10 Huge Wrestling Matches That Were Given Away On Free TV

3. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock - Raw, March 23, 1998

Before the highly acclaimed Wrestlemania main events starring The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, they met in a big match on Raw. After winning the '98 Royal Rumble, Stone Cold earned a shot against Shawn Michael's WWF Championship. As a prelude to that match with Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin would have to prove his determination by beating Intercontinental Champion The Rock, or he would lose his title shot. Not only that, but the match also had frequent interference from The Rock's fellow Nation of Domination members. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xsntat_stone-cold-steve-austin-vs-the-rock_sport While it's not regarded as highly as their later clashes, mainly due to time constraints, their meeting on Raw in early 1998 is still a classic confrontation in every definition. While it was certainly close, Stone Cold would hit The Rock with a stunner, retain his contendership and go on to beat Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania, consequently winning his first WWF Championship. While the first reference point of The Rock and Stone Cold rivalry is usually one of the Wrestlemania matches, the two had an epic collision much earlier on TV.