4 times The Rock entered the Royal Rumble (and how he performed)
The Rock is arguably the most charismatic superstar of all time. The love and respect he has garnered from fans around the globe is unparalleled.
Everything good must come to an end, and so did The Great One's stint in WWE. The Brahma Bull retired earlier than most would've expected, as he was in the promotion for only six years as a full-time superstar.
As the 2022 edition of the Royal Rumble is just a few days away, let us peek back at history and analyze the performances of one of WWE's best competitors.
Continue reading to recall the four times The Rock entered the Royal Rumble (and how he performed).
#4. Rocky Maivia reached the Top 10 in 1997
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The Great One has entered the Royal Rumble only four times in his career, and his first appearance was actually not as The Rock. Rather, he entered the Rumble as Rocky Maivia.
He entered the match at number 25 and spent a decent thirteen minutes as a debuting superstar. However, he failed to accumulate an elimination. His hopes to headline WrestleMania were crushed by Mankind.
Maivia was a babyface who wasn't really well-received by fans. The public reception towards his gimmick led to him turning on fans and becoming the beloved heel, The People's Champion. This was the first and only time he was seen as Maivia at the Rumble.
Final Ranking - #8
#3. The Great One finished as the runner-up in 1998
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24 years ago today, Stone Cold won the 1998 Royal Rumble 🙌🏻 https://t.co/lSt6QOD8pa
The Rock entered the Rumble early in 1998. He came to the ring in the 4th spot and was one of the favorites to win the match. He survived the majority of the match and was one of the final two superstars left.
The two names remaining were Steve Austin and The Brahma Bull himself. After a a back and forth battle between the two, Austin came out on top. The most electrifying man in sports entertainment spent 51 minutes and 32 seconds in his pursuit of victory. In the process, he eliminated three participants, namely Ken Shamrock, Farooq and Kurgan.
Final Ranking - #2
#2. The People's Champ won the first Royal Rumble of the millennium
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The Rock didn't enter the 30-man match in 1999 as he was WWF Champion. However, he did interfere and ultimately cost Austin the match. The following year was the best opportunity for The Rock to win the Rumble as his rival Stone Cold did not compete.
He entered the match at number 24 and spent 14 minutes and 32 seconds in the bout. He eliminated Big Boss Man, Crash Holly, AI Snow and ultimately The Big Show to win the Royal Rumble.
However, the result was disputed as Big Show made it evident that it was The Rock whose feet touched the ground first. Despite The Brahma Bull being recorded as the winner, he had to share his title match clause with The Big Show and Mick Foley.
Final Ranking - #1
#1. The Rock contested his last Rumble in 2001
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2001 was the last time The Hall of Famer entered the famous gimmick match. He participated in a Fatal Four Way match to determine the #30 entrant on SmackDown two weeks before the event. However, Rikishi won that match for the coveted spot.
This meant that The Rock had to enter the Royal Rumble at number 13. He survived 38 minutes and 42 seconds in the ring and eliminated three other superstars. The Godfather, The Big Show and Rikishi, before he was finally eliminated by The Big Red Machine Kane.
Final Ranking - #3
Do you want The Great One to ever return to professional wrestling? Feel free to voice your opinions in the comments below.