For over a decade, professional wrestling fans have agonized over one of the industry’s biggest “what ifs”: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. CM Punk. The match seemed close in the early 2010s.
Many fans point to the moment where the two icons engaged in a heated promotional face-off for the WWE ’13 video game. Now, Austin has finally provided clarity on why the stars never aligned for what would have been a generation-defining clash.
Sitting down for a long-form interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, the WWE Hall of Famer addressed the speculation head-on. While he confirmed that the tension was palpable and the match was indeed “teased,” real-life physical limitations were the ultimate roadblock.
“It was teased. And that one time I think we did, we were promoting a video game.
I think I just had an ACL, PCL just put in my left knee for shoot. And maybe it was teased. But it just never happened,” Austin explained.
The timeline aligns with Austin’s post-retirement struggles, where lingering injuries often dictated his involvement in the business. Despite the overwhelming fan desire to see the “Texas Rattlesnake” trade verbal and physical jabs with the “Voice of the Voiceless,” Austin grouped the missed opportunity with another legendary bout that never came to fruition. Most people, including Austin, specifically reference a match against Hulk Hogan.
“It was like me and Hogan. Never. There’s a bunch of things never happened. So, you know, there’s a bunch of good shit that did happen. So not everything can happen,” Austin noted.
While that specific window has closed, both men remain headline news in 2026. CM Punk is currently sitting atop the mountain on “Monday Night Raw.”
He just retained his World Heavyweight Championship against Bron Breakker on last night’s Netflix anniversary show.