STW - The Rock 1999 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

The Rock 1999

Coming into 1999, The Rock was on top of the wrestling world. He was the WWF World Champion; he won it in November at the Survivor Series in the World Title tournament. He was the top heel in the WWF and arguably in the entire wrestling business.

A lot of younger fans might only know Rock, or Dwayne Johnson as a big time actor and as a face from his return to the WWF a few years ago. But for awhile, he was the most hated man in the WWF. 

Did you like Rock better as a heel or as a babyface?

Coming into 99, Rock was the crown jewel of The Corporation. He was also involved in a feud with Mankind.

How did you feel the Corporation stable was coming along heading into 99? Had it progressed where you guys were hoping that it would up to that point?

Rock & Mankind had a few awesome matches coming into 1999. Rock defeated Mankind in the finals of the World Title tournament at Survivor Series 98 & in the process turned heel & joined with Mr. McMahon & Shane. They had a rematch the following month at The Rock Bottom pay per view.

During the match, Mankind got the mandible claw on Rock & The referee called for the bell, and Mankind was declared the winner. However, before Mankind could be announced as the new champion, Vince got on the microphone and said that because the Rock did not submit to the hold, the Rock would remain the champion 

The Mankind feud was Rock's first major feud after winning the World title. How did you guys think they worked together at the time? There'd be a lot more to this feud upcoming over the new few months as we'll soon talk about.

This was Rock's first reign as the World Champion and the top guy. A lot of people could easily say the top guy was Steve Austin and you wouldn't be wrong by saying that, but for the tradition of wrestling, the top guy was the World Champion, which Rock was, heading into 1999

How was Rock handling being the World Champion at this time?  He made his in-ring debut for the WWF at the Survivor Series 96, and 2 years later at the same event, he wins his 1st World title. Was there any apprehension in putting him in that spot?

That takes us to the January 4th Raw where we saw Mankind defeat The Rock to win Mankind's first World Title. Steve Austin came to the ring to a thunderous and monsterous pop. He went into the ring, picked up a chair and hit Rock in the head with it, and Mankind pinned him for the win

Talk about the decision to put the title on Mick and what was the emotions like that day?

On Nitro, commentator Tony Schiavone famously said of Mick's win, If you’re even thinking about changing the channel to our competition, fans, do not. Because we understand that Mick Foley, who wrestled here at one time as Cactus Jack, is going to win their World Title. Huh! That’s gonna put some butts in the seats. Heh! 

It's been said that as many as 600,000 people switched from Nitro which featured the Hulk Hogan vs Kevin Nash fingerpoke of doom match to Raw to see Mick's win, after Tony said that

What was your reaction when you heard those numbers? Do you think that was the real start of the end of the Monday Night Wars?

That takes us a few weeks later on January 24th, to the Royal Rumble. A rematch was scheduled between Rock and Mankind for the title in an I Quit Match

This ended up being a very brutal match because of the punishment delivered to Mankind

Rock regained the WWF title from Mankind in an I Quit match in 21:46. Congratulations to Bryan Alvarez on the Observer hotline for picking the finish correctly, about them playing a tape of Mankind saying "I Quit." This was sort of given away on the pre-game show when Mankind used those words in his interview and Shane McMahon reacted to it as if he had fallen into the trap. Very good match, but this won't be remembered as a classic I Quit match with the Funk vs. Flair and Magnum T.A. vs. Tully Blanchard matches, partially because of the finish. They used the mic back-and-forth where one would ask the other if they quit. 

When Mankind asked, Rock tried to play cool heel with defiant remarks that a face should make. When Rock asked, Mankind at least sold that he was near death but would still refuse. At least one of the guys got it. Mankind took his ungodly punishment. The Heat beating really didn't play much into the match as Rock never worked on Mankind's back or ribs nor did he come out taped up. Mankind put the double arm DDT and Mr. Socko claw on. Rock passed out so couldn't say I Quit. Didn't Mankind say in an interview he wasn't going to use any submission holds in the match? Rock got the ring bell and the hammer and gonged the bell in his ears (which, unless you've had it happen to you, is more of a jolt than most people in the crowd would be able to empathize with). 

They were supposed to do a Rock Bottom on the Spanish announcers table, but that table looked to be made out of paper mache the way it broke so easily while both guys were just standing setting the move up. Rock spit water in Mankind's eyes but Mankind came back and posted Rock. They were brawling on the floor and Rock hit a DDT. Rock went backstage and got a ladder. 

