Jim Ross has revealed the affectionate nickname The Rock used for Stone Cold Steve Austin during the two men’s time together in WWE.
The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin are at the top of many fans’ list of all-time greats in the wrestling business as the two men led WWE through the Attitude Era and into the start of the new century.
The two men memorably feuded over the Intercontinental Championship before Austin went on to win the big one when he captured the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 14. The Rock was only a matter of months behind the Texas Rattlesnake as he won the title for the first time just 8 months later at Survivor Series 1998.
It was that win that put the two men on a collision course for the title at WrestleMania 15, the first in a trilogy of WrestleMania bouts between The Rock and Austin. They met again in the main event of WrestleMania 17 and for the last time in Steve Austin’s last match at WrestleMania 19 in 2003.
Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast [available early and ad-free at AdFreeShows.com] Jim Ross noted the respect the two icons had for each other and revealed Rock’s – now somewhat ironic – nickname for Stone Cold:
“They respected each other so much. I remember Rock’s favorite nickname for Steve was Baldy. He’d come up to me and say, ‘How’s Baldy today?’ I’d say, ‘He’s the same as always… cranky, intense… Baldy.’ It’s funny how you get all these little nicknames that never make air, so to speak, but that’s just out of friendship and team camaraderie.”
Jim Ross has also recently commented on a WWE Hall Of Famer who he says is one of wrestling’s “greatest overachievers.”