100 Greatest WWE WrestleMania Moments
64. ‘Stone Cold’ Bows Out With A Loss (WrestleMania XIX)
It won't knock anyone's socks off to hear that other matches involving Steve Austin and The Rock feature higher up. That duo created some unmissable 'Mania magic together across three separate events. All of them required the pair taking a year off in between to power up and prepare to unleash some of the juiciest headliners known to man.
WrestleMania XIX was probably the worst of them, but "worst" doesn't necessarily mean the same as bad on this occasion. If anything, the third clash between these titans meant more on a deeper personal level. This would be Austin's soft retirement match - his last outing in-ring as an active talent until 2022. Granted, WWE didn't shout from rooftops about that heading into the 2003 pay-per-view, but Rocky thanking 'Stone Cold' for lifting his career up for all to see post-match did drop a clue about what was happening inside Steve's head.
The match becomes even more remarkable when learning that Austin was rushed to hospital the night before 'Mania. He suffered crippling chest pains, and the legend honestly thought he might be on the way out. Thankfully, he recovered in time to show true grit and lace up the boots 'one more time' against one of his old foes.
That spirit encapsulated everything fans loved about the 'Stone Cold' character. It'd be a lie to say 'Mania XIX was the best these dudes ever produced, but it still ruled. It also furthered the modern cliche of wrestlers somehow kicking out after multiple finishers. So, next time you watch a Young Bucks match, keep this one in mind!