Kevin Owens Still In Awe Of Being Hand-Picked As Stone Cold's WrestleMania Opponent

WWE's 2022 run was filled with big moments across the board, and it already seems so long ago that Kevin Owens battled "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in the latter's first-ever pro wrestling match since retiring in 2003–at WrestleMania 38, no less.

It was a moment that surprised many fans at the time as it had not been announced prior to the event and Owens himself is still reeling from the magnitude of the occasion.

In an exclusive with the New York Post, Owens revealed how the match came to fruition and how he found out that he would be responsible for Austin's safety during the match.

"I still don't have a full grasp on how that happened. All I know is I was told by several people, from Steve to Vince McMahon to Bruce Prichard, it couldn't have been anybody other than you—meaning me—with Steve. I'm not sure who suggested it, who asked for it or how it came about," Owens said.

"But the point is that it's extremely flattering to me that those three all thought I was the best choice. There's really no higher compliment than that for me."

Owens was already a cult favorite amongst diehard pro wrestling fans due to his body of work on the indie scene and when he joined WWE in 2014 as a featured performer of the NXT brand, he became a household name.

He would go on to win the NXT Championship in 2015, the WWE Universal Title, Intercontinental Championship (twice), and the United States Championship (thrice).

WWE has come to rely on Owens as a reliable hand that they can place in any feud that needed an always-believable heel while also being known as someone who is a safe all-around worker behind the scenes, making him an ideal pairing with Austin.

As every pro wrestling fan would know, Austin was forced to retire from the industry due to lingering back issues that stem from his neck injury in 1997, along with knee problems.

The fact that he was able to have a match with Owens that fans had universal praise for was an amazing feat in and of itself.

WWE was smart to have the match be fought under "No Holds Barred" rules as it allowed Austin to have a hard-hitting match that also featured the latter taking a hard bump off the concrete floor outside of the ring.

Austin would come out on top as the WrestleMania crowd at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas cheered their hometown hero, but Owens also garnered high praise for his work in selling moves for the WWE legend.

While there are rumors of Austin working his way back for another go-around in the squared circle, his WrestleMania 38 match against Owens is one that fans will look fondly back on when evaluating his place in the annals of pro wrestling history.