It was set up near a section of risers and both men climbed up the ladder and brawled on the wrong side of the rail about nine feet from the floor. The only problem with this spot, which looked pretty dangerous to be fighting with little footing so high off the ground, was you knew Rock wasn't about to take a bump from there. In fact, one of the problems with this match was it was evident Rock wasn't going to take any punishment while Foley was going to take a ton, so it was more like a stuntman show with a few spots being set up, than a tension filled wrestling match. 

Anyway, Mankind took the bump, landing on what was supposed to have been the electrical circuit boards (which appeared to be totally gimmicked), with a big flash coming from the circuits as he did them and knocking the power out in the building. With Mankind dead, Shane McMahon came out and pleaded with Rock to end the match but he wouldn't. Rock handcuffed Mankind's hands behind his back and threw him in the ring and destroyed him. Mankind juiced, but came back with a low kick, stomping, biting and a knee to the groin. Rock, being the experienced pro at selling and putting his foe over that he is (Rock's shortcomings in the ring, not evident much in recent months, were really getting exposed in this match because the style necessitated selling moves and body part injuries to get it over as opposed to fast-paced action mixed with restholds), got right up from the low blows without selling much and made a comeback, with the Corporate elbow on a chair into Mankind's face.

At this point it was sick chair shot city, with overkill to the point of 11 full force brutal chair shots to the head, leaving Mankind in the aisle covered in blood when the tape played over the loudspeaker of him saying "I Quit," taped during his Heat interview. They brought out a stretcher, but he refused the stretcher job, although they were already into the next segment before showing him getting up and walking off on his own to a big reaction. This finish, and I'm not talking about the screw-job aspect of it, didn't remotely qualify as entertainment. Maybe caring that a guy who was formerly such a brilliant performer may wind up with no brain cells later in life qualifies you as someone who doesn't GET IT. 

There was one very interesting difference in phone calls here. After the Hell in the Cell match, probably 80% of the calls were glowing about Foley's performance and maybe 20% were concerned about the mentality of doing so. 

Both sides were right, since they should have been concerned, but if you understand Foley's dreams, it was a good thing, too. This time the calls were 90% negative toward the finish and almost nobody was raving in awe about the punishment Foley took and were more mad at him for his lack of common sense then empathizing with him for the pain he was willing to suffer for the sake of entertainment and to make the match memorable. He could have accomplished the same thing with three chair shots.

I do want to point out, not in defense of Foley, but that I've seen people before take every bit as many shots every bit as hard or harder to the head (although in those cases, while the shots may have been harder, they were more carefully delivered as to being all on the top of the head where the skull is thickest whereas Rock was just swinging it like a baseball bat wherever it would hit) before and I'd bet for pennies to dollars on their financial payoff for it. It wasn't anything unprecedented and there is a lot of money involved in the business nowadays, but hopefully we'll never have to see anything like it again. ***3/4 

We saw on the Beyond the Mat movie that Mick's wife and kids were in the crowd and crying as Mick was getting hit and she took the kids and left. What was the reaction when Mick was taking those chair shots?

It's been said there was supposed to be 5 chair shots to the head, but Rock ended up giving him 11. Is there truth to the 5?

Was there heat between them after this match?

The next night on Raw, Rock defended the title against HHH in an I Quit match

Rock beat HHH in 9:09 to keep the title in the I Quit match. Rock did the corporate elbow using the hammer on the ring bell. HHH came back with a pedigree, a pedigree on the floor and teased a pedigree on the table. Kane ran in with the Corporation and had Chyna up for the chokeslam. They said unless HHH quit that Kane would chokeslam Chyna so he quit.  Chyna then gave HHH a low blow and joined the Corporation. 

That takes us to January 31st, where we saw the show Halftime Heat, it was on during halftime of the Super Bowl. Rock defended the title against Mankind in an empty arena match

Mankind and Rock spent almost no time in the ring, brawling around the arena. It was another example of Mankind taking movie stunt men like bumps, and Rock doing little but keeping the pace up and talking trash. Vince McMahon did the commentary, and believed, correctly so, that much of the audience would be curious channel switchers who weren't familiar with the WWF and the two men and commented along those lines. Still, there is a reason movie fight scenes are usually limited to about two minutes, because this match got redundant and the commentary was too preachy and condescending about what the WWF is trying to portray itself as and who the characters are. At one point Mankind rolled down 40 rows of seats.

