WWE Legend Requested WrestleMania Main Event Match With The Rock

The Rock has revealed how he became a WWE WrestleMania main eventer.

During a recent appearance on Sports Illustrated with Mark Kerr, the UFC fighter he portrays in his upcoming movie, The Smashing Machine, the 53-year-old recalled how Stone Cold Steve Austin helped his career.

The Rattlesnake and The Brahma Bull had a fierce rivalry during the Attitude Era, which witnessed the latter take countless Stunners on multiple occasions.

Austin, who was already a well-established superstar before The Rock entered the spotlight, was the one to propose the main event match for them at WWE WrestleMania XV in 1999.

Speaking of good guys, this guy helped me so much, Mark. He was on top of the world. He saw just a little bit of potential in me, but also smart enough to know, he’s like, “Man, we got some chemistry, man. Me and you.” And I was not in a position to say, “Hey, let’s me and you work together. Let’s go headline WrestleMania.” He had to say it.

And he went on, he went to Vince McMahon in 1999, in January of 99, I think. He said, “I wanna main event WrestleMania with The Rock.” The rest is history. We went on and I went on to have just the greatest rivalry with him.

The Rock Recalls His Solitary WWE WrestleMania Win Over Stone Cold Steve Austin

The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin fought thrice at WrestleMania, with The People Champ winning only once.

He was still under his “Hollywood Rock” gimmick in 2003, but returning after six-month hiatus since wrestling Hulk Hogan at WWE SummerSlam 2002.

He was 0-2 against Austin at WrestleMania and was desperate for a win. Austin agreed to a third match between them at The Show of Shows.

The Rock gave insights about the WWE WrestleMania XIX match, too.

That, what you just saw, that picture, that was his very last wrestling match. I had the honor of wrestling him his final match. As you leave the business, it’s the right thing to do and the respectable thing to do is to lose as you leave and put this guy over. Let this guy who’s going to go on. Let him win, and he didn’t have to because he was the biggest star in wrestling.

But he did, he put me over. And as I was pinning him, I rock bottomed him three f*cking times, by the way. You know, he, like Kurt Angle, he had a broken neck. He was wrestling with a broken neck. After the one, two, three, I leaned down in his ear, I said, I love you, man. He was like, I love you too. We had that moment. [H/T: Fightful]

Also read: The Rock Snubs John Cena From List Of WWE Stars He Loved Wrestling