100 Greatest WWE WrestleMania Moments
33. Austin & The Rock’s First Headliner (WrestleMania XV)
1999 was a lucrative year for the WWF, but it was a topsy turvy one creatively. Though many of the more miserable moments were still to come later on, it's fair to say that '99s Royal Rumble had been one of the worst bouts in the pay-per-view series yet. It hinged on hatred between Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon; without that, it would've been completely useless.
Thankfully, WrestleMania XV was better. Austin met The Rock on the biggest show of the year for the very first time, and they had a wild brawl that logically tied in more of the Austin vs. McMahon chaos with a tiny sprinkling of Mick Foley backstory and Shawn Michaels-led drama before the bell sounded. 'Stone Cold' was already cosy as the main man in the WWF by the spring of 1999, but The Rock was still rising.
It's amazing that he looked like he'd been headlining these shows all along. Take a bow, 'Great One'.
People are often split on which match they prefer. 'Mania XV, X-Seven and XIX all had unique things on offer, but the original was boosted by the benefit of freshness. Fans had watched this pair war over the Intercontinental Title, and now they were further up the card fighting over the richest prize. It felt natural, and Austin was the right winner.
Being honest, some were still reeling after seeing The Undertaker literally hang Big Boss Man from Hell In A Cell minutes before. However, Austin vs. Rock (with the McMahon sideshow) proved dramatic enough to steal everyone's attention away from that clanger.