Bull vs. Rattlesnake
Last time of Rivalry Rewind we looked back on the feud between John Cena and CM Punk, one which proved that winning the final battle does not always win you the war. This time around we look at possibly the greatest rivalry in Wrestlemania history....Steve Austin vs. The Rock.
Before Wrestlemania XV The Rock was coming off a hot feud with Mankind, with whom he traded the WWE Title several times over the previous winter, and would be met with a new challenger, his name being 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. Although not winning the Royal Rumble, Steve Austin did make his way to Wrestlemania after Mr McMahon forfeited his shot at the WWE Title (what a relief), and would go on to challenge Rocky for the Title. The Rock was the arrogant heel Champion looking to keep the Title where he believed it rightfully belonged, where as Steve Austin was the determined face wanting to cement his legacy among the greatest in the company. After a 16 minute brawl Austin was able to defeat The Rock and claim the WWE Championship, taking the rivalry to 1-0 to Austin.
Two years later and we are in a similar situation with The Rock once again entering Mania as the WWE Champion and Steve Austin entering as the face challenger. After a 28 minute no disqualification brawl 'Stone Cold' shocked the WWE universe by using a chair handed to him by Mr McMahon and hitting the Brahma Bull 16 times, siding with the Chairman and turning heel in the process. The match was all said and done when Austin pinned the Rock and became the new Champion before shaking hands with McMahon to one of the loudest reactions in WWE history.
The third and final time the two would meet at Wrestlemania came in 2003 at Mania XIX, however this time the match was purely for bragging rights and would be drastically different to their two previous bouts. After loosing to Austin at both Mania XV and XVII, and the two stars using each others finishing moves against one another, The Rock finally got his much anticipated and well-received victory after hitting the Texas Rattlesnake with a Rock Bottom. This wasn't just Austin's last ever Mania match, but was also the match that would well and truly see out the Attitude Era.
The Rock won the final battle but lost the war. What is your opinion of this rivalry? Please comment, like, and come back soon for a bit of Money in the Bank!
Before Wrestlemania XV The Rock was coming off a hot feud with Mankind, with whom he traded the WWE Title several times over the previous winter, and would be met with a new challenger, his name being 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. Although not winning the Royal Rumble, Steve Austin did make his way to Wrestlemania after Mr McMahon forfeited his shot at the WWE Title (what a relief), and would go on to challenge Rocky for the Title. The Rock was the arrogant heel Champion looking to keep the Title where he believed it rightfully belonged, where as Steve Austin was the determined face wanting to cement his legacy among the greatest in the company. After a 16 minute brawl Austin was able to defeat The Rock and claim the WWE Championship, taking the rivalry to 1-0 to Austin.
Two years later and we are in a similar situation with The Rock once again entering Mania as the WWE Champion and Steve Austin entering as the face challenger. After a 28 minute no disqualification brawl 'Stone Cold' shocked the WWE universe by using a chair handed to him by Mr McMahon and hitting the Brahma Bull 16 times, siding with the Chairman and turning heel in the process. The match was all said and done when Austin pinned the Rock and became the new Champion before shaking hands with McMahon to one of the loudest reactions in WWE history.
The third and final time the two would meet at Wrestlemania came in 2003 at Mania XIX, however this time the match was purely for bragging rights and would be drastically different to their two previous bouts. After loosing to Austin at both Mania XV and XVII, and the two stars using each others finishing moves against one another, The Rock finally got his much anticipated and well-received victory after hitting the Texas Rattlesnake with a Rock Bottom. This wasn't just Austin's last ever Mania match, but was also the match that would well and truly see out the Attitude Era.
The Rock won the final battle but lost the war. What is your opinion of this rivalry? Please comment, like, and come back soon for a bit of Money in the Bank!
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