At one point when Rock drank a Jack Daniels, McMahon claimed that it wasn't real liquor as the Rock doesn't drink, amazing from a company attempting to portray itself as the bad asses. It ended up backstage with the food, with the guys selling for shots with razor sharp popcorn, and reminded me of that short-lived early 90s TV show with Jesse Ventura where contestants got in food fights with each other. Finally they ended up in the back of the building and Mankind dropped a forklift with beer kegs onto Rock's chest, with the cameras not showing the obvious lack of impact and Mankind jumped on top for the pin and his second title reign. 

Talk about why this was done & whose idea was it? Obviously from the famous Terry Funk vs Jerry Lawler empty arena match

That takes us to the Valentine's Day Massacre pay per view on February 14th from Memphis, TN. Rock & Mankind this time wrestled in a Last Man Standing match

Mankind presumably retained his WWF title going to a no contest with Rock in 21:54. They did the 10 count knockout rule. To get people to understand the spot early, Mankind hit Rock with the title belt and they sold the ten count with Rock beating the count. They ended up brawling in the aisle including whipping each other into the lighting structure. Mankind DDT'd Rock through a table. Rock suplexed Mankind on the floor. Cole called Rock the best pure athlete in the WWF. I thought that was Billy Gunn two weeks ago. Mankind missed a corporate elbow. 

Rock came back with three vertical suplexes on the floor and started doing his own announcing. Mankind attacked him and did an elbow off the apron onto him draped over the American announcers table although he didn't land on the table. Mankind picked up the stairs, which we would later be told weighed 300 pounds (yeah, he can pick that kind of weight up like nothing) and Rock kicked the stairs into his face. Rock delivered three chair shots to the bad knee, but went for a chair to the head, missed, hit the ropes and in a Three Stooges spot, the chair bounced off and hit Rock in the face. 

Both went over the top with a Mankind clothesline. Mankind delivered a neckbreaker on the floor and set up a piledriver on the table, but Rock flipped him over and Mankind's head hit the American table and legs hit the timekeepers table. Rock threw the "300-pound" steps over the top onto Mankind. Lawler corrected Cole saying the steps were 200-250 pounds. Rock used the corporate elbow, but Mankind came back with the claw. Earl Hebner got bumped. Rock used a low blow and a DDT, but Mankind came back with a double-arm DDT on a chair. Mankind used the socko claw but Rock used the rock bottom and both collapsed.

It appeared neither would beat the 10 count, but both staggered up, simultaneously delivered chair shots, and both went out for the ten count. The fans hated the finish, booing heavily. They tried to sell the brutality of it with both going out on stretchers and taken away in twin ambulances (a spot also meant to show how tough McMahon was because in the same situation, he got back up and fought). They need to emphasize more on television to their audience that nobody cares about winning and losing and those poor souls in Memphis who didn't want a non-finish just don't GET IT. Still, you can't fault the work in this match. ***3/4 

The next night on Raw, they had a rematch for the title, this time in a ladder match.

Finish saw Big Show, who just debuted in the WWF the previous night at the ppv chokeslam Mankind and Rock grabbed the belt

That Raw did a record 5.90 rating (6.10 first hour; 5.72 second hour) and 8.7 share to Nitro's 3.90 rating (4.70 first hour; 3.37 second hour; 3.65 third hour). It was the highest rating either company had done in the Monday Night Wars

Which of their matches did you think was the best? 

With Rock winning the title here and Steve Austin defeating Mr. McMahon in the steel cage match at Valentine's Day Massacre to earn the title shot at WrestleMania 15, the stage was set for the legendary Steve Austin vs Rock feud to begin.

During this time, a 2nd set of covers of TV Guide for the WWF came out and Rock was on one of the covers, along with Austin, Mankind & Sable

On the March 15th Raw, Rock & Big Show went to a double countout with Austin & Mankind

On the March 22nd Raw, we saw the famous beer bath segment when Rock, Vince & Shane were in the ring doing a promo and Austin drove a beer truck to the ring and proceeded to shower them all with beer. There's a famous sight of Vince swimming in it, to try and get away. Austin has said that the beer turned to water after a period of time

Talk about your memories of that. Whose idea was it and did it go as planned?

Later in the show, Rock lost by DQ to Mankind when Show chokeslammed Mankind

Later in the show, Austin pinned Big Show, in Show's first match in the WWF and after the match, Rock hit Austin with the Rock bottom to end the show

That takes us to WrestleMania 15, where we saw the 1st of what would be 3 WrestleMania matches between The Rock & Steve Austin. Here at the first one in 1999, Rock was defending the World title.  

