Recently, the WWE (and Wrestling community, but mostly WWE) celebrated the 25 year anniversary of the debut of The Rock! Then named ‘Rocky Maivia’, the 24-year-old eliminated Crush and Goldust to win the match for his side as the Sole Survivor. He would go on to become one of the biggest stars the wrestling industry has ever seen, picking up several titles throughout his career. Across his illustrious career, the most electrifying man in sports entertainment won eight WWE Championships and here are The Rock Championship Victories!
The Rock Championship Victories
Survivor Series 1998 vs Mankind
It only took The Rock two years to become WWF Champion, winning the belt at the same pay-per-view that he debuted.
After the WWF Championship was vacated due to both Kane and the Undertaker simultaneously pinning Stone Cold Steve Austin in a triple threat match, a tournament for the belt was set for Survivor Series – the Deadly Game.
The Rock defeated Big Boss Man, Ken Shamrock and The Undertaker en route to the final against Mankind, who himself was groomed by Mr McMahon into believing he would be their corporate champion, but in a swerve, The Rock was McMahon’s choice for champion. The Rock got Mankind in a sharpshooter, mimicking the Montreal Screwjob just one year earlier as Mr McMahon demanded the bell rang, and the REAL Corporate Champion was born!
The Rock Championship Victories
Royal Rumble 1999 vs Mankind
Having lost the belt to Mankind on Raw just 50 days into his reign with the WWF Championship, the two men faced off once again at the Royal Rumble. The two men faced off in an ‘I quit’ match’, with the winner needing to make their opponent say I quit into the microphone.
The match is infamous for Mankind being handcuffed and The Rock hitting eleven unprotected chair shots, with the family of Mick Foley in the audience brought to tears from the gross display.
The Rock held the microphone to Mankind and the audience heard the champion yell I Quit three times, declaring The Rock WWF Champion once again. It was later revealed that Mankind was unconscious and that Shane McMahon had played a recording of Mankind saying I Quit.
The Rock Championship Victories
RAW | February 15th 1999 vs Mankind
The Rock would lose the belt to Mankind once again at Halftime Heat, a special show taking part during halftime of Superbowl 33, just seven days after the Royal Rumble. The two men this time faced off in a ladder match that was filled with plunder, with the announce table, guard rails, chairs and much more being used in the match.
But it would be the Big Show, who commentary referred to as Paul Wight, who would hand The Rock victory, running to the ring before choke slamming Mankind off the ladder and allowing Rock to unhook the belt.
Royal Rumble winner Stone Cold Steve Austin watched on as the match was set for him to face the Rock at Wrestlemania 15. Stone Cold would of course come into the ring and deliver a Stunner to The Rock as the show went off the air.
The Rock Championship Victories
Backlash 2000 vs Triple H
The Rock would be without the WWF Championship for over a year after losing the belt to Austin at Wrestlemania 15, but it would be Backlash that The Rock would reclaim the strap.
The Rock faced champion Triple H, who retained the Championship at WrestleMania 16 defeating Rock, Big Show and Mick Foley in a Fatal Four-way elimination match, being last eliminated after Vince McMahon turned on him, attacking him with a steel chair and aligning with Triple H.
Throughout the match, at Backlash, special guest referee Shane McMahon as well as Vince McMahon, Pat Patterson and Gerald Briscoe continually tried to end the match, but The Rock held strong. Eventually, Stone Cold Steve Austin would return, hitting Triple H, Patterson, Brisco, Shane and Vince with a chair. Linda McMahon appeared with Earl Hedner, allowing The Rock to hit the People’s Elbow and reclaim the belt, holding it for the first time as a face.
The Rock Championship Victories
King of the Ring 2000
With Kane & Undertaker Vs. Triple H, Shane & Vince McMahon
The Rock would only hold the belt until the next pay-per-view, losing to Triple H in a 60-minute Iron Man match after The Undertaker returned and choke slammed Triple H, allowing him to win by one fall by DQ.
A Six-Man-Tag match was set for King of the Ring, with The Rock teaming with Kane and the Undertaker against Triple H, Shane and Vince McMahon.
The stipulation was that if any member of The Rocks team scored the pinfall they would become WWF Champion, whilst Triple H would retain if his side won. At the end of the match, Vince McMahon looked to hit The Rock with the People’s Elbow, but Rock would pop up and hit a Rock Bottom to the boss to become champion for the fifth time. The only time the WWF/E Championship has changed hands is in a Six-Man Tag Team Match!
The Rock Championship Victories
No Way Out 2001 vs Kurt Angle
The Rock had his longest reign thus far, holding the belt for 119 days before losing to King of the Ring winner Kurt Angle in a No DQ match at No Mercy 2000. The main event of No Way Out saw Angle and The Rock face off for the WWF Championship, seeing who would defend against Steve Austin at Wrestlemania X7.
The Big Show interfered in the match, choke slamming both Angle and The Rock as well as the referee. The Rock would hit a Rock Bottom that Angle ‘kicked out of’ in what looked as if should have been the finish, he hit one more to claim the WWF Championship again. This would set up, arguably, the biggest match in WWF history as Stone Cold Steve Austin faced The Rock at Wrestlemania. Despite the botch, it was still a good match which was always going to be overshadowed by the epic Triple H Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin – Three Stages of Hell match!
The Rock Championship Victories
Vengeance 2002 vs Undertaker & Kurt Angle
Over a year after losing the WWF Championship at Wrestlemania X7, The Rock challenged for the WWE Undisputed Championship against champion The Undertaker and Kurt Angle. The match that saw all three-man hit their finishers numerous times eventually came to an end with Angle hitting Taker with an Angle Slam before The Rock slid in and hit him with a Rock Bottom.
The win saw The Rock take the record for most WWE Championship reigns, winning the belt for the seventh time in his career – with Triple H, Randy Orton and John Cena since overtaking this record. The win set up a match at Summerslam with Brock Lesnar, allowing the Great One to pass the torch to the Next Big Thing.
The Rock Championship Victories
Royal Rumble 2013 vs CM Punk
Eleven years after his last WWE Championship reign, The Rock came back to the company to face CM Punk for the belt at the Royal Rumble. John Cena had won the Royal Rumble in the match prior to this, so the winner of the match was likely to face him at Wrestlemania 29.
The Rock had beaten Cena at Wrestlemania 28 a year prior, but with the match being labelled as ‘Once in a Lifetime’ surely they weren’t about to do it again the next year? Before the match, Punk was told that if the Shield interfered on his behalf, he would be stripped of the WWE Championship.
As The Rock set up for the People’s Elbow, the lights went out. As they came back up, The Rock had been put through the announce table, allowing Punk to win. Vince McMahon came out and reminded Punk of the stipulation around the Shield, but the Rock demanded the match should be restarted.
A Spinebuster and a People’s Elbow later, CM Punk’s historic breaking 434 day WWE Championship reign had ended and Once in a Lifetime became Twice in a Lifetime.