The Rock Vs. Steve Austin | Wrestling Timelines

November 2, 2000 - Face To Face

The Rock Austin November 2000
WWE

The Rock calls out Steve Austin on SmackDown. The Rock, out of a sense of respect he can’t quite bring himself to articulate, is adamant that he had nothing to do with the vehicular homicide attempt.

The segment is produced after Rikishi claimed he mowed Austin down to clear Rock’s pathway to the top. The ‘island boys” were held down for too long, is Rikishi’s motive; “I did it for the Rock” is his widely mocked way of putting it.

It is a continuation of a daft storyline, but the atmosphere, holy sh*t. The fans chant “Austin!” and “Rocky!”, but they don’t take turns to volley it in a performative way. It is the sound of a crowd divided right down the middle.

They are screaming over the top of one another.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!