The Rock Vs. Steve Austin | Wrestling Timelines

March 12, 2001 - Debra

In a twist for the sake of a twist, McMahon installs Debra, a wretched and mahogany performer, as Rock’s manager - drawing the ire of her real-life husband Austin. She has negative chemistry with everybody. Austin promises to beat up anybody who harms her.

On the March 12 Raw, Angle applies an ankle lock to Rock, drawing a DQ when Rock breaks it on the rope; when Debra checks on him, Angle attacks her. Debra’s emoting drags the angle down. She stamps her feet as Angle refuses to relinquish the hold. It’s a tantrum masquerading as a plea.

Austin, deeming Rock responsible, gives him the Stunner. He walks away with a pissed expression on his face. This is a fake and poorly executed means of building the match, and it looks like he knows it.

Incredibly, before the idea is sensibly abandoned, a conflicted Debra is meant to be ringside at ‘Mania as the key beat of the story.

March 19, 2001 - Payback

The Rock and Chris Jericho team up to take on William Regal, Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit on Raw. A key opportunity to build the biggest match in company history is wasted early when Jericho, with minimal TV time remaining, reads out the alphabet before the match. He lands on the letter ‘P’ and stops because he wants to remind Regal that he unwittingly drank Jericho’s urine. The genuine wit of Kreski is becoming puerile, childish under the McMahons.

Austin breaks up a three-on-one attack so that he can get to Rock himself. Rock gives him the Rock bottom. This is more of a delicate political trade than a storyline.