Ironically, a year earlier, on the go home show to WrestleMania 14, Austin pinned then-IC champion Rock and here they are 1 year later, headlining WrestleMania 15

Steve Austin regained the WWF title pinning Rock in 16:52. Jim Ross was brought out to announce the main event and got a big ovation. He didn't do any of the parody of himself stuff that he did when he announced Raw two weeks ago or any of the act where he had been made to look like he'd gone postal. I guess that angle is forgotten and thank God for that. Vince came out to referee. Shawn Michaels came out to a huge pop saying that wasn't going to happen (I guess we're not supposed to remember the deal that Michaels was hired but would have no authority over anything having to do with Austin). Michaels banned The Corporation from ringside but did basically say Vince could do a run-in if he wanted to later although not in those words but pretty well telegraphed that spot.

He brought out Mike Ciota to ref. You could see where that was going. The two guys worked real hard brawling outside the ring with Austin in particular taking some nasty bumps. You have to give him credit working as hard as he does considering he doesn't have to and would be just as over if he did a half-ass job. They did a hell of a brawl including Austin taking a backdrop on the lighting fixtures with his bad knee landing on it. He choked Rock with a chord. Rock suplexed Austin on the floor. They traded spitting water at each other. Austin went to put Rock through the Spanish announcers table (this spot is becoming a cliche) but it didn't break on the first try so he jumped off the barricade onto Rock on the table and it broke the second time. 

Rock wrapped Austin's knee around the post. Austin whipped Rock into the steps. Rock used the Rock bottom for a near fall. Austin KO'd Ciota with a chair when Rock put the ref in the way. Rock used the chair to the knee and a hard chair shot to the head. Tim White ran in to ref and you could see what was going to happen next. Rock did a Samoan drop for a near fall. 

When Austin kicked out, Rock delivered the Rock bottom on White, so he was done. Austin hit the stunner, but no ref. Earl Hebner ran in but Rock kicked out. Vince attacked Hebner. Guess he was mad about still paying him that big contract 18 months later. Vince and Rock were double-teaming Austin when Mankind ran in and decked Vince. Austin did a schoolboy for a cool near fall. Rock delivered another Rock bottom but missed the corporate elbow. 

He went for another Rock bottom, but Austin blocked it and hit the stunner for the pin. After the match Earl Hebner, who seemed way more excited about Austin about winning the title, drank beer in the ring with Austin. Austin decked Vince after the match and delivered another stunner and poured beer on him to end the show. This was a really good main event, but not at the level of Heat of their Raw match last year or even their tag match in San Jose two weeks ago. ***1/2 

Since this is the only one of their 3 Mania matches that we'll cover on this particular episode, which of their 3 Mania matches did you like the best?

Rock & Austin would have a rematch at the next pay per view, Backlash. This match seems to be the forgotten one of their pay per view matches. Either this one, or their match at the DX ppv in December 97, where Austin pinned Rock in a few minutes to retain the IC title

Steve Austin retained the WWF title pinning Rock in 17:07 to retain the WWF title. Earlier in the show, Shane McMahon had vowed on the name of his beloved grandfather Vince Sr., that if Austin had Rock pinned, he would count fairly. Vince was mad but Stephanie assured everyone that if Shane used Vince Sr.'s name, he'd be fair. This, of course, guaranteed he wouldn't. All this storyline stuff was very well done although Vince is kind of hard to take going from the ultimate heel to the ultimate father with almost no transition period. This was probably the match Wrestlemania should have been as these two killed themselves taking hard bumps outside the ring. Rock's gyno is starting to return. 

Much of the match was outside the ring with them destroying everything in their path. They each were whipped knocking over the cyclone fencing for the light standards and everything came tumbling down. Austin appeared to hurt his wrist or hand on it. Austin suplexed Rock on the floor leading to Rock taking out the fence Austin hadn't already taken out. Austin clotheslined Rock on the knocked down fence and in following through, appeared to hit his head on the fence. His knee brace also came loose in the melee. Rock took a bump into a guard rail. Austin used a clothesline off a speaker. Austin jumped off a case but Rock punched him. They got back to the ring area and Rock took a bump out of the ring and Austin clotheslined him off the apron. 

Rock used a low blow and a Rock bottom through the dreaded Spanish announcers table. Austin took a header over the barricade and may have hurt his knee in the process. Rock took a camera and began filming but Austin got up and flipped him off and used a stunner through the English table with cameras and monitors and announcers flying everywhere. Finally they got in the ring. Austin went for a stunner, but Rock shoved him off and he crashed into Shane. Rock used the Rock bottom on Austin but then collapsed himself. 

