The Steve Austin Show: Bill Burr Part One – SAS Classic (January 13, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this lively episode of The Steve Austin Show, wrestling legend Steve Austin sits down for an in-depth, freewheeling conversation with stand-up comedy powerhouse Bill Burr. The two worlds of professional wrestling and stand-up comedy collide in a candid discussion about what it takes to make it, the grind of paying dues, and stories from both of their journeyman origins. They reflect on parallels between their crafts—including bombing on stage (and in the ring), crowd work, and career setbacks—all told with their signature humor and no-holds-barred style.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Prius, Car Talk, and First Impressions (14:59–18:50)

• Steve welcomes Bill, immediately teasing him about pulling up in a "dented Prius."
• They joke about the merits of the Toyota Prius versus other cars, with Steve offering to “make a sweet deal” on a used Ford Focus.
• Bill’s Prius logic: Bill bought it out of environmental guilt (“I was doing enough damage… flying every other weekend”) and admires its reliability and lack of street theft appeal.
• Bill: "I could literally leave that car in the middle of a riot running, and no one would take it." (17:25)

2. Car Technology, Driverless Cars & Control Issues (18:51–23:38)

• The two riff on driverless cars and technological advances. Bill is skeptical of self-driving cars, recounting morbid Tesla autopilot stories.
• Steve: “I ain’t gonna trust no machine to guide me… maybe it’s a control issue, but… I got the steering wheel in my hand.” (22:34)
• Bill jokes that he switched his GPS to a male voice because, "I thought that was some subversive feminism shit for me to get used to taking orders from a woman." (22:46)

3. Reading and ADD; Family and Boston Upbringing (23:39–35:15)

• Bill admits reading is hard due to ADD: “Every word reminds me… so I just start thinking about stuff and go on some journey in my head as I continue like reading but not retaining anything.” (23:41)
• Describes his large, Boston-area family, where humor was ever-present and sibling fights were normal.
• Steve and Bill swap stories about discipline: classic wooden spoon/brush tales from their childhoods.
• Bill: “My parents, the rule was don’t hit each other in the face. It was like, hit each other from here to here. That was considered working it out amongst yourselves.” (34:12)

4. Stand-up Origins: The First Gig & Bombs (36:24–40:06)

• Steve asks how Bill got into stand-up.
• Bill entered a contest at Nick’s Comedy Stop, bombed, and left early, making fun of the host as a cover.
• Bill: “The first, you know, 10 or 20 times you do it has nothing to do with how good or bad you’re doing. All it has to do with is having the balls to go up there.” (38:51)
• He comments on how YouTube's absence during his amateur phase was a blessing, sparing him public embarrassment.

5. Parallels Between Comedy and Wrestling: Paying Dues (40:06–44:17)

• Both share the pain of "paying dues," facing shady promoters, and the importance of “putting worth on what you’re doing.”
• Bill's first “pay” for comedy: $5 in gas money, a transformative moment.
• “The dream was very incremental… imagine being the feature, being the headliner... then I could quit my day job.” (40:56)
• Bill compares comedy’s early grind to wrestling’s bumpy beginnings; both are full of humiliations and hard-earned milestones.

6. Building a Set: Gaining “Time” and Craft Evolution (46:39–50:44)

• Steve asks how Bill stretched his act from three minutes to a proper headlining set.
• Bill: “When you first start headlining, you’re used to doing 30 minutes. Then there was like 7 minutes of ‘what the fuck’... as I’m saving my finishing move—my closing bit.”
• Bill prefers loose set lists, focusing on openers and closers but staying present enough to adapt; avoids rigid scripting (“If you’re thinking, you’re stinking”—a lesson learned from Zach Wylde).

7. Crowd Work, Bombing, and Climbing Back (52:02–63:15)

• In both comedy and wrestling, “reading the crowd” is essential.
• Bill tells stories about following comics who "blew up the room" with shock material and learning to stay true to his style rather than chase their energy (“I tried to start at 11 and had nowhere to go”).
• Bill: “So much of the stuff I learned, I learned by completely failing. And then an older comic told me how to work that out.” (54:28)
• Steve and Bill share the agony of tough crowds; the humiliation never completely fades, but you get better at laughing it off and persisting.

8. Setbacks, Burnout, and Overcoming Failure (65:49–68:23)

• Bill recounts his “failure” when moving to LA; couldn’t get booked, management dropped him, and he returned to New York.
• He focused on “getting so funny they have to book me.” Grinding through countless shows ultimately led to breakthroughs like Chappelle’s Show, HBO specials, and Opie & Anthony.
• “It was just like, I put my head down and did a million shows.” (67:44)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bill Burr (on his Prius):
  “When that thing needs to be washed, I could literally leave that car in the middle of a riot running, and no one would take it.” (17:25)

• Steve Austin (on control):
  “I got to have the steering wheel in my hands, Bill. Maybe it’s a control issue, but like, it’s like when you punch in the direction on your iPhone and Siri's telling me where to go… I got the steering wheel in my hand.” (22:34)

• Bill Burr (on comedy beginnings):
  “The first, you know, 10, 20 times you do it has nothing to do with how good or bad you’re doing. All it has to do with is… having the balls to go back up there.” (38:51)

• Steve Austin (on paying dues in wrestling):
  “For two months I worked two days a week, Friday night and Saturday morning, and the bad guys would come in and just kick the shit out of me with kendo sticks and weightlifting belts. I was paying my dues…” (45:35)

• Bill Burr (on crowd dynamics):
  “It’s a big noise that you’re controlling. Then you got to know when to bring them up, when to bring them down. That took me the longest time to learn.” (53:14)

• Bill Burr (on bombing and resilience):
  “My back and it isn’t [physically hurt], it’s me thinking about, like, you know. Yeah, I… I took some bad… [gigs]. It’s weird—the older I get, they've started to fade from my memory, but, I mean, there… yeah, there's definitely a lot of horrific gigs. Not getting paid… you're just so happy you get any stage time.” (41:05)

• Steve Austin (on the highs and lows):
  “Sometimes you go out there and you just lay a big pile of shit in the ring. Nobody gives a f—. They didn’t get with the match and just go to the back. Everybody knows you stunk the joint. God damn, I thought I knew how to do this shit.” (65:10)

• Bill Burr (on the Boston sense of humor):
  “There’s something basically about the New York, Boston all the way down to, like, Jersey area… there’s something about Boston where it’s just like… everybody’s a character.” (33:16)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 14:59 — Bill Burr joins the show, car talk, first impressions
• 18:50 — Discussion of car technology and autopilot mishaps
• 23:39 — ADD, reading habits, and memories from Boston family life
• 36:24 — Bill’s first stand-up gig and bombing stories
• 40:06 — Comedy and wrestling: paying dues and early gigs
• 46:39 — Evolving an act, building “time,” and set construction
• 53:14 — Learning crowd manipulation, memorable failures on stage
• 65:49 — Setbacks in LA, resilience, and career breakthroughs

Episode Tone and Style

Steve Austin's conversational, unfiltered Texas bravado pairs seamlessly with Bill Burr’s dry, Boston-tinged wit. The tone is forthright, often self-deprecating, owing much to the shared ethos of “paying your dues.” Listeners are treated to industry insights, locker room (and green room) war stories, and a genuine respect between masters of their respective crafts.

For Fans and Newcomers

Whether you follow wrestling, comedy, or are just a fan of hearing pros break down their trade, this episode is a masterclass in persistence, authenticity, and the brutal, hilarious grind of show business.

Stay tuned for Part Two of the Bill Burr conversation next Thursday!