No rivalry defined WWE's Attitude Era like Stone Cold Steve Austin against The Rock. They main-evented three WrestleManias against each other, XV in 1999, X-Seven in 2001 and XIX in 2003, and traded the WWF Championship across the most successful run the company has ever had. Austin won the first two WrestleManias; The Rock won the last, which turned out to be Austin's final match for 19 years.
Across their four singles meetings on WrestleMania and Backlash, Austin leads 3–1. This page covers each of those matches, how the rivalry was built, a comparison of both careers, the crowd reaction to their most famous moments and our verdict.
Head-to-head record
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock: Austin 3–1 at WrestleMania and Backlash. Every big-event meeting between the two, oldest first.
| # | Date | Event | Venue | Match | Result | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 28, 1999 | WrestleMania XV | First Union Center, Philadelphia | No Disqualification · WWF Championship | Stone Cold Steve Austin won | Stunner |
| 2 | Apr 25, 1999 | Backlash 1999 | Providence Civic Center, Providence, Rhode Island | No Holds Barred · WWF Championship | Stone Cold Steve Austin won | Stunner, Shane McMahon as referee |
| 3 | Apr 1, 2001 | WrestleMania X-Seven | Reliant Astrodome, Houston | No Disqualification · WWF Championship | Stone Cold Steve Austin won | Chair shots with Vince McMahon's help |
| 4 | Mar 30, 2003 | WrestleMania XIX | Safeco Field, Seattle | Singles | The Rock won | Three Rock Bottoms |
Every match: our commentary
WrestleMania XV · Mar 28, 1999
The Rock was the McMahons' corporate champion and Austin the anti-authority hero. The match was a brawl through the crowd with two referees taken out and Vince McMahon at ringside. Austin hit the Stunner, a third referee counted three and Austin won back the WWF Championship to close WrestleMania.
Backlash 1999 · Apr 25, 1999
The rematch had Shane McMahon as special referee and The Rock stealing Austin's personal title belt. Vince McMahon turned on his son and counted the pin himself after a Stunner, and Austin retained. It confirmed Austin as the top star while making The Rock's case to be next.
WrestleMania X-Seven · Apr 1, 2001
Often named the greatest WrestleMania match of the era, this time The Rock was champion and Austin the challenger in his home state. In the closing stretch Austin shook hands with Vince McMahon and used a chair on The Rock over and over until he stayed down. Austin won the title and turned heel in front of 67,925 fans in Texas, a twist that still splits opinion.
WrestleMania XIX · Mar 30, 2003
The Rock had turned arrogant Hollywood heel and told Austin he had never beaten him at WrestleMania. He needed three Rock Bottoms to do it. Austin, nursing neck problems, did not wrestle again until WrestleMania 38 in 2022. In a quiet moment after the bell The Rock leaned down to thank him, the most cited image of their final match.
The backstory
Austin and The Rock first crossed paths in 1997, when Austin was the WWF's breakout anti-hero and The Rock a member of the Nation of Domination. By late 1998 The Rock had become Vince McMahon's 'Corporate Champion' and Austin his enemy, which put them on a collision course for WrestleMania XV.
The rivalry worked because both men were at their best on the microphone at the same time, and because the roles kept changing. The Rock went from villain to the most popular star in the company while Austin was out injured in 1999 and 2000, and by WrestleMania X-Seven the crowd was split almost evenly. Austin's heel turn that night reversed the dynamic for a year.
The final match in 2003 was framed by The Rock's turn into a sneering Hollywood star and Austin's fragile neck. It ended the rivalry on The Rock's terms, and it ended Austin's full-time career.
Tale of the tape
| Stone Cold Steve Austin | The Rock | |
|---|---|---|
| Billed height / weight | 6 ft 2 in · 252 lb | 6 ft 5 in · 260 lb |
| WWF debut | 1996 | November 1996 (Survivor Series) |
| WWF/WWE Championship reigns | 6 | 8 (plus 2 WCW titles) |
| Royal Rumble wins | 3 (1997, 1998, 2001) | 1 (2000) |
| Signature finish | Stone Cold Stunner | Rock Bottom / People's Elbow |
| Hall of Fame | Class of 2009 | — |
By the numbers
| Head-to-head stat | Stone Cold Steve Austin | The Rock |
|---|---|---|
| Big-event singles wins vs. each other | 3 | 1 |
| WrestleMania record vs. each other | 2–1 | 1–2 |
| WWF title changes in their matches | 2 (both to Austin) | 0 |
| Main events of WrestleMania together | 3 | 3 |
How fans and critics reacted
WrestleMania X-Seven is regularly ranked among the greatest WrestleMania main events, but Austin's heel turn that night is just as regularly called a mistake, including later by Austin himself, because Texas fans had come to cheer him.
WrestleMania XIX was received as an emotional farewell more than a great match. Austin later said he had been to hospital the night before the show, and the post-match moment between the two men is remembered more than any move in it.
Our take
Austin wins this rivalry on the record, 3–1, and with two WrestleMania main-event wins. The Rock won the last word, which matters in wrestling, but he needed three Rock Bottoms against a man who was wrestling his last match on a damaged neck.
Our pick for the one match to watch is WrestleMania X-Seven: two stars at their peak, a near-50/50 crowd and an ending people are still arguing about 25 years later.
Our verdict: Stone Cold Steve Austin.
FAQ
How many times did The Rock and Stone Cold wrestle at WrestleMania?
Three times, all in the main event: WrestleMania XV (1999) and X-Seven (2001), both won by Austin, and WrestleMania XIX (2003), won by The Rock.
What was Stone Cold's last match?
His last match of his full-time career was against The Rock at WrestleMania XIX on March 30, 2003. He returned for one match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38 in 2022.
Who won the Rock vs. Austin rivalry?
Austin leads their big-event singles matches 3–1.
More rivalries
Sources: Wikipedia: WrestleMania XV · Wikipedia: Backlash (1999) · Wikipedia: WrestleMania X-Seven · Wikipedia: WrestleMania XIX. Facts verified Oct 18, 2026.