Introducing a new feature to the blog, ROPE BREAK is my selection of favorite pro wrestling matches and moments.
Today’s Rope Break is the culmination of an epic in-ring rivalry between two of the biggest names in the history of professional wrestling and modern pop culture in The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Their match at WrestleMania XIX in 2003 would mark their third and final WrestleMania encounter, as well as the last match of Austin’s career.
YouTube (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
With Stone Cold’s planned retirement hidden from the public, Rock and Austin put on an epic encounter befitting their reputations. This match serves as a modern example of excellent in-ring storytelling and is possibly the best match they’ve had with one another, dating back to a long history of memorable TV and pay-per-view bouts. The post-bell interaction between these two legends is touching in their expressions of genuine respect and admiration for one another.
In retrospect, the conclusion of the match is poetic in its finality, as it would take three consecutive Rock Bottoms to exorcise The Rock’s demons of WrestleMania past while bringing a resounding end to Stone Cold Steve Austin’s legendary career.
Agree? Disagree? Have your own matches to share? Continue the conversation in the comments section below, or follow me on Twitter (@FranchiseSAYS).
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