The Rock’s 13 Best WWE Opponents
Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest box office draws in the history of Hollywood, but his path to success traces back to his professional wrestling days as The Rock.
The Rock was, and still is, the most electrifying man to have ever stepped foot in a WWE ring, with his personality, charisma, and natural athleticism carrying him to heights few have ever achieved. He remains active in the industry to this day, playing an integral role in The Bloodline storytelling with Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes. But before looking forward to what may come with “The Brahma Bull,” it’s important to reflect on which stars of the past helped make him who he is today.
1. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin
Without “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, it’s very possible The Rock would never have climbed to the heights of megastardom he would ultimately achieve.
If Austin was Superman, Rock was Batman. Friends, enemies, and something in between. The two shared space as the two top draws in WWE from 1999 through 2002, with Rock taking the top spot when Austin missed nearly a year of action due to injury. Rock and Austin had a trilogy of WrestleMania classics, with the final match at WrestleMania XIX being the final full-time bout of Austin’s career.
They were perfect foils to one another, blue collar vs. over-the-top box office draw. Simply put, their matches and rivalry defined the hottest period in wrestling history.
2. Triple H
Triple H was an excellent compliment to The Rock in the ring, and the two feuded on and off as top players in WWE from 1998 to 2004.
Both were young guns trying to climb the ranks of the WWE roster in 1998, as they faced off in a memorable ladder match at Madison Square Garden at SummerSlam. That Intercontinental Championship match solidified they would be main eventers for years to come, and they delivered on that promise. Triple H was the embodiment of the authority, while The Rock appropriately was “The People’s Champion.” Their 60-minute Iron Man match at Judgement Day 2000 was their lengthiest affair, but they enjoyed dozens of high-profile matches over the years together. They were even scheduled for one final blowoff match at WrestleMania 32 in 2016, but it ultimately didn’t come to pass.
3. Mankind
Mick Foley’s Mankind character was admirable and even naive at times, which a budding star in The Rock would take advantage of in 1998. They faced off in the finals of the “Deadly Game” tournament at Survivor Series, where Rock would turn heel and become the “Corporate Champion” at Foley’s expense.
This would lead to one of the most brutal matches in WWE history, an “I Quit” match at the Royal Rumble in 1999. Rock mutilated Mankind with multiple vicious chair shots to the head in a bout that is still difficult to watch back. The two would even wrestle in an empty arena at halftime of the Super Bowl. They would make amends, though, and go on to become an oddball tag team called “The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection,” instantly earning status as fan favorites. Here, they’d put on the highest-rated segment in Monday Night Raw history, as Foley honored Rock with a version of “This Is Your Life.”
4. Kurt Angle
The Rock was a critical piece to helping elevate Kurt Angle from newcomer to main event talent in a very short period of time.
Angle broke onto the scene at the end of 1999 and, within less than a year, was WWE Champion. Rock’s bravado was an excellent juxtaposition to Angle’s insecurities, and both spent time as headliners on WWE TV for much of the year 2000. Angle would even pin Rock in a six-man cell match at Armageddon 2000 to retain the WWE Championship. Rock would avenge that loss by defeating Angle for the championship at No Way Out 2001 and would win the belt again in a memorable triple threat match featuring Angle and The Undertaker in 2002.
5. The Undertaker
Aside from that triple threat match, The Undertaker played an important role in helping push The Rock towards the top of the WWE card as well.
Though they never had a true long-term feud, The Undertaker’s status as a respected veteran (even amidst his run as a gothic supernatural being) showcased The Rock in a new, endorsed light. The two had a memorable match at King of the Ring in 1999, where Taker beat Rock to become WWE Champion.
They would fight on and off over the course of several years, even teaming together on Team WWE against The Alliance at Survivor Series 2001. Everything would come full circle at WrestleMania XL, when Taker shockingly showed up to chokeslam a heel Rock to help Cody Rhodes become WWE Champion.
6. John Cena
Never before in WWE history had a match had one year of anticipated build the way The Rock and John Cena had for their WrestleMania XXVIII clash, labeled “Once in a Lifetime.”
Rock and Cena had come to blows at WrestleMania XXVII, and the following night, a challenge was issued to make the biggest main event in the history of the show one year later. The two spent a year antagonizing one another, insulting each other’s pasts, and creating buzz for their showdown in Miami. Rock handed Cena a rare loss, and the two ended up running the match back a year later at WrestleMania 29. This time, Cena defeated Rock for the WWE Championship, and the two showed mutual respect with hands raised.
