Steve Austin Says Wrestling Lost Its “Outlaw Days” When Scripted Promos Took Over

Steve Austin helped define one of the most rebellious eras in professional wrestling history, and the WWE Hall of Famer says the creative freedom he experienced during that time simply doesn’t exist the same way today.

While speaking on the Busted Open Podcast during 3:16 Day, Austin reflected on how the industry has evolved since the Attitude Era. During the conversation with Dave LaGreca and Bully Ray, the discussion turned to the famous “Austin 3:16” promo and how moments like that were possible because wrestlers had the freedom to improvise on the microphone. Austin explained that the era he came up in allowed performers to take risks creatively and say what felt natural instead of memorizing written dialogue.

“That was really the last of the outlaw days, Bully, where you could kind of freelance and go for it and go out on a limb and push the envelope. You would go out there and do it and not be afraid to do it. The business has changed to where it is today.”

According to Austin, the shift toward scripted promos became obvious when he returned to WWE after undergoing neck fusion surgery in the early 2000s. By that time, the culture backstage had already begun changing.

Austin recalled being caught completely off guard when someone handed him a piece of paper containing a scripted promo.

“Because I remember when I came back from getting my neck fused, I remember someone handed me a piece of paper. I’d been gone for about a year and I said, ‘Man, what’s this?’ They said, ‘That’s your promo.’ I said, ‘What the f** is this? I don’t do this.’ That’s when that started.”*

Austin’s comments provide insight into how dramatically the wrestling business has changed over the years. During the late 1990s, performers often relied on instinct and personality to connect with audiences, which helped produce some of the most memorable promos in wrestling history.

The Texas Rattlesnake’s unscripted delivery played a major role in turning him into one of WWE’s biggest stars. Moments like the “Austin 3:16” promo remain a defining part of wrestling culture more than three decades later.

Even though Austin has long since stepped away from the ring, his perspective offers a reminder of how much the industry has evolved from the unpredictable environment that helped create some of its most legendary characters.

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