The Rock made a shock return to WWE on the September 15th, SmackDown, engaging in a war of words with Austin Theory, before nailing him with his patented People’s Elbow.
‘The Brahma Bull’s’ appearance was a ratings winner for WWE and will lead to more calls for the 51-year-old to return to the ring opposite his extended family member, ‘The Tribal Chief’ Roman Reigns.
That match would be a contest for the ages and likely enhance the already revered legacy of ‘The People’s Champion’ who has a Hall of Fame resume of fantastic matches and memorable segments.
This feature looks back at the five best matches of The Rock’s career.
#5 The Rock vs. Triple H – Judgment Day (May 21, 2000)
The Rock entered Judgment Day 2000 as the defending WWF Champion. ‘The Brahma Bull’ had terminated Triple H’s title reign one month earlier at Backlash. Upping the ante, ‘The Game’ had issued a challenge to The Rock: a 60-minute Ironman Match. Another wrinkle to the match-up was the insertion of Triple H’s former D-X stablemate, Shawn Michaels as the special referee.
An Ironman Match and the Attitude Era were strange bedfellows, given the fast-paced nature of the period. However, The Rock and Triple H silenced any doubters with an absorbing contest, packed full of excellent strategy and logical storytelling.
The Rock earned the first decision with a Rock Bottom after 10 minutes, but ‘The Game’ would ultimately take control of the contest, leading by two clear falls at 3-1, then 5-3. In the final moments, ‘The People’s Champion’ managed to wrestle his way back into the match-up and with just a few minutes left on the clock levelled the bout to 5-5, following a People’s Elbow.
That led to Triple H’s Corporate and D-X allies entering the fray to beat down the WWF Champion. The subsequent brawl caused referee, Michaels to be knocked off the apron.
Cue The Undertaker’s long-awaited WWF return after a seven-month absence. ‘The Deadman’ debuted his ‘American Bad Ass’ gimmick and rode down to the ring on a motorcycle and decimated the heels. However, in a final twist, Michaels came round at precisely the moment, ‘The Phenom’ nailed ‘The Game’ with a Tombstone, as the timer ran out. Michaels disqualified The Rock and awarded the final fall to Triple H, making the score 6-5. Triple H was the new champion.
The chaos of the finish marred the match slightly. However, for virtually an entire hour, this was a technical masterpiece. It was paced superbly with excellent, crisp action throughout. An underrated classic.
#4 The Rock vs. Kurt Angle – No Mercy (October 22, 2000)
The Rock had a terrific year in 2000 and one of his best opponents was relative newcomer, Kurt Angle. The pair had engaged in a memorable match on the post-Royal Rumble Raw broadcast. However, with the stakes higher and the WWF Title on the line, their clash at No Mercy that year was even better.
In one of the most exciting matches of the era, the pair competed in a supercharged, heated, fast-paced battle, packed full of breathless near falls.
With it being the Attitude Era, there were numerous outside shenanigans. Stephanie McMahon who had seconded Angle to the ring was Rock Bottomed by The Rock. This led to Triple H interfering and battering Angle, whom he held responsible for his wife’s safety. He then gave The Rock a Pedigree as revenge. Rikishi entered the fray to help The Rock but ended up costing his cousin the bout with an errant superkick.
An Angle Slam later and ‘The Olympic Hero’ was the new WWF Champion, capping off a superb rookie year.
An enthralling, surprisingly technical encounter that also featured its fair share of brawling and outside interference. A stunning match-up and undoubtedly one of The Rock’s finest.
#3 The Rock vs. Kurt Angle – No Way Out! (February 25, 2001)
After their No Mercy classic, The Rock and Kurt Angle clashed in an eagerly anticipated rematch four months later at No Way Out!
The bout started out as a technical battle with both men exchanging suplexes and submission attempts. The Big Show, who had lost a number one contenders match to The Rock weeks earlier, made his presence felt by chokeslamming the referee and both participants.
Down the home straight, the match-up descended into more of an intense brawl, which was a departure for Angle at that point in his career. The Rock nailed Angle with the title belt for an incredibly close near fall. Angle tripped ‘The Brahma Bull’ and locked on the Ankle Lock for a long time. In an incredibly dramatic sequence, Angle screamed at The Rock to submit as he tightened the hold. After what seemed like an age, The Rock finally made it to the ropes, forcing the break.
Angle reversed a Rock Bottom attempt into an Angle Slam in another close near fall. The Rock smashed Angle’s head on an exposed steel turnbuckle and hit him with two Rock Bottoms to regain the WWF Championship.
Intense, heated, with a stunning mix of technical wrestling and brawling, this match was superb. At only 17 minutes in duration, it never threatened to overstay its welcome either.
#2 The Rock vs. Kurt Angle vs. The Undertaker – Vengeance (July 21, 2002)
The Rock returned to WWE after a several-month absence after Stone Cold Steve Austin walked out of the company prior to the June 10, Raw. The following week, ‘The People’s Champion’ returned ahead of schedule and immediately re-entered the title picture.
He and Kurt Angle challenged Undisputed Champion, The Undertaker for the gold in the headliner at Vengeance.
The match began with The Rock and The Undertaker ganging up on Angle in an amusing moment before all three men went at each other full pelt in a series of blistering sequences.
For several years, this bout was regarded as the finest Triple Threat encounter the company ever produced. It is easy to see why. There were no rest holds or slow-down periods. The match was non-stop action throughout its 20-minute runtime.
The match was breathless down the home straight as all three men came close to winning, either by submission or stunning near falls. Angle hit the Angle Slam on ‘Big Evil’ before being surprised by a Rock Bottom.
Three seconds later The Rock was a record 7-time WWE Champion. Terrific match packed full of big moves and dramatic moments. A true classic.
#1 The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin – WrestleMania (April 1, 2001)
WrestleMania X-Seven is seen as the pinnacle and the epic conclusion to the Attitude Era. It is therefore fitting that the era’s two biggest names closed out the most successful period in company history. The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin’s headliner for the WWF Title is an all-time classic.
Fought under No DQ rules, the match was a full-on brawl from the outset. The action never lagged throughout its 29-minute duration.
The bout was an incredible brawl, with an intensity rarely matched in wrestling. As the match wore on, Stone Cold became increasingly desperate to win. He resorted to utilising the Million Dollar Dream submission which he hadn’t used since 1996 as well as the Sharpshooter. After repeatedly failing to put The Rock away, Austin seemed to run out of ideas. That led to Austin’s arch-enemy, Vince McMahon ambling to the squared circle. The Rock hit Stone Cold with a People’s Elbow, only for McMahon to pull the referee out of the ring.
Rock gave chase but was met by an Austin Rock Bottom for his trouble. In a stunning near fall, Stone Cold hit the Stunner, only for The Rock to kick out at the last possible moment. ‘The Rattlesnake’ then smashed ‘The Brahma Bull’ with 16 consecutive chair shots to finally pin the champion.
The Houston crowd deafeningly roared their approval as their hero won his fifth WWF Championship. Post-match, Austin, and McMahon toasted their success with beers as ‘The Bionic Redneck’ turned heel for the first time since 1997 and even more shockingly joined forces with his sworn enemy.
Fantastic match that was fought at an electric pace. It featured callbacks to their previous battles and featured one of the most famous heel turns of all time. An action main event that still holds up as one of the best WrestleMania headliners ever. Superlative contest, which remains the best of The Rock’s wrestling career. As close to perfection as a wrestling match can be.
You can watch all of these The Rock matches exclusively on the WWE Network.