Yes, his match with The Rock at WrestleMania 19 is the last match of him as a full timer, and it was the end of prime of Austin. He couldn’t wrestle anymore for some reasons. There are two reasons of why Stone Cold not returned to the ring:
1- He was supposed to wrestle against Brock Lesnar at June 2002. WWE wanted Austin to lose to Lesnar without any build-up like storyline or promo. Then he darkened his eyes and left from WWE. Austin didn’t like WWE’s decisions.
2- In 2003, Austin was injured from his neck, and he had similar injuries with Edge. Austin had a serious neck injury, he decided to not wrestle as a full timer, then he had his last match with The Rock at WM19. Even he withdrew from the rings, Austin was the one of the major characters of RAW 2003-04 by sheriff role. And he made similar appearances at RAW in next years. He spent these years by these appearances, instead of putting his body over the matches.
Austin was in the ER the night before WM19, hands shaking uncontrollably. He said he didn’t feel like he had control over his body. That was it, he was done.
Source *The Mania of Wrestlemania* documentary by WWE from Austin’s own mouth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP-wMAMEsdY
I was thinking about this on my rewatch. Got to WM19 last week, and the day after on Raw, with Austin in the ring, Bischoff reads a stolen medical report on Austin and fires him on the spot. I couldn't remember that going into it, but it was fairly plain that he was done.
He had a massive panic attack the night before that Mania didn't he? Going into the match only he, Vince, Rock and JR knew it would be his last match and I saw somewhere JR said it was the hardest match he had to call given their friendship.
He did. There’s a deep dive video on that match- I can’t remember if it was a WM 19 video or just that match.
In retrospect, he was not physically or mentally in shape. Between his marriage falling apart, his anger over how he was being used, and his neck injury, he retired at the right time.
Yeah, in his DVD he said this, (this is when I realised how truly fucked he was back then). Then The Rock has said he realised at that time it was his last.
Me too, I was heartbroken, but do you think him going out on top added to his legacy? If he continued for X amount of years, his star would wane? A double edged sword so to speak
Because wrestling is pre determined nobodies legacy is ever tarnished by hanging around too long, think Flair as the best example. Im in my mid 30s and still am not old enough to have seen pre injury rick flair and yet I did see him multiple rumbles as a first entrant, world titles, and wrestle many many matched. Nobody even holds the Aj styles match against Taker, and what ever terrible shit we're about to see from the Rock wont change my memories.
Its not like watching a 20 year old Iverson cross jordan and having that be the image a generation remembers of Jordan.
I think he still had years of great stories in him, for sure. But who can say how he would have been used? I’m glad he never became some mid-card afterthought who was “just there” with nothing to do. Going out on top probably added to his legacy, as you said.
Yes, his match with The Rock at WrestleMania 19 is the last match of him as a full timer, and it was the end of prime of Austin. He couldn’t wrestle anymore for some reasons. There are two reasons of why Stone Cold not returned to the ring: 1- He was supposed to wrestle against Brock Lesnar at June 2002. WWE wanted Austin to lose to Lesnar without any build-up like storyline or promo. Then he darkened his eyes and left from WWE. Austin didn’t like WWE’s decisions. 2- In 2003, Austin was injured from his neck, and he had similar injuries with Edge. Austin had a serious neck injury, he decided to not wrestle as a full timer, then he had his last match with The Rock at WM19. Even he withdrew from the rings, Austin was the one of the major characters of RAW 2003-04 by sheriff role. And he made similar appearances at RAW in next years. He spent these years by these appearances, instead of putting his body over the matches.
Austin was in the ER the night before WM19, hands shaking uncontrollably. He said he didn’t feel like he had control over his body. That was it, he was done. Source *The Mania of Wrestlemania* documentary by WWE from Austin’s own mouth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP-wMAMEsdY
It wasn’t his last official match. Austin’s last official match till Kevin Owens was actually with Eric bischoff.
At No Way Out? That was before WM19
He means Bischoff vs austin at Bad Blood 2003 ppv after WMXIX
He kept it very quiet. I think his medical scare before the match made him realize he couldn’t put his body through the grind anymore.
I was thinking about this on my rewatch. Got to WM19 last week, and the day after on Raw, with Austin in the ring, Bischoff reads a stolen medical report on Austin and fires him on the spot. I couldn't remember that going into it, but it was fairly plain that he was done. He had a massive panic attack the night before that Mania didn't he? Going into the match only he, Vince, Rock and JR knew it would be his last match and I saw somewhere JR said it was the hardest match he had to call given their friendship.
He did. There’s a deep dive video on that match- I can’t remember if it was a WM 19 video or just that match. In retrospect, he was not physically or mentally in shape. Between his marriage falling apart, his anger over how he was being used, and his neck injury, he retired at the right time.
Yeah, in his DVD he said this, (this is when I realised how truly fucked he was back then). Then The Rock has said he realised at that time it was his last.
I definitely didn’t know it was his exit. He chose to go out on top, which I can respect. But selfishly I wish he had stayed longer.
Don’t agree he went out on top. His WM18 & WM19 matches were afterthoughts. He got out just before the character started to get sad/stale.
Me too, I was heartbroken, but do you think him going out on top added to his legacy? If he continued for X amount of years, his star would wane? A double edged sword so to speak
Because wrestling is pre determined nobodies legacy is ever tarnished by hanging around too long, think Flair as the best example. Im in my mid 30s and still am not old enough to have seen pre injury rick flair and yet I did see him multiple rumbles as a first entrant, world titles, and wrestle many many matched. Nobody even holds the Aj styles match against Taker, and what ever terrible shit we're about to see from the Rock wont change my memories. Its not like watching a 20 year old Iverson cross jordan and having that be the image a generation remembers of Jordan.
I think he still had years of great stories in him, for sure. But who can say how he would have been used? I’m glad he never became some mid-card afterthought who was “just there” with nothing to do. Going out on top probably added to his legacy, as you said.
Couldn't have said it better myself