Steve Austin vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 32 probably isn't happening after all

When Paul Heyman flipped the script on Steve Austin during their live podcast on the WWE Network recently and asked about a potential match with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 32 next year in Arlington, Texas in front of 100,000 people, good ol' Stone Cold made an appearance to cut a hell of a promo.

Considering the situation and the circumstances, it didn't seem like an accident. Rumors quickly got around saying it wasn't.

Then, Austin came out and apologized for hyping a match that almost surely isn't going to happen, saying he wasn't trying to "book the territory," as he loves to say, and any nod to a potential showdown was accidental.

Sadly, the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required but recommended) is reporting that while there were definitely talks between Austin, Lesnar, and Heyman about doing a match, and WrestleMania 32 would be the right place to do it, it's not happening. On top of that, Vince McMahon was reportedly upset about the end of the podcast with Austin and Heyman because it felt so much like they were building to an Austin vs. Lesnar match that is not in the plans and because that's the biggest match WWE could make, anything less might be considered a letdown.

That's why all has been quiet on that front for the past week or so.

So if anyone got their hopes up that the Texas Rattlesnake would be lacing his boots up one more time, it looks like that door is finally shut.

Forever.