Ranking The Rock's WWE WrestleMania Matches From Worst To Best
6. Vs. Steve Austin (WrestleMania XV)
The good news is that this match effortlessly steals the show. In combination with Austin’s coronation this time last year, it’s the birth of the Attitude Era, a wild, totally overbooked, breakneck bout with an emphasis on twists and turns (they burn through four referees in 16 minutes) rather than in-ring work.
The worse news: this wasn’t exactly a hard show to steal, with an all-time worst ‘Taker fight and the Brawl For All finale getting the headlines to this point. That’s all to say that this is the least of these era defining stars’ matches, lacking the scale and the pathos of those that would follow.
It feels at times like the bookers don’t quite trust the sheer star power of Rock and Austin to carry the match in the ring. They bump all around the outside, showboat and brawl into the crowd. Before too long, Vince is involved (a theme over the next handful of ‘Manias), and the whole thing descends into chaos.
Still, the chemistry between the two stars is clear for all to see. Rock and Austin bring out the best in each other, and the match singlehandedly elevates this card. They do everything they can with the fairly brief time they have; ultimately, it’s a taster for what’s to come.