The confrontation between “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Brock Lesnar on the March 11, 2004 episode of SmackDown was an explosive and highly significant segment. It served as the final build-up for WrestleMania XX and gave fans a tantalizing glimpse of a dream match that had been cancelled two years prior .
Here is a detailed, moment-by-moment summary of the full segment.
📅 Event Background: The Final Stop Before WrestleMania
This episode of SmackDown, broadcast from Atlantic City, New Jersey, was the last television show before WrestleMania XX . The main event story for WrestleMania involved Brock Lesnar facing Bill Goldberg, with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin as the special guest referee. However, the tension between Austin and Lesnar had been simmering for weeks, as Lesnar had stolen Austin’s iconic ATV and “Stone Cold” was determined to get it back .
⚙️ The Full Segment Breakdown
1. The Set-Up: Heyman’s Army
The segment began in the locker room, where SmackDown General Manager Paul Heyman gathered the entire SmackDown roster . Heyman gave a passionate, almost militant speech, declaring that Steve Austin—a “RAW Superstar”—was a threat to their brand. He ordered the roster to form a human wall to stop Austin from getting to the ring, promising that their leader, Brock Lesnar, would lead them in defending their turf .
2. Lesnar’s Arrival on the ATV
Following Heyman’s speech, Brock Lesnar made his way to the ring—but he did so driving Steve Austin’s stolen four-wheeler . Once in the ring, Heyman grabbed a microphone. He and Lesnar taunted Austin, challenging him to come out and face them, confident that the army of SmackDown superstars lining the entrance ramp would stop him .
3. The Arrival of the Rattlesnake
The tension mounted as Steve Austin’s 18-wheeler truck backed its way into the arena . The glass shattered, and Austin marched towards the ring. As he approached the gauntlet of SmackDown wrestlers, Heyman screamed at them to “GET HIM!” . One by one, however, the superstars—including the intimidating Big Show—stepped aside, refusing to lay a hand on the Texas Rattlesnake. They parted like the Red Sea, leaving Austin face-to-face with Lesnar and Heyman in the ring .
4. The Confrontation and Brawl
Austin walked right past Lesnar and calmly began to inspect his ATV. He then got on it and started to drive it back up the ramp . However, about halfway up the ramp, “Stone Cold” stopped. He turned the vehicle around, parked it, and marched back to the ring with a singular purpose: violence .
Austin slid into the ring and immediately went after Lesnar. The two titans erupted into a wild, fists-flying brawl. In the chaos, Austin rammed Lesnar’s head into the steel ring post, busting him open and leaving him bloodied on the outside .
5. The Stunner and a Final Standoff
With Lesnar down, Austin turned his attention to Paul Heyman, who was cowering in the ring. Austin delivered a devastating “Stone Cold Stunner” to the SmackDown General Manager, sending him to the mat .
As Austin celebrated, a bloodied Brock Lesnar crawled back into the ring. He managed to get Austin into the position for his finishing move, the F-5. For a moment, it looked like Lesnar might plant the Texas icon. However, Austin fought out of it and went for his own Stunner on Lesnar. Lesnar managed to escape the move, bailing out of the ring and retreating up the ramp, clutching his bleeding head .
🏆 Aftermath and Significance
The show went off the air with the lasting image of Brock Lesnar, bloodied and standing on the ramp, staring down a defiant Steve Austin standing tall in the ring . This was the last time fans would see Brock Lesnar on WWE television for nearly eight years, as he was departing for a brief stint in the NFL .
For fans, this brawl was a powerful “what if” moment. It was a physical receipt for a confrontation that never happened in 2002 and teased a dream match between two of the biggest stars in history that fans desperately wanted to see . It successfully sent the crowd into WrestleMania XX with a massive dose of excitement and unpredictability.