Just a few news updates:

Austin conformed last night on his Twitter that he will be in the July issue of WatchTime Magazine:

“I will be in the July issue of WatchTime Magazine…talking about watches, acting, and of course-pro wrestling.”

- Australia
WWE superstar “Stone Cold” Steve Austin features in “The Stranger” which is available to rent on DVD and Blu-ray from Wednesday 23rd June.

- UK
The Stranger comes out in the UK on September 8th.

The Expendables opens across the UK on 19 August and the premiere will take place at the start of that month.

Jet! To celebrate the release of what’s sure to be one of the biggest action blockbusters of the year, sky movies are offering one lucky reader the chance to win two tickets to the event – and to mingle with the stars!

But that’s not all. In addition to the glittering premiere, you’ll get to spend a night in a four-star London hotel and receive £500 in spending money. Transport will also be included.

For more information, please visit Movies.Sky.com, or you can visit the official UK movie website at: ExpendablesMovie.co.uk.

Source & Viewer’s POLL: BleacherReport.com

“Stunning” Steve Austin was a talented tag team wrestler in WCW who was decent on the mic and pretty good in the ring.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin was the toughest man in the WWE who could talk a streak and destroy everyone who entered the ring with him.

The difference, of course, was the gimmick.

In this business, gimmicks make or break a wrestler.

It doesn’t matter how good of a worker a guy is, or even how respected he is by his peers, if his gimmick does not go over with the crowd, then he’s not going anywhere.

For me, a good example of this was Dean Malenko —a great worker, but no real gimmick to speak of to get him over.

If not for the Four Horsemen, Dean may not have gone anywhere in WCW .

Austin was in the same boat.

We all know the story.

He was running heel, with Paul E. Dangerously as his manager, and then later partnered with Brian Pillman .

The Hollywood Blonds were a good team, with a WCW and an NWA World Tag Team Title run to their credit.

Despite Austin’s talent and work ethic, at the end of the day it wasn’t enough for Eric Bischoff to decide Steve just wasn’t marketable.

Austin, of course, went on to ECW , where he was pretty entertaining.

Finally getting the opportunity to show his sense of humor, ECW was just a stepping stone to the big dance–the WWE .

Austin became The Ringmaster in his first gimmick in WWE, a talented wrestler who was decent on the mic and pretty good in the ring.

What was past had become present.

Austin was going nowhere fast, and it looked as though he was destined to have just a mediocre career.

That is, until King of The Ring in 1996.

Austin won the KOTR tournament, and after defeating Jake “The Snake” Roberts in the final match, he was interviewed by Michaels Hayes.

An interview that would change his career and the face of the WWE was then given, and with nine little words, Steve Austin turned the wrestling world upside down.

“Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your ass!”

I remember thinking, “man, that’s big talk coming from a guy who’s never really done anything.”

That’s right, while some fans jumped out of their seat, proclaiming Austin as the next big star, I just sat there.

To me, it was just another interview.

But then the Stone Cold identity was born and Austin took over world.

God, this guy was over.

The infamous Road Warrior pop had officially been challenged, as the roof began to blow off the building every time his music hit.

Austin 3:16 t-shirts and signs started appearing everywhere.

Crowds were getting flipped off by a grown man as he drank beer in the ring and they loved every minute of it.

Steve Austin had arrived.

I have to say, though, as an old school wrestling fan, this was all a little new to me.

Austin was a heel.

No matter how you look at it, the Stone Cold gimmick was not meant to be a face gimmick.

He threw the Stunner on anything that moved.

Any preconceived notions about right and wrong, good or bad, went flying out the window with Austin.

Stone Cold’s character was in business for himself, he backed down from no one, and God help you if you got in his way.

It blew my mind.

A face just didn’t act this way.

At least when The Road Warriors were baby, they played the part and worked only heels.

This guy hated everybody. It was amazing to me.

