Stone Cold Takes on America premiered last night on A&E and the laughs outnumber the action-packed segments Stone Cold’s used to dishing out in the pro wrestling ring. That’s right, Stone Cold Steve Austin is hitting the road, but this time it isn’t to wrestle—the thing that made him famous.
This time he’s looking to work regular jobs and seek out new experiences, suggested by none other than his fans on social media. Austin perhaps doesn’t need an introduction to very many of you, as he took the professional wrestling industry by storm in the late 90’s.
By the time he retired from what’s known in the industry as ‘active competition,’ he had not only been passed the torch from Hulk Hogan, but he helped take WWE to the moon and beyond. The industry was never as popular and successful as it was in 1999, which is when he dominated.
It hasn’t ever been as successful. He still returns at huge events for the company and helps catapult the numbers, both buyout and attendance wise, every time he shows up.
But you don’t have to be a pro wrestling fan to enjoy his new show on A&E, trust me.
A look back at his work in film and television
After his pro wrestling career was over back in 2003, he took to starting a career in Hollywood. He dished out quite a few great action films which included The Expendables, Hunt To Kill, Damage, The Condemned and even The Longest Yard with Adam Sandler—a comedy.
But he stepped away from making films, citing that the experience wasn’t necessarily for him. Now television he took to like a duck to water, and he’s been pushing out one hit show after another.
He hosted a season of WWE’s Tough Enough, The Broken Skull Challenge, as well as Redneck Island on CMT. Straight Up Steve Austin was his last offering before this one on the USA Network, but perhaps this time on A&E, he has found a home that can do his personality justice, which really came through in episode 1.
On the road again…
After being on the road for a professional wrestling career, Austin is putting the RV in gear to hit that very same road, but as specified above, he will be partaking in activities and jobs that he’s never done before.
These ideas were given to him by his plethora of adoring fans. Each asked him to try this activity or try a shift working this job and well, Steve Austin wrestled for three years with a broken neck; he wouldn’t ever step away from a challenge, as his peers would agree.
Stone Cold Takes on America season 1, episode 1 recap
Episode 1 opens with a shot of his beautifully secluded ranch in Nevada—an undisclosed location mind you—and he is introduced to the crew that would be accompanying him for all the fun. Believe you me, it looks like loads of fun.
And so, what activities were in store for one Stone Cold? A man who once wrestled behemoths twice his size in steel cages and wrestled ‘Buried Alive’ matches on Pay Per View?
Well…the first activity was to bowl with a senior citizens bowling league! You read that right, and bowl he did, as well as bring new shirts he had specially made for the participants.
Did old Stone Cold win? No way, and he tried to, you could tell, but he got his behind handed to him.
But frame by frame, the segment at the bowling alley was not only hilarious but heartwarming as well. The second activity was in fact something very close to his heart: Off-roading.
He was thrown a challenge on social media, the fan stating that, really, no one has done any serious off-roading with an ATV if they haven’t hit the infamous ‘Sand Mountain’. This is the ominous patch of mountain in his very own home state of Nevada.
Well, hit the mountain he did, after getting a few pointers. He took to the wheel himself and stood up to the challenge quite nicely.
Can you imagine if they remade Cocktail, the film starring Tom Cruise? Now imagine they hired Steve Austin to play the title character.
After all, the man made drinking beer after a match an art form all its own.
So yes, you might have guessed it; the third activity was none other than bartending, but a flashy acrobatic type of bartending. It was a sight for sure, and let’s just say there were a lot of things dropped along the way.
But he did serve a drink and there were a lot of laughs. In the end, the show is a good one and is off to a promising start.
Stay tuned for next week and we’ll recap the second episode, but if you can try to watch it, please do; you won’t regret it. It airs on A&E on Sundays at 10 PM EST.
What did you think of Stone Cold Takes on America season 1 episode 1? Let us know in the comments below!