The Rock getting cheered over Stone Cold during the Road to Wrestlemania 15

[RLStern]

March 1999, by this point Rock had been the top ratings draw since November of 98, drawing more than Austin segments entering 1999.



On the March 15, 1999, Raw opened with The Rock getting the biggest pop of the night and being cheered as a babyface, talking like a babyface insulting both Austin and McMahon.

Here is the promo:



The arena is literally flooded with Rock signs, no one else has more signs than Rock in this arena.(the shark tank, Memphis)

When he insults Austin at 1:45 the crowd cheers.

Again, a niche starts chanting “Rocky sucks” and the crowd ain’t having it and immediately shut it down with cheers and”Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!” chants. At 2:09

At 2:48 when Rock says he’s gonna beat Austin at Mania the Rock gets his loudest pop, a thunderous roar.

At 3:08 The Rock again says he’s gonna beat Austin to a pop, where he says in front of “the million” and the crowd sings along “and millions”

At 4:00 a portion of the crowd starts “Austin” chants but by 4:08 the rest of the crowd boos and it stops with Rock looking around at this wild crowd.

4:30 the crowd absolutely erupts and they all sing when Rock says for Vince to bring his “Roody Poo candy ass” and when he says “If ya smell what the Rock is cooking!”

They cheer so much that he does the “If ya smellalalalalowww!” version(if you didn’t know he started doing this in 98 to ward off fans singing along because they wanted him heel and wanted to stop the boos)

Russo made the main Austin build up as Rock being suspicious of The Corporation claiming a conspiracy in preparation for Rock’s face turn for the Smackdown pilot. Since Rock was a fan favorite more popular than Austin and Austin was getting the belt back at Mania to keep him hot and conclude the story.

Rock was drawing more and getting a better reception than Austin. To point where if you watch the opening to the Wrestlemania 15 VHS, in the home video exclusive they ask fans in the arena and most supported The Rock, one girl even cried about seeing The Rock.

There was no clear face and heel for Rock vs Austin at Wrestlemania 15, as both were fan favorites, with Rock edging Austin. By this point it was essential to get the belt off the Rock so he can turn face, do the babyface chase and get the belt as a face.

 

[RLStern]

This is when wrestling magazines were pointing out how Rock saved Austin’s momentum, because following October of 98 the Austin/McMahon feud lost its heat, then Rock got so over as a babyface and got Mcmahon his heat back, even more so because he joined him at survivor series.

Rock was outdrawing Austin from late 98 and on, and his double main events and Rock’s involvement in the feud helped it.

After Wrestlemania 15, the Austin/McMahon feud was done, they did everything they could to salvage it like the corporate ministry swerve and the Austin as CEO story, but it didn’t work so they ended it and the end didn’t draw well at Fully Loaded 99.

After October of 98, only when Rock was involved did it work(January-March 99, KOTR 99), once they had Rock and Austin apart the momentum fell.

And Rock was supposed to feud with Austin until the summer but Rock was getting cheered asa babyface for way too long by March of 1999 and his show was debuting the next month(Smackdown)that they had to turn him babyface.