“Stone Cold” Steve Austin Podcast: The Man Behind The Beast

All you WrestleNewz fans know, I’ve never been a huge fan of Brock Lesnar. I’m not taking away from his incredible strength, attraction, or accomplishments over the years. Simply put, there are some superstars you are into, and some that you aren’t: and Lesnar has never done it for me as pro wrestling fan. However, my tune might be changing a bit, post-SCSA podcast. Yes, the WWE Universe (moreover those with the WWE Network subscription) were once again treated to a “Stone Cold” Steve Austin live podcast after RAW last night; and what I got was a little insight on the man behind the Beast Incarnate. Here were some highlights (for me):

Chip On His Shoulder

The man we know as Brock Lesnar now is probably quite similar to the man that was once a little boy, with dreams and aspirations to move beyond the Minnesota dairy farm he grew up in. Lesnar stated that money had nothing to do with his current attitude, a chip on his shoulder was something he always had. He’s always been anti-social, and while he feels comfortable perfuming in front of a large crowd; he’s never been a people person. In fact, he doesn’t like people in general. When it comes to work, he likes to clock in, and clock out. Thankfully, he has the size and aggression to carry this type of personality off, and well.

Favorites

SCSA drilled Lesnar on his most favorite things, which was reminiscent of an episode of Oprah Winfrey, Brock Lesnar-style. He has a passion for hunting, fishing, and being outdoors (way out there, where he can’t see his neighbours, or other people, see section above). He prefers driving a Dodge Ram, loves eating steak, drinking Coors Light and rye whiskey. He listens to country music (loves the older stuff like Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash) – but also digs heavy metal bands like Metallica.  And who knew, but in lieu of watching the WWE as young boy; he enjoyed watching some Half-Pint drama with Little House on the Prairie.

The Elephant In The Room

Speaking of, Lesnar approached the topic that he was never really a wrestling fan, prior to becoming a wrestling superstar. Attribute it to the fact that maybe he watched a little too much Little House (I’m kidding …), or the maybe it was because there were only two channels he had access to on the television set in his house. Regardless, unlike most pro wrestling superstars, Brock Lesnar didn’t dream of becoming a WWE superstar; and that certainly did not motivate him to enter the profession.

Leaving The WWE

Brock and Austin talked about Lesner’s exit, just when he had hit the top of the WWE mountain. Lesnar states he was burnt out. While he enjoyed performing, he hated the travel, and all the other things that entailed him getting into the ring. When he left the WWE for a shot at the Vikings, it was more of a scapegoat for Lesnar; and he knew he didn’t belong there after two days at try-outs. Alas, he stuck it out for the eight weeks. He followed a mantra of his mother, “When you start something, you have to finish it.” Lesnar goes on to say it was a humbling experience. He also is humbled daily, whether it is by his children, while hunting, or when growing up on the farm.

His First WWE Stint

Lesnar enjoyed the exciting wave of the first year on the main roster; the fun, the different environments, the beers, etc. He gives a nod to Ray Traylor (Big Bossman) and Curt Henning for showing him the ropes, and helping teach him the psychology of matches. He also gives a nod to The Rock, and how he taught him to be selfish in this business. Lesnar goes on to state that while he didn’t change, everyone else around him did during that time.

Wrestlemania Moments

Austin turns the conversation to the botched shooting star press job at Wrestlemania XIX against Kurt Angle, and both men cringe a little when the footage is shown. Interestingly enough, Brock reveals he was cohearsed a bit to do the move by someone (and won’t name names, but can anyone guess?) in an effort to create a Wrestlemania moment. He humbly states, he got his Wrestlemania moment alright … and smiles. Austin also brings up Wrestlemania XX, against Bill Goldberg, and Brock clarifies that when he ‘flipped’ the crowd that night, he was really flipping Vince. He did not want to be there, and neither did Goldberg. At that point in time, he felt like an animal, trapped in a cage. He loved performing, but didn’t like all the extra work around it. It makes add insight as to why he does seem so content with his current WWE deal.

UFC – Was All The Hype About Re-Signing This Year A Bluff?

Brock talked about his time with UFC, and how he initially signed a one-fight deal with Dana White. After he lost to Frank Muir (which disgusted Lesnar, as he trained to avoid this move), he thought his chances with the UFC were shot. To his surprise, Dana was over the moon with him and his performance, and the rest is history. While in the end, it was his health issues with diverticulitis that kept him away from the octagon, he went on to state that he might not be a pro wrestler today if he didn’t suffer with the illness at that time. In a lot of ways, he felt he got robbed of his UFC experience because of the disease. He revealed that going back and forth on joining the UFC or re-signing with the WWE earlier this year was not a bluff. He even started to train to see if there was a potential for it.

The Streak

Once again showing a humbler side, Brock stated that ending the streak meant a lot to him, as he knew just how much this had been protected over the years. He also stated it was bigger to him, than winning the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

The podcast was closed with a little in-character promo for this weekend’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view (was I the only one who thought Lesnar seemed caught off guard … where was Heyman to help pick up the pieces?) Alas, to me the interview provided a lot of insight into Lesnar, and showed me the passion that he truly has for his career, and this business.

These were just my favorite highlights … what were yours?