It was almost as if Austin’s character was daring the crowd to cheer for him.

And they did, me included.

Why exactly did the Stone Cold gimmick work, and work so well?

To me, the answer is easy.

Simply put, Austin had found the Dusty Rhodes connection.

Aside from the heel aspect of his character, Stone Cold was very similar to The American Dream Dusty Rhodes in the NWA years.

Think about it, here was a regular looking guy, who was tough as nails in the ring and could keep an audience riveted with every word he spoke.

He was relentless, with fierce determination and not an ounce of fear in his eyes.

Much like Dusty, Austin told you what he was going to do and then he went out and did it.

The fans responded.

That’s what people want.

Bright lights, big pyro , and loud music are great and add to the presentation, but no amount of high dollar production or flashy entrance videos can replace a good old fashioned brawl.

A brawl, instigated by a no-nonsense hell raiser. That was Dusty Rhodes.

And the torch had been passed; the vein that Rhodes had possessed for so long had been tapped by Austin and he owned it.

He owned it with everything he had.

The wrestling world had not seen this type of character since Dusty—of that I’m sure.

But make no mistake; Steve Austin was an original.

As much as I can see the similarities in the two, I can also say that Austin had carved his own niche and created a new edgier type of face that the business had never seen before, and has been copied a thousand times since.

Some might say that Steve Austin was in the right place, at the right time, with the right catchphrase; anyone could have pulled off the Stone Cold gimmick.

Hard to believe, but I suppose it’s possible.

However, though I agree that Austin struck a nerve with the fans and presented something new and fresh, I also feel that he is the reason it worked in the first place.

Steve worked hard to get to the level on which he had arrived.

He worked in a struggling promotion for a guy like Bischoff who was all about the money, and was held to mid-card status, never getting a real break at the big time.

Austin paid his dues, he was a good worker, and he deserved to finally get his shot.

Steve Austin took the crazy notion of “just get in there and do it” to a whole new level. He was the reason for his success. He earned it.

The Stone Cold character was one of the final original concepts that has come out of the WWE in the last fourteen years.

While everyone takes a few minutes to debate that one, I will end by saying not only do I believe that statement now as I always have.

And to tell you the truth, I miss Stone Cold.

It’s a shame these guys have to get older and move on with their lives. A real shame.

But, at least I have the memories, and until someone new comes along and finds the Steve Austin connection, I guess that will have to be enough.

And that’s the bottom line.

June 23, 1996:

Stone Cold Steve Austin wins the King of The Ring tournament. The win marks the beginning of Austin’s push. Triple H was scheduled to win this tournament, but that angle was scrapped due to his participation in the “MSG Curtain Call” incident and subsequent punishment.

Just wishing all of the father’s (and Steve!) out there a very special “Happy Father’s Day!” Thanks dad for all of the love, wisdom, & guidance over the years + more to come!

Source: JR’s blog

An e-mailer asked if I remembered the Austin-Tyson confrontation on Raw. Without question. It was at the old, small arena in Fresno on a hotter than hell day. Tyson came with a much larger entourage than humanly needed. Lots of hanger’s on.’ WWE had to get Mike a trailer to park outside the arena to use as his dressing room. We stayed at a hotel right across the street from the arena there in Fresno. The crowd was jacked when Austin and Tyson made contact with some of the most intense emotion that I can ever remember on Raw. The moment, the timing, the individuals involved, the entire package created a memory that all fans would enjoy seeing either again or for the first time. I also realized that day just how big a wrestling fan Mike Tyson is and, as I have mentioned, he is a great historian of the WWF era of wrestling in the northeast.

Source: FunHouse.com
And Virginia @sheamusfanorg for the Tweet!

