Do you thin Austin jobbing to Rocky...

[Guest Dmann2000]

I enjoyed Rock/Austin III and I was glad to see Rock go over. I just wonder if anyone else agrees that Austin's job to Rock was sort of his punishment for walking out in June. I mean it was 100% clean, sure it took 3 Rock Bottoms but the man didn't get any comeback during the last 5 minutes or so.

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

Something was weird about that. The way Rocky was talking to Austin. The way the ref was talking to Austin and walking side by side w/ Austin when they left the ring.

 

Maybe Austin changed the finish?

[Guest evilhomer]

No, the likely scenario is Goldberg/Rock at Backlash to cash in on one last big Rock match before he's gone for good (or at least a year or two). They wanted to give The Rock the win so that he's seen as the top dog in that match.

 

Austin/Goldberg can wait until Summerslam or next year's WM, depending on health and/or booking.

[Guest notJames]

I never noticed that. I just assumed that Rock won legitimately since a) they kept harping on Rock never beating Austin at Mania, and b) they needed to give Rock a strong victory to build him up for his eventual bout with Goldberg.

 

I'm actually hoping the crowds turn Rock face once the Big Green Machine debuts. But that's just me...

[Guest Mik at Cornell]

I doubt that will happen. Rock will try and remain a heel and Goldberg will get a huge pop just because. And people are comparing it to Steiner....stupid people. It's like comparing apples with bruised 4 month old apples. Goldberg might not be Benoit but he has intensity in the ring, unlike Big Poppa "Where's my Paycheck?"

[Guest HartFan86]

I dunno...I think Austin realized that his time is ending very near as far as being an in ring preformer and he may never wrestle Rock again, so most likely he should job to him clean. I mean, the ending put Austin over big time as a tough SOB, no doubt...but something did seem weird about it. I wouldn't be surprised if something related to this was his punishment.

[Guest Just call me Dan]

I honestly think he changed the finish. The Rock was visibly very appreciative of the clean win, he basically kicked Steve's ass the last 3 minutes, and he just couldn't show it out there because he is the heel. If you ask me, Steve didn't feel so good in the ring and he's getting hit hard with the reality that he's on his last legs. If Goldberg wasn't signed, I could see Steve going over there, but with him coming in and his first feud being with the Rock, Steve realizing this is the last Austin/Rock Wrestlemania, him walking out, and just that fact that he knows Rocky needed that made him just up and decide to lay down REALLY clean. I commend him and that was a cool finish, very reminiscent of X-7, and baiscally made them equals because of the way they go over eachother. I one on one meetings (I'll include them being the final 2 in SS 01) The Rock Austin saga is 3-2.

 

Austin over at XV,Backlash99,and X-7, rock over at SS 01, and XIX.

[Guest Redhawk]

I was also thinking it was some kind of punishment. When you think about it, how often does a babyfaces -- especially one who's booked as strongly as Austin is -- lose totally clean? Ever since he blew up in 1998, I can't remember Austin jobbing like that. No nefarious heel tactics from Rock at all: no low blows leading to the Rock Bottoms, no eye pokes, no distracting the ref, nothing. He just plain beat the shit out of him. And that was also weird because about 5 minutes into the match my cousin pointed out that Rock hadn't even got one move in yet. So perhaps Austin was allowed to totally dominate the first part in exchange for having to take the eventual punishment?

[Guest Polish_Rifle]

I think Vince promised Austin another title run in exchange for jobbing. It also makes sense to have the Rock win to build him up for Goldberg.

[Guest HartFan86]

I was actually predicting a ref bump, followed by Rock hitting Austin with the chair 17 times (just like Mania 17), and pinning Austin.

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

I wouldn't be shocked if Austin disappears after this. It's been reported he doesn't want to be a full time worker. He's having neck and back problems and he's not happy with the crowd Response.

[Guest HartFan86]

I wouldn't be shocked if Austin disappears after this. It's been reported he doesn't want to be a full time worker. He's having neck and back problems and he's not happy with the crowd Response.

Turn him heel...but that doesn't resolve the neck/back problem.

 

Watching the tape again, I'd kill to see what the Rock exactly said to Austin when he was leaning over him after the match.

