The Rock Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Feud Overview
The rivalry between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin stands as one of the most significant rivalries in professional wrestling. It defined the WWF/WWE’s Attitude Era from 1997 to 2003 and gave fans three WrestleMania main events that still hold up to this day.
Yes, championships were on the line plenty of times, but this rivalry was really about two personalities pulling the company in opposite directions and forcing fans to take sides.
The contrast between them made it work. Austin was the blue-collar, beer-drinking Texas rattlesnake who said what he meant and fought straight ahead. The Rock was the flashy showman with catchphrases for every situation and a smug grin that drove people crazy. Austin spoke for the working class, while The Rock embodied entertainment and ego. Together, they represented everything that made the Attitude Era feel larger than life.
It all started with the Intercontinental Championship in late 1997. On Raw, The Rock stole Austin’s title belt and declared himself the real champion. That set up a meeting at In Your House: D-Generation X on December 7, where Austin beat The Rock to keep the belt.
The very next night, Vince McMahon tried to book a rematch, but Austin wanted no part of it. He walked down to the ring, handed the title to The Rock, and even raised his hand like he was the winner. The crowd bought into it for a second, then Austin dropped him with a Stunner. He told The Rock, “DTA! Don’t trust anybody!” and promised fans they’d see what he planned to do with the belt the following week.
A week later, The Rock was in the ring with the Nation of Domination when a video cut in. Austin stood on a bridge with the title in his hand. He tossed the Intercontinental Championship into the river and said he didn’t need it. This made it clear the feud wasn’t just about a mid-card belt. It was about two men trying to prove who was the face of the company.
By 1999, both had reached main event status. The Rock was Vince McMahon’s chosen corporate champion. Austin was still the defiant anti-hero the fans were riding with. Their first WrestleMania main event came on March 28 at WrestleMania XV in Philadelphia, with Austin beating The Rock for the WWF Championship.
On Raw a few weeks later, The Rock threw Austin and the Smoking Skull championship (a personalized belt Austin had made with smoking skulls and rattlesnakes on the center plate) off a bridge in Detroit. It was a direct callback to the 1997 segment and kept the feud hot going into Backlash 1999, where Austin retained again in a chaotic match that had Shane McMahon as the referee and the Smoking Skull belt hanging in the balance.
Their next collision at the top came two years later. By 2001, The Rock was carrying the company as the babyface champion. Austin, fresh off his Royal Rumble win, was determined to take back the spotlight. Their rematch at WrestleMania X-Seven in Houston is still looked at as one of the biggest matches in WWE history.
It was a brutal, no-disqualification fight that ended when Vince McMahon came down and openly helped Austin. After a chair assault, Austin pinned The Rock and then shook hands with McMahon. Fans were stunned. The anti-hero who had fought against the boss for years had just aligned himself with him. That turn gave the feud a new edge and showed that the story still had layers left.
The trilogy closed at WrestleMania XIX on March 30, 2003, in Seattle. There was no title on the line this time, but the stakes were still clear. It was about pride, closure, and legacy. The Rock was trying to balance his Hollywood career with wrestling, while Austin was still trying to compete through injuries that were about to end his career.
The match carried an emotional weight that went beyond the usual main event. The Rock finally beat Austin on the WrestleMania stage, and the moment grew even more meaningful when Austin quietly left the ring afterward for what turned out to be his last bout as a full-time wrestler.
Looking back, this feud worked because it had everything. Memorable promos, wild TV segments, and three WrestleMania matches that each felt important in their own way. The Intercontinental title storyline set the tone by showing just how personal things could become.
Their WrestleMania matches during the Attitude Era proved they could carry the entire company. And the final chapter at WrestleMania XIX brought closure, not only to Austin’s career but to the rivalry itself. For a lot of fans, this wasn’t just the greatest rivalry of its era. It’s used as the measuring stick for every feud that came after.
