The Rock Details Private Words Exchanged With Steve Austin in Their Final Match Together

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is opening up about one of the most emotional moments in WWE history — the night Stone Cold Steve Austin stepped away from the ring for good.

In a new interview for Sports Illustrated, The Rock reflected on their WrestleMania XIX match and revealed that the WWE legend didn’t have to lose that night. But he did anyway, as a gesture of respect and tradition. Johnson shared how personal that moment truly was, especially after delivering three Rock Bottoms to finish the match.

“That was his very last wrestling match. I had the honor of wrestling him in his final match. And 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 on to the next chapter win.”

Even more powerful was Austin’s selflessness, as The Rock explained:

“And he didn’t have to. Because he was the biggest star in wrestling. But he did. He put me over.”

What followed was a rare private moment between two icons as The Rock pinned one of the greatest of all time.

“As I was pinning him, I rock bottomed him three times. By the way — like Kurt Angle, he had a broken neck in his wrestling. And after the one, two, three, I leaned down in his ear, and I said, ‘I love you, man.’ And he said, ‘I love you too.’”

That wasn’t the only time Steve Austin showed respect for The Rock behind the curtain. According to Johnson, their legendary WrestleMania rivalry wasn’t some corporate idea from WWE Creative — it was Austin himself who made it happen.

“I was not in a position to say, ‘Let’s me and you headline WrestleMania.’ He had to say it.”

The Rock then revealed how Austin made the call to Vince McMahon:

“And he went to Vince McMahon in January of 1999, I think, and he said, ‘I want to main event WrestleMania with The Rock.’”

The rest, as they say, is history — but the mutual respect and loyalty between two of wrestling’s biggest icons is still hitting fans in the feels decades later.

However, it’s worth noting that while WrestleMania XIX was long believed to be Austin’s final match, it technically wasn’t. Nearly two decades later, Austin shocked fans by coming out of retirement for a no-holds-barred brawl with Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38 in 2022. The match was Austin’s first since his clash with The Rock — and despite the 19-year gap, he delivered a performance fans won’t forget. Still, the original WrestleMania XIX moment remains one of the most symbolic endings in WWE history.

This kind of respect behind the curtain doesn’t happen often in pro wrestling, and it says a lot about both men — not just as performers, but as people.

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