I Listen So You Don't Have To: Steve Austin Show Ep. 213

Austin recaps his life up to this point on the most recent 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
Episode: 213
Run Time: 1:22:19
Guest: None

Summary: Austin sits down at 316 Gimmick St. with his wife, Kristin, to recount the story of how they met, started dating, fell in love, got engaged and married and wound up splitting time between Marina Del Rey and the Broken Skull Ranch. He also tells the story of how he came to own Hershey the Wonder Dog. The Word Of The Day is “journal.”

Quote of the week: Austin: “So anyway, I pulled the ring out of my pocket, and I can’t remember exactly what I said, but words to the effect of, ‘Whatever whatever whatever, will you marry me?’ ”

Why you should listen: If you haven’t figured it out after 200-plus episodes, Austin’s a great storyteller. Some of this is familiar, and hardly any of it is essential, but it’s a great yarn. Glimpses like this into the man who created Stone Cold are continuing to endear fans years past Austin’s peak as an in-ring performer.

Why you should skip it: Because it’s a dude and his wife talking about which furniture is now at who’s mom’s house and how awkward they were during initial encounters at the gym. In other words, if you’ve got no interest in Austin’s personal life, wait until he’s got a wrestling guest to interview. Also, he does curse a few times, so heads up on that if you’re avoiding his Thursday unleashed episodes.

Final thoughts: You really don’t need my guidance on this one, I mostly wanted to share that one quote, which perfectly sums up 80 minutes of audio entertainment. I really enjoyed storytime with the Austins, but others certainly won’t. Few “should I listen?” choices are this black and white.