Shane, who had been calling it fairly except for one spot where he grabbed a chair from Austin and threw it to Rock when they were outside, then put Rock's hand over Austin's body and began counting, but Austin kicked out. Shane grabbed the belt and went to hit Austin, but of course accidentally hit Rock. Austin covered him but Shane walked out refusing to count. Vince and Earl Hebner came to the ring with Vince decking Shane with the Austin WWF title belt. Rock hit Austin with the other belt and Hebner ran in but Austin kicked out. Austin then hit the stunner, followed by a shot with the belt and Hebner counted three. 

After the match, Vince came to ringside with Austin's belt and didn't hand him the belt, but put it on the mat for Austin to pick up and celebrate. The Ministry then went backstage to where Vince's limo was with Stephanie there (why doesn't he just take her to France like Eric did with his daughter?) and the cops told the driver to drive away. Stephanie didn't want to leave until her dad came back and then as the show ended, it was Undertaker driving. ****1/4 

Meltzer rated this match higher than their WrestleMania match. Would you agree with that?

Any thoughts on putting the title back on Rock here?

The next night on Raw, The show opened with Rock doing an interview and he began ripping on Shane for screwing up the match the previous night. Shane didn't back down calling Rock a piece of monkey crap. Rock was about to go after Shane, but wound up hitting HHH & Chyna before the Corporation overpowered him and Shane beat him up. Shane fired him. Rock challenged Shane to a match for later in the show

A few months before Rock turned heel and joined the Corporation at Survivor Series, he was extremely popular, rivaling Austin's popularity. After he turned heel, he was back being hated again for awhile, but around WrestleMania and after, even though he was still a heel, he was starting to get cheered again. Is that the way the decision was made to again turn him face here?

Later in the show, Rock & Shane barely went 1 minute before the Mean Street Posse ran in and others ended up running in also. But the main thing coming out of this Raw was that Rock was now a babyface

Rock then started a feud with Triple H. This was reigniting their feud that they had a year earlier in 1998, culminating with HHH beating Rock in a ladder match at SummerSlam for the IC title

They would have a match at the Over the Edge pay per view on May 23rd at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City

Sadly, this was the night that Owen Hart tragically passed away. 

Rock has said about that night -

“I was backstage in the dressing room going over the details of my match with Triple H and Chyna. We were talking, moving around, trying to figure out how to make the match memorable, when Sergeant Slaughter walked into the room and said, ‘Owen is hurt…’ I looked at Hunter, then looked at Sarge and said, ‘Oh, come on. Are you serious or are you ribbing?’ Owen was known for his pranks, and I thought maybe this was just another example of his twisted sense of humor. ‘No,’ Sarge said. ‘It looks pretty bad. They’re working on him in the middle of the ring…’

“I went straight to the curtain. As I reached the Gorilla Position, where everyone was gathered, I could see the shock on their faces, the disbelief. People were crying, hugging. And then it hit me: This is real. I walked up to the curtain and looked out. The EMTs were working on Owen in the middle of the ring, giving him CPR. The crowd was on its feet, absolutely silent…

“[I thought] ‘My god…that’s my friend, I have to go out there.’ I turned around. Vince McMahon was standing there watching everything on the monitors. He was in shock, just like the rest of us. ‘Vince,’ I said, ‘I want to go out there – what do you think?’ Vince just stared at me, with a look on his face that seemed to say, Rock, that’s entirely up to you. After a few moments, though, Vince spoke. ‘If you go out there, Rock, those people are really going to react to you. They may think this whole thing is a work…’

“So I waited anxiously, helplessly by the curtain, until they wheeled Owen through on a stretcher. One of the EMTs was still straddling Owen, pumping his chest, desperately administering CPR. I walked alongside them and said a prayer as I looked at Owen’s face. Then I helped them load the stretcher into the ambulance. I climbed into the passenger side of the vehicle and looked in the back where they were still working furiously on Owen. I kept praying that God would save my friend’s life…”

Owen & Rock were great friends. How did Owen's death impact Rock?

Later in the show, Rock had to wrestle HHH. Rock won by DQ

At the King of the Ring, Rock would once again find himself in the World Title match at a pay per view, as he challenged World Champion The Undertaker for the title

Undertaker pinned Rock in 19:10 to retain the WWF title. Mike Ciota got decked by Undertaker before the bell, and Rock used a Rock Bottom on Undertaker but no ref. This would be the storyline idea that Rock got three pins on Undertaker but all three times there was no ref. Earl Hebner ran in but at the count of two, Paul Bearer pulled him out of the ring and Bearer decked Hebner. Undertaker choke slammed Rock, who kicked out of the pin. This was a slow-paced match. Taker suplexed Rock on the floor. He also crotched himself doing the rope walk spot. 

