When the glass was crushed at the WrestleMania 41 Night 2, fans were hoping that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin would roar the aisle on his trademark ATV, raise some fist (and a few beers) and deliver the number of attendees for the night. Instead, the WWE Hall of Famers gave Las Vegas a moment they wanted to forget. On the second lap around the ring, Austin clipped a ringside barricade, spreading out both himself and the front row fans.
What was wrong?
Talking with Ariel Helwani at the Ariel Helwani show on April 30, 2025, Austin explained that the stunt vehicle is not the familiar rig that has been torn through the arena since the attitude era.
“I have a different throttle setup than before. It has a shorter long story, a different throttle system. I’m pretty handy on a four-wheeled vehicle,” he laughed.
A few seconds later, his confidence overturned new control and the barricades won. WWE’s Nick Kahn president quickly checked the surprised fans, but Austin made sure the attendees were OK before climbing the ropes for the pros. After the segment, the Texas rattlesnake came back for a second time to apologize in person.
Rattlesnake’s reaction
Despite the unharmed person leaving, Austin admits that more tragedy was stabbed than the shock was wrong.
“I was embarrassed by it. You go out on the biggest night of wrestling and you end up like that. It’s not the best day in the office. You want to give people the best show possible, and when you reach it, that’s not great.”
Hall of Fame Weekend – in the Bump
ATV Snafu comes 24 hours after Austin and Bret Hart jointly praised WrestleMania’s first “Immortal Moment” Hall of Fame for 13 matches of the legendary WrestleMania. One embarrassing spill doesn’t hurt that legacy, but reminded the six-time WWE champion that even icons can put the brakes on epic stages.
Conclusion
Whether it was an accident or not, Austin still brought his signature swagger (and attendance) to more than 60,000 fans at Allegianto Stadium. What about the unlucky speed bumps in the front row? They are now telling a once-in-a-lifetime story. And you have a handshake of souvenirs from perhaps the toughest sobs in business.
