In an interview with Complex.com published today, WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin described how he got to hit the stunner on now fellow WWE Hall of Famer – and President-Elect – Donald Trump at WrestleMania 23.
Austin said that it was Vince McMahon who originally came up with the idea, pulling Austin aside and telling him that he’s going to see if Donald Trump would take his finishing move.
“I said, ‘you think?’ He says, ‘Oh yeah, it’ll be great, it’ll be great,’” recounted Austin. The Chairman and CEO of WWE then went up to his friend Donald and first introduced him to Austin and then asked point blank if he can take the Stunner after the whole match was over.
“Donald says, ‘You think it’d be a good thing?’ and Vince goes, ‘Oh, of course it would be. It would just blow the roof off the place,’” Austin continued, adding that Trump’s “right hand guy” shot down the idea, telling his boss that he didn’t need to do it as they have other things to do.
“And Donald says to Vince, ‘You think it’ll help?’ and Vince goes, ‘I promise you it’ll help.’ And Donald says, ‘Okay, I’ll do it,’” Austin said.
Keeping his word, Trump took the stunner, although Austin said it wasn’t “a picture-perfect” execution as Trump pretty much fell over rather than taking the bump. “But I give Donald Trump a hell of a lot of credit for being a man. He was a stand-up guy, he was there to do business and we did business, so I respect the man for that. If I see him giving a speech on the TV, I don’t think, ‘Hey, I gave this guy a stunner.’ We were doing business and we did business. The fact that he is going to be the next President of the United States, it’s a hell of a story,” Austin concluded.
Donald Trump will be taking the oath as President of the United States tomorrow.
