SmackDown 1000: The Top 10 Moments In SmackDown History

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2. Stone Cold Steve Austin Blows Up The DX Express: April 27, 2000

The biggest angle in the WWE by April 2000 involved the newfound partnership between the McMahon/Helmsley regime.  They controlled the balance of power in the WWE, but an old enemy threatened their reign in a big way in the form of a rattlesnake.

The Rock was set to challenge Triple H for the WWE Championship at Backlash on the Sunday immediately after the April 27, 2000 edition of SmackDown.  But on this episode, The Rock promised the return of Stone Cold Steve Austin, who hadn’t been seen since getting run over by a car at Survivor Series 1999.

The McMahon/Helmsley regime was understandably nervous and on edge awaiting the arrival of Stone Cold, but his unexpected arrival caught everybody off guard.  Austin said he didn’t care about helping The Rock, but he cared about hurting Triple H and his entire stable.  The way Austin would do so was particularly shocking and in the words of Michael Cole, vintage Stone Cold.

Austin was seen in a crane and he decided to leave his mark to the fullest extent by dropping a concrete barrier from said crane on top of the DX Express, the bus for The Game’s heelish buddies.  The DX Express burst into flames and exploded, leaving everybody in shock, especially Triple H and company.  This would be a sign of things to come as Triple H lost the WWE Championship to The Rock at Backlash just three days later.

This was the most Stone Cold-like antic he ever pulled on the SmackDown brand and it is one of the most memorable moments the brand has ever seen.