From his ‘I Quit match’ to Battle in Britain – Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s best WWE matches ahead of WrestleMania return
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is set to make his long-awaited return to the wrestling ring with WWE at WrestleMania XL.
WWE legend Johnson, who has become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars since turning to acting, will wrestle at the event again at age 51.
8
He will team up with the undisputed WWE Universal Champion. Roman rule in a tag team match against Cody Rhodes And Seth Rollins.
This high-profile encounter will be the first serious match for The Great One in over a decade.
In 2013, he lost to John Cena in an epic fight, before returning in 2016 for a six-second squash match against Erick Rowan that few people took seriously.
Although Johnson is far from an active competitor these days, he achieved plenty early in his wrestling career, his blend of athleticism and charisma proving an irresistible combination to movie bosses who attracted to Hollywood for the first time in 2001.
Before that, The Rock had been in his fair share of battles – ahead of WrestleMania XL and his return to the squared circle, we’ve picked out a few fights worth checking out.
An Unforgettable Debut – Survivor Series 1996 – Tag Team Match
WWE fans got their first glimpse of The Rock in 1996 at Maidson Square Garden for that year’s Survivor Series.
Then wrestling under the name Rocky Miavia – a combination of names used by his father and grandfather – the youngster positioned himself as the last man on the babyface (good guy) tag team, taking on veterans Goldust and Crush in what was actually a duet. -an affair at the climax of a traditional Survivor Series elimination match.
WWE presented the starlet perfectly, allowing her to beat the odds and topple both foes in a gutsy performance that went down well with the New York crowd.
8
8
SummerSlam loss – 1998 – against Triple H
The Rock’s Nation of Domination feuded with Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque’s D-Generation X for much of the late ’90s.
And this titanic battle for the Intercontinental title – also at Madison Square Garden – was one of the best meetings of these two greats.
Rocky came up short against Triple H on this occasion, but the two men put on arguably the best match of the entire night, with the contest propelling them both to bigger and better things in the year that followed.
A battle in Britain – Rebellion 1999 – against Triple H
Finding themselves once again facing arch-enemy Triple H, their fight in Birmingham, England at Rebellion in 1999, this time was for the company’s top prize: the WWE Championship.
This 20-minute epic stood out as being a solid main event in an era where WWE often took matters into their own hands in terms of what they produced for these UK-only pay-per-view events.
8
As Rock and Triple H fought, fans rose from their seats thinking that Rock had won the WWE Title by escaping the cage, only for the finish to go unseen by the officials.
Due to interference from a nasty British Bulldog, the tide shifted back in Triple H’s favor and he won what remains a fun match to watch.
WrestleMania main event – 1999 – vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Although The Rock has had many great rivalries during his years in WWE, few of them are remembered as well as his feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin.
These two megastars of the wrestling world received arguably the biggest honor possible – the WrestleMania main event – when they met in Philadelphia in 1999.
The fight lasted less than 20 minutes, which seems unthinkable given the chaos involved with the Corporation being banned from ringside, Mankind being the special guest referee (for a time) and Vince McMahon always involved.
In the end, a Stone Cold Stunner finished off The Rock and kicked off another gold medal reign for the Texas Rattlesnake.
8
8
A riot at the 1999 Royal Rumble – vs Mankind – I Quit Match
As our countdown shows, 1999 was a vintage year for Rock.
Cagematch estimates he wrestled nearly 200 times during that span, with few matches being as brutal as the “I Quit” match against Mankind in 1999.
Well known for being a glutton for punishment, Mankind had vowed to never give up during his clash with The Rock – with the People’s Champion choosing to take up that gauntlet and relentlessly pursue his foe around the arena, defeating him.
8
8
Weapons used included a microphone, steel steps, a bell, a ladder and handcuffs, as humanity was sent crashing through a barrage of electrical equipment, sending out sparks.
Mankind never said, “I quit,” but the cheeky Rock ensured that an audio recording of his enemy saying those words was played over the arena speakers – a ruse enough to see him crowned WWE Champion.
Sports
