Never the time was just right, you had veteran talent and or athletic people that learned really well on the fly, also a lot of the angles back then were fresh. Some of the late nineties content holds up, however, it is shocking to me, how much of it does.
@@triggatrey15thgasup lol, even if Punk has one of the sharpest wrestling minds, he is way past his prime. Moxley is unfiltered garbage and doesnt deserve to be put in the same sentence.
It really blows my mind that Stone Cold turned out to be an even bigger star than HH. Growing up in the 80s, you never thought anyone was ever going to beat out Hogan as the biggest star, and you didn't even realize it was happening as it happened even though you were wearing Austin's t shirts
During this era my childhood was absolute shit. Bad parents, lots of drunks, you get the picture... And then when WWE RAW came on that all went away. I saw the good side to that bad attitude. And I am so grateful for this time period in wrestling. 🙏 It kept me sane, gave me strength, and gave me hope.
Austin and Rock were just magic together. Two megastars in their prime, in the same company, at the right time. Both having a love and passion for the business, both competing for that No1 spot. Iron sharpens iron, and they both brought out the best in each other.
@@DannieRay23 Probably. Cornette has never had a bad word to say about either one so they wouldn't have any reason not to. Hell, Corny's known Austin longer than most people listening to this have been alive.
@@DannieRay23 Cornette and Austin are friends and have done each other's pods. I'm sure he's friendly with Rocky as well. Both probably respect Jim and are fans of his work as a manager in the territory days.
@@iamdb1990 yeah 2002-2007 was okay yeah there was alot of shit on the showz but guys like taker batista cena edge mysterio Eddie beniot michaels they did there thing and alot of fans still liked that era and they was still doing good numbers. It was after the benoit situation and then the turning pg everything seem to just get worse yearly after that creatively
There's never been a better segment than Nation of Domination Rock. Simmon's struggle and grit vs Rocky's panache and flash was so perfect. It was like a first generation businessman handing off his hard built empire to his spoiled kid.
lol I remember those days, and you can see that Rock was being positioned to be the next "leader" of the NoD, he was easily the most charismatic and entertaining guy out the whole group and that's what counts, people for some reason don't realize this and this is precisely why wrestling is in the state it's in today because we don't have any more "Rocks" etc.
I was at the Wrestlemania at Philadelphia for Austin/Rock I. I can tell you, there was a 50/50 split in the crowd. Rock was so over as the corporate heel champ that he did what no one else could do or has ever done: turn some fans against Austin.
Definitely the opposite in Houston. I was at 17 in Houston and we all wanted the Rock to die. One of the main reasons why turning Austin heel when everybody wanted to cheer our hero was so aggravating
@@swam2922 but there lies the problem. Imagine how dumb it would look if RVD turned heel at One Night Stand 2006 or CM Punk turned on the MITB crowd in Chicago when everyone was there to see Cena die. That’s exactly what it felt like seeing Austin join McMahon in Houston; a huge slap in the face
My all time 2 favorite wrestlers and one of the greatest if not the greatest rivalry of all time and 2 of the biggest wrestlers that was a record setting era OH HELL YEAH!! DO YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING!!
Austin and Rock were lightning in a bottle, I think it’s going to be a long time before we see something like that again. Sucked so hard, when these two called it quits 😔
They did it right. Leave when your hot. And you'll forever be over. As they both have demonstrated time and time again when their music hits and getting a bigger reaction 20 plus years later than current talent.
These two just captivated a whole generation of fans even if they was working a program together or not. Yeah the characters were over the top and larger than life but thats what got everybody excited about them because they knew how to work the crowd just little subtle movements they did especially the rock the way he would walk or move his head doing a promo it was just over and same with austin even as recently as mania against owens after he challenged him that look he gave to the hard camera asif he was just looking at the audience at home like this shits on now. was just great he just knew what to do. And there matches at mania and the build to all three was just outstanding like you go back and watch them packages and it's just night and day to what you see today
@p!nned by- Official Jim Cornette• Considering I'm completely scared of technology, this reply looks like a porn link to me! My apologies if it is actually JC bc I'd definitely shake your hand and talk about Kayfabe all day!
A lot of people underestimated Rock's in ring work. Was he a all time great worker, no. But Rock's work was the best it couldve been due to his natural athleticism and work ethic. Rock wasnt traveling and working for 10 years before he got on WWF tv. He took it seriously, worked his ass off, and became great for his background, not including his maternal side of the family was made to wrestle lol.
@@blairrobert3438 I watched him play at the University of Miami. Dwayne Johnson was not going to play in the NFL. If he had that kind of talent, he would have been playing alongside Sapp, instead of being Sapp's 2nd string.
This rivalry was so awesome. Both Austin and The Rock made Monday nights so amazing growing up whether if they were feuding with each other or in separate feuds. Stone Cold was the reason I think as a kid I switched to watching WWF more than WCW in 1998. I had watched WCW starting in 1996 and in 1997. Although I was still enjoying the NWO stuff, for some reason I think Stone Cold rising to the top in 1996 to 1997 and finally really making it in 1998 is what changed wrestling. The comedy stuff alone with Vince Mcmahon with the beer trucks, the zamboni's, the monster trucks, attacking him in the "medical facility," etc. Just classic moments. Rock had some amazing promos. I really loved the one he did with Jericho when they were talking about Stephanie Mcmahon's boob job and The Rock was ripping on Booker T. Rock's Run in 2003 with the promos on Hogan and Goldberg were hilarious too.
