5 WWE Matches with the Most Controversial Finishes

#3 Mankind vs. The Rock

The Rock vs. Mankind was brutal, even by Attitude Era standards.

The Royal Rumble 1999 PPV included an 'I Quit' match between The Rock and Mankind. The "I Quit" stipulation added gravitas to the match. The writing was on the wall that Rock would carry the WWE Championship into WrestleMania, and yet it seemed all but impossible that Mankind, as his character was portrayed at the time, would submit.

WWE would dance around the stipulation by having Mankind not actually submit, but rather have a recording of him screaming “I quit” piped in was, in and of itself, controversial. To make matters even more memorable and rich in controversy, there were the closing movements of the match with Rock smashing his opponent with a chair over and over. This part of the match sold Rock’s ruthlessness and Mankind’s toughness, but was also uncomfortable to watch, as rendered in the Beyond the Mat documentary with real-life reactions to the violence.