WWE and A&E hunt for some of Stone Cold’s ‘Most Wanted Treasures’
The next run of WWE Superstar Sunday on A&E is all focused on Steve Austin, with the start of a new season of Most Wanted Treasures chasing down some of Stone Cold’s most famed items. The show opens with a loving look back at Austin’s career highlights, hinting at some of the things that are going to be hunted down in this episode by Booker T, Mick Foley, and Lita. We are actually presented with a scene in which Booker T meets up with Triple H in the WWE Warehouse, and Hunter asks if Booker wants the job to find some items.
Just like at WrestleMania XIX, Booker agrees to do the job for Triple H.
According to Foley, while the WWE wants to be able to present meaningful items from their history to fans at touring events, 95% of the most iconic items are missing. At first that number seems ridiculously high, but as Foley explains a little bit later, he himself has given things away freely, to fans or for charity, so perhaps it’s not surprising that so many things are just floating around out there because they weren’t thought to be important piece of history at that time.
Booker and Austin discuss over video call what items would be great to have from Steve’s past. The bedpan that he hit Vince McMahon with? Probably not feasible. One of his knee braces, estimated to be at a value of $10-20K? Yep, Austin’s pretty sure he has a lead on that. Also the custom skull WWF title — valued at $70-90K.
It’s Foley that gets the ticket to Nevada, travelling to Austin’s ranch to look through his cluttered attic. My garage is much worse off. Foley catches a glimpse of something red and pulls out Stunning Steve Austin’s robe, which Austin remembers as a good match for his character at the time. Austin then shows off the Intercontinental Title still in his possession, the same one he proudly says that Ricky Steamboat and The Ultimate Warrior had carried. He talks about his match with Owen Hart and the injury he sustained to his neck before winning that belt, and that he demanded keeping the belt that almost cost him his career or worse.
After listening to the story, Foley asks if Austin will loan the belt to their travelling display, and Steve agrees. He also tips Foley off on who might have one of his leg braces.
Back on Connecticut with Booker T and Lita, they’re checking out the Corvette that Austin filled with cement in 1998, realizing that the car is not in travelling shape and can’t come on the tour. Instead, they wonder if they could find the cement truck, so off goes Lita on a hunt for that.
Foley arrives in Nashville at the house of collector and belt-maker Dave Millican. Dave does a decent Stone Cold impression as he remembers being gifted that knee brace by Austin. What he won’t do is sell it to the WWE — not for $10K, and not even for $10K and a pizza & wings watch party with Foley. Instead, Foley secures a loan for the item like he did with Austin’s Intercontinental belt.
As an aside, as Austin looks back upon the history of that leg brace, he laments Mike Tyson’s fast count on his WrestleMania XIV win, wishing he’d had a championship-level cadence instead.
Foley returns to Austin and finds him on the set of the Broken Skull Sessions, asking him to verify the leg brace as his, which Austin does. Foley also asks for one more item. A surprise, maybe? Or maybe a vest? Austin comes through and gives a golden-lettered, alcohol/Zakk Wylde-themed vest to Foley for the collection. Mick returns to headquarters to show of his haul, while unfortunately Lita returns empty-handed. That cement truck is long gone, though she did learn that some of its parts are in other vehicles now. So, the planet wins there.
That brings this episode to a close. It’s a good series for some fun, nostalgic stories, and some reality TV-level tension of whether the hosts will find something or not (meaning it’s not very tense at all). Stick with SlamWrestling.net for reviews of the rest of the season’s stories.
