WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin talked to Sports Illustrated recently, discussing his conversation with WWE about being at WrestleMania 39, having his concerns about the amount of time he’d need to be in ring-ready shape.
He compares and contrasts this situation with that of last year, in which he had notably turned down a pitch to compete multiple times before the idea that we would see unfold came to him. This year, however, would have required a great deal of work on his part to prepare for a proper match.
This was further complicated by his preparations to work on his upcoming A&E show, Stone Cold Takes On America, recounting:
“I told them, and this is the exact truth, I said, ‘Guys, I’m just fixin’ to go into production on this show, Stone Cold Takes on America, and until we start production, I don’t know what my life looks like. I can’t commit.’ Sure enough, there were technical issues before we finished.”
Source: Wrestling Observer