2nd season Straight Up Steve Austin premieres Monday night on the USA Network, and the host – the inimitable Steve Austin – is eager to show what he believes to be 30 minutes of high-quality television.
“We worked hard to create something that would amuse people,” says Austin. “I really think people will enjoy watching it, and that’s the result, if I can use my catchphrase ‘Stone Cold’.”
Austin will forever be associated with the professional wrestling industry. His career was defined during his race as the hellish character “Stone Cold”, but he also had many other highlights on the highlight roll before bringing his talent to WWE. An important stretch occurred in 1991, when Steve Austin (Stunning) joined Paul Heyman’s Dangerous Alliance faction in World Championship Wrestling.
Three decades later, Austin continues to marvel at Heyman, watching him create magic in his partnership with Roman Reigns.
“It is such a good package. They complement each other very well, ”says Austin. “Roman can work a lot. He was always very solid in the ring, but now there is this bond and that chemistry between Roman and Paul.
“This is what Paul Heyman does. It makes anyone with whom it is much better. It happened to me too. If you want to suspend your disbelief, you cannot help believing that he is the rock of Roman knowledge. The presentation, the package and the chemistry between these two look and sound like money. “
After a transcendent career in professional wrestling, revolutionizing the industry and setting new standards for service, merchandise and ratings, Austin became an exceptionally talented interviewer.
“My goal is to highlight my guests and facilitate the process,” says Austin. “O Straight Up the show lasts 30 minutes, but it takes all day to shoot. All the guests were incredible. Every time we shot it, I was laughing a lot. I am very happy with the result. “
Each episode of Straight Up it’s built around a fluid conversation with a guest, and the season premiere features country musician Luke Combs. Other guests during the eight-week season include Ice T, Brett Favre and Charlotte Flair.
“Anyone who knows anything about the wrestling business knows that my favorite of all time is (the Nature Boy) Ric Flair,” says Austin. “And although I’ve known Charlotte for years, this is the most time I’ve spent with her. We had a lot of fun during that episode. She’s polite, she’s a star, but I think this episode also captures how deep she is outside the ring. “
The episode with Favre also stands out. He and Austin are icons of their profession, with accomplishments that still resonate long after their retirement, but each has left his industry in very different circumstances. Favre extended his career as long as possible, retiring (forever) after 20 seasons in the NFL in 2010, after post-return stints with the Jets and Vikings. This is in contrast to Austin’s retirement in 2003. His 14-year career came to an end due to growing neck problems, and he fought his last game against longtime rival Dwayne (the Rock) Johnson in WrestleMania 19.
“If my problem wasn’t neck and neurological problems, I would have done the same thing as Brett and continued,” says Austin. “When I left the professional wrestling business, I had to make the call. The doctor did not make the call. Vince McMahon did not make the call. It was the most difficult decision I had to make, one that took me a long time to take care of.
“It was so hard for me to leave the business, so I can understand why Brett chose to endure as much as he could. He is one of the best quarterbacks who has ever played the game. This is another episode that I really hope people will enjoy watching. “
Austin returning to air on Monday nights is a natural fit, and he plans to give people content that is worth watching.
“I love doing this show,” Austin says. “Just like I did in my wrestling days, I worked hard to entertain. We have a great team on site with this show, I had a lot of fun with each of our guests and I can’t wait for people to see the finished product. “
Justin Barrasso can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.