Wow so I just watched this Wrestlemania for the first time

He refused to work with Hogan. Apparently he had problems with Hogan back in WCW so rock faced Hogan instead.
I've heard rumours like Hogan wanted a long feud where they traded wins and austin refused and also that Austin thought that hogan would politick backstage.

This is all just stuff from rumours and shoot interviews so make of it what you will. Steve's official reason was that he didn't think they would have a good match.

Austin was afraid of getting booed in a match against Hogan. So Hogan turned Austin into a midcarder

Wow I just saw this exact thread last week!

>>2141798
>I just watched wrestlemania 18 for the first time

18+

>>2141847
this

austin went from feuding for the title to feuding with big show and eddie guerrero and then walking out

Stevetty was a lifelong wrestling fan and he knew that the GOAT Hogan had zero chance of getting booed in Canada, so he took a midcard match so his character wasn't turned on. It backfired as he went home a few months later and beat his wife

Meanwhile The Rock took the challenge, got booed, and adapted to put on a classic

>>2141918
steve didn't want to be fed to Brock

it was a very good thing he walked when he did, especially when Brock walked out 2 (?) years later

>>2141798
Hogan and Rock were bigger than Austin so he got relegated to the midcard