Steve Austin Talks Fans Confusing Him With Goldberg
WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin was on a recent episode of Bailey and Southside where he discussed the newest season of "Straight Up Steve Austin".
During the Monday Night Wars, Austin and Goldberg were the two hottest stars of WWE and WCW. From a distance, the two share similar characteristics that can lead to same fans mistaking one for the other, and Austin recalled times where that has happened.
"Well, when I was coming up and really starting to get hot in WWF back in the day, and Bill down in WCW, he started getting hot almost at the same time — boy, 'Goldberg!' chants. Bill is one of my best friends that I'll call all the time," Austin noted. "I'd be going through airports, and people would yell, 'Goldberg!' He would be going through an airport. 'Stone Cold!' People got us confused all the time.
"If you puts us side by side, Bill is a bigger guy than I am, but if you just see a bald-headed dude with a goatee and some sunglasses on, it's pretty easy to get fooled by who it is."
Goldberg and Austin never faced off in the ring to fulfill a dream match that many fans clamored for. Another potential dream match years later was Austin vs. Brock Lesnar.
Austin has been open about why he walked out of WWE in 2002 before his big match against Lesnar on Monday Night RAW. One of the hosts of the show, Jason Bailey, is good friends with WWE Hall of Famer Bubba Ray Dudley, who recalled replacing Austin to face Lesnar. Austin admitted on the show that he never knew who replaced him that night.
"I never talked to Bubba about that night because I didn't know he was the one that faced Brock Lesnar," Austin admitted. "I remember I had been told creative the night before. I told them I didn't like it. I talked to Vince. I said, 'F it,' and I was on a damn airplane with two Bloody Mary's in my hand going home. So I didn't even watch Monday Night RAW that night, and I never knew the situation I put Bully in."
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Bailey and Southside with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.