Austin's heel turn traumatized me. And killed it for me for sure. I followed in and out the rest of 2001. He switched back at the end of the year. But damn, it wasn't the same for me.
I was 8 in 2001 and I remember so much of his heel run that year. It’s a run of his that I’ll always enjoy, but his 1998 run is the best he had. Nothing tops that.
I was in high school when Stone Cold turned heel. He really pissed me off with his heel turn. I felt so betrayed when he aligned with Vince McMahon. If u go back and look at the ratings, his heel turn tanked the business. In fact the invasion wasn't supposed to happen until 2002, but it was sped up due to poor ratings. Plus The Rock left for 4 months the day after the heel turn, so Austin didn't have a face on his level to feud with
@@misterx6276 The move was good, but as you said, it was ill-timed. Fate wasn't on wwe's side even if Vince bought the competition. The Rock was leaving for Hollywood to do Mummy Returns after X-7. HHH got injured during the Two men power trip alliance just before summer 2001. You need a babyface who can attract the people and gain their support to counter a strong brutal heel. And who can do that job better the Rock, who was just 28 and had scores to settle with both McMahon and Austin? Even HHH would've gained support from the fans if he wasn't injured and WWE ran "who ran over Austin" story again with Austin turning on HHH to get back at him and also for the loss at NWO 2001. Angle was still a goof in 2001. 2001 looked rushed. They were building Angle as a legit top player and then he had to drop the title to the Rock at NWO 2001, who would drop it to Austin in an anticlimactic fashion at X-7 and then leave fot Hollywood.
Loved this episode of Rivals. I feel so lucky to have been 14 years old in 2001 and watching WM17 live on pay-per-view with a few buds and absolutely losing my shit. Younger people will just never understand. Not to mention, as many times as I’ve watched it since, it still makes me feel the exact same way every single time.
So true. Austin and Rock drew because they were funny but also serious at the same time. It wasn't a cartoon or just a gymnastics routine between two guys with no story.
I'm so thankful to be able to have lived to see some of these feuds wwf getting to see the rock n roll and midnight express as a little boy. Getting to see all the Cartoony guys in the late 80s watching Shawn and Bret.... Masato Tanaka and Mike Awesomes feud in ECW. So many good memories getting to see the Von Erichs in Texas getting to see The Dingo Warrior before he was The Ultimate Warrior. Great times! I honestly don't think there will ever be a feud like we had with the Rock and Steve or any other legendary feuds from the past for that matter!
Having Rock and Austin in one era is the wrestling equivalent to Messi and Ronaldo. It will never be topped. Rock was always my favourite, but appreciate how popular Austin was. Both legends
Guerrero’s death; Benoit’s horrific crimes; the pg era; Cena’s mega push; TNA’s downfall (because it canceled the possibility of a credible and solid alternative); WWE becoming publicly traded; the corporate talking (superstars, sports entertainment, etc); incessant hot-shotting that might have drawn but ultimately numbed and desensitized the audience (wm x7 tlc, Foley’s hell in a cell,etc); the beginning of scripted promos; when they hired tv writers instead of bookers; the rise of mma; wcw and ecw closing operations…. It’s a long list of factors that contributed to wrestling’s current crisis. A perfect storm
No. The Attitude Era killed the popularity of wrestling because there’s nothing else to follow after you’ve cussed, flipped the bird, had DX and broke every rule. Wrestling will pop again though.
They couldn't follow up that move. Trips got injured, the Rock had already left for Hollywood to do Mummy Returns, there was no strong face to counter a brutal heel Austin. Angle was still a goofy, the whole "what" stuff looked cringe. I wish Trips wasn't injured, they could've re run the "who ran over Austin" story with Austin turning on HHH. That would've been a great story.
@@chuckmendez8446 i would not blame Cena for WWE losing popularity. if anything, the Gen-Z wrestling fans were probably enamored with Cena. Cena i'm sure pissed off a lot of the Attitude Era/ECW fans, but at his peak, he was a megastar hands down
@@WZ912 but that shit is still impressive cuz Austin is out but they still made a good product you even cant almost do that shit today without Roman, Cody and Seth lol
I've loved jim Cornette since I saw him on the N.W.A on TBS. Midnight express is in my top 3 tag teams. Road warriors, Midnight express, and rock n roll express. And Steiner Brothers are also close to top.
It's amazing to me how when Rock came to the WWF and he was this smiling babyface, the fans hated him so much "Die rocky die" they switched him heel But the same thing happened with Reigns and they kept pushing and pushing for him to be a face Eventually they let him be a heel and the fans ate It up But why did It take so long?
@@EwanCumia that made It even weirder when he came out and spoke about his cancer So people were cheering him and not long later he turned Just when they began to cheer
Why didn't they do that with Cena? He could've been over like The Rock and Austin if he had an edge to his character with his charisma and mic skills even Hogan went heel once he got stale and formed the greatest faction of all time the nwo.
You know, I'd love to see a documentary from the standpoint of all the wrestlers who worked with Rock in wrestling and how they feel about him now that he's one of the world's biggest movie stars. Did anyone call it back in the day? Do we have any interviews from back then about how they thought it was going to go when he first got into movies? I think it would be intersting.
Austin was my hero when I was a kid, and when he sided with Vince at X7, I just stopped caring about wrestling. I started missing Raw episodes, then the WCW stuff happened and I was just so checked out because my hero sold out to the evil empire.
