If "Stone Cold" Steve Austin wanted the persistent rumors of an in-ring comeback to be stifled, his appearance on the cover of the upcoming WWE 2K16 video game didn't help matters.
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Austin has vehemently denied that he intends to return to the ring when the WWE's biggest production, WrestleMania, comes to his home state of Texas for its 32nd installment.
The WWE Hall of Famer talked to MTV UK and said that even though he was aware his involvement on the video game cover would lead to speculation, he has no plans of returning to the ring.
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"I remember I was talking to Bryce [Yang, Director of Brand Marketing - WWE at 2K] about being on the cover of the game and how big of an honor it is," Austin told the affiliate. "I said, 'You know, it's been a while since I've been around so this may spark some rumors or speculation?' And he goes, 'You know, Steve, it is no different to when we put Michael Jordan on the cover of the NBA 2K game a few years ago.'"
He continued: "I would put myself on the same level for the wrestling/sports entertainment industry as Jordan - but his appearance didn't mean he was going to put the uniform on again. So I would go on record, don't look forward to me putting on the trunks and knee braces to get back in the ring and stomp a mudhole in somebody and walking it dry. How's that work for you?"
Rumors have swirled around Austin ever since he hinted that a return in Dallas, Texas would be perfect after the WWE announced WrestleMania 32 would emanate from the home of the Cowboys, AT&T Stadium on April 3, 2015.
Austin has always given mixed signals about a return, but he's also gone as far as to say that he wouldn't want to put in all the work and the hype it would take just to have one match.
The problem was exacerbated for the Texas Rattlesnake when Paul Heyman appeared on his podcast last month on the WWE Network and hyped a potential Brock Lesnar vs. Austin feud for WrestleMania.
Austin went into promo mode after Heyman brought it up, but the next day both men did their best to diffuse the situation, likely at the request of Vince McMahon.
Austin hasn't wrestled since ending his WrestleMania trilogy of matches with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at WrestleMania XIX in 2003.
The WWE revealed on Monday that Austin is their cover star for the forthcoming WWE 2K16 video game, which is set for release on Oct. 27 in North America and Oct. 30 in Europe.
Austin said he wants to be a part of WrestleMania 32, but not in a wrestling capacity.
While fans would like to see Austin 3:16 reign over AT&T Stadium, an official in-ring comeback appears to be out of the cards.
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