Stone Cold Steve Austin may never come back to WWE to actually wrestle a match, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have the desire to remain an active part of the industry he's known and loved. One way he got the chance to do so was as the host of the Tough Enough reality reboot that ran on USA in 2011.
It was a good show that got solid ratings, and Austin made it incredibly entertaining. But the decision was made after just one season not to bring it back.
In a recent interview with Variety, Stone Cold reveals his ass is still chapped about that fact:
"When that show didn't come back, I was pissed off. It was a great show. The numbers were very good. We had a great time doing it. Why they didn't bring it back still baffles me to this day because I loved doing that show. It was a great way to be in the business I know and love without having to be in the ring taking lumps. You (saw) what it takes to be good, some of the sacrifices that have to be made, some of the mechanical issues as far as timing. There's nothing better than when you see Miss USA try to start taking bumps and guess what, it hurts a lot. You either love to hit the mat or you hate to hit the mat. there's not a whole lot of in between."
The show failed to crown a winner who would actually make a mark in WWE, as "Big" Andy Leavine was quietly released from the developmental roster not long after the show. Others were given a shot and looked promising, like Ivelisse Velez, but didn't make it.
And, in a surprising twist, the only contestant from the show who has actually made it to TV and built a sustained career is Ariane Andrews, whom you know as Cameron from the Funkadactyls. It's surprising if only because she was eliminated first and infamously caught Austin's ire when she told him her favorite match in the history of professional wrestling was Melina vs. Alicia Fox.
Austin, in shock, simply replied, "Who?"
Good times.
Any of you Cagesiders still upset Tough Enough never made another comeback?