Am I wrong? JC is saying these 31 words in about 100,000 words. The organic development of natural stars in front of a live crowd is a thing of the past because even if a performer has it, they're not allowed to use it.
Stone Cold v Rock just defined the era weirdly as Stone cold was THE face the era but he needed the Rock rivalry to to define him more than him vs Vince Mcmahon as the Rock was a wrestling rivalry
in 2021 I believe Austin was still the number 1 merch seller. If we had the same access to internet and spending habits Austin may have doubled his sales or more back in the day.. not to mention how common bootlegging was back then compared to now
That five year span of time, from 98 to 03, no matter how many times they went back to Rock vs Austin, it always felt like a big deal, bigger than everything else they had on the show.
Wwe somehow made TWO generational megastars at the same time Anyone who says guys today like hangman omega etc are over is delusional Austin and rock was more over then god Nothing got you more exciting then literally just seeing rock and austin have a face off
You sir are absolutely correct, when Austin turned, the ppl realized he was playing his part in the wrestling. And they now everyone is just waiting for the turn.
The Rock admitted that when they were grooming him to be the Champion many of the boys were against it. Especially Shawn Michaels. But it was people like Undertaker that encouraged him to Just go out and do what you do and you will get there. He also said he was surprised by Undertaker when it was decided that He would beat The Undertaker. He said when he heard he was beating Undertaker flat, he went up to Undertaker and asked do you want to change it to where I cheat to win. Undertaker said no kid, its your time. Beat me fair in the middle of the ring. Then he said he got along really well with Stone Cold. You could tell that while they faced each other.
What I love most about this rivalry is that behind the scenes, Rock and Austin had healthy animosity with each other. They were always professional and respectful but they both individually were determined to one up the other and out of that competetive jealousy is why both were able to get the best out of each other
They always clearly respected each other, in terms of wrestling and overall charisma. I remember when I saw Rocky as the gay bodyguard in the movie "Be Cool". I was truly stunned that he could act worth half a damn and instead he was believably good. He's gotten worse since then and is now just the Rock on screen.
I feel so incredibly lucky to have witnessed the best of 80’s and 90’s wrestling, when it happened. It was such a special time to be a wrestling fan. ❤
I'm soo blessed and happy I was alive and watched this in real time. I remember that's all we talked about at school. Did you see what the Rock did, did you see Steve Austins reaction. Best shit ever
Was just curious what the numbers and Ratings for Flair vs Steamboat ? That was a huge match we were talking about the match in Toronto 🇨🇦 . I remember my uncle got a tape from his cousin who lived in South Carolina...! N.W.A wrestling was still on Canadian Television then . W.W.E bought the time slot I was very up set no more Gorden Sole / Harlem Heat and the Midnight Express .....!
Bret vs hart was a better storyline feud imo. But when rock and austin hit their peaks at the same time, it was just magic. Esp when they were both babyfaces leading up to WM 17
Rock vs. Austin seemed more like mainstream attraction than personal. At Mania 15 and Backlash 1999, Austin was actually going up against the Corporation whose top henchman was the Rock. At X-7, two biggest stars at their absolute peak, going against each other for the big gold, that ended in an anti-climatic fashion, when Austin shook his hands with his arch-nemesis Mr. McMahon. Austin's comeback story after an injury, but he had to join forces with his nemesis to regain the top spot which was prettt anti-climatic. WM 19 was only more like personal for the Rock as he was obsessed over beating Austin at WrestleMania. Austin was already 4-0, including two main-event victories over the Rock at WrestleMania for the WWF title prior to Mania 19.
Rock and Stone Cold isn't the first time its ever seemed like there were 2 #1 guys, Bret Hart and Shawn Michael's seemed like they were both the #1 guys at the same time for a while. Warrior and Hogan also seemed like they were both the #1 guys too for a while too..
I remember when I was a kid making signs with my buddies before going to wrestling shows - Cornette ain’t lying when he said - EVERYBODY had a damn sign- I think my Mom even made a sign at a show one year.. but great times with the buddies making our signs .. Good, Great times!
I don't think that Freddie said it had never been done before. I'm pretty sure he said that he had never seen it done before. He was pretty careful about his rhetoric, opposite to the typical modern WWE commentary speaker.
@@David-jc5jf yes.. who has also done said these exact stories at least 4 5 times now. Its like a movie you know well, you know when and what line will be said next. Except.. this aint no movie...!!
@@ASCUMBAGWh0re You know you have an option not to click on the video and listen to the audio. If you think that what's going to be orated every time it would be better for you mental and emotional state not to listen to Jim Cornette at all. Also if you have more of substance to say start a podcast and see where it goes.
@@David-jc5jf how many times must i say this. I CLICKED AND COMMENTED TO LET HIM KNOW HOW I FEEL TO MAKE HIM STOP DOING THIS YOU UNDERSTAND MEE!!? AND IT'S NOT YOUR BUSINESS SO STAY OUT ANDUSTFU!💪🏽👇🏽
Problem was they didnt hate each other and took all the oxygen outta the room. It stifled time to develop talents when you had 2 #1 guys (plus Taker, so 3). Its like baseball, if every player starting is a veteran all-star then you dont have time to start younger guys and see what they've got.
There will be someone, maybe not in the next couple of years though. People still love wrestling because of the nostalgia, so as long as the product is good people will come back.
