Many fans were wondering why WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin did not appear at WrestleMania 33 last Sunday. The latest WWE news has revealed the reason why Austin was not present for the ultimate thrill ride.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Stone Cold Steve Austin is no longer under contract with the WWE. It is the main reason why the "Texas Rattlesnake" was absent at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, per Ringside News.

Meltzer noted that Austin's contract expired and the WWE decided not to renew it despite the high ratings of his podcast. The Stone Cold Steve Austin podcasts on the WWE Network was doing great numbers until the episode where then WWE champion Dean Ambrose was the guest.

According to Give Me Sport, the WWE was starting to become unhappy with Stone Cold Steve Austin's podcast because of how "real" it was getting. Back in the episode where Ambrose was a guest, Austin questioned "The Lunatic Fringe" about his effort of being a good superstar rather than being great.

The interview with Ambrose was really awkward since Austin asked about his childhood, something that Dean clearly did not want to talk about. However, Austin kept pressing and pressing on as the episode turned into sheer awkwardness on live television.

Nevertheless, the Stone Cold Steve Austin podcast still continues to this day via an audio form. It's one of the best wrestling podcasts online because it gives an unfiltered and unique insight about the industry. As for Dean Ambrose, he is the current Intercontinental champion but his character needs to get refreshed.

Stone Cold Steve Austin is considered as the greatest WWE superstar of all time. He is also among the most popular wrestlers in the world as he was headliner during the WWE's "Attitude Era." He helped the company reached unbelievable heights in the late 1990s to early 2000s before retiring in 2003 due to issues with his neck.

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