Friday 27 September 2019 07:13, UK
WWE legend 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin has revealed he feels confident he could return to the ring for one last match.
Austin, who is widely regarded as the most popular wrestler of all time, has not competed since his farewell match against The Rock at WrestleMania 19 more than 16 years ago.
The 54-year-old - whose iconic 'Steveweiser' celebrations and long-running feud with Vince McMahon were vital in wrestling's late-1990s boom period - has not wrestled due to complications around a severe neck injury.
Austin has made more frequent appearances recently on Raw, and his most recent outing on the Monday night show saw him in notably good physical condition, which prompted some fans to speculate he may preparing for a comeback.
Speaking on his podcast, Austin said: "For the last couple of weeks, down there at the RAW reunion in Tampa, down there at the Madison Square Garden show at Monday Night RAW - people always ask me, 'Hey man, you're still in really good shape. You got one more match left in you?' And I tell them, 'Man.' I say, 'You know, it's a tough thing to think about.'
"Physically, would I be able to have one more match? Yes, most definitely, and I could make it to that match without being injured. Although the risks are always there, just because I think all of the surgeries I had, where I had the spinal stenosis, and getting that bone spur taken off my spinal cord - I'm in a good place.
"Nerves are feeling a lot better than they use to. So, you know, in theory, could I have a match? In theory, yes."
Several WWE competitors have made returns to the ring from retirement in the past two years to compete at the company's events in Saudi Arabia.
Shawn Michaels ended an eight-year hiatus to team with Triple H to take on Kane and The Undertaker at Crown Jewel 12 months ago and Goldberg was back between the ropes, again to face Undertaker, at a Saudi event in June.
