The Rock Vs. Steve Austin | Wrestling Timelines

November 3, 2001 - Here?

Rock Austin Rebellion
WWE

Since it doesn’t count, and won’t burn out the domestic audience, Austin and Rock clash for the WWF title at the UK-exclusive Rebellion PPV. It’s a WCW Vs. WWF match, technically, but is very much not the long-held pipe dream. It’s between two WWF guys, for a start.

Their chemistry is so well-established and the dynamic so booking-proof that the match verges on great. This is atypical for these England shows, which are often a glorified vacation for the roster.

Austin wins when Kurt Angle, his SummerSlam opponent but now Alliance stablemate, helps him win. The frequency of turns is absurd. There are multiple flaws to the Invasion storyline, but the constant changes in allegiance make it seem as though neither side is worth fighting for. The lapsed WCW fans have not followed their midcard acts over to the WWF, and WWF fans have been conditioned for years to receive WCW as a small-time imitator. This stigma is even harder to shake, since the WWF doesn’t really want people to think otherwise and the real stars (Hulk Hogan et al.) are able to sit at home, since their existing WCW contracts are still paying out.

The WWF is in shambles.

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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!