I lived wrestling when i was younger and don't remember this feud at all lol. edit: i just watched the Top 10 Highlights of this feud, and Vince swimming in Beer was the best part.
I have a feeling Vince could've pushed another guy to the level of Rock and Austin, but he subconsciously put a ceiling on many of the guys that came after because he feared that, just like those two, they would get too popular, outgrow the company and have the leverage Austin and Rocky did. Then it kinda happened with Batista and Brock. That's why Cena is his favorite, because even if he becomes POTUS, he'll find a way to put over WWE.
"The Rock and Stone Cold made 5 millions in one night at Wrestlemania 17. They never came off the top rope" - Jim Cornette
50 million in one night actually.
Darby Allin, the bucks & Twinkletoes McFinger bang: *intense sweating
True!!
Actually I think in 1 point of the match they did superplex of the top of turnbuckle
Well done for thinking for yourself there buddy(!)
That was a peak of pro wrestling that will never be reach again.
Don't say never
Never the time was just right, you had veteran talent and or athletic people that learned really well on the fly, also a lot of the angles back then were fresh. Some of the late nineties content holds up, however, it is shocking to me, how much of it does.
CM Punk & Jon Moxley NEXT
@@triggatrey15thgasup lol, even if Punk has one of the sharpest wrestling minds, he is way past his prime. Moxley is unfiltered garbage and doesnt deserve to be put in the same sentence.
@@triggatrey15thgasup Umm that was the PG era and most long time WWE fans stopped watching by then.
Two megastars in one generation, one territory.
We won't see that in our lifetimes again.
Ya never know
@@bryrobinson5609 lol stop AEW can't even get 1million viewers Consistently
@@bryrobinson5609 LMFAO! you think Keith Lee and Ruby Soho are stars... that's hilarious... thanks, I needed that...
@@bryrobinson5609 Nah bro, orange cassidy & Darby Allin two mega mega stars who will break the wrestling industry in the next 5 years. Believe it!
In Punk mind he mega star and Jericho think he one too does that count ?
"These two guys just drew $50 million in one night, and neither one of them came off the top rope one time."
@@ithinkaboutthings9052 🤣
Feel kinda blessed that this was what I grew up with and why I'll always love wrestling.
Same. Even though today's stuff sucks I still won't ever fully turn my back on wrestling. Because when I was a kid it was rad
It really blows my mind that Stone Cold turned out to be an even bigger star than HH. Growing up in the 80s, you never thought anyone was ever going to beat out Hogan as the biggest star, and you didn't even realize it was happening as it happened even though you were wearing Austin's t shirts
Why do you love wrestle
During this era my childhood was absolute shit. Bad parents, lots of drunks, you get the picture... And then when WWE RAW came on that all went away. I saw the good side to that bad attitude. And I am so grateful for this time period in wrestling. 🙏 It kept me sane, gave me strength, and gave me hope.
Real talk. I feel you 💯
Hope life is better now 4 u
@@shaggydee91 Thank you! Life has gotten a lot better. That's very kind of you. 🤙
Every single solitary second of it.
Jim Cornette definitely loved it.
Austin and Rock were just magic together. Two megastars in their prime, in the same company, at the right time. Both having a love and passion for the business, both competing for that No1 spot. Iron sharpens iron, and they both brought out the best in each other.
Captivating, even to this day. These two just created magic in and out of the ring. Nice to hear Cornette recognising this too!
when it's so obvious and clear, of course he'll say it, much like AEW is mostly shit all the time lol
Didnt both Rock and Austin praise Cornette and recommend him for the HOF or something like that?
@@DannieRay23 Probably. Cornette has never had a bad word to say about either one so they wouldn't have any reason not to. Hell, Corny's known Austin longer than most people listening to this have been alive.
@@DannieRay23 Cornette and Austin are friends and have done each other's pods. I'm sure he's friendly with Rocky as well. Both probably respect Jim and are fans of his work as a manager in the territory days.
"You couldn't f*** up stars like this"
The Ringmaster vs Blue Chipper Rocky Maivia ..
My childhood was awesome because of this era
I agree it was amazing my best memories are watching RAW and WCW with my brother switching back and forth.
The Apex feud of the Attitude Era.
1997-2003 was the best time to be a fan. Once Rock and Austin left it was all downhill.
it was at least half decent for a few more years, but yeah, 2008 or so onwards it was definitely nowhere near like it was
@@iamdb1990 yeah 2002-2007 was okay yeah there was alot of shit on the showz but guys like taker batista cena edge mysterio Eddie beniot michaels they did there thing and alot of fans still liked that era and they was still doing good numbers. It was after the benoit situation and then the turning pg everything seem to just get worse yearly after that creatively
For me it fell off a cliff after 2008. 09 to present day has never interested me as much as 97 to 08.
@@theboxingboy7422 Ruthless Aggression era was good
2002*. It ended in 2002. It was cool to see Steve and rock come back in 2003 but it was never the same.
There's never been a better segment than Nation of Domination Rock. Simmon's struggle and grit vs Rocky's panache and flash was so perfect. It was like a first generation businessman handing off his hard built empire to his spoiled kid.
Loved The Nation of Domination.. Farroq was just awesome as the heel leader of The Nation of Domination.. 👍🏿❤️
@@kenrickkahn That Nation had one of the best theme songs of all time.