FanHouse had the opportunity to chat with John Cena before he participated as a celebrity judge along with Tony Parker and Erin Andrews in the Gillette Fusion ProGlide “Ultimate Summer Job” Contest on Tuesday. Interviewed by Tom Herrera, he was asked:

It’s been a different time for WWE, with The Undertaker getting injured, Shawn Michaels retiring, even Batista leaving. So how has it been adjusting, since we’ve seen a lot of moving parts with the superstars, and who do you think — and I read you were a fan of Evan Bourne — who do you really think is gonna step it up to the next level?

Well I hate to label myself with veteran status, but I’ve been around here long enough, this is kind of the situation I was brought into the WWE under in 2002. They just had a lot of their roster move on, they just changed the name of the company, they just fizzled out the WCW takeover. There was a lot of changing of the guard going on in 2002, and here we are eight years later and it seems like we’re at that junction again. I just want to make sure from my standpoint that our best folks are getting the chance. I love Evan Bourne. I think he loves the WWE, he’s a very energizing and entertaining personality, and I think he has a bright future in WWE.

And here’s the good part!

As much as I hate to say it, what Sheamus has accomplished in six months is something I haven’t seen since … man, since Steve Austin became “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

Interview Highlights Source: PWInsider.com
Audio Source: LiveAudioWrestling.com

♪ CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW

You will need Quicktime to listen…

On Jim Ross:
Jim is a very close, personal friend and was very instrumental and a big part of my career and I love the guy but it’s just a case of the WWE wanting to go in a different direction and maybe get younger. The show has changed, it’s a PG rated show so Jim fits into that but the Stone Cold character not so much. That’s just the business and sooner or later your time is up and I guess they figured his time was up. I love Jim Ross and I think he’s the greatest announcer in the history of the business and there’s been a couple of outstanding ones and lots of good ones but I put him at the top of the list – and that’s just the wrestling business.

Comparisons of Randy Orton’s current character to the Stone Cold character:
I guess you can see a parallel and I like Randy – ‘Cowboy’ Bob Orton was one of my favorite wrestlers of all time, I loved what he did in the ring. But when you make that comparison to Stone Cold, that’s a pretty tough comparison if I’m that guy and I think Randy is a great talent in the ring and I love the viper gimmick but that’s a tough comparison.

On the TNA product:
Yes I do watch TNA as much as I can, just as I do WWE. I have a lot of friends in that promotion and I wish them all well just because it’s another place for guys to work and I’m a pro wrestling fan so I don’t care what brand it is. My blood is in the WWE but I love wrestling in general. You’re running with your older talent there just because you’re trying to go off name value that people can identify with so you can rope them in and try to expose them to some younger talent, they just need to expose them to some more younger talent. Samoa Joe is one of my favorite guys over there he’s kind of got lost in the shuffle, they need to break him back out. They have some talent over there I think their writing is a little lost right now I don’t know whose booking or whose calling the shots they need to bring a little more focus and come around and see what the direction is they are going in and follow up on that and not compete with the WWE or try to be the WWE just be the best TNA you can be.

Any chances of wrestling another match?:
You may see me in a wrestling ring but I don’t think I’ll be wrestling. I think it’s best to leave well enough alone and let people remember Steve Austin for what he was. Could I go back? I could get another couple of years out of this carcass if I wanted to or if I had to and I could have another match but what’s the point? I have my sights focused on trying to be as good an actor as I can be and go down this road. I love my wrestling fans and wrestling is what put me on the map and I still follow the business to this day but I’m going to leave well enough alone.

Music he is currently listening to:
The music business has changed so much. I’ve got some buddies out here is San Angelo, Texas called Los Lonely Boys, they are good friends of mine so I listen to a lot of Los Lonely Boys. I’m a big George Strait fan, still listening to George Strait. Right now for just a straight rock and roll type band I think Nickelback is as good as it gets and I like Nickelback but I just think the face and the sound and the ear of music has changed dramatically.

Catch The LAW each Sunday night at 11pm EST on Sirius 98 Hardcore Sports Radio and online at their website.

