Survivor Series marked the 25th year since the debut of one of the greatest to step between the ropes. Dwayne Johnson a.k.a The Rock debuted in a traditional Survivor Series match and quickly became one of the best in the industry… After a turbulent time in his early days of WWE! The Rock was the perfect sports entertainer for WWE. On the stick, no one could match The Brahma Bull. His quick wit was only matched by his ability to ad-lib during promos. It was a quality that wasn’t held by many in the company and it helped to set him apart from the rest.
When The Rock wasn’t delivering a verbal beatdown in the ring he was using his tremendous athletic ability to crush opponents. His talents in the ring were unmatched in WWE. The Rock was an incredible wrestler who had 5-star matches with many who have stepped into the squared circle.
Below we will take a look at the best matches from the incredible career of The Great One.
The Rock vs Hulk Hogan
Wrestlemania 18
When the NWO made its debut in WWE fans’ mouths were salivating with the potential classic matchups that we could see. At the top of the list was Austin vs Hulk Hogan. Sadly, due to backstage politics, this match did not happen, but it did pave the way for one of the best matches in Wrestlemania history.
The second that Hollywood Hogan and The Brahma Bull stepped foot into the ring the world knew that they were about to see something special. These were two of the biggest wrestlers of all time and now the world would get to see who was the true icon.
The match was never going to be a technical masterpiece but it didn’t need to be. Both men knew exactly how to work for the crowd and keep them engaged throughout the contest. It was incredible to see just how invested the Toronto crowd was in both men. The Toronto fans were hot throughout the match and added that extra something to make this match special.
It only made sense for The Rock to go over in this match. He was in the prime of his career and the rub of beating Hogan push him into icon territory.
The Rock vs “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
WWE Championship Match
Wrestlemania 17
The two biggest stars of the Attitude Era engaged in battles all over the globe. Perhaps no battle was more revered than their main event clash in Houston for the WWE Championship. Going into Wrestlemania, The Rock and Steve Austin were the two most popular wrestlers in the company.
They were both hungry for the WWE Championship and the desperation to capture/hold onto the championship was well documented.
This match was the best example of what Attitude Era wrestling was. There was no fancy chain wrestling or catch as catch can styles. This was a straight-up brawl between two men who wanted to tear each other apart. It was brutal action that kept the fans on the edge of their seat throughout.
The WWE Championship match at Wrestlemania 17 was a crowning achievement for WWE. The two biggest stars in the company put on one of the best main events in ‘Mania history. The Brahma Bull and Steve Austin will go down as legends for what they accomplished that night.
The Rock vs Mankind
I Quit Match for the WWE Championship
Royal Rumble 1999
During his initial run at the top of the card, The Rock needed a babyface to go against, enter Mankind. The deranged one was past his prime but was still a great hand and was incredibly talented at getting other wrestlers over.
Once in the ring, we got to see one of the most violent matches in WWE history. As wrestling fans, we are used to seeing violence in the ring but this match took it to another level. Every weapon shot was done with such force that it almost became hard to watch. This is especially true when it came to the finish of the match.
The multiple chair shots that The Rock hit Mankind with were hard to watch. The sickening thud of the chair off Mankinds head was incredible and made everyone watching uncomfortable.
The violence in this match set it apart from many of the time and made it one of the most memorable in the career of The Rock.
The Rock vs Mankind
WWE Championship Match
Raw Is War | January 4th 1999
Before their brutal Royal Rumble match, there was another Rock and Mankind contest that has been on the list of greatest Rock matches. From a technical standpoint, this was not one of the greatest matches in the world. It was a short match that was full of Attitude Era shenanigans. The entertainment value was there but the purist wrestling fans out there would wring their hands at the sloppiness of the contest.
While not being a technical masterpiece this match will still be considered great and that’s because of what it represents. WWE and WCW were embroiled in the bitter Monday Night Wars at the time of this match. WCW had had the advantage but WWE was beginning to turn the ship around. Wanting to secure an advantage in the ratings WCW announced the result of the WWE Championship match on air.
The spoiler by WCW did not have the desired effect as thousands of people changed to Raw Is War to see Mankind finally win the big one. It was a devasting blow to WCW and one that they never recovered from.
The Rock vs John Cena
Wrestlemania 28
After an 8 year absence from WWE, The Rock made his long-awaited return.
Upon his return, The Rock immediately began a verbal sparring match with John Cena. There were some lingering issues from comments made in the past that neither man was willing to let slide. This heat led to both men agreeing to meet in the main event of Wrestlemania 28.
Billed as “Once in a Lifetime”, it was a match between two generational wrestlers that every fan wanted to see. Some were nervous leading up to the match. The Rock was going to experience some ring rust and it was wondered just how much this would affect the quality of the match. Luckily, the ring rust didn’t hinder the match as much as some would have thought.
The Rock was able to keep up with John Cena throughout the contest. He was even able to pull off some impressive chain wrestling that no one thought he could have. It was a great surprise and one that helped to make this a memorable match.
