20 Years Gone By, Jim Ross Reveals Difficulties With Stone Cold Steve Austin Navigating His Next Career Move: “He Was Tom Brady”

Steve Austin has undoubtedly played a crucial role in WWE’s success. He has been the torchbearer of the promotion for quite some time. As we know, The Texas Rattlesnake had to retire from his decorated pro wrestling career due to his life-threatening neck injury in 2003. He suffered the injury in 1997, in a match with Owen Hart. And six years later, it forced him to an early retirement.

But in the gap years, he still managed to be in the sports entertainment giant, although he wasn’t performing as a wrestler but still had a role to play. This memory of Stone Cold forced WWE legend Jim Ross to compare him to NFL great Tom Brady.

WWE legend finds a similarity between Steve Austin and Tom Brady

Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, former WWE commentator, Jim Ross highlighted the WWE’s plan of getting back their biggest star on TV in the early 2000s. After the legend hanged his boots due to his injury, the company figured out a way to keep him on screen. 

But as per Ross, Austin wasn’t overwhelmed with this. However, he did what was best for the company. This memory of Austin found its similarity with Tom Brady’s role in the field on the 71-year-old legend’s head. Thus, he labeled Austin as Tom Brady of WWE, the best quarterback in the Stone Cold’s opinion.

He said, “You know, he did it because it was the right thing to do for the company. But he wasn’t overwhelmed with his new role. And how could he be?”

“He was a starting quarterback, he was Tom Brady, and all of a sudden, a Tom we’re gonna put you on the third team. Or you’re gonna do your retirement thing,” Jim Ross added.

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These statements of the WWE legend are proof of how Austin did his role as a team player despite not wanting to be in his. He was Tom Brady for the Stamford-based promotion, leading the roster throughout his time. And then after his retirement, he was given the position of an on-screen General Manager distancing him from the squared circle.

That being said, we cannot miss out on what JR said following these comments. 

Jim Ross agrees with what most Stone Cold fans believe

During the conversation on the same matter of how WWE kept its biggest stars on screen, Jim Ross stated what Austin fans have always believed in.

The WWE Hall of Fame legend said, “That’s what we found out very quickly. Austin can’t be replaced.”

The hardcore wrestling fans know it pretty well. Now, it’s been admitted by a WWE legend as well that a larger-than-life personality like Steve Austin can never be replaced. But as the popular saying goes, the show must go on, thus, even The Texas Rattlesnake had to take a back seat. 

It must have been a difficult career move for Austin, as his fans wanted him to wrestle but his injury didn’t allow him to do so. So, to keep him on TV in a limited capacity, they made him the Raw general manager in 2003. 

However, he did manage to come out of retirement in 2022 when wrestled Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 32 in his hometown.

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What do you make of this difficult change in the career of Steve Austin? Let us know in the comments below.