This is just a test to the public. I have been having issues with my layout, so please let me know what issues you are having so I can resolve them! Contact me via Twitter @steveaustinweb!

Thanks!!!

Don’t Let Steve Austin Be a Stranger
The stone cold wrestler-turned-action-star talks his latest movie and the truth about beer.
Originally published on: June 7, 2010
Source: UGO.com

5. The Talented Mr. Austin

Chris Radtke: What are some of the films, when you were doing your research for the role, that you saw inspiration? In terms of great action movies of the past and classic revenge films.

Stone Cold: This probably would be a working man’s Bourne Identity type movie. That’s the best way I can try and break it down for you. I loved the script when I first read it. It was a very challenging type role and told with the use of a lot of flashbacks. So if you watch the movie, you have to stay on your toes to watch the flashbacks, and piece it all together which comes together at the end of the movie. Dealing with everything involved with this movie, I loved the script and I thought it was a challenging role. I speak a little Spanish, I speak a little Russian and my character loses his memory in the movie. He has amnesia. He doesn’t know who he is, what he’s done, anything about his family, and he’s putting all these pieces together through the course of the movie. It was a way to push myself and try to bring up my acting shots, rather than just relying on my physicality and fight sequences. This was a challenging role to try and transition into being considered an actor. It seems every time I do another movie, there is a light at the end of tunnel. The first few didn’t even come on. I didn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. Now, I see one far away. It’s flickering and it got a little brighter. I’m in no shape or form, right now, a premiere actor, but at least I’m starting to unravel the pieces of what it takes to properly prepare for a role and execute it. I’m learning and that’s my goal, to be as good as I can be.

4. The Future of Steve Austin

Chris Radtke: You got to have an idea, like a director or type of movie that you are working towards to.

Stone Cold: I love the action stuff, but I love the comedy stuff too. Most of the time that’s all I do is laugh my ass off all day anyway. I’m more of a funny guy than I am a tough guy. I made a great living beating people up on TV, but that’s not who and what I am. If I could do a lot of action movies, some comedies or humor movies, that would be fantastic. It would be great to go into a movie and not lift a finger. To just do dialogue, but be able to create an interesting enough character. The bottom line is if I could make 20 more action movies, I would be a happy guy. I just want to improve. I want to be as good in front of a movie camera as I was in front of a wrestling camera. If I can be that good, I’m going to be okay.

3. Stone Cold is Just Warming Up

Chris Radtke: What about TV? You were on Nash Bridges at one point. Would you ever do a TV show? A sitcom or procedural cop show?

Stone Cold: Oh, absolutely. I would love to do something like that. Me and my guys have worked on a couple projects that were trying to tighten up. We pitched a few of them and hadn’t quite put the right pieces together, I guess. That was more of an action cop oriented.

Chris Radtke: Can you tell us a little about it?

Stone Cold: Well, no. (laughs) Someone else is going to tweak it. I love the action, buddy cop type stuff, bounty hunter type stuff or lethal weapon type stuff. 48 hours or the comedy side of things just from pure, straight up sitcom type stuff. I keep my mind open to anything. I just want to just be able to go and do it, I like to keep busy.

Chris Radtke: Would you ever consider doing a movie with The Rock?

Stone Cold: Of course, I would consider doing anything with anybody. I know that Dwayne has definitely distanced himself from the world of pro wrestling and I still might be, actually, too close to it at this point. That would have to be a whole conversation that you’ll have to have with that guy, but I think it would be great chemistry. Yes on my end. Definitely something could happen, but he’s doing his own thing and I’m proud of him for it.

2. Following in the Footsteps of the Govenator

Chris Radtke: Your one of the premiere, straight to DVD, action stars right now. There is only room to go up at this point. Have you have had any conversations with people in the past who kind of been in that realm and give you pointers on what to do, mistakes they may have made? Where people have graduated from the next level?