Rock spit water in Taker's face. They brawled in the crowd. Rock picked up a chair, and this spot was really mistimed. Taker wasn't ready for the ring bell so Rock had to hold up his chair shot, except he didn't and instead gave Taker this weak love tap with the chair to wake him up for the spot. Taker grabbed the bell and Rock hit the bell with the chair, so the chair ricocheted back in Rock's face. Bearer hit Rock twice with his shoe. Taker hit a great DDT. Rock came back with his own DDT and clotheslined ref Ciota. 

He hit the people's elbow but again no ref. Taker came back with a low blow and Bearer sprayed ether on a towel. Rock got the towel and put out Taker with it. However, HHH ran in and gave Rock a Pedigree and sort of put Taker on top. Ciota came to and Rock kicked out. However, Taker then used the tombstone for the pin. *1/2 

The following month at the Fully Loaded ppv, Rock wrestled HHH in a #1 contender strap match, with the winner going to SummerSlam and getting a World Title match

Hunter Hearst Helmsley pinned Rock to earn the title shot in a strap match in 19:21. Rock did yet another incredible interview before the match. This was a good match and Helmsley was noticeably more aggressive than usual trying to get himself over as a real world title contender, but it was nothing special. The crowd was far more into Rock as a star than HHH and until the last two minutes this didn't have any special level of heat except when Rock would play to the crowd for a reaction, especially considering it was a match with so much "importance." I'm not even sure why they had the straps because they barely played a part in the match other than each had the spots of whipping the other. 

Rock took a camera from a fan, shot a photo of HHH and gave the camera back. They brawled in the crowd for a long time. Rock took some guard rail shots. Chyna gave down. HHH in his interview said he was going to win the match by himself. Rock hit the Rock Bottom but Chyna distracted ref Mike Ciota. HHH came back with a low blow and choked Rock with the strap. Rock came back by laying the strap down on his candy ass. This brought Mr. Ass down and he hit Rock with a club but Rock kicked out. Big pop for that. Rock came back with a low blow and the people's elbow but Gunn pulled Rock off HHH. Rock gave Gunn the Rock bottom, but this allowed HHH to hit the Pedigree on Rock for the pin. ***1/4 

The result of this match would set up the Rock vs Billy Gunn feud. How did Rock feel about this? Did he look at this as a demotion? Gunn was getting a push, he just won the King of the Ring tournament, but Rock had firmly been entrenched in the World title picture literally all year up to this point

On the August 9th, Raw, Rock was doing an in ring promo when he was suddenly interrupted by the debuting Chris Jericho. This has been called one of the greatest debuts in history. Jericho & Rock went back and forth with each other on the mic. What's your memories of that and how did Rock feel about doing it?

That takes us to SummerSlam 1999, where Rock wrestled Billy Gunn in a kiss my ass match

Rock pinned Billy Gunn in 10:12 in a Kiss My Ass, or as it was referred to on some promos on stations not nearly as liberal as the USA Network, a Kiss My Backside match. Gunn came out with a short very large woman under a sheet and said when he won, Rock would have to kiss her ass and not his. They brawled some outside the ring. Gunn hit Rock with the ring bell. Gunn countered a Rock bottom and used a neckbreaker. Rock got a bloody nose and made a comeback with a float-over DDT. Gunn finally used his famouser, and went to rub Rock's mouth on the woman's ass, as she lifted up a fairly short dress and showed these huge panties. 

During the match Lawler and Ross kept speculating on what kind of underwear this large scary looking woman was wearing. Rock reversed things and shoved Gunn's face to her ass, then hit the Rock bottom and people's elbow for the pin. Reports are that Rock was very upset working with Gunn midway through the match and this contributed to a somewhat disappointing match, a fact he pretty well made clear on television the next night when he tried to categorize Gunn with Gangrel and even Brooklyn Brawler as wrestlers the level that he shouldn't even be booked with. **3/4 

After this match, Gunn's push seemed to come to a grinding halt. Why was that? Was he blamed for this match?

The next night on Raw, Rock pinned Gangrel. Then during the Mankind vs HHH title match, Rock came out and did commentary, even asking who's booking this crap, in regards to his recent matches. HHH ended up hitting Rock with a chair while Rock was at the commentary table, then HHH ended up pinning Mankind to win his 1st World title.

