The Rock Vs. Steve Austin | Wrestling Timelines
May 31, 2002 - “The Bottom Line Is That Everything Sucks”
The WWF is in a different mess. A sense of desperation is rampant. Austin refuses a match against Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania X8, fearing that he’ll be made to look foolish by the returning master politician. The Rock takes the inevitable Hogan scene-hogging in his stride to create magic. Austin takes a consolation win over Scott Hall. It’s bad and unimportant and he takes an unplanned night off on Raw the next night.
It doesn’t last, but the Hogan nostalgia tour further enrages Austin.
Steve Austin shares the frustrations of fans, and articulates his fury on WWE’s web series ‘Byte This’. It’s meant to be a candid insight into the backstage machinations of the promotion, but it’s not meant to go this far.
Austin says the writing is terrible. “The bottom line is that everything sucks,” Austin says to beleaguered host Kevin Kelly. He says the writing is “piss-poor” and could be “a hell of a lot better”. He does note that he’s still “happy”.
This changes very quickly.
June 10, 2002 - Get The F Out
Austin no-shows Raw when he’s asked to do a job to the emerging undefeated super-heel Brock Lesnar. It’s a televised King of the Ring qualifier with no build, consistent with WWE’s rash and unsuccessful new philosophy of doing everything too quickly to create a shortcut back to the big numbers. Austin reasons that this should be a pay-per-view match. He quits on the spot.
An instruction is issued on Raw: Austin is persona non grata, a disgrace, and he must be buried. Jim Ross buries him. Vince buries him, but toasts the end of his career with a beer.
The Rock says it, too. “Austin can take his ball and go home,” he says during a rah-rah speech. He looks a bit conflicted, but the rift is real.