Stone Cold: No, I’ve never had any conversations with people who were where I am right now. I remember, you know, when I go back to my days in wrestling; when I was actually a pretty good hand in the ring. I asked this particular guy, Ricky Steamboat, who was one of my favorites to work with.

I said, ”Ricky, what am I doing wrong? What do I have to do to get to the next step?”

He said, ”Hell Steve, I don’t think you need anything.”

And I didn’t, I just needed a gimmick. That’s when I came up with the Stone Cold thing and things took off for me. I just continued to home my skills and become a better actor. Sometimes it’s a fluke, sometimes its luck and its putting yourself in the right position. But, you know, finding that role that fits just like a glove that you can really bring to life and its like some of the movies that made and defined Arnold Schwarzenegger. They were absolutely perfect for him. Look back at Conan the Barbarian, who else would’ve or I mean who could’ve played it like he did? And it wasn’t all about the dialogue; it was just a badass movie that fit him or his Terminator. Man I don’t know what to tell you, when you’re out there working on the set, I ask a lot of guys and a lot of ladies questions that are ahead of me, but it’s like you know the success of my own Stone Cold Steve Austin. I made it on my own, asking a ton of people for advice, but when I really hit it. It was just forging my own path and catching a lucky break, or catching a break. Maybe there’s not lucky about it. That’s all it is.

1. The Secrets of Beer Revealed

Chris Radtke: I have one more question, I’ve been wondering for a long time. What’s your favorite beer?

Stone Cold: When I go to my ranch on Thursday, I’ll have the daily one or two Coronas. So it’s Corona, but you cant drink a Corona unless you have a lime or salt because other than that it sucks. I really don’t drink to much beer anymore and I’m a bit of a wine snob. I live here in Los Angeles and I go to Napa Valley. I try to go their every other year, but anyway, I’m a cabernet guy and I have…

Chris Radtke: Excuse me, but what are some of your favorites?

Stone Cold: Some of my favorite cabernets are Cliff Lede, Honig and Chappellet. For a pretty damn cheap cab, Two-Buck Chuck stuff. A damn good daily drinker is called Penalolen. It’s from, I don’t know if it’s from Argentina or Chile. Anyway, that would be three on my list. I could go higher in range than that.

Chris Radtke: How did you make that transition?

Stone Cold: Well actually, back when I was out on the road, I was a big Crown Roll or Corona guy. I still am during deer season. And then I went through my vodka kick and I started drinking red wines. I was always, pretty much, into the cabs and merlots. I always do the occasional resent knelt. Basically, I’m just a cab guy.

Chris Radtke: My friend’s wife actually went to classes and studied to tell the differences between the wines. Do you have any formal introduction or do you just drink it for taste?

Stone Cold: No, I never took any classes. Can you get a good bottle of wine, cheap? Yes you can, but by the time it passes through all the mark up places, that’s where your price comes from.

Chris Radtke: What are some of the higher end cabs that you drink?

Stone Cold: I like Opice, Nickel & Nickel and Far Niente. I do like Darioush. I also like their lower selection which is Caravan, but that’s from Darioush also. Like here, right now, I picked up a case of some Obsidian Ridge and that’s from Road Hills Lake, and this is a bottle of Doumos Aura.

Chris Radtke: Do you have a custom storage area?

Stone Cold: Don’t believe in it. When I go to my wine store, my guy recommends something and he tells me, “It won’t be ready now Steve, you got to wait three or four years.” I say take it back and I won’t hold onto them that long. I want to drink them right now. I’ve had those things in the past and don’t use them. When you bring a wine out of a cooler, to me that’s too cool. I do like mine to be room temperature, if not slightly warmer. It is badass for bragging rights and they do look cool.

Source: GetThePointRadio.com

The Point Radio: Stone Cold Speaks

Even if you aren’t a WWE Fan, chances are you know STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN. For almost half a decade, Steve has been battling his way into the acting world and know he has a new action film on the shelves plus a role with Stallone coming up.