On the first episode of the new weekly show, Smackdown on August 26th, HHH defeated Rock to retain the World title, when guest ref Shawn Michaels superkicked Rock, allowing HHH to get the win.

After this, we saw the unlikely team of Rock and Mankind form. They ended up becoming known as the Rock n Sock Connection, and on the August 30th Raw, they won the World Tag Team titles from Undertaker and Big Show

Where did the idea come from to put them together as a team and how receptive to it were both men?

They lost the titles back to Undertaker and Big Show on the September 7th Smackdown in a Buried Alive match, when HHH interfered

On the September 20th Raw, the Rock 'n' Sock Connection won the titles back in a "Dark Side Rules" match against Big Show, Viscera & Mideon(The Undertaker did not feel like being in the match so they took his place, thus turning the match into a three-on-two). Three days later on Smackdown, The New Age Outlaws reunited and defeated Rock & Mankind to win the tag titles

A few days later, on the September 27th Raw, Mick Foley and Rock did the famous This is your Life Rock segment. It got an 8.4 rating, which was the highest rating that Raw ever got for any segment up to that point.

They started with a sixth grade teacher. They called her Mrs. Griffith and the graphic called her Mrs. Schubert. They said she was a home ec teacher but the graphic said she was an English teacher. Rock was getting back at her because she never let him make pancakes. They brought out a coach and Rock got mad at him because he made Rock run laps because he gave an opposing player a DDT during a football game. 

Finally they brought out his high school sweetheart who never let Rock get any poon tang pie. Mankind pulled out a sock with Rock's face on it called him Mr. Rocko Socko and brought out jackets for him and Rock to dress as a tag team called the Rock & Sock Connection. Finally they brought out the women clown from the hilarious Vince McMahon hospitalization skit from last year. Foley got mad at Rock for insulting the clown with "It doesn't matter what your name is." They brought out a birthday cake, Rock later said his birthday is in May. Then HHH came out with a sledge hammer and brought things to an end.

Talk about how this segment came to be. It's been said that it went 14 minutes over the planned time for it.

That takes us to the Unforgiven pay per view. It took place on September 26th. Rock found himself in a 6 pack challenge match for the vacant World Title. Vince had beaten HHH for the title, then forfeited it. Steve Austin was the ref for this match.

Helmsley won the Six pack match over Kane, Mankind, Rock, Big Show and Davey Boy Smith in 20:28. Austin came out to do commentary and Corderas was ref. It was a good main event. Some brawling in the aisle. Mankind hit HHH with the steps, piledrove him on the steps and gave him a wedgie. All the refs showed up and you could see where that was going. A lot of saves. The rules of this match make no logical sense because at least an elimination match makes sense but logic would dictate nobody would ever tag if it's the first man to score a pin to win.

Anyway, guys were saving the near falls left and right because that meant somebody else would win the title. Rock stole a beer from Austin and threw it on HHH. Kane used the tombstone on Mankind but Show threw Kane out of the ring. Show set up a clothesline on Mankind but Kane clotheslined him. Bulldog powerslammed Kane (he had some trouble on the move) and then HHH gave Bulldog a pedigree. Mankind then turned on Rock doing a double arm DDT after the entire show building up that Mankind was afraid to beat Rock because the fans wouldn't like him if he did. 

He put the socko claw on Rock but Rock broke it with a rock bottom, but HHH saved Mankind. Show choke slammed Mankind but all the refs pulled Corderas out of the ring and began pounding on him. Austin got up and was throwing all the refs around. Rock DDT'd HHH for a great near fall with Austin counting. Rock used the Rock bottom and people's elbow but Big Show pulled Austin out of the ring before he could count three. 

Smith hit Rock with a chair. Austin then hit Smith with a chair, but HHH used the pedigree on Rock and Austin grudgingly counted the pin, but after the match, then gave HHH a stunner. ***1/2 

Meltzer reported - At one point there was a plan for Rock to beat HHH for the title on the 9/27 Raw in Greensboro. HHH complained loudly enough about the idea that it was nixed. 

On October 2nd in Birmingham, England, you guys ran the Rebellion ppv. Rock challenged HHH for the World title in a cage match

Hunter Hearst Helmsley retained the WWF title in a cage match over Rock in 20:33. Rock got the expected huge pop. There was a ton of interference in this match along with some juice. Actually there was probably a ton of juice, but some blood is what I meant. At one point there was a ref bump and Rock got out the door first. That also allowed them to brawl outside the cage. At one point Rock put HHH through a table. HHH did a major league juice job after a chair shot. Rock came off the cage (not the top, this is the Rock) with an elbow drop sending HHH through the announcers' table. 

