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The Rock is a household name synonymous with the entertainment industry. Whether it was as Black Adam or the most electrifying man in sports entertainment, the 52-year-old megastar always found compelling ways to entertain his dedicated fan base.
The Great One initially found tremendous success in WWE's critically acclaimed Attitude Era, but later left to pursue an acting career in Hollywood, where he found much fame. Rocky would come back home for a second run in 2011 and had two consecutive WrestleMania main events against John Cena.
Following his feud with Cena, The Rock made sporadic appearances but seldom stepped into the ring. However, circumstances changed drastically in 2024 when The Great One became The Final Boss and produced some of his greatest work in the build-up to WrestleMania XL.
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Considering his wrestling career's longevity and sporadic nature, the future Hall of Famer has wrestled WWE stars across many eras, including 7 of the current generation.
Corey Graves deleted his Tweet! More details HERE.
#7/6. The Rock fought Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in the main event of WrestleMania XL: Night One
Starting this list with the most recent entry, The Final Boss teamed up with Roman Reigns to battle the makeshift babyface duo of Cody Rhodes and Seth "Freakin" Rollins in the main event of WrestleMania XL: Night One.
The bout is remembered vividly for various reasons: The Rock's grand entrance enthralled the audience, his disses, and interactions with Mama Rhodes at ringside, and his iconic reaction to being Speared by Reigns.
But, perhaps, the most noteworthy moment was the People's Elbow which put Rhodes down for the three count. This was Rocky's first legitimate and announced wrestling match in 11 years, and The Great One put on a great show.
It appears as if The Final Boss isn't finished with The American Nightmare. He stared Rhodes down at Bad Blood, and warned him on the night after WrestleMania XL, suggesting that they may cross paths in the ring again.
#5/4. The Great One battled Awesome Truth at Survivor Series 2011
Despite being fierce rivals at the time, John Cena selected The Rock as his Tag Team partner to face Awesome Truth, The Miz and R-Truth, at Survivor Series 2011. Since the show took place in Madison Square Garden, The Great One was advertised to wrestle to boost ticket sales and increase hype.
From a storyline perspective, Cena's decision to choose The Brahma Bull as his partner didn't make much sense. Nonetheless, this was The Rock's first wrestling match in 7 years, and fans were elated to see him back.
Survivor Series 2011 ended with the most electrifying man in sports entertainment delivering a Rock Bottom to Cena moments after they had bested Awesome Truth. The Tag Team match, thus, served to fuel their rivalry months before WrestleMania 28.
#3. The Rock 'n' Sock Connection battled Evolution's Randy Orton, Ric Flair, and Batista at WrestleMania 20
In an underrated WrestleMania gem, The Rock and Mick Foley reunited to battle three-fourths of Evolution - Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista - in a 2-on-3 Handicap match.
Orton and Batista were relatively inexperienced at the time and Flair was at the tail-end of his illustrious career. Foley had retired from full-time wrestling and his partner was more of a part-timer. Nonetheless, all five men had a fun battle at Mania.
The match ended with The Viper pinning Foley, setting up their one-on-one clash at Backlash the next month. The feud would catapult Orton to great heights.
Despite facing each other in a Tag Team match, Orton and The Rock never had a one-on-one match. The Viper was not around in The Great One's prime and Rocky was focusing on his acting career when Orton was dominating the PG-Era.
#2. The Brahma Bull crushed Erick Rowan in the shortest WrestleMania match of all time
Erick Rowan may be best known as The White Sheep of The Wyatt Family, but he also has the unfortunate record of being beaten in the shortest WrestleMania match to date.
WrestleMania 32 had a weak card, and The Rock was announced in advance to bolster the show. The Brahma Bull made a thrilling entrance, hyped the crowd, and announced the attendance figures. Soon, The Wyatt Family crashed the party to exchange words with the popular star.
Rocky offered to face a member of the family, and Bray Wyatt sent in Erick Rowan. Unfortunately, this backfired as he quickly Rock Bottomed and pinned Rowan in six seconds. The Wyatt Family surrounded The Brahma Bull, looking to attack him.
However, John Cena stormed the ring, and together with The Rock, they cleared the ring. It was an epic WrestleMania moment, but Rowan would want to forget the squash match.
#1. CM Punk lost his WWE Championship to The Rock at Royal Rumble 2013
After defeating John Cena at WrestleMania 28, The Rock announced that he would come for the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble 2013. His bold challenge irked CM Punk, who turned heel to shock The Great One on RAW 1000 in July 2012.
Unfortunately, Punk ultimately faced Rocky at the Rumble. The Second-City Saint had held the championship for more than 400 days in an epic reign. Nonetheless, despite controversy and interference from The Shield, The Brahma Bull prevailed to win the WWE Title.
In the long run, this proved to be a controversial decision. Punk had carried the WWE Title and main event scene for over a year, and The Rock's win fizzled him out of the championship picture. The Straight-Edge star couldn't main event Mania as Rocky and Cena collided in a rematch from the previous year.