[Guest Zero_Cool]

When you watch Austin right now, it's just not there. He was ok last night, but it was pretty obvious that Rock was carrying that thing. You could try to maybe get that feud with HHH to happen, let Austin win it in a **1/2 affair, the maybe have put over the next up and coming guy, that is if RAW has anything going by then.

[Guest HartFan86]

I could see Austin over HHH at Backlash for the title, then jobbing to Jericho in his final match at the June PPV for the Heavyweight Title and retiring.

[Guest Mulatto Heat]

I highly doubt that for many, many reasons.

 

I also agree that Austin seems to be winding down. Rock brought 90% of the energy into the feud, as well as the match. Austin just seemed to go along with it.

[Guest Brian]

Either way it's exactly the right booking they needed to do. Rock needed to beat Austin to end that feud, plain and simple. And Austin jobbing clean like that gives him a weakness.

[Guest djsunyc]

I wouldn't be shocked if Austin disappears after this. It's been reported he doesn't want to be a full time worker. He's having neck and back problems and he's not happy with the crowd Response.

Turn him heel...but that doesn't resolve the neck/back problem.

 

Watching the tape again, I'd kill to see what the Rock exactly said to Austin when he was leaning over him after the match.

i noticed rock talking to austin also. maybe he was telling

him how they should walk off. something like "austin, i'm

gonna pose a little bit, and wait for me to walk off then

do the slow walk back to the dressing room and get some

sympathy heat from the crowd". or maybe he was just

thanking him for the great, and it really was a great, fued.

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

Another thing that bugged me was Rock acting all happy. Talking to Austin and then jumping into the crowd to giving his wife a kiss.

 

That's not very "heel-like"

[Guest notJames]

I kinda think Vince would overlook the obvious breach of kayfabe considering who we're talking about.

 

Chalk it up to Rock realizing that this might be his last WrestleMania, especially with someone like Austin, with whom he obviously loved to work.

[Guest Dmann2000]

Another thing that bugged me was Rock acting all happy. Talking to Austin and then jumping into the crowd to giving his wife a kiss.

 

That's not very "heel-like"

That was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in wrestling, kayfabe be damned.

 

Even heels gotta have Mommas.

[Guest Austin3164life]

Don't mean to sound cryptic, but I think Austin has lost that special something that made him so great during a match. For some reason, when I was surrounded by a bunch of Hooter's drunkards howling, I couldn't sense Austin's presence in that match. Yes, he kept his part up but he didn't add to the match at all. The reason I'm saying this is because I've watched his matches for 6-7 years now, and this is the first time where I was compelled to stop watching an Austin match (other than any stupid lumberjack thing). Austin didn't have the energy, or the flow in the match. After the match I saw a look in his eye that I've never seen, dissapointment. He kept staring at the crowd (before salutes) and just walked slowly to the back. Makes me think perhaps Austin might leave for good.

[Guest the pinjockey]

The saddest thing to be about the Rock/Austin match was the attempt to try to goad the crowd into the standing ovation by playing his music at all, I guess trying to recapture WM 13 or what Benoit had at the RR. Yet noone in the crowd was really going for it and Austin leaving with little fanfare seemed off.

[Guest THE MIGHTY THOR]

Austin can't draw crowds like he used to, unless it's for free for a signing. And Rock going over Austin happened b/c he owed him and the WWE is keeping Rocky strong so they could sacrifice him to Greenberg(In another note: how bad of a wrestler can Bill be,if after all these years he still is as green as grass?)

[Guest HartFan86]

Another thing that bugged me was Rock acting all happy. Talking to Austin and then jumping into the crowd to giving his wife a kiss.

 

That's not very "heel-like"

That was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in wrestling, kayfabe be damned.

 

Even heels gotta have Mommas.

Did you get that from JR?

[LooseCannon25 0]

I taped the show last night and i just went back to look at it....after several time looking at it I still cant tell what the Rock is saying but the one thin i do notice which is both times Rock leaves austins laying body is "thank you man".............Honestly, It seems as if though Austin changed the finish and just layed down on the last Rock bottom. Even Rock while walking back to the dressing room seemed very emotional and greatful.

[Guest Brian]

Austin jobbed and he gets to go to SmackDown. It was part politics, part right booking.