This really is the type of match that makes you want to rip your shirt off and scream at the top of your lungs, it’s that good.

The story leading up to match is threaded all the way through, how far will Steve Austin go to become the WWE Champion? It leads to a fairly basic structure that works so well as time goes by, aided by the mysterious No Disqualification stipulation that was added at the last minute. There isn’t a moment to breathe in the early going as both Austin and The Rock are just throwing everything at each other. There’s punching, kicking, throws, brawling in the crowd, the makeshift Spanish announce table is fearing for whatever life it had left, the main announce table crumbles under the weight of the situation, there isn’t any room for rest. 

With Austin working as the heel, regardless of what the crowd thought of him, it really aided the match as he is just going for it. Flipping off poor Earl Hebner, ripping the turnbuckle pad off which would only come back to haunt him, using the ring bell as a weapon, the crowd really want to see him beat The Rock to a bloody pulp and they get what they paid for. The bladejobs from both men are excellent, and they both get to show off how much the WWE Championship means to them when they trade Sharpshooters and the blood is gushing from their heads. The call-back to WrestleMania 13 is obvious on Austin’s side, but The Rock really sells it for all its worth, especially when Austin refuses to break the hold, and again, another example of Austin doing whatever it takes to get the win.

Austin even digs so far into his bag of tricks that he locks in the Million Dollar Dream from his Ringmaster days which gets a muffled reaction as fans are just beside themselves with excitement, but for the long-time fans it was a great little easter egg. Both men trade finishers, the monitors from the announce tables get used and before you know it, here comes Vince McMahon. By now we all know why he was there, but there was a genuine sense of confusion when he strutted to the ring. 

McMahon drags The Rock off of Austin showing that he is on Austin’s side, and then the steel chair gets introduced and the closing stretch is just electric. Every kickout gets a monstrous reaction, even for The Rock as fans gradually side with him, but once The Rock kicks out of the Stunner, he’s met with 16 chair shots and that’s it, Austin has done it, he’s the WWE Champion, but he’s sold his soul to the devil in order for it to happen. Austin and McMahon shake hands, drink beer, hit The Rock with the title belt for the road, and while the Texas faithful got to see their hometown boy win the big one again, WWE fans around the world had to sit and watch as they lost “The Texas Rattlesnake” to the dark side.