Ranking all 11 of The Rock's matches at WrestleMania
Finally, The People's Champion has come back to The Grandest Stage of Them All.
It's WrestleMania Week, and as Cody Rhodes looks to finally finish his story, he'll come face-to-face with one of WWE's all-time greats: The Rock.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is scheduled for tag team action with his cousin Roman Reigns against Rhodes and Seth Rollins on Saturday - the first night of WrestleMania 40. With the electrifying one set to lace up his boots again, we ranked all of The Rock's previous WrestleMania matches.
11. WrestleMania 32 vs. Erick Rowan
It took The Rock six seconds to deliver a Rock Bottom and secure the win. There isn't much more to say here. Moral of the story: Always have your wrestling gear on under some tearaway pants because you never know when a match will break out.
10. WrestleMania 13 vs. The Sultan (Intercontinental title)
Then known as Rocky Maivia, Johnson defended the Intercontinental Championship in his WrestleMania debut. He defeated The Sultan, a first cousin of The Rock who later evolved into Rikishi. The match was slow, and fans chanted "Rocky sucks!" while Maivia went through a vanilla set of moves. The highlight was Maivia's dad, Rocky Johnson, coming out to help his son ward off an attack after the match.
9. WrestleMania 14 vs. Ken Shamrock (Intercontinental title)
Now under the "People's Champion" moniker, The Rock once again defended the Intercontinental Championship, but this time against a UFC legend and in controversial fashion. The Rock was basically thrown around like a rag doll, and the match was over in only five minutes. Even though Shamrock made The Rock tap out via ankle lock to win the title, Shamrock reapplied it after the bell and was disqualified, returning the belt to The Rock. A hot start to the match that saw fans in Boston on their feet for "The Most Dangerous Man in the World" fell flat.
8. WrestleMania 29 vs. John Cena (WWE Championship)
This was a sequel to what was supposed to be a "once-in-a-lifetime" match the year before. The match wasn't disastrous, but it felt too much like its predecessor. It didn't help that The Rock tore his abductor and abdominal muscles and suffered a hernia early in the match. Cena got the last laugh by winning the title back, and The Rock had his movie "Hercules" delayed due to injury. It turns out we didn't need to see this matchup twice in our lifetimes.
7. WrestleMania 15 vs. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin (WWE Championship)
The Rock had his first WrestleMania main event when he took on Austin in the first chapter of their trilogy. The bout started strong, going straight into the crowd and giving fans an up-close view of two legends in the making. The match fizzled from there, though, and lacked a signature moment. Austin went on to win his third WWE Championship.
6. WrestleMania 16 vs. Triple H vs. Big Show vs. Mick Foley (WWE Championship)
The Rock found himself in a Fatal 4-Way elimination match for the WWE Championship in Anaheim. A chaotic no-disqualification match with a McMahon in every corner had everything you would expect from a WrestleMania main event. The Rock made it to the final two of this weapons-filled contest as Big Show and Foley hit the showers. However, it was The Rock's own corner man, Vince McMahon, who turned on him to help Triple H stay champion and set up the next chapter of WWE programming. The Rock might not have won, but he certainly entertained in his second WrestleMania main event.
5. WrestleMania 20 with Mick Foley vs. Evolution
Reunited with his old tag team partner, The Rock 'n' Sock Connection took on Evolution members Randy Orton, Batista, and Ric Flair in a 3-on-2 handicap match. This bout had one purpose: To showcase Orton and Batista as the future of WWE. With Foley's physical abilities diminishing, The Rock provided most of the offense for his team and kept the Madison Square Garden crowd entertained. But it was Orton's signature RKO finisher on Foley that let the world know the future had arrived. Evolution picked up the win and The Rock went off to Hollywood, staying away from the ring for the next seven years.
4. WrestleMania 28 vs. John Cena
This match was made a full year in advance and headlined WrestleMania in 2012. It was The Rock's first match since WrestleMania 20 and everyone questioned if he could still perform. He answered all those questions in spectacular fashion, and surprisingly stole a win from the seemingly invincible Cena. The risky yearlong build paid off and the match truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime attraction between two of the biggest stars in WWE history.
3. WrestleMania 19 vs. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin
Every successful franchise has a trilogy: "Star Wars," "Indiana Jones," "The Mighty Ducks" - the list goes on. WWE has The Rock and Stone Cold. In their final encounter, the longtime rivals put on a classic wrestling match in Seattle filled with riveting storytelling. It took three Rock Bottoms for The Rock to finally beat Austin. The match also marked Austin's original retirement before he returned for one night at WrestleMania 38.
2. WrestleMania 18 vs. 'Hollywood' Hulk Hogan
"A match for the ages" is how commentator Jim Ross described The Rock versus Hogan on St. Patrick's Day 2002 in Toronto. The two legends locked eyes for several moments in front of a roaring crowd before the action picked up, producing one of the most iconic visuals in WrestleMania history. The Rock was supposed to be the good guy, but the Toronto crowd favored Hogan, flipping the match on its head. The Rock used the heat to his advantage, resorting to some heel tendencies en route to victory. He delivered the best match of the night, and helped revive Hulkamania.
1. WrestleMania 17 vs. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin (WWE Championship)
In what's still considered the greatest WrestleMania of all time, The Rock met Austin in the main event for the second time. A "no disqualification" stipulation was a last-minute addition to a highly anticipated tilt. Those in attendance in Houston got everything a wrestling match should have: Action, suspense, and drama. It was a near-perfect night for two future Hall of Famers, and they both oozed "WWE Attitude" in what many considered a curtain call for the Attitude Era. The stunner of the night saw Austin get help from his old nemesis, Mr. McMahon, to win another WWE title.
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