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.
Key Matches
The WrestleMania XV main event between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin was a wild, chaotic, and physical No Disqualification match for the WWF Championship. And it had added drama before it even began. Mr. McMahon made his way to the ring and attempted to appoint himself as the special guest referee, only to be immediately confronted by WWF Commissioner Shawn Michaels, who reminded him that only the Commissioner held that authority.
Michaels barred McMahon and all Corporation members from ringside, stripping The Rock of his corporate safety net and handing officiating duties to Mankind.
The match kicked off aggressively, with The Rock immediately taunting Austin and interrupting his trademark salute to the crowd. Both wrestlers immediately rushed each other, trading punches and quickly taking the action outside the ring.
The intense fighting soon spilled into the audience and around the arena, with Stone Cold at one point throwing The Rock into the massive WrestleMania XV logo. As they made their way back ringside, tensions escalated with each wrestler spitting water into the other’s face and both using the steel barriers, ring steps, and announcing tables to inflict damage.
When the fight returned to the ring, Austin initially appeared in control, but The Rock managed to regain momentum, hitting his finishing move, the Rock Bottom. Austin surprised everyone by kicking out of the pin attempt. Frustrated, The Rock grabbed a steel chair intending to finish Austin off, but Austin countered with a swift kick, causing The Rock to lose his grip on the chair. As Austin attempted to swing back, The Rock pulled the referee into the line of fire, causing him to roll out of the ring injured and leaving the match temporarily without an official.
Seizing this opportunity, The Rock regained momentum and began to target Austin’s injured left knee.
After landing another chair shot to Stone Cold’s head, The Rock made another pin attempt as a replacement referee rushed in, but Austin again kicked out at two. After some back and forth, The Rock was able to land a Samoan Drop and went for the pin again, but once again, Stone Cold kicked out on two.
The Rock’s frustration had finally boiled over, leading him to hit another Rock Bottom, but this time on the second referee. Austin capitalized on the distraction, delivering a Stone Cold Stunner to The Rock, but even with a third referee coming in quickly for the count, The Rock was able to also kick out on two.
In the dramatic final moments, Vince McMahon arrived and made his way into the ring, knocking out the third referee and viciously stomping Austin in the corner. Moments later, Mankind stormed down to ringside dressed in referee gear, attacking Mr. McMahon and forcing him out of the ring.
After a quick rollup pin attempt by Austin failed, The Rock delivered another Rock Bottom and attempted his signature “Corporate Elbow”. Austin rolled away at the last possible second, sprang up, and delivered a decisive Stone Cold Stunner. With Mankind counting the final pinfall, Stone Cold Steve Austin secured the victory and became the new WWF Champion, sending the crowd into a frenzy as WrestleMania XV concluded.
At WrestleMania X‑Seven on April 1, 2001, The Rock faced Stone Cold Steve Austin in a no‑disqualification match for the WWF Championship. Austin earned the title opportunity by winning the 2001 Royal Rumble, while The Rock had reclaimed the championship at No Way Out.
Their rivalry was already intense, but personal tension escalated when Vince McMahon forced Austin’s wife, Debra, into the Rock’s corner, with Austin vowing to hold both the Rock and McMahon responsible if she was harmed.
From the opening bell, the match exploded into chaos. The Rock and Austin unleashed a brutal brawl inside the ring and at ringside, using rings, chairs, monitors, and the ring bell as weapons. Both were busted open from brutal strikes with the bell, which heightened the intensity of the match and amped up the crowd.
The match saw both competitors trading signature holds and finishers. The Rock locked in a Sharpshooter, which Austin countered with one of his own. Austin then followed up with the Million Dollar Dream submission (a callback to his early persona as the Ringmaster). The Rock retaliated by stunning Austin with a Stone Cold Stunner, which drew a huge crowd reaction and a near fall.
The turning point came when Vince McMahon appeared ringside. After The Rock delivered a spinebuster and hit the People’s Elbow, he went for a pin, but McMahon slid into the ring and pulled The Rock off the cover just before the three-count.
Furious, The Rock chased McMahon around the ring and back inside, only to run into a Rock Bottom from Austin. Austin then hit a low blow and motions over to McMahon, who brings a steel chair into the ring.
With the Rock held in place by Austin, McMahon delivered a chair shot, revealing a shocking alliance between the longtime rivals. But even after all of that, The Rock manages to kick out, keeping the match alive.
With frustration mounting, Austin snaps. He unloads on The Rock with sixteen vicious chair shots, finally pinning The Rock to win the WWF Championship. The stunned crowd watched in disbelief as Austin shook hands with McMahon and celebrated with beers, confirming his heel turn.
This 28-minute main event is widely regarded as one of WrestleMania’s greatest. It combined raw emotion, violent action, and a historic character shift that altered WWE’s direction. Austin’s alignment with McMahon symbolized the end of the Attitude Era and remains a landmark moment in wrestling history. The match is still celebrated for its storytelling, intensity, and the lasting impact it had on the careers of both superstars.
The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIX on March 30th, 2003, marked the final chapter in one of wrestling’s most iconic rivalries. Austin returned as the fan-favorite anti-hero, while The Rock had embraced his role as a smug, Hollywood heel. There were no special stipulations for the match, but the emotional stakes were high as Austin had never lost to Rock at WrestleMania.
From the bell, Rock targeted Austin’s injured left knee, slamming him on the announce table, stomping it repeatedly, wrapping it around the ring post, and applying a Sharpshooter. At one point outside the ring, The Rock puts on Austin’s vest, mocking him in a blatant show of disrespect.
Austin is able to fight back with his classic brawling offense, hitting a Lou Thesz press, mudhole stomps, and an elbow drop for a two-count.
As both men regrouped, The Rock nailed a flying clothesline and turned to play to the crowd, soaking in a mix of cheers and boos. When he shifts his attention back to the match, the Texas Rattlesnake is there waiting and delivers a Rock Bottom, but it only amounts to a two-count.
Austin then went for a Stunner, but The Rock countered it by catching his boot and hitting a Stunner of his own. He covered Austin, but again only got a near fall.
After both slowly get back to their feet again, The Rock pummels Austin with his signature “People’s Punches” but right before he delivers the final blow, Austin ducks underneath and drops him with a Stunner. Austin immediately goes for a pin, but The Rock kicks out again after another two-count.
Tensions grew when Austin shoved the referee out of frustration, and The Rock capitalized on the referee not looking with a low blow. This allowed him to set up his trademark People’s Elbow, but Austin rolled out at the last second. Austin then attempts a quick Stunner, but The Rock blocks it and pushes him against the ropes to set up a spinebuster.
Throwing away Austin’s vest, The Rock is finally able to land The People’s Elbow and attempts another pin, but Austin kicks out once more, refusing to stay down.
The Rock, full of momentum and energy, waits for Austin to get to his feet. As soon as he turns around, Austin is hit with a Rock Bottom. When the pin attempt fails, Rock stands over him, stalking and waiting for his next opening.
Despite using what little energy he has left to resist, Austin can’t stop Rock from hitting a second Rock Bottom.
When that pin also comes up short, Rock has had enough. He steps back and waits for Austin to rise one last time before delivering a third consecutive Rock Bottom to finally shut down Steve Austin and pin him for the win.
With that win, The Rock finally overcame his WrestleMania hoodoo against Austin, and Austin bowed out of active competition. The confrontation tied off their long arc and marked a symbolic handoff.
Though many fans view their WrestleMania X7 bout as their finest match, WrestleMania XIX remains meaningful with the emotional blow-off, the drama of Austin’s final battle, and the symbolic passing from one legend to another.
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