I feel you on that. In fabe Ron tried to show him the ropes, but Rocky wound up scarfacing him
One of the greatest segments rock played his part brilliant
lol I remember those days, and you can see that Rock was being positioned to be the next "leader" of the NoD, he was easily the most charismatic and entertaining guy out the whole group and that's what counts, people for some reason don't realize this and this is precisely why wrestling is in the state it's in today because we don't have any more "Rocks" etc.
I was at the Wrestlemania at Philadelphia for Austin/Rock I. I can tell you, there was a 50/50 split in the crowd. Rock was so over as the corporate heel champ that he did what no one else could do or has ever done: turn some fans against Austin.
It’s no surprise Rock did his best work as a heel. Nation, Corporation, Hollywood Heel were all great.
Definitely the opposite in Houston. I was at 17 in Houston and we all wanted the Rock to die. One of the main reasons why turning Austin heel when everybody wanted to cheer our hero was so aggravating
@@tinotica it was in Texas Thoe to Austin had home crowd advantage
@@rickytpb2164 frick off I got work to do!
@@swam2922 but there lies the problem. Imagine how dumb it would look if RVD turned heel at One Night Stand 2006 or CM Punk turned on the MITB crowd in Chicago when everyone was there to see Cena die. That’s exactly what it felt like seeing Austin join McMahon in Houston; a huge slap in the face
My all time 2 favorite wrestlers and one of the greatest if not the greatest rivalry of all time and 2 of the biggest wrestlers that was a record setting era OH HELL YEAH!! DO YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING!!
Their Wrestlemania 17 match was peak of pro wrestling.
Agreed.
Certainly the peak of the Attitude Era. Rock then turned to hollywood and Austin would retire two years later.
That’s why I laugh when a lot of these Indy clowns say their stars. Austin and rock personifies what a star is
Austin and Rock were lightning in a bottle, I think it’s going to be a long time before we see something like that again.
Sucked so hard, when these two called it quits 😔
They did it right. Leave when your hot. And you'll forever be over. As they both have demonstrated time and time again when their music hits and getting a bigger reaction 20 plus years later than current talent.
I agree. My interest in wrestling started to dwindle in 04 once they were no longer active in the company.
These two just captivated a whole generation of fans even if they was working a program together or not. Yeah the characters were over the top and larger than life but thats what got everybody excited about them because they knew how to work the crowd just little subtle movements they did especially the rock the way he would walk or move his head doing a promo it was just over and same with austin even as recently as mania against owens after he challenged him that look he gave to the hard camera asif he was just looking at the audience at home like this shits on now. was just great he just knew what to do.
And there matches at mania and the build to all three was just outstanding like you go back and watch them packages and it's just night and day to what you see today
Thank you for telling ppl about JR's part of it bc you are 100% right!
@p!nned by- Official Jim Cornette• shut up bot
@p!nned by- Official Jim Cornette• Considering I'm completely scared of technology, this reply looks like a porn link to me! My apologies if it is actually JC bc I'd definitely shake your hand and talk about Kayfabe all day!
A lot of people underestimated Rock's in ring work. Was he a all time great worker, no. But Rock's work was the best it couldve been due to his natural athleticism and work ethic. Rock wasnt traveling and working for 10 years before he got on WWF tv. He took it seriously, worked his ass off, and became great for his background, not including his maternal side of the family was made to wrestle lol.
He was smooth. The guy almost made the NFL for a reason.
@@blairrobert3438 Almost making the nfl is a stretch lol.
@@blairrobert3438 I watched him play at the University of Miami. Dwayne Johnson was not going to play in the NFL. If he had that kind of talent, he would have been playing alongside Sapp, instead of being Sapp's 2nd string.
@@blairrobert3438I mean that's a stretch dude he didn't even make the cfl properly
This rivalry was so awesome. Both Austin and The Rock made Monday nights so amazing growing up whether if they were feuding with each other or in separate feuds. Stone Cold was the reason I think as a kid I switched to watching WWF more than WCW in 1998. I had watched WCW starting in 1996 and in 1997. Although I was still enjoying the NWO stuff, for some reason I think Stone Cold rising to the top in 1996 to 1997 and finally really making it in 1998 is what changed wrestling. The comedy stuff alone with Vince Mcmahon with the beer trucks, the zamboni's, the monster trucks, attacking him in the "medical facility," etc. Just classic moments. Rock had some amazing promos. I really loved the one he did with Jericho when they were talking about Stephanie Mcmahon's boob job and The Rock was ripping on Booker T. Rock's Run in 2003 with the promos on Hogan and Goldberg were hilarious too.
Austin's heel turn traumatized me. And killed it for me for sure. I followed in and out the rest of 2001. He switched back at the end of the year. But damn, it wasn't the same for me.
I was 8 in 2001 and I remember so much of his heel run that year. It’s a run of his that I’ll always enjoy, but his 1998 run is the best he had. Nothing tops that.
I was in high school when Stone Cold turned heel. He really pissed me off with his heel turn. I felt so betrayed when he aligned with Vince McMahon. If u go back and look at the ratings, his heel turn tanked the business. In fact the invasion wasn't supposed to happen until 2002, but it was sped up due to poor ratings. Plus The Rock left for 4 months the day after the heel turn, so Austin didn't have a face on his level to feud with
Was a stupid idea
I was like 18 at the time and understood why they did it. BUT truth is, it felt ill timed. It never came off as ringing true.
