The Rock began his wrestling career in 1995 and was active in the WWE for 8 years, appearing sporadically from 2004 until the present. Cold as ice. Without a doubt, Austin is the more experienced veteran of the two. This is compounded by Austin's struggle with a medically repaired neck for many years. It's easy to see why people are comparing The Rock to The Ultimate Warrior. Both men were face characters who turned heel (the anti-hero) at the same time and for the same reason: money. Warrior did it first, making him the bigger star and thus the bigger draw. People remember where they were when Vince McMahon said "he's not only the biggest wrestler in the world, he's the biggest thing in sports-entertainment today" and named Warrior the champion after he defeated The Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania IV. They also remember where they were when Vince announced that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin had been fired from the company that created him. Warrior's popularity never waned despite being inactive for most of 2001 following hip surgery, and when he returned in 2002 fans went crazy. The same can't be said for The Rock who has been on a break since January 2009 when he underwent knee surgery. When he returns there will be plenty of wrestlers ready to take his place including John Cena, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker just to name a few.