The Rock Vs. Steve Austin | Wrestling Timelines
25 April, 1999 - Backlash
Austin retains the title in a superior rematch.
The Corporation’s Shane is the heel ref, and he’s a refreshingly smug little prick. The facial expressions he pulls after the inevitable fast counts turn up the heat in the building.
Austin and Rock bounce around the furnace, applying the rule of the sequel to tremendous effect. The bumps are much harder this time around, the pace more frenetic. The dramatic timing is sensational. Unlike at WrestleMania, Austin and Rock extract every gasp and palpitation from the crowd. Rock is sensational at mocking Austin, using a video camera to capture his agony in a great bit - it's as if he is so hubristic that he believes he's wrestler, director, everything.
The event draws 390,000, which is best described as a modest success. Perhaps this isn’t a blow-away awesome triumph because fans no longer perceive the Rock as a heel. This position is untenable - so much so that Rock is fired from the Corporation the very next night.
He is now a face alongside Steve Austin.