Part 4/8:
At WrestleMania 18, the larger-than-life spectacle unfolded with Hogan versus The Rock stealing the spotlight. Austin's match with Hall felt like an afterthought—a sentiment further compounded by backstage disputes about match outcomes. Austin felt ill-prepared for such an arrangement, compounded by Hall's personal issues undermining performance. Ultimately, even after winning against Hall, the culmination of frustration left Austin fuming about the direction of his character.
This unrest reached a breaking point as Austin noticeably 'no-showed' an episode of Raw the next night as an act of protest. His absence did not go unnoticed. The WWE hierarchy, led by Vince McMahon, openly expressed disappointment while attempting to maintain a business-as-usual façade.