Bruce Prichard has shot down a persistent rumour regarding the main event of WrestleMania 2000, regarding Steve Austin vs Big Show.
The show famously had a fatal-4 way in the main event, with Triple H defending his WWE Championship against three of the top challengers in the company.
The Game stepped into the ring with Big Show, The Rock and Mick Foley, in one of the most star-studded main event of all time.
Triple H walked out of the show as champion. Mick Foley was a late addition to the match, as Chris Jericho was originally advertised as being in the match instead of the former WWE Champion.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin missed that WrestleMania due to neck and knee issues, and his presence was a huge loss for the company.
Rumours have been going on about what would have been his match for WrestleMania 2000. Some have claimed that a bout with Big Show was on the cards, but Bruce Prichard was at hand to quash those talks.
Speaking on his Something To Wrestle With podcast, Bruce Prichard revealed that Steve Austin vs Big Show (referred to by real name Paul Wight) was never considered for the main event of WrestleMania 2000, despite the Texas Rattlesnakes injury.
Prichard was asked if Austin was asked to put over the Big Show at WrestleMania, before leaving to have neck surgery. He categorically denied this fact, indicating that this was never the plan for Austin.
“False (that the original main event for WrestleMania 2000 was Steve Austin versus Paul Wight). That’s one that I definitely thought we should have gone with. You know, from Big Show’s debut, I thought that was logical. But I don’t think that Vince (McMahon) ever really saw that… I thought that-that was the logical way to go but that wasn’t in the cards.”
Steve Austin missed WrestleMania 2000, but returned to WrestleMania X7 for a main event match against The Rock, winning the WWE Championship.
Steve Austin Taught Big Show To Work Like A Giant
During a UK tour in the beginning of his WWE career, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was paired with The Big Show for the entirety of the tour.
They wrestled every night, with Austin winning a dominant match in eight minutes each time.
Eventually, Steve Austin hit Big Show with a punch for real, which fired him up and prompted him to get more aggressive and work “like a giant”.
Speaking to Austin on Broken Skull Sessions, Show revealed what he learned from Austin while the two worked together.
“This real prick that I worked with in England. I spent two weeks working with him in Europe. Top guy, lot of respect for him. He was the coolest guy in the world outside of the ring.
In the ring, he treated me like so much dirt on the bottom of his shoe. He would stomp my ass for eight minutes, hit me with a finish, pour beer on me and that was the end of it. John Laurinaitis and Fit Finlay were like, ‘You gotta fight back, you gotta be a giant.’
THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN? This guy hasn’t called anything for me. This guy hurt my feelings a little bit, lit my jaw up like the Fourth of July and it all clicked. Guy by the name of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin.
It clicked because I removed my brain from the equation. I learned in the match when you cracked me in the chin three times, I got a little aggressive. As soon as I fired up, you said, ‘There you go kid, way to fire up.’
You didn’t stoop down to anyone’s level. They had to step up. I learned that I don’t have to wait for anyone to call me a spot. If I’m done selling, I’m done selling. I’m a giant, I can do that,”