Ranking The Rock's WWE WrestleMania Matches From Worst To Best
3. Vs. Steve Austin (WrestleMania XIX)
While Cena and Rock’s WrestleMania bouts repeated the same beats, Rock’s clashes with Austin did something totally different each time. The first two had screwy booking and pure hatred, respectively, as their bedrocks. This one’s a slightly more elegiac affair - the end of an era.
The Attitude Era goes beyond Rock and Austin, of course, but they’re the building blocks, and they see it out in style here. This match is much more ring-based, with Rock chipping away at Austin’s busted knees, while the Rattlesnake summoned every ounce of strength to gut out the onslaught.
In the end it descends to a heavyweight exchange of finishers. Unbeknownst to almost anyone, this was to be Stone Cold’s retirement match (until 2022), and he was at least to do the job to Rocky. He wasn’t going out quietly, though, taking Rock Bottom after Rock Bottom until finally looking up at the lights.
It’s overwrought in its own way, but it’s fantastic to see these two titans, both with at least one foot half out the door, pulling out the stops one last time.