10 Most Anticipated Wrestling Rematches Ever
7. Steve Austin Vs. The Rock (WWE WrestleMania XIX)
This was the final match in Steve Austin and The Rock’s fantastic WrestleMania trilogy, and with the series sitting at 2-0 in Stone Cold’s favour, Rocky needed the victory. Other than eliminating him in a WWE vs. WCW/ECW Alliance match at Survivor Series 2001, The Great One had never actually pinned Austin in a WWE ring, and he had everything to prove before leaving for Hollywood.
Austin was playing face again after his corporate heel turn two years prior, while The Rock’s forthcoming movie career had seen him go from People’s Champion to a reviled, self-indulgent heel. The build-up saw Austin announced as WWE’s Superstar of the Decade, an acknowledgement that infuriated The Rock to no end, and when Austin returned from an eight-month absence, the challenge was set.
It doesn’t get much bigger than Austin vs. The Rock, regardless of the time period. The match wasn’t the night’s main event, but it was comfortably the most looked-forward-to match of the night, and possibly the whole year. The Rock and Austin were set to finally conclude their years-long feud on the grandest stage of them all, and the world’s eyes were upon them.
Did they deliver? Of course they did. Stone Cold fought like a madman, but his last ditch offence couldn’t topple The Rock, who finally avenged his two previous losses after three Rock Bottoms.