@@misterx6276 The move was good, but as you said, it was ill-timed. Fate wasn't on wwe's side even if Vince bought the competition. The Rock was leaving for Hollywood to do Mummy Returns after X-7. HHH got injured during the Two men power trip alliance just before summer 2001. You need a babyface who can attract the people and gain their support to counter a strong brutal heel. And who can do that job better the Rock, who was just 28 and had scores to settle with both McMahon and Austin? Even HHH would've gained support from the fans if he wasn't injured and WWE ran "who ran over Austin" story again with Austin turning on HHH to get back at him and also for the loss at NWO 2001. Angle was still a goof in 2001. 2001 looked rushed. They were building Angle as a legit top player and then he had to drop the title to the Rock at NWO 2001, who would drop it to Austin in an anticlimactic fashion at X-7 and then leave fot Hollywood.
Loved this episode of Rivals. I feel so lucky to have been 14 years old in 2001 and watching WM17 live on pay-per-view with a few buds and absolutely losing my shit. Younger people will just never understand. Not to mention, as many times as I’ve watched it since, it still makes me feel the exact same way every single time.
So true. Austin and Rock drew because they were funny but also serious at the same time. It wasn't a cartoon or just a gymnastics routine between two guys with no story.
I'm so thankful to be able to have lived to see some of these feuds wwf getting to see the rock n roll and midnight express as a little boy. Getting to see all the Cartoony guys in the late 80s watching Shawn and Bret.... Masato Tanaka and Mike Awesomes feud in ECW. So many good memories getting to see the Von Erichs in Texas getting to see The Dingo Warrior before he was The Ultimate Warrior. Great times! I honestly don't think there will ever be a feud like we had with the Rock and Steve or any other legendary feuds from the past for that matter!
Stone Cold was one of the few fighters Rocky couldn't verbally faze
Mutual respect
Wwe had a bunch of great mic workers back then. Jericho angle Eddie undertaker road dogg mankind hhh
Jim Ross was in charge of a lot of stuff during the attitude Era. That's another reason why it was so good.
Trust Jim to perfectly articulate that era and rivalry, "it was a happening" spot on 👍
I could *imagine* Vince watching Rocks promo with the nation when he came back like : “ Oh fuck. We might have to push this kid “
Having Rock and Austin in one era is the wrestling equivalent to Messi and Ronaldo. It will never be topped. Rock was always my favourite, but appreciate how popular Austin was. Both legends
Austin hugging Vince didn't kill the popularity of wrestling. The rise of MMA and the UFC is what took away a lot of wrestling's appeal.
Guerrero’s death; Benoit’s horrific crimes; the pg era; Cena’s mega push; TNA’s downfall (because it canceled the possibility of a credible and solid alternative); WWE becoming publicly traded; the corporate talking (superstars, sports entertainment, etc); incessant hot-shotting that might have drawn but ultimately numbed and desensitized the audience (wm x7 tlc, Foley’s hell in a cell,etc); the beginning of scripted promos; when they hired tv writers instead of bookers; the rise of mma; wcw and ecw closing operations….
It’s a long list of factors that contributed to wrestling’s current crisis. A perfect storm
No. The Attitude Era killed the popularity of wrestling because there’s nothing else to follow after you’ve cussed, flipped the bird, had DX and broke every rule. Wrestling will pop again though.
They couldn't follow up that move. Trips got injured, the Rock had already left for Hollywood to do Mummy Returns, there was no strong face to counter a brutal heel Austin. Angle was still a goofy, the whole "what" stuff looked cringe. I wish Trips wasn't injured, they could've re run the "who ran over Austin" story with Austin turning on HHH. That would've been a great story.
You guys don't know what your talking about. Wrestling has not been exciting since Wrestlemania 17.
@@chuckmendez8446 i would not blame Cena for WWE losing popularity. if anything, the Gen-Z wrestling fans were probably enamored with Cena. Cena i'm sure pissed off a lot of the Attitude Era/ECW fans, but at his peak, he was a megastar hands down
The Rock Triple H rivalry in 2000 was badass.
The show wasnt the same without Austin.
@@Rschr101 true but it made his time away very short during that year.
Triple H is NOT Austin.........to put it mildly.
@@WZ912 but that shit is still impressive cuz Austin is out but they still made a good product you even cant almost do that shit today without Roman, Cody and Seth lol
Hhh, was grabage he won the belt
Like 10 times in a calendar year
And never really had a great wrestling match
Ratings will NEVER get to the heights that
Austin vs McMahon & Austin vs Rock got ever again sadly!!!
I've loved jim Cornette since I saw him on the N.W.A on TBS. Midnight express is in my top 3 tag teams. Road warriors, Midnight express, and rock n roll express. And Steiner Brothers are also close to top.
What about Private Profits?
What about hart foundation?
It's amazing to me how when Rock came to the WWF and he was this smiling babyface, the fans hated him so much "Die rocky die" they switched him heel
But the same thing happened with Reigns and they kept pushing and pushing for him to be a face
Eventually they let him be a heel and the fans ate It up
But why did It take so long?
Vince became out of touch
The real irony is Roman did have a close call with his leukemia. The fans almost got what they wanted.
@@EwanCumia that made It even weirder when he came out and spoke about his cancer
So people were cheering him and not long later he turned Just when they began to cheer
Why didn't they do that with Cena? He could've been over like The Rock and Austin if he had an edge to his character with his charisma and mic skills even Hogan went heel once he got stale and formed the greatest faction of all time the nwo.
