Even as the fans anticipated Austin regaining the WWE Championship that was ripped away from him by McMahon, then-heel Rock was gaining on Stone Cold in popularity. Even as the braggadocios face of the Corporation, Rock's catchphrases, timing, and charisma were on a level never before seen in wrestling. Austin was the expected winner of the title bout, but greater days were certainly ahead for Rock. Indeed, "The Great One" turned face a bit more than a month after WrestleMania, and never looked back. When Austin had necessary spinal surgery in late-1999 that put him out for almost a year, The Rock seamlessly stepped in as the face of WWE and the Attitude Era alike. A WrestleMania main event only further galvanized the unstoppable push to new horizons.