The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin filmed breaking character as rare Attitude Era WrestleMania footage sends fans wild
The rivalry between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin continues to give in 2025. They are two of WWE’s biggest ever stars and duelled across the Attitude Era in one of wrestling’s greatest ever wars. Stone Cold Steve Austin versus The Rock was a staple part of the Attitude EraWWE Both are multi-time champions who’ve found fame outside of wrestling circles and are remembered for being key components of one of WWE’s finest periods in time. Straddling the late 1990s and very early 2000s, The Attitude Era created megastars aplenty and gave wrestling fans around the world memories to last a lifetime. Almost always close to the knuckle, weekly shows threw up drama unrivalled by any era that’s followed it, with some storylines pitched deemed too disgusting for television. The rivalry between Rock and Austin was a thread that weaved its way through it all, from their earliest battles over the Intercontinental title all the way to an epic trilogy of WrestleMania matches. Austin beat his nemesis at WrestleMania 15 in 1999 in the first of those outings, before besting him again two years later, winning the WWE championship on each of those occasions. The third meeting saw The Great One come out on top at WrestleMania 19 in 2003, that Seattle, Washington clash proving to be historic in that it was effectively Austin’s last as an active wrestler. Due to long-term injury issues, Austin all-but retired after that match and wasn’t seen in a WWE ring again for 19 years. In 2022 he made a one-off return to meet Kevin Owens in an impressive match at WrestleMania 38 but, exceptional as that was, the latter Mania tussle is still seen by many as the Rattlesnake’s last. It’s perhaps even more exciting, then, that WWE has now shared some rare footage of the two bitter rivals before that match on one of its YouTube channels. The pair are seen attending a the pre-WrestleMania fan event to sign autographs, cameras filming them as they sit at a table and enjoy some relatively light banter – chit-chat that was a far cry from the antagonised back-and-forth that fuelled their on-screen rivalry. The Rock and Stone Cold’s clash was one of the most epic in WrestleMania historyWWE Only very loosely retaining any semblance of their wrestling personas, the incredible footage shows them trading jibes and jokes at each other’s expense, repeatedly breaking character as they laugh at the fun of it all. They can barely keep a straight face as they entertain fans by attacking one another’s haircuts, Rock’s movie career, and clothing, with their impending WrestleMania meeting almost an afterthought. The two are even seen shaking hands after The Rock feigns anger at one stage, the Moana star even trying to goad the Texan into a nearby wrestling ring before a joke from Austin about having shaved his backside left them both in fits of laughter. Seeing the two greats enjoying such a relaxed vibe while in the thick of their iconic rivalry was a tremendous treat for the fans of 2025, who lapped up the footage. “The Rock breaking character smiling and cracking up from Stone Cold,” observed one fan with a crying face emoji, while another simply said: “absolute gold.” Another comment read: “The two most charismatic wrestlers of all time, the aura they both have is impressive, and the fact that we had them at the same time is incredible I’m grateful to be able to see these two at their peak.” The rare footage from the early 2000s shows the bitter rivals in a relaxed moodWWE/YouTube Austin and Rock rarely broke character during their intense rivalry but incredible footage shows them letting their ‘hair’ downWWE/YouTube Neither could contain themselves before the brief get together was brought to an endWWE/YouTube A third seemed almost overcome, adding: “This is amazing… Why have I never seen this before? The greatest rivalry in professional wrestling history. “Their chemistry together whether it was in the ring or cutting promos together was perfect. I wouldn’t change my childhood for anything.” Still The Rock but established in Hollywood as Dwyane Johnson, the Miami native remains a current WWE figure having returned to wrestle at last year’s WrestleMania. He remains a part of the current storyline involving John Cena and Cody Rhodes and could well feature at this year’s Mania in Vegas, though Austin’s status for the 2025 epic is unclear.
The rivalry between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin continues to give in 2025.
They are two of WWE’s biggest ever stars and duelled across the Attitude Era in one of wrestling’s greatest ever wars.
Both are multi-time champions who’ve found fame outside of wrestling circles and are remembered for being key components of one of WWE’s finest periods in time.
Straddling the late 1990s and very early 2000s, The Attitude Era created megastars aplenty and gave wrestling fans around the world memories to last a lifetime.
Almost always close to the knuckle, weekly shows threw up drama unrivalled by any era that’s followed it, with some storylines pitched deemed too disgusting for television.
The rivalry between Rock and Austin was a thread that weaved its way through it all, from their earliest battles over the Intercontinental title all the way to an epic trilogy of WrestleMania matches.
Austin beat his nemesis at WrestleMania 15 in 1999 in the first of those outings, before besting him again two years later, winning the WWE championship on each of those occasions.
The third meeting saw The Great One come out on top at WrestleMania 19 in 2003, that Seattle, Washington clash proving to be historic in that it was effectively Austin’s last as an active wrestler.
Due to long-term injury issues, Austin all-but retired after that match and wasn’t seen in a WWE ring again for 19 years.
In 2022 he made a one-off return to meet Kevin Owens in an impressive match at WrestleMania 38 but, exceptional as that was, the latter Mania tussle is still seen by many as the Rattlesnake’s last.
It’s perhaps even more exciting, then, that WWE has now shared some rare footage of the two bitter rivals before that match on one of its YouTube channels.
The pair are seen attending a the pre-WrestleMania fan event to sign autographs, cameras filming them as they sit at a table and enjoy some relatively light banter – chit-chat that was a far cry from the antagonised back-and-forth that fuelled their on-screen rivalry.
Only very loosely retaining any semblance of their wrestling personas, the incredible footage shows them trading jibes and jokes at each other’s expense, repeatedly breaking character as they laugh at the fun of it all.
They can barely keep a straight face as they entertain fans by attacking one another’s haircuts, Rock’s movie career, and clothing, with their impending WrestleMania meeting almost an afterthought.
The two are even seen shaking hands after The Rock feigns anger at one stage, the Moana star even trying to goad the Texan into a nearby wrestling ring before a joke from Austin about having shaved his backside left them both in fits of laughter.
Seeing the two greats enjoying such a relaxed vibe while in the thick of their iconic rivalry was a tremendous treat for the fans of 2025, who lapped up the footage.
“The Rock breaking character smiling and cracking up from Stone Cold,” observed one fan with a crying face emoji, while another simply said: “absolute gold.”
Another comment read: “The two most charismatic wrestlers of all time, the aura they both have is impressive, and the fact that we had them at the same time is incredible I’m grateful to be able to see these two at their peak.”
A third seemed almost overcome, adding: “This is amazing… Why have I never seen this before? The greatest rivalry in professional wrestling history.
“Their chemistry together whether it was in the ring or cutting promos together was perfect. I wouldn’t change my childhood for anything.”
Still The Rock but established in Hollywood as Dwyane Johnson, the Miami native remains a current WWE figure having returned to wrestle at last year’s WrestleMania.
He remains a part of the current storyline involving John Cena and Cody Rhodes and could well feature at this year’s Mania in Vegas, though Austin’s status for the 2025 epic is unclear.
