WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin retired from in-ring competition in 2003 due to injuries, primarily a neck injury along with several knee problems. His retirement came quietly after he lost to WWE legend The Rock at WrestleMania 19, marking the end of an incredible full-time career.
Since then, Austin has made sporadic appearances, including a return to the ring to face Kevin Owens in the main event of WWE WrestleMania 38 Night 1 in 2022, after a 19-year hiatus. In a recent episode of Fightful Select Answers, Sean Ross Sapp discussed the possibility of Austin competing in one more match at next year’s WrestleMania 42.
According to Sapp, he has not heard any discussions about Austin making another return to the ring at WrestleMania 42, which is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, in April 2026. He noted that word of Austin’s return against Kevin Owens was circulating even before it happened, along with a pitch for a potential matchup against Roman Reigns. Sapp indicated that if there were any plans for Austin at WrestleMania 42, he would have likely heard about them in the months leading up to the event.
The Austin vs. Reigns match was reportedly pitched for WrestleMania 39, and in June, Fightful Select revealed that Austin mentioned he might have “one more in him” during WrestleMania 41 Weekend in April. Additionally, several people who spoke with Austin indicated that he was at least open to the idea of a possible in-ring return under the right circumstances.
WrestleMania 42 is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, 2026, and Sunday, April 19, 2026, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. This will mark the first time WrestleMania has been held at the same venue for back-to-back years since WrestleMania V in 1989.