When it comes to watching this Documentary, I’m guessing that Jim Cornette and Brian Last did it for The Rock ….. 👀
Trash.
The first 3 months of 2001 were the greatest 3 months of wrestling TV ever
Agree, amazing time, rivalries and matches doesn't get any better
You know, I'd love to see a documentary from the standpoint of all the wrestlers who worked with Rock in wrestling and how they feel about him now that he's one of the world's biggest movie stars. Did anyone call it back in the day? Do we have any interviews from back then about how they thought it was going to go when he first got into movies? I think it would be intersting.
Goat rivalry, I wish I could have been there live to hear some of those mega pops.
Picture the pop punk got when he debut on AEW and multiply that by 1000
Austin was my hero when I was a kid, and when he sided with Vince at X7, I just stopped caring about wrestling. I started missing Raw episodes, then the WCW stuff happened and I was just so checked out because my hero sold out to the evil empire.
4:22 WHAT? That's what made the AE do great, because everyone had something going on and you didn't have a lot of filler.
NAILED IT 🎯 In only 2 hours too..
Am I wrong? JC is saying these 31 words in about 100,000 words.
The organic development of natural stars in front of a live crowd is a thing of the past because even if a performer has it, they're not allowed to use it.
8:06I like that Jim likes Freddy Prince but hates everyone else.🤣🤣🤣
Stone Cold v Rock just defined the era weirdly as Stone cold was THE face the era but he needed the Rock rivalry to to define him more than him vs Vince Mcmahon as the Rock was a wrestling rivalry
The Rock was the face of that era
in 2021 I believe Austin was still the number 1 merch seller. If we had the same access to internet and spending habits Austin may have doubled his sales or more back in the day.. not to mention how common bootlegging was back then compared to now
Intensity…this feud was INTENSE. Look at them..they BELIEVED, and so did everyone else
Rock is my favorite wrestler of all time but Austin is right behind rock
Best fued ever orchestrated by the best workers ever
The Ali Vs Frazier of Wrestling
That five year span of time, from 98 to 03, no matter how many times they went back to Rock vs Austin, it always felt like a big deal, bigger than everything else they had on the show.
The Rock as the Hero,Triple H as the Villian, and Stone Cold as the wildcard was the best era of wrestling hands down.
It was the highest peak of wrestling for WWE, but it also began the lowest of lows when Austin turned heel.
Austin was amazing as a heel
@@brandonhonaker5493 Austin turning heel made the Fingerpoke of Doom look credible.
@@brandonhonaker5493Ratings and Austin's comments prove otherwise
The two best to ever do it.. what legends
Both the #1 guy,It will never happen again.
Wwe somehow made TWO generational megastars at the same time
Anyone who says guys today like hangman omega etc are over is delusional
Austin and rock was more over then god
Nothing got you more exciting then literally just seeing rock and austin have a face off
You sir are absolutely correct, when Austin turned, the ppl realized he was playing his part in the wrestling.
And they now everyone is just waiting for the turn.
The Rock admitted that when they were grooming him to be the Champion many of the boys were against it. Especially Shawn Michaels. But it was people like Undertaker that encouraged him to Just go out and do what you do and you will get there. He also said he was surprised by Undertaker when it was decided that He would beat The Undertaker. He said when he heard he was beating Undertaker flat, he went up to Undertaker and asked do you want to change it to where I cheat to win. Undertaker said no kid, its your time. Beat me fair in the middle of the ring. Then he said he got along really well with Stone Cold. You could tell that while they faced each other.
What I love most about this rivalry is that behind the scenes, Rock and Austin had healthy animosity with each other. They were always professional and respectful but they both individually were determined to one up the other and out of that competetive jealousy is why both were able to get the best out of each other
As wild as the business was then, what was ironically done then was they in a way were Kayfabing what they were doing
They always clearly respected each other, in terms of wrestling and overall charisma. I remember when I saw Rocky as the gay bodyguard in the movie "Be Cool". I was truly stunned that he could act worth half a damn and instead he was believably good. He's gotten worse since then and is now just the Rock on screen.
BULLFUCKINGSHIT
They were and still are very good friends, as both have said. They had tons of respect and Rocky's favorite guy to watch in 96-97 was Austin himself.
So,so, so many great memories with my friends watching this rivalry and the Attitude Era that accompanied it.... WM 17 my favourite, love Cornette
I feel so incredibly lucky to have witnessed the best of 80’s and 90’s wrestling, when it happened. It was such a special time to be a wrestling fan. ❤
Meltzer fears Mama Cornette is the greatest smart sign of 2022
These 2 guys drew 50 mil in one night and neither came off the top rope one time 🤣🤣
Two guys on the Mt Rushmore of wrestling can't top that
I'm soo blessed and happy I was alive and watched this in real time. I remember that's all we talked about at school. Did you see what the Rock did, did you see Steve Austins reaction. Best shit ever
Was just curious what the numbers and Ratings for Flair vs Steamboat ? That was a huge match we were talking about the match in Toronto 🇨🇦 . I remember my uncle got a tape from his cousin who lived in South Carolina...! N.W.A wrestling was still on Canadian Television then . W.W.E bought the time slot I was very up set no more Gorden Sole / Harlem Heat and the Midnight Express .....!
Love me some Jim cornette while taking my afternoon russo
Best time to be a wrestling fan.
