WWE History Vol. 27: Hulk Hogan's Successors

#6. The Rock

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson during his comeback to face John Cena

Even as the sun began to set on the in-ring career of Stone Cold Steve Austin, a new star was on the rise; The Rock.

Originally billed as a do gooder, third generation Superstar, who absolutely no one liked, Rocky Maivia was repackaged as The Rock. He referred to himself in the third person, was undeniably arrogant, and was thoroughly intended to be a heel, not a face.

But, the fans will cheer for whoever they want, and Rock's charisma and gift of gab won over the WWE Universe. Soon he transitioned from being the heel everyone hated to being WWE's top babyface.

What happened next: The Rock would go on to capture multiple Championships, including the company's 'big belt'. However, he soon sought fame outside of the world of pro wrestling and became a full time Hollywood actor. It seemed that his charisma could not be contained by a wrestling ring. This led to his premature departure from the WWE, where he would no doubt have become as iconic as Hulk Hogan.

---

#7. Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar looms over the Hurricane during his path of destruction

With Austin out of action, and The Rock set to leave for Hollywood, the WWE needed a new star to shake things up after acquiring WCW from Ted Turner.

To that end, they turned to the "next big thing", Brock Lesnar.

Brock Lesnar was decidedly a throwback. Rather than mic skills, he relied upon his massive physique, athletic ability, and amateur wrestling skill to defeat opponents. The massive monster heel demolished many opponents on his way up the ladder.

His build up was intense, and he rolled over just about everyone on his way to capturing the WWE Championship from The Rock to become the new face of the company.

What happened next: Brock Lesnar suddenly decided to walk away from pro wrestling entirely in 2004 to pursue a career in MMA. Lesnar's departure meant walking away from a multi million dollar multi year contract. He wound up being the top star of UFC for many years before returning to WWE as a part time World Champion.