WWE history: 10 greatest heel turns of the 21st Century

#6 The Rock turns on the people

Following his loss to Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2002, The Rock left WWE, but came in time for WrestleMania XIX the next year.

This wasn't The Rock fans were expecting to see though. The Hollywood fame had gone to The Great One's head and he came off as an arrogant prick. People didn't care for this version of The Rock and began booing him almost immediately.

Also read: The Rock reacts to fans not identifying him as the first black WWE Champion

The Rock went on to address the fans on an episode of SmackDown, asking them whether he should turn heel. The fans cheered in unison, resulting in the birth of Hollywood Rock, one of the greatest characters in all of wrestling.

Also read: 3 dream matches that could headline WrestleMania 36

Hollywood Rock went on to address the Toronto crowd on an episode of Raw, in one of the greatest promos of all time. The heat Rock garnered that night was something no ordinary WWE superstar could match at their peak.

Also read: 4 dream rivalries we need after WrestleMania 35

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Atharva Papnoi