Steve Austin’s tryst with WrestleMania as a performer ended in 2003 but the Texas Rattlesnake was always a part of the showdown in the future in various forms. One such role came during WrestleMania 23 where he was the special guest referee for the showdown between Umaga and Bobby Lashley who were each picked by Vince McMahon and Donald Trump respectively.
After the end of the match, Stone Cold delivered a stunner to the future president while sharing a beer. The Hall Of Famer talked to the KFC Show regarding the incident from 2007. He said:
“Vince was gonna get shaved. So all of a sudden Vince comes to me and straight up there this is the way it happened. We’re in the back area. 90,000 people out there Ford Field and he goes “Steve come over here. I’m gonna see if I can get Trump take a stunner. I said, “Aw bull shit”. I said, ” You think he will?” He goes “I know Donald he’ll he’ll do it.” So anyways he goes “Donald, Come over here” and he goes, “Steve this is Donald Trump.” “Hey, Mr. Trump. How are you doing?” And I met him. He goes “Listen I was thinking about after everything is all said and done. Steve would hit you with his finished move.” “Well what is it.” “Well it’s called a stunner and it kind of goes like this.”
‘And Donald Trump’s right hand guy all of a sudden goes, “Oh no no no no you don’t need to do that there’s a million reasons why you shouldn’t do that. And here’s why.” But Donald said, he looked at Vince, and he goes “You think it’ll help the show?” He goes “Oh Donald they’ll go crazy.” So Donald Trump was was man enough to go out there and now we botched it. It was the slickest stunner that I ever delivered but I give him credit. Just from it. Whatever anyone’s opinion is that he did was cool enough and in a Showtime event like that event to go out there and be a part of the show and make people happy. I dug it.”
