The Steve Austin Show – Bayley PART TWO + Steve Breaks Down NXT Takeover: Brooklyn (SAS CLASSIC)

PodcastOne | Released: December 25, 2025
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA at 317 Gimmick Street (Austin’s home studio)

Episode Overview

This episode features the second part of Steve Austin’s candid, in-depth interview with WWE Superstar Bayley, focusing on her career evolution, the psychology of wrestling personas, and an in-depth, real-time breakdown of her acclaimed NXT Takeover: Brooklyn match against Sasha Banks. Austin and Bayley watch the match together, analyzing key moments, ring psychology, match construction, and the emotional weight of the performance, while also discussing career hurdles, creative decisions, and Bayley’s future aspirations in and out of the ring. The conversation is friendly, sincere, and dotted with insightful anecdotes from both host and guest.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Bayley on Her Career Crossroads & Evolving as a Performer

• [11:45] Bayley explains she's in a “weird spot” in her WWE journey, feeling the need to evolve after several years in a similar role.
  • “I guess it’s time to evolve, because I’ve been doing what I’ve been doing for the past four years. But you always need to evolve.” – Bayley ([11:47])
• She reflects on criticism for not using the kendo stick at Extreme Rules and ponders new directions for her character, including showing more aggression and potentially changing her look.

The Challenge and Psychology of Change in Wrestling

• [12:40-19:34] Austin shares parallels from his own career—feeling stagnation, his famous heel turn at WrestleMania 17, and evolving his character.
  • “At the end of the day, you always have to be who and what you are.” – Steve Austin ([13:08])
• The two discuss how stars like The Undertaker changed their “gimmicks” to stay fresh, and how those changes must feel timely and organic to work.
• Bayley reflects on asking Seth Rollins about transitioning between heel and babyface:
  • “…he was like, I just try to be like Stone Cold. … just be a badass, just kick ass.” – Bayley ([20:00])

Navigating WWE’s Creative Structure

• [21:02-28:51] The pair discuss the practicalities of proposing character changes, the communication chain (Triple H vs. Vince McMahon vs. writers), and how Vince prefers ideas to be fully thought-out.
  • “When you go to talk with [Vince], you do need to have your thoughts well planned out to be able to present to him.” – Steve Austin ([24:33])
• Bayley notes feeling increasingly comfortable talking to Vince, though still finds it “intimidating as hell.” She wants to approach big changes with a clear vision.

The Difficulty (and Temptation) of a Heel Turn for Bayley

• [29:21-35:06] Austin challenges Bayley about embracing a “mean streak” or turning heel to shake things up.
  • “You said you didn’t want to… hurt people or inflict bruises upon people to climb your way back into that title shot. And I was like, man, how can you say that?” – Steve Austin ([29:38])
• Bayley wrestles with the impact this would have on her young fans:
  • “…even just thinking about that… like, I saw maybe like five or six girls dressed up like me. …I can’t, like, turn my back on them.” – Bayley ([34:23])

Match Breakdown: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks, NXT Takeover: Brooklyn

Setting the Stage

• [35:22] Austin cues up their instant classic in Brooklyn, noting Sasha’s Escalade entrance and Bayley’s emotional, heartfelt walk-in.
  • “Your intensity is off the charts in this match from the get-go.” – Steve Austin ([35:28])

Emotional and Technical Callouts

• [36:41] Bayley admits this was “the biggest crowd I’ve ever been in front of at this point… my mom and everybody were front row.”
• [37:58] Austin praises Sasha’s presence, and their complementary styles—Bayley's “fire,” Sasha’s “mean streak.”