The Rock was able to snag the win from Cena in what was the best match from his return run.
The Rock vs Triple H
WWE Championship Match
Backlash 2000
After a very lacklustre Wrestlemania main event, WWE decided to run with the match at Backlash that should have finished the night a month prior.
With Austin being gone from the company, the main event picture fell to Triple H and The Rock. Outside of Austin, these two men were the best in the company. They were seasoned performers who knew how to put together a captivating wrestling match.
Being the Attitude Era this match was bound to be convoluted. HHH was involved with the McMahon family and they stacked the deck against The Rock as much as they could.
The end came with Steve Austin making his return to the company and helping The Rock even the deck. This allowed The Brahma Bull to score the WWE Championship to a massive pop from the crowd.
This marked the first babyface world title for The Rock. It solidified him as the man in the company and the one to lead it into the new millennium.
The Rock vs The Undertaker vs Kurt Angle
Triple Threat for the Undisputed Championship
Vengeance 2002
At King of the Ring 2002, The Undertaker was well on his way to victory over HHH before The Rock made his presence known. The Great One interfered in the match, nearly costing The Undertaker the championship in the process.
The problems for The Undertaker didn’t end here as he soon wrestled to a draw with Kurt Angle a few weeks after his near loss at King of the Ring. With both events happening soon before Vengeance it was decided that The Undertaker would face both The Rock and Kurt Angle in a triple threat match for the Undisputed Championship.
If anyone wonders how a proper triple threat match should be put together, they need to watch this match. All three men were at the top of their game in this contest. It was amazing to see the gas that all three had in the tank as they went full tilt for nearly 20 minutes.
It was also amazing to see the use of each other’s signature moves during the match. It provided for some great spots during the match and helped to set it apart from other triple threats of the day.
The Rock getting the win was a nice surprise for the finish. It marked the first, and only, time that The Brahma Bull captured the Undisputed Championship.
The Rock vs HHH
Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship
Summerslam 1998
The Rock held a monopoly over the Intercontinental Championship in 1998. As a terrific mid-card heel The Brahma Bull would cheat his way to victory in any way he could. It drew some great heat from the fans as everyone wondered if he would ever lose the championship.
The worry from fans was over when HHH entered the scene as a challenger to The Rock. The two had had several battles for the strap over the summer, with The Rock weaselling his way out every time. This led to a ladder match being booked at Summerslam to finally settle the score.
The action was perfect and violent. The Brahma Bull and Triple H beat the holy hell out of each other. They got creative with the ladder spots and showed us some things that we had not seen before. It was a great showcase for young bucks that were ready to break through into the main event.
The finish did come with a slight screwy finish. Chyna interfered on HHH’s behalf to help him win the championship but with The Rocks’ previous deviousness it was forgivable to have HHH get some help of his own.
In the end, this was a great ladder match that helped to propel both men into the main event picture. A picture that they would never come down from.
The Rock vs Brock Lesnar
WWE Undisputed Championship Match
Summerslam 2002
After his victory at Vengeance, The Rock had little time to rest. A young up-and-comer by the name of Brock Lesnar was waiting in the wings. Lesnar had debuted earlier in the year and had run through everyone on the roster. His domination had earned him a shot at The Rock and the Undisputed Championship at Summerslam.
With The Rock leaving for Hollywood the end of the championship match was never in much doubt. It was clear that Brock was going to go over The Great One but that doesn’t mean the journey had to be terrible.
The Rock sprinted to the ring to immediately bring the fight to Lesnar. This started what was a very physical contest. Both hit every high-impact move in their arsenal to put the other away. There was not much downtime during the 18 minutes of action. It was a testament to the stamina of both men that they were able to keep the action up for that long.
In the end, Brock won the championship but it was the sell job of The Rock that should be the story. The Brahma Bull worked his ass off to smash Lesnar over in this match. It was a changing of the guard and a match that established Lesnar as the Next Big Thing.
The Rock vs Chris Jericho
WWE Undisputed Championship Match
Royal Rumble 2002
Following his surprise victory at Vengeance, Chris Jericho needed a high-profile opponent to legitimize his title reign. He had spent the past year feuding with The Rock so it made sense for the two to do battle for the title at the Royal Rumble.
It is a shame that Jerichos’ first run with the title didn’t go very well, because this match showed what they could have had. Y2J was a terrific heel and he used every tactic possible to gain the advantage over The Rock. It drew some great heat from the crowd in attendance.
The Brahma Bull was at his usual best during the contest. He gained control to begin the match but soon gave way to Jerichos underhanded tactics. The Great One worked for the crowd perfectly and was able to get sympathy from the fans with ease.
In the dustiest of all finishes, Y2J was able to use various distractions and illegal moves to get his win over The Rock. It was not the greatest finish in the world but made sense with Jericho being the ultimate heel.
This match, once again, showed the incredible talent The Brahma Bull possessed. He worked his ass off to make Jericho look like a legit main event talent. It was unfortunate that the Jericho experiment didn’t take off until years later because we saw his potential in this match.