Before you read this, go on to the WWE Network and watch this for yourself.

I should rip up my journalism degree because “Stone Cold” Steve Austin conducted the greatest interview of all time.

Everything you wanted to know, Austin asked.

The Streak…heat with J.R…Brock Lesnar’s absence…his son Shane leaving the family business…Macho Man…when Vince will retire…

And oh yeah…

CM PUNK!

WWE Network

“How’s the Network doing?”

“Great, thanks. Subscriptions are good.”

Vince said the issues with the Network in the U.K. should be settled by first of the year.

Current Product

Austin asked if Vince is giving the crowd what they want, as in less in-ring action and more sports-entertainment.

“Pro wrestling is what my dad did. I’ve seen you sing. I’ve seen you play guitar. We’re telling stories.”

Vince’s thoughts on RAW: “Bray Wyatt looked pretty damn good. So did Ambrose. The 6 man match was good, too.”

3 hours too long?

“Nobody does what we do. We’re traveling every week. We do magic with a lot of people behind the scenes. The adrenaline rush keeps us going.”

The repetition of long talking segments to kick off the show:

“Sometimes it does go too long. You have to build up the story. So you care about the outcome.”

Austin mentioned TNA a couple times. (Fascinating to hear those initials uttered in a convo with Vince.)

Austin said it seemed like the guys on the roster walk on eggshells because there are no other companies to work for.

“Don’t piss anybody off,” Vince responded. He said that most of the roster are millennials and they’re not as ambitious as the guys in the Attitude Era. “The last person who really reached for that brass ring was John Cena.”
Vince said Ambrose, Rollins, Reigns, and Wyatt are chomping at the bit.

What does Vince McMahon look for in a WWE Superstar?

“I’m looking for charisma, in ring skills, heart, work ethic.”

Cesaro

“Doesn’t have charisma or verbal skills. May be because he’s Swiss. He is an extraordinary physical talent.”

Austin probed further, claiming Cesaro was on fire until turning heel again and siding with Heyman. What happened?

“I don’t have the answer to everything. I’m not giving up on him, don’t get me wrong.”

Austin remembered the days when Vince and Patterson would book the shows by Vince’s pool. Now it’s a staff of writers. “How did it get so complicated?”

“It’s a different company today,” Vince said. “You have to change with the times. It’s not going to come from one man. Pat and I would sit there for hours and book television. People would come by, Nick Bockwinkel, Dusty Rhodes, we would push them into the pool.”

Shane pushed Vince into the pool once.

“I chased him everywhere. He got away.”

Shane McMahon

Austin asked what Shane is up to.

“Busy in Japan, he’s a happy camper enjoying his family.”

Why did Shane leave?

“Mutual feeling…working in a family business is very difficult.”

Did you want your kids to get in the business?

“I wanted Shane and Stephanie to do what they wanted to do. Shane worked in the merch warehouse. His second summer, he asked for a raise. I said no. So he found a job as brick-layer and doubled his wage. I was proud of him.”

Vince had no experience being an announcer before his dad put him on the air.

CM PUNK

Austin said this is a yes or no question. “Do you want to talk about CM Punk?”

Vince apologized for sending his severance papers on the day Punk got married. He said it wasn’t intentional and those things happen in such a large company, even though they shouldn’t.

Vince said there were a number of individuals in the past who have been disgruntled. He thinks one day Punk may regret some of the things he said.

“I hope one day we’ll be able to get back together again. You and I did. Hogan, oh my God. Ultimate Warrior.”

Vince didn’t listen to Colt Cabana’s podcast with Punk.

Austin says walking out of the company was the “worst professional decision I ever made in my life.”

Vince asked, “Wasn’t I the greatest athlete, greatest performer you ever worked with?”

Austin replied, “Oh man, your athleticism was off the charts!” Vince chuckles.

Is there a guy like J.R. who can bridge the gap between you and Punk?

“Punk has some degree of lack of communication skills. I think we could have worked things out if there was a mediator like J.R.”

Austin’s Walkout In 2002

When Austin walked out, he didn’t get a paycheck for 8 months.

When he came back, Vince tried to fine him $650,000. Austin chopped it down to $250,000.

“When you walk out, you walk out on the audience as well,” Vince said.

“You owned up to who you were. Punk is a loner and that’s fine. Sometimes I’m very introverted and shy. When my wife was running for office, and I went to some of the political parties, you’d find me kibitzing with the bartender.”

The Streak

The decision to end The Streak…how, when, and why?

“No one wants to give back to the business more than the Undertaker, more than Mark Calloway.” Vince said there was nobody else Undertaker could have worked with. Nobody else he could help become a star.

“I made the decision. It came as a shock to everybody. My job is to make difficult decisions.”

Vince said heading into WrestleMania season right now, Brock Lesnar can’t be any hotter. “It was the right call.”

Brock Lesnar

Where is Brock Lesnar?

“I don’t think you want him on TV more than you get him.”

Why not?

“He’s a special attraction. Jake ‘the Snake’ Roberts would bring the python to the ring. After a while on TV week after week, Jake wasn’t special anymore.”

Vince said it’s not about the title that draws people into the arena. It’s about the performer and the story.

“If he beats up half the babyface roster, who’s left?”

Randy Savage

Austin asked will Macho Man Randy Savage go into the WWE Hall of Fame.

“Absolutely.”

When?

“Not sure if it’s this year, but soon.”

Austin remained silent for a few seconds after Vince’s answer, waiting to see if Vince would elaborate. Vince did not, but that’s the closest we’ve come to getting info on why Vince shunned Savage for so long.

Sting

“His character is one you don’t need to see a lot of. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see him at WrestleMania.”

Did you shoot yourself in the foot eliminating the competition?

“We compete against everything on TV.”

Austin brought up McMahon killing the territories…

“It’s almost like Bret screwed Bret. They put themselves out of business. All I had was creative skills, a hard work ethic, a lot of luck, and grapefruits.”

Jim Ross

Is there heat between you and Jim Ross?

Vince said he doesn’t think so. It was unprofessional what happened at the SummerSlam panel in 2013.

“I’m not so sure we won’t get back together, too.”

Vince claims J.R. wanted to leave Connecticut and move back to Oklahoma, taking a lesser role in the company following his position with talent relations.

Austin said “No one has ever reflected back at me as you did as an opponent. Why was our chemistry was what it was?”

“You’re sort of a self-professed redneck and my background is one that’s different than the way I look,” Vince said. “I grew up in a trailer park. I understand the common man. That’s who I am….Even as a kid, when someone said they were better than me, God that made me angry. I’m no better than anyone else in the world, but no one is better than me.”

To be the perfect foil for Austin’s character, Vince said, “I’m going to be the guy that I despised growing up.”

“My childhood was really, really screwed up, but I learned from it.”

The producer gave Austin the signal for 20 seconds left…but Vince said, “Since I own the Network, we’re going another 15 minutes.”

Vince LOATHES the phrase “pro wrestling.” And Austin hates the phrase “sports-entertainment.”

Are you really giving the people what they want?

“The future is good. Television ratings are not what they were when we competed against WCW, but they’re still strong.”

“Am I out of touch? No. Am I 69? Yes. Will I kick your butt at the gym?” Vince laughs.

When will you ride off into the sunset?

“I’m working the same amount of hours I always worked. But I’m enjoying the business more now than I ever have. I haven’t lost a step physically or mentally, and people who say that I have, are just critics.”

Wrestledelphia.com assistant editor John Corrigan can be reached at . Follow him on Twitter at .