Rock seemingly had the match won when Smith came out. Shane McMahon came out after Smith, but Smith body slammed him. Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco came out, but Smith beat them up as well. Rock was about to escape the cage but Chyna did the old shutting the cage door on his head routine from every WWF cage match in recent history (when that angle was first done in 1982 in Dallas, it resulted in two-and-a-half incredible years of business). At the end, Bulldog gave Rock a low blow and Chyna also attacked Rock.

It wound up with HHH leaving with Rock also trying to get out with HHH winning the photo-finish spot by climbing over the top.

After the match, Vince came out and locked the door of the cage and gave Smith the finger, with Rock and Bulldog as the only two left inside. By this point, Bulldog had turned full-fledged heel and Rock gave him the Rock bottom and people's elbow to end the show on a happy note. ***3/4 

On the October 4th Raw, Rock pinned Jericho with the people's elbow

Rock and Mankind would win the tag titles for the third and final time after beating the New Age Outlaws on the October 12th Smackdown before losing the titles to The Hollys on the October 18th Raw

Why 3 short title reigns for them?

From there, Rock was put back into the World Title picture. He was scheduled to wrestle World Champion HHH and Steve Austin in a triple threat match at the Survivor Series for the title

Austin ended up getting hit by a car during the show, taking him out of the match and out of action until October of 2000, so he could get a neck surgery. Big Show was put into Austin's place in the match

Big Show won the WWF heavyweight title in a three-way over Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Rock in 16:15. They had no heat in the ring, but crowd got into it when they brawled in the entrance way. HHH was bodyslammed through a table which woke the crowd up. Rock hit Show with a fire extinguisher and later with the ring bell. Rock & HHH double suplexed Show through the Spanish announcers table, allowing them to do some decent wrestling in the ring. Didn't take long for Rock to clothesline Earl Hebner, taking him out. Rock tried a rock bottom and HHH tried a pedigree but both were blocked. 

Rock then hit the rock bottom but no ref. Shane McMahon ran in wearing a ref shirt but HHH kicked out. Rock delivered another rock bottom but Show pulled Shane out of the ring stopping the count. Show threw Rock through the ring steps allowing HHH to gave Shane the pedigree. Rock hit a DDT on HHH but then DX came out to attack Rock. Vince showed up looking stern to save the day. He hit HHH with the belt, missing the first time as a tease, connecting the second. Show then choke slammed HHH and got the pin. **1/2 

How long before the event was the decision made to put Big Show in this match and was it ever considered to put the title on Rock here?

The next night on Raw, Big Boss Man beat Rock in a hardcore match to determine the No. 1 contender. Rock grabbed a camera and took a photo during the match. Mainly brawling in the crowd. Rock whipped Boss Man with Earl Hebner's belt. He used the rock bottom on the stage. Prince Albert ran in. Rock his Albert with a chair and gave Boss Man the people's elbow but Albert saved. Boss Man got the pin in 4:41 with the Boss Man slam. Rock went nuts, destroying Boss Man with a chain and Albert with a TV monitor and they both juiced. Rock also destroyed Sgt. Slaughter, another ref and Tom Prichard.

That takes us to the Armageddon pay per view, on December 12th. The Rock n Sock Connection reunited, to challenged The New Age Outlaws for the tag team titles

Rock & Mankind beat The New Age Outlaws in 16:28. This was a decent match with a weak finish. Fans were incredibly hot for Rock, as they always are. At one point Rock pulled Gunn's shirt over his head and pounced on him. Rock hip tossed him over the guard rail back into the ring area. Gunn used a diamond cutter on Rock. Rock countered Road Dogg's pump handle slam with a low blow. Rock was worked on for several minutes before doing the float over DDT and made the hot tag to Mankind. Ref bump spot. Mankind piledrove Dogg but no ref. Gunn then tackled the ref and Mankind. 

Mankind did the double arm DDT and socko claw but no ref. Al Snow ran in and hit Mankind with the head and Dogg pinned him but Rock stopped the count. Actually they should have used this spot as the finish instead of what they used. Rock started pounding on snow and Gunn hit Mankind with the ring bell but he kicked out of the pin for a good near fall. Gunn piledrove Mankind for another good near fall. Mankind hot tagged Rock, who used the Rock bottom on Gunn, when Snow interfered for the DQ. Mankind and Snow brawled after the match and Rock used the Rock bottom on both Dogg and Snow. **