The Rock underwent a few transformations in his wrestling career to become an iconic figure. Unlike most other legends, Rock didn’t have a long career since he left in his prime to start his new career path as a Hollywood actor. WWE fans still hold a strong sense of appreciation for Rock’s accomplishments in the ring.
Some versions of the icon stand out more than the others. The Great One wasn’t flawless as some attempts at success completely missed the mark. Other attempts would become irreplaceable when looking at the impact Rock had on the industry. The People's Champion had a legendary career, rising from a bland babyface to an irreplaceable icon. Without further ado, let's take a look back at the evolution of The Brahma Bull.
10 Rocky Maivia
The first chapter of The Rock’s career was clearly the worse when wrestling under the name of Rocky Maivia. WWE gave him a generic face character that led to the audience turning on the young star before knowing much about him.
Rocky relied too much on being a third-generation character referencing his father and grandfather way too often. WWE ended up having to bail on the push as Intercontinental Champion when fans started chanting “Die, Rocky, Die!” during his matches.
9 Joining The Nation
The Rock moniker was created when he joined the Nation of Domination faction as their latest member. One massive change from the heel side was Rock getting to experiment with promos to find his personality.
The Nation thrived with Ron Simmons as the leader and Rock becoming the most over member right behind him. WWE realized they had something special with Rock as the heel turn saved him from becoming a flop.
8 Return Feuding With John Cena
WWE received a huge boost when The Rock returned in 2011 to enter a feud with John Cena. The angle ran for over two years with two matches at WrestleMania 28 and WrestleMania 29 each delivering huge financial success.
Many fans were underwhelmed with the matches as Rock and Cena didn’t have the instant chemistry they hoped for. Rock’s run was lackluster content-wise compared to the prior work he delivered as an all-time great.
7 2002 WWE Championship Run
The Rock left WWE for a short while to pursue an acting career after his legendary WrestleMania X8 classic against Hollywood Hulk Hogan. WWE lucked out with Rock coming back in time for the summer of 2002 for a couple of great matches.
Rock won the WWE Championship in a stellar triple threat match over The Undertaker and Kurt Angle at Vengeance. Brock Lesnar benefited from the most as Rock put him over cleanly before leaving again for Hollywood. Rock clearly cared about the future of the company.
6 Leaving The Nation
WWE fans started to cheer The Rock during his heel run with The Nation of Domination towards the end. Rock eventually turned face in 1998 and spent a few months feuding with fellow teammates Mark Henry and D’Lo Brown.
Fans loved getting the chance to chant along with Rock’s catchphrases and it set the tone for his future as a face. Rock was the most popular talker in WWE history, and this version allowed him to break out on his own.
5 The Rock & Sock Connection
The Rock and Mick Foley found success both teaming up and feuding against each other throughout the Attitude Era. WWE took a risk of placing the established main eventers in a tag team as The Rock 'n' Sock Connection.
The duo teamed up after putting each other through hell and it led to great results. Rock and Foley had the comedic chemistry to deliver huge ratings. Fans still pop any time one of the two references the other.
4 The Corporation
WWE swerved the audience during the Survivor Series 1998 one-night tournament to crown a new WWE Champion. The Rock started the night off as a face who the fans wanted to see go all the way and win his first world title.
Vince McMahon screwed Mankind in the finals by helping Rock win the WWE Championship as the new leader of The Corporation. Rock had a stellar run as the top heel feuding with Mankind and Steve Austin in iconic feuds.
3 Leading The Nation
The Rock joining the Nation of Domination after his horrible start was huge for his career, but it was the slow-burn of becoming the leader that put him over the top. It became obvious to everyone that Rock was clearly ready for a bigger role.
Rock talked his way past Faarooq as the leader of the group when winning over the other members. The move to kick out Ron Simmons (Faarooq) saw Rock leading the Nation in a feud against D-Generation X that is still respected today.
2 Hollywood Rock
WWE realized change was needed for The Rock when coming back from another hiatus in early 2003. Fans were starting to grow resentful of Rock for leaving after a few months to shoot his movies and coming back in a top role.
Rock returned in 2003 with the Hollywood version of his character sporting a new look and having a new version of his theme song. The feud with Steve Austin delivered some of the best moments of Rock’s career along with fun secondary programs against Hulk Hogan and Goldberg.
1 Face Of WWE
The Rock leaving The Corporation in 1999 and Steve Austin taking time off later in the year led to his run as the face of the company. Many people in WWE worried about Austin missing nearly a year due to the need for surgery, but Rock was ready to run with the ball.
WWE did not skip a beat and continued to grow with Rock now as the top Superstar. Outstanding feuds with Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, and a few others made Rock the most beloved star of 2000. Rock carried the company for the rest of the year as a true icon.