“Stone Cold” Steve Austin has firmly shut the door on a full-fledged in-ring return, despite fan speculation and WWE's occasional optimism.

Speaking during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, the WWE Hall of Famer and pop culture legend addressed whether he still gets the urge to step into the ring. As he has consistently said over the years, Austin reaffirmed, “The time right now is for the younger generation. I leave it to them,” and added, “I’m not looking to get back in the ring anytime in the future.”

At 60 years old, Austin last competed at WrestleMania 38 in 2022, facing Kevin Owens in a No Holds Barred main event. That surprise return was his first match in nearly two decades. He later underwent total knee replacement surgery in late 2024, which all but ended speculation of another bout.

Austin did reveal that an appearance at WrestleMania 40 was “close,” and he had entertained the idea of potentially being part of WrestleMania 41 “if it made sense.” Reflecting on his match with Owens, he admitted he sometimes wonders if he could have given a little more but confirmed he is not considering another comeback.

There had been backstage buzz in 2024 that WWE hoped to book a dream match between Austin and CM Punk. However, that possibility now appears to be off the table.

Austin's iconic WrestleMania 13 match with Bret Hart will be honored as part of the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony Friday night.

He was also asked about the recent heel turn by John Cena and gave his approval. Speaking to Michael Cole, Austin reflected on his own attempt to turn heel during his career and admitted it “didn’t need to happen.”