said Vince Sr. liked the picture. Finkel slipped Heyman the $50 and told him that was for his trouble. Finkel asked if Heyman would provide them with photos in exchange for their trans. Heyman said he was always paid by someone other than Vince McMahon Sr.

-Heyman spoke about the territory setup and how Joe Blanchard (Tully's father) was the first person to cut a deal with USA Network. Heyman said that when Vincent K. McMahon bought the promotion from his father, it came at a time when cable was spreading, which was going to wipe out the territory approach. Austin asked if Vince Sr. was loyal to the territory system. Heyman questioned whether Vince Sr. would have honored those territories if he was five years younger. Heyman mentioned all of the promoters who were eying it, including Bill Watts and Verne Gagne. Heyman said he thinks Vince Sr. wouldn't have had a choice but to take that approach. However, Heyman said he didn't know Vince Sr. well enough to know if he was aggressive enough to do it.

-Austin said Vince told him he used to get death threats over the expansion. Heyman said he has heard those stories and said Lou Albano wanted to kill Vince at MSG every month. A photo of Heyman with the Three Wisemen of WWE appeared on the screen. Heyman said Albano would get hammered, and he would complain about "the kid" because he was loyal to Vince Sr. Heyman said Lou would say something out of line and stupid and get fired, then Vince Sr. would send someone down to the bar to get Albano, and he would come back and apologize and they would give him his job back.

-Austin asked about Heyman's highs and lows with Vince McMahon. Heyman said he thinks they get along better than they have in the past because they don't interact with one another and he can't drive Vince crazy by telling him how to save the industry. Heyman said when he came aboard in 2001, he was hired to give the contrarian opinion. Heyman said he would fight because Vince was a fighter. "I guess he got tired of smacking me down," Heyman said.

-Heyman said fatherhood has mellowed him out. He laughed about drinking five ice coffees before doing the podcast, but he has mellowed since the old days. Heyman said he has never done a line of cocaine. "Come on," Austin said. Heyman said he believes he would have dropped dead from one line of cocaine and then his father would stand over his grave and say he threw his life away for that. Heyman said fatherhood has chilled him out.

-Austin recalled that Heyman's job as the Smackdown lead writer was to take down Raw and it did. Heyman said he thinks things went south when he had Michael Cole and Taz refer to Raw as the B-show. Austin asked about an infamous plane ride. Heyman said Vince has never spoken about it publicly, so he didn't know if it was his place, so he gave the nutshell version. Basically, Heyman didn't like the way the relaunched ECW was going. Heyman said he even asked to write Smackdown again because he felt like Vince would be less compelled to change the show if someone else was writing it.

-Heyman said his run was over. "I was burned out, I was tired, I had lost my love for it, and I couldn't find my way anymore," Heyman said. He said Vince knew it and resented him for it. He said they resented each other and Vince really wanted him to go home and he was happy to oblige.

-Austin said he wanted to get to road stories because they only had 10-15 minutes left. Austin recalled a time when Rick Rude was upset with Austin. Heyman said Austin likes to say goddamn (Heyman gave the censored version). Rude had the car pulled over and asked Austin if he has to take the f'n lords name in vain. Austin apologized, Rude thanked him, and Austin said, "You're goddamn welcome." Awesome.

-Austin asked Heyman about a Samoan road story in North Carolina. Heyman said it was back in the day when they didn't have satellites and drones. Heyman said Sting would drive the car and the Steiner brothers would ride with him. Heyman said they would come down the highway and see a carful of wrestlers. Rick would come from the backseat to the front seat. Scott would hook his brother's legs, and Rick would reach into the other car of wrestlers and grab another wrestler's leg.

-Heyman said he was riding with the Samoan Swat Team. Heyman said they saw Sting and the Steiner brothers coming up the road, so they locked the doors. Scott and Sting swapped places while driving, and they threw their food at the Heyman and SST car. The SST stopped and loaded up on food and anything else they could find. Heyman said the Samoans cut their hands and wrote SST in blood on the car and on their heads. He said it was "a full blown road war." Heyman said the end result was so bad that the car was deemed totaled. Heyman said he's still not allowed to rent cars in that town.

-Heyman asked Austin if they could swap roles and asked about John Cena doing the Springboard Stunner. Austin said it could have been a hell of a move, but everyone kicks out and now it's just a wasted move. Austin noted that he's a Cena supporter. "It is what it is but it's not effective," he said.

-Heyman asked if Austin wants to fight Lesnar at WrestleMania. Austin said he would beat Lesnar's ass. He said he's not saying he's going to, but they both know how it would go down. Heyman gave him the big sell for doing the match in Texas. Austin said he would have to think about it, but Lesnar should really be the one to think about it because he has so much momentum now and he would get his ass smoked. Heyman asked if they could make it happen. "We can discuss it," Austin said. "I would have three words for you... Texas Death Match." Austin said he's not going to get into a scientific scuffle with a guy like Lesnar. Austin praised Lesnar's accomplishments, but said if you mess with Stone Cold you're not going to like what you get back. Heyman said he's just an advocating. Austin said he's about to advocate an ass whooping. Austin said he was ready to drink a cold beer and think about this. Austin closed the show.

I suppose the big news is this setting up of an Austin angle for WM.

The lead up with Austin and Heyman cutting promos will be great and I'll admit that I will pop for the shattering glass and Austin coming to the ring.

We are roughly 10 months out of Mania and already it is very hard to think of a match that will top this. There might be better matches in the ring, there might be ones that have belts on the line, but Austin back in the ring, I don't think it gets bigger than that.