Rock says Austin asked Vince to main event WrestleMania in 1999

Dwayne Johnson said Stone Cold Steve Austin personally asked WWE chairman Vince McMahon in January 1999 to main event WrestleMania with him, a move that helped launch one of professional wrestling's defining rivalries, Johnson told Sports Illustrated. In the interview Johnson reflected on his work with Austin and other opponents, describing how backstage choices and in-ring chemistry shaped his rise during the Attitude Era and beyond.

Johnson said he was not in a position at the time to request a WrestleMania main event, and that Austin recognized their chemistry and took the initiative. "He went to Vince McMahon in January of 1999, I think, and he said, I want to main event WrestleMania with The Rock," Johnson said. The two went on to headline multiple pay-per-view main events, including WrestleMania X7 and WrestleMania XIX.

Looking back on their final high-profile encounter at WrestleMania XIX, Johnson described the match as a deliberately staged passing-of-the-torch moment. He said Austin accepted a loss as a show of respect for a departing performer, and that he delivered three Rock Bottoms before the pinfall. Johnson recounted an intimate exchange after the match, saying...