My 2 favorite wrestlera. They had it all
It was my generations Warrior vs. Hogan.
Lol "Paul Heyman said it was a difficult image to absorb. God, he's so smooth"
I think Austin and The Rock was a great rivalry when I was a kid, now that im older, I think Bret Hart/Austin was a better feud.
Bret vs hart was a better storyline feud imo. But when rock and austin hit their peaks at the same time, it was just magic. Esp when they were both babyfaces leading up to WM 17
Rock vs. Austin seemed more like mainstream attraction than personal. At Mania 15 and Backlash 1999, Austin was actually going up against the Corporation whose top henchman was the Rock. At X-7, two biggest stars at their absolute peak, going against each other for the big gold, that ended in an anti-climatic fashion, when Austin shook his hands with his arch-nemesis Mr. McMahon. Austin's comeback story after an injury, but he had to join forces with his nemesis to regain the top spot which was prettt anti-climatic.
WM 19 was only more like personal for the Rock as he was obsessed over beating Austin at WrestleMania.
Austin was already 4-0, including two main-event victories over the Rock at WrestleMania for the WWF title prior to Mania 19.
I'm making a "I'll have you know!" Cornette sign lol
Top 5 rivalry in wrestling history
I used to think JR hated heel triple h more than anybody lol
Rock and Stone Cold isn't the first time its ever seemed like there were 2 #1 guys, Bret Hart and Shawn Michael's seemed like they were both the #1 guys at the same time for a while. Warrior and Hogan also seemed like they were both the #1 guys too for a while too..
I remember when I was a kid making signs with my buddies before going to wrestling shows - Cornette ain’t lying when he said - EVERYBODY had a damn sign- I think my Mom even made a sign at a show one year.. but great times with the buddies making our signs .. Good, Great times!
When Paul Jones threw the Florida belt into Tampa Bay, it made the six o’clock news!
I don't think that Freddie said it had never been done before. I'm pretty sure he said that he had never seen it done before. He was pretty careful about his rhetoric, opposite to the typical modern WWE commentary speaker.
I love when Jim talks about Rock & Austin. Everyone knows that was the pinnacle of wrestling and won't be duplicated again.
He says the same stuff . Hiw can you love everytime he talks about this. No life
@@ASCUMBAGWh0re It's literally a podcast about professional wrestling from a professional wrestling personality...
@@David-jc5jf yes.. who has also done said these exact stories at least 4 5 times now. Its like a movie you know well, you know when and what line will be said next. Except.. this aint no movie...!!
@@ASCUMBAGWh0re You know you have an option not to click on the video and listen to the audio. If you think that what's going to be orated every time it would be better for you mental and emotional state not to listen to Jim Cornette at all.
Also if you have more of substance to say start a podcast and see where it goes.
@@David-jc5jf how many times must i say this. I CLICKED AND COMMENTED TO LET HIM KNOW HOW I FEEL TO MAKE HIM STOP DOING THIS YOU UNDERSTAND MEE!!? AND IT'S NOT YOUR BUSINESS SO STAY OUT ANDUSTFU!💪🏽👇🏽
Problem was they didnt hate each other and took all the oxygen outta the room. It stifled time to develop talents when you had 2 #1 guys (plus Taker, so 3). Its like baseball, if every player starting is a veteran all-star then you dont have time to start younger guys and see what they've got.
Rock doing The Mummy sequel along with HHH being hurt helped Kurt Angle immensely.
It took austin years to get over, rock did it in 1 year. That's crazy
cant wait until cornette talks about the mass fan walkout on the recent aew rampage show
One era provided two Mount Rushmore caliber stars. I’ll just leave it to that cause that’s how great they were.
No one will ever be as big as The Rock or Steve Austin again. John Cena came close, but these two were another level
There will be someone, maybe not in the next couple of years though. People still love wrestling because of the nostalgia, so as long as the product is good people will come back.
Wrestlemania 3 was more real than the moon landing and it had better special effects even though they were both a work.
The luxury of being able to throw these two on whenever during a show every Monday night for 4 years straight they couldn’t lose if they tried lol
The rock was on the rise WHILE Austin was there,I swear cornette was even there at that time and still gets shit like this wrong,it's crazy
I lived wrestling when i was younger and don't remember this feud at all lol.
edit: i just watched the Top 10 Highlights of this feud, and Vince swimming in Beer was the best part.
They were both so huge it was almost unfair to have them both in the same company.
"rocky and pat Patterson getting together when he started..."
Oh yeah no doubt Jim
I swear , the Vince cartoons make me giggle every time 😂😂😂
Would've loved to have seen a proper feud between face Rock vs heel Austin. Would've been interesting.
Rock vs Austin was the best. You had these clashes of cultures but they both wanted the same spot. It was amaaaaazing!
Who's here in 2024?
Glad I was there to witness this ers!!
A WWE video popped up of them meeting for the first time. Michael Cole looked so fragile. Rock was in nation of domination.
Lmfao fragile michael cole.
Awesome Shoot Today Jim!!😎🐐🐐
I have a feeling Vince could've pushed another guy to the level of Rock and Austin, but he subconsciously put a ceiling on many of the guys that came after because he feared that, just like those two, they would get too popular, outgrow the company and have the leverage Austin and Rocky did.
Then it kinda happened with Batista and Brock.
That's why Cena is his favorite, because even if he becomes POTUS, he'll find a way to put over WWE.
1978 was an obscure reference