During a recent Haus of Wrestling interview, WWF Attitude Era Veteran Shawn Stasiak recalled working a match against The Rock on the post-9/11 episode of ‘SmackDown!’.
Here’s what Shawn had to say about his encounter with The Great One:
“I got to work with Dwayne Johnson, The Rock, that night. I was the Wile E. Coyote of the WWE, at the time, you know, the laughing stock and comical relief. It was just fun that I got to rub shoulders with Rock a little bit. I wish I would have had an opportunity to actually work a real program and, you know, develop, but the rest is history. It is what it is. It was bittersweet, you’re, on one end, you’re representing freedom and America, really. A very patriotic night, but it was depressing and sad.
Again, lots of fear and anxiety going on, but to work with Dwayne was really special for me, too. Again, I wish we had more time or more of an opportunity of working together, but just to have that moment. I was glad to be part of it. It was a stupid, goofy character, but at least it made people laugh, and it put smiles on faces, and it eased up some of the tension that we all felt. So I was I was happy to be part of that.”
The September 13th 2001 special LIVE edition of ‘WWF SmackDown!’ at the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas was the first (major) sporting event in the United States of America, that was held after the horrible, tragic incident, in which the World Trade Center towers came down.
Here are the results from that night:
– The Hardy Boyz defeated The Hurricane & Lance Storm
– WWF Hardcore Champion Rob Van Dam defeated Spike Dudley
– Chris Jericho defeated Christian
– The Rock defeated Shawn Stasiak
– The A.P.A. defeated X-Pac & Albert
– Booker T defeated The Big Show
– Lita defeated Ivory
– Test & The Dudley Boyz defeated Tajiri, William Regal & Scotty 2 Hotty
– Kurt Angle defeated Rhyno
WATCH: The Rock Kisses Trish Stratus:
