Ever since 1998's Survivor Series and the "Deadly Game Tournament", The Rock and Mankind had been bitter rivals, facing each other on numerous occasions, mostly fighting for the coveted WWF Championship. The Rock, the hand-picked Corporate Champion for Mr. McMahon's Corporation was the exact opposite of Mankind in almost every way. The Rock was athletic, charismatic, and well-dressed, while Mankind was a rugged, deranged, and unpredictable madman. Their feud ended after the Rock won his third WWF Championship against Mankind in a ladder match on the February 15, 1999 episode of "Raw Is War". However, Mankind became the special-guest referee in the title match at WrestleMania XV which involved The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Rock went on to be fired from the Corporation in mid 1999, and would not cross paths with Mankind for quite a while. Even though their feud was over, animosity still reigned supreme for these two superstars.