I Listen So You Don't Have To: Steve Austin Show Ep. 212

Austin on several topics this show Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you're new, here's the rundown: I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: Steve Austin Show Unleashed!
Episode: 212 (April 16, 2015)
Run Time: 1:36:47
Guest: None

Summary: Stone Cold opens by weighing in on the recent Dolph Ziggler-Adrian Neville Raw match. The bulk of the episode is listener questions covering Daniel Bryan’s injury, WWE finishing moves, selling and The Walking Dead. His wife helps discuss restaurant problems, then he answers more questions about bleeding in the ring, his margarita recipe, this history of canine companions, turtlers, living in and leaving Atlanta, his football background and youth sports and ring gear. He ends playing the audio from a Lawrence Taylor YouTube video.

Quote of the week: Austin: “Adrian Neville is one of the brightest spots on the NXT roster, and when gets up into the Monday night roster, this kid is probably gonna be one of the best workers there. I mean, he can do everything, I love his execution, I love his technique, he’s awesome. But dude, you gotta sell that DDT. I mean, why waste that move if you ain’t gonna sell it? And Dolph, you’re the veteran in that ring, that was your call.”

Why you should listen: There’s a good mix of topical (Ziggler, Bryan and finishers) and broadly interesting (bleeding, early 1990s Atlanta, attire) wrestling subjects. The former guarantee a freshness unusual for the email shows, and the latter are pleasantly engaging and dissimilar to most of his previous dalliances with such material. And hey, who doesn’t want to know how to make a Stone Cold margarita?

Why you should skip it: If you don’t follow The Walking Dead, that’s a big dark spot in the middle of the episode. And the trifling troubles with restaurant experiences are the opposite of fascinating. Also, if you’re only thinking good thoughts about the ongoing Daniel Bryan injury concerns, stay far, far away.

Final thoughts: As usual, you know what you get with a question show. The inclusion of Austin’s wife gives him his best possible studio sidekick, but these shows always have a lower ceiling than his interviews with wrestling figures. Still, of the two episodes last week, I found many more enjoyable moments in this one.