The greatest faces in WWE history - No. 4

 

Finally, the time has come, to talk about the Great One!

In continuation with our series of the greatest baby faces in the WWE, today at no. 4 we take a look at a superstar who epitomizes ‘Greatness’ on and off the ring. He has found success not only in the squared circle but in the world of showbiz as well. He is none other than ‘The Brahma Bull’, ‘The Great One’, ‘The People’s Champion’ The Rock.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was one of the rare WWE superstars who was not just good in the ring but on the Mic as well. He was also one of the superstars that made the Attitude Era of the late 90’s famous. ‘The Great One’ has had a storied career so far and true to one of his many catchphrases, he has ‘done it all & the Rock means he has done it all in the business!’

A third generation superstar, Rock made his debut in the WWE under the ringname Rocky Maivia, a combination of his father’s and grandfather’s ring names. His first nickname (first of many to follow!) was ‘The Blue Chipper’ and made his debut in the 1996 Survivor Series. His first taste of gold was the Intercontinental Championship.

In his early years, ‘The People’s Champion’ had been part of two successful stables ‘Nation of Domination’ and ‘The Corporation’. Owing to his incredible Mic skills, The Rock was able to have an instant connect with the fans as a heel and as a babyface. His Mic skills were so impressive, that even as a heel, the WWE Universe was completely over him. Thanks to this, all the other superstars had to just (one of my favorite quotes) ‘Know their role & shut their mouth’! He was a superstar who was able to come up with spontaneous catch phrases on the Mic and that made him an enduring superstar in the eyes of the audience.

One of his highlights as a face superstar was when he partnered Mankind (Mic Foley) and formed a tag team called ‘The Rock & Sock Connection’. This team was an instant hit with the WWE Universe and was successful in the ring as well, capturing three tag team titles. The pair was also known for its comedic skits especially the ‘This Is Your Life’ segment which, in fact, gave Raw is War one of the highest ratings.

Rock’s greatest rivalries have been against Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H. During the corporation storyline, The Rock was at the forefront as ‘The Corporate Champion’ with the ‘Rattle Snake’ Austin as his arch nemesis. Both the superstars battled in three different Wrestlemania’s and all three have been instant classics. His feuds with Triple H during the Attitude Era were also one of the greatest highlights of his career. All this, led to The Rock becoming ‘The most electrifying man in Sports Entertainment’.

With the start of the new millennium, The Rock started getting several Hollywood offers. Initially, ‘The Bramha Bull’ was able to manage both, however, once his Hollywood career blossomed, The Rock, began taking lengthy break’s from in ring action. However, as and when he returned to the WWE, he was well received by the crowd.

His stint in 2003 was one of the most enjoyable one’s. Though he portrayed a heel character for most of this return, he was still one of the most interesting superstars that was loved by the crowd. His verbal dual with ‘The Hurricane’ was one of the highlights of this stint alongwith the ‘Rock Concerts’ that made its debut on RAW.

Post 2003, Rock’s appearances on WWE shows was quite sporadic. In fact, he was no longer contracted with the WWE for almost 6 years. However, The Rock came back ‘home’ to the WWE in 2011 when he was announced as the host for Wrestlemania XXVII. He also made his in ring return later that year at Survivor Series partnering John Cena, whom he would beat at Wrestlemania the following year. The Rock was back on top when he beat CM Punk at Royal Rumble earlier this year to win his eighth WWE Championship, subsequently losing it to John Cena at Wrestlemania 29.

The Great One now has an established Hollywood career and is one of the greatest WWE superstars to have laced a pair of shoes. He is one of the well known superstars all over the world. All this success has made him ‘The most electrifying man in ALL of entertainment’! His entrance theme over the years has been insync with his on screen persona as well. A sure shot future Hall of Famer, one can only hope and pray that The Rock will surely return soon and add another feather to his long and illustrious wrestling career. And at the end there is only one thing left to say: If you smell, what the Rock……..is……..cooking!

Read other articles in the series here: Greatest Faces in WWE history