In-Match Analysis & Memorable Segments

• Crowd Reaction & Nervousness: Both discuss managing nerves and feeding off crowd energy, with Bayley highlighting her confidence with Sasha in-ring ([36:45]).
• Aggression & Believability: Austin lauds Bayley for showing intensity and logical selling, especially after an in-match hand injury.
  • “I like the quick start there … they didn’t want to see y'all go scientific style... you took her down. Boom.” – Steve Austin ([40:18])
• Selling & Psychology: They banter about the finer details of selling—keeping eyes closed on cover attempts, learning “levels of selling” from other wrestlers ([44:43], [49:31]).
  • “I learned levels from [Tyler Breeze]… because I would be, like, really dead right away.” – Bayley ([49:41])
• High Spots & Risks: Real talk about risky moves—scary top-rope bumps and the realism of their match’s physicality.
  • “What it looks like I land like… I’m so lucky I didn’t break my collarbone or something.” – Bayley ([57:06])

Critical Match Sequences

• [54:05-55:41] The double submission reversal, with both girls locked in each other's signature moves, gets particular praise for storytelling and real crowd emotional engagement.
  • “This little sequence here is when I heard the… like, I could have cried listening to the crowd…” – Bayley ([54:05])
• Finish & Aftermath:
  • After the victory, Bayley recalls overwhelming backstage support and emotion.
    • “Everybody was on… the even the main event was out there. …Hunter picked us up and hugged us and was just so happy. …I could have retired the next day and I would have been fine with it.” – Bayley ([60:44], [61:03])

Austin’s Assessment

• [62:31] Austin lauds the emotional storytelling:
  • “Y’all made people feel all the emotions of this match… the timing, the execution, all of the body language by both of you, I mean… you can’t get no better than that.” – Steve Austin ([62:17])

Bayley’s Future Ambitions

• [62:44-64:38] Bayley discusses her long-term future:
  • While originally thinking she’d be “done wrestling at, like, 30,” she now hopes to wrestle until at least 35, start a family, and eventually open a wrestling school in the Bay Area.
  • “One of my favorite things is training… I look forward to, if I weren’t able to wrestle past 35, I’d be okay with training people.” – Bayley ([63:20])
• Austin urges her to “get your stuff in while you still can” and recognizes the pull of wrestling passion:
  • “Something called passion… being in a squared circle and entertaining people... it’s hard to get away from.” ([64:04])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On evolving as a character:
  • “It’s not necessarily turning from a good guy to a bad guy or anything, but even if it was as simple as taking my ponytail out and just having hair down or cutting my hair or having different gear… just something a little different, I think I need.” – Bayley ([19:34])
• On the difficulty of a heel turn:
  • “I can’t, like, turn my back on them… you slapped me in the face. Why would you do that?” – Bayley ([34:23])
• On creating wrestling memories:
  • “You hear the crowd… when that heel has been really pouring it on. …and then you get the same exact hold on her—bam! Double crowd response. …That’s awesome.” – Steve Austin ([55:10])
• After the match:
  • “I was just crying, mostly crying because I couldn’t believe that we just did that.” – Bayley ([61:03])

Key Timestamps

• Career Crossroads & Evolving: [11:45]–[21:02]
• Creative Process, Vince & Hunter: [21:02]–[29:21]
• Heel Discussion/Mean Streak: [29:21]–[35:15]
• NXT Brooklyn Match Breakdown: [35:22]–[62:31]
  • Entrance & Nerves: [35:55]–[37:10]
  • Early Aggression & Psychology: [40:18]–[43:46]
  • Match Selling, Bumps, Key Moves: [44:43]–[55:48]
  • Climactic Sequences & Emotional High: [54:05]–[57:36]
  • Aftermath & Reaction: [60:29]–[62:27]
• Future Plans & Closing: [62:44]–[66:01]

Final Thoughts & Recap

This episode masterfully blends storytelling, match analysis, and honest reflection, giving fans rare insight into the psychology behind wrestling personas and the realities of the WWE machine. Bayley comes off as humble, thoughtful, and wrestling-passionate, while Steve remains the quintessential, wise mentor—direct, warm, and always brilliantly analytical. For those interested in understanding what makes pro wrestling art, this is essential listening.