5 moments that cemented The Rock's WWE legacy
The Rock is one of the greatest performers both in and outside the ring. 25 years today, the WWE Universe witnessed the debut of The Great One at Survivor Series 1996.
Debuting under the ring name Rocky Mavia, the WWE icon was part of the Traditional Survivor Series 4-on-4 Elimination match representing Team Mero. They were up against Team Helmsley. The People's Champion was the sole survivor and eliminated two established stars, Crush and Goldust.
The audience in attendance and fans around the world had seen a youngster who had the capability, the aptitude, and the insatiable desire to make it big in the field of professional wrestling. Outside of the ring, he carved a monumental path to success in the showbiz industry.
A quarter of a century later, we celebrate an icon and possibly the greatest wrestler to step foot in the squared circle in this article.
Let's take a look at five moments that carved The Rock's legacy in WWE:
#5 The Rock goes head-to-head with Triple H in an Iron Man Match at Judgement Day 2000
The Rock and Triple H had one of the fiercest rivalries during the Attitude Era.
In one of their earliest feuds, The Great One and The Game were involved in a Ladder Match at SummerSlam 1998 for the Intercontinental Title, where the latter won.
Their rivalry then progressed to the main event scenes. At Judgment Day 2000, The Rock, being one of the biggest babyfaces in WWE and Triple H, was arguably the biggest heel at the time, competed for the WWE title in a 60-minute Iron Man Match. The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels served as the special guest referee.
Both superstars claimed five falls each on the other until Road Dogg and X-PAC interfered, attacking The Great One. What happened next left everyone surprised as The Undertaker, in his new American Badass gimmick, returned to help The Rock.
Unfortunately for the People's Champion, Michaels disqualified him due to outside interference, making Triple H retain the title. Despite not winning the Championship, The Rock won millions of hearts with a praise-worthy performance.