7. Hulk Hogan
The closure of World Championship Wrestling enabled many members of WWE’s past to make their way back over, including the members of the New World Order. Most importantly, Hulk Hogan.
Hogan returned to WWE and almost immediately engaged in a feud with “The Great One.” The match sold itself: Icon vs. Icon.
Two of the biggest stars of different eras squared off in a match for the ages. It went down at WrestleMania X8 and, to this day, is considered one of the greatest spectacles in wrestling history. Rock would pick up the win over Hogan, but it gave Hogan an unexpected babyface run in the aftermath. They’d face off one more time a year later, with the roles reversed. Hogan and Rock had instant chemistry, and their program goes down as one of Rock’s best.
8. Brock Lesnar
The Rock had one responsibility in the summer of 2002: make Brock Lesnar into a massive star. He accomplished just that.
Lesnar burst onto the WWE main roster the night after WrestleMania X8 and laid waste to several members of the locker room. He quickly ascended the ranks, winning the 2002 King of the Ring tournament in emphatic fashion. That sent him on a collision course with The Rock at SummerSlam for the WWE Undisputed Championship. Rock was put in a role he hadn’t been in for some time, having to punch up, an underdog against “The Next Big Thing.” Rock lost the championship to Lesnar cleanly, as Brock countered a Rock Bottom and planted him with an F5. It was a star-making moment for Lesnar, made possible by The Rock’s equity.
9. Chris Jericho
Rock and Chris Jericho shared plenty of attributes over the years, including their mic skills and larger-than-life personalities. That made Rock a perfect choice to be part of Jericho’s iconic WWE debut.
Jericho made the jump from WCW in August of 1999, with his “millennium clock” counting down during the Rock’s talking segment. The two traded insults, but Rock’s presence in the segment told you Jericho was going to be important. They feuded multiple times in 2001, with Jericho beating Rock to win the WCW Championship at No Mercy. He would then go on to beat Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on the same night to become the first WWE Undisputed Champion at Vengeance 2001.
10. CM Punk
The Rock was used as a vehicle to change CM Punk’s character in 2012, coming off a wildly popular babyface run for the “Voice of the Voiceless.”
Punk laid out Rock at Raw 1,000, setting them up for a feud lasting throughout the fall of 2012 into the winter of 2013. They went to battle on the microphone before eventually settling the score at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Rock dethroned Punk as WWE Champion after a historic 434-day run and beat him again the following month. It was Rock’s first WWE Championship in more than a decade.
11. Ken Shamrock
The Rock was on the rise in 1997, becoming the face of the Nation of Domination stable and knocking on the door of stardom. That’s when he ran into one of the most dangerous men to step foot in an octagon, Ken Shamrock.
The two feuded over the Intercontinental Championship heading into the 1998 Royal Rumble show, where Shamrock got Rock to tap out to a vicious Ankle Lock. But Rock had planted brass knuckles on Shamrock during the match, and the decision got reversed. They would square off again at WrestleMania, where Shamrock once again picked up a win. However, his hatred for Rock resulted in him beating him senselessly, leading to the decision being overturned. Their feud was full of major intensity, making it a memorable one.
12. Big Show
Rock needed obstacles during his run as the top guy in 2000 with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on the shelf due to injury. That’s when The Big Show was called upon to stand in his way.
The size vs. speed story told itself, with Big Show’s seven-foot frame being an easy foil to Rock’s more athletic stature. Rock tossed Show from the ring to win the 2000 Royal Rumble match, though a replay revealed Rock’s feet actually touched the ground first.
They had a match to determine the No. 1 contender spot at No Way Out that year, which Rock ultimately won. Still, they’d face again in the main event of WrestleMania 2000 as part of a four-way match, which also included Triple H and Mick Foley. Big Show rarely got the upper hand on The Rock, but their encounters were memorable.
13. Rikishi
Rikishi is a blood relative of The Rock, members of the famous Anoa’i wrestling family. WWE saw big potential in Rikishi as a heel in 2000, even though he was one of the roster’s most popular wrestlers, and decided to put him against The Rock.
A year-long storyline about who hit “Stone Cold” Steve Austin with a car culminated just before the Survivor Series when Rikishi admitted to being the culprit. He claimed he did it for The Rock, to ensure he’d be the top star in the company. Rock didn’t take this kindly, and the two had a hard-hitting match at Survivor Series. Rock picked up the win and would face him again in a six-man cell match at Armageddon. While Rikishi never quite got to the top, his feud with The Rock is still an entertaining one.
