Ranking The Rock's Best Matches and Moments in WWE Career

The Rock is back in WWE and teasing a match with Roman Reigns, hinting at the real possibility that a battle for recognition as The Head of the Table may be on the horizon, presumably as early as WrestleMania 40 on April 6-7.

His return on the January 8 episode of Raw was another unforgettable moment in the annals of an iconic wrestling career, one that began in 1996 at the Survivor Series, saw championships won and lost, and a performer grow and evolve before our eyes.

In celebration of his return and preparation for one last unforgettable showdown, these are the moments and matches that have helped solidify The Rock as The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment.

10. This Is Your Life (Raw, 1999)

"This Is Your Life" may not be an Attitude Era segment that has aged particularly well, but there is no denying the impact it had on professional wrestling during its hottest period.

The segment, which saw the continuation of the Rock 'n' Sock Connection between The Great One and Mankind, garnered an enormous 8.4 television rating, the highest in Monday Night Raw history to that point.

It proved The Rock's status as a draw and featured some of the comedic gold that made his on-screen partnership with Mick Foley so beloved by fans.

An odd couple-type pairing captivated fans and gave The Great One another layer to his character, something it needed then.

Not nearly as funny as it was at the time, it's still a reminder that lengthy promo segments can draw big numbers under the right circumstances, as we saw with Tribal Court featuring The Bloodline in 2023.

9. The Corporate Champion (Survivor Series 1998)

The Rock entered Survivor Series in 1998 riding a wave of popularity unlike any he had experienced before. The people were on his side, turning him babyface and making him the second-most popular guy on the roster next to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

Perhaps that's why it was so surprising when he betrayed everyone and aligned himself with Vince and Shane McMahon in The Corporation.

The Great One joined the heel faction as its Corporate Champion, the hand-picked WWE champion Vince had spent a year searching for. It was a memorable twist and one that set Rock up to be the the foil for Austin on the Road to WrestleMania.

It was the electrifying Superstar's first world title, a sign of approval from McMahon to the young star and the realization of the potential that had been discussed from the moment he arrived on the scene two years earlier.

Speaking of which...

8. The Debut (Survivor Series 1996)

Rocky Maivia arrived in WWE with the weight of an entire family on his shoulders. Dubbed the first third-generation Superstar in the vignettes introducing him to the fans, and labeled a "blue chip" athlete, much was expected of the youngster.

At Survivor Series 1996, in New York's famed Madison Square Garden, the then-24-year-old had about as emphatic a debut as one could have had in that era.

Appearing in a traditional elimination tag team match, Maivia was the last remaining babyface, tasked with overcoming both Goldust and Crush if he wanted to make his debut a successful one.

He did, using a shoulder breaker to secure the victory.

It was a momentous night for Maivia and one that remains instrumental in his rise, but it was also the first indication that WWE officials may have been a bit too overzealous in pushing him right out of the gate.

Something that, ultimately, turned fans against him.

7. 'Die Rocky Die' Leads to The Nation of Domination (Raw, 1997)

Arguably, the most significant thing to happen to Rock was the heel turn in the summer of 1997 that saw him join The Nation of Domination.

Earlier in the year, disdain for the babyface Maivia gave way to a backlash from fans and chants of "Die Rocky die." With nowhere else to go as a face until some of the negativity subsided, he instead turned heel and joined the hated faction.

The explanation for doing so, which included a reference to those chants, provided him an opportunity to talk and highlight his natural charisma. It was something he had not had a chance to do much of before and it proved hugely influential to the performer he would ultimately become.

There is a real argument to be made that without the heel turn and that initial promo, no one knows what Rock's wrestling career would have looked like.

6. 'If Ya Smell What I'm Cookin'' (WrestleMania XIV)

At WrestleMania XIV, The Rock was slated to defend the Intercontinental Championship against Ken Shamrock, the culmination of a months-long feud that had started in the fall of 1997.

More important than the match, though, was an interview segment that aired earlier in the show involving Rock and celebrity guest, Gennifer Flowers.

While discussing the type of political candidate he would be, Rock uttered the words: "If ya smell what I'm cookin'."

It was the birth of a catchphrase that would become a pop-culture reference in the years to follow. The interview was also another opportunity to show the world what kind of verbal performer he was as he carried what would have, in the hands of any other Superstar, been a subpar bit of business.

5. Homecoming (Raw, 2011)

The Rock stunned the wrestling world on the February 14, 2011 episode of Raw, returning to WWE for the first time in years as the special guest host of WrestleMania 27.

He electrified as only he could, basking in the adulation of the fans before turning his attention to John Cena. A public exchange of words motivated him to verbally cook the top babyface in the company and plant the seeds for the much-anticipated showdown between the two the following year.

The excitement, the surprise and the electricity in the arena that night reiterated to the fans that no matter how long he had been gone, he was still The People's Champ and one of the most must-watch performers in pro wrestling history.

4. 'Everyone Remembers...Act III' (WrestleMania XIX)

Rock entered WrestleMania XIX with one goal: Beat "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

His pre-match promo with Jonathan Coachman was, arguably, the best of his career. Citing his experience in Hollywood he said, "Act I and Act II, they don't matter. The only thing that matters, everyone remembers...Act III."

He ended the promo with a somber "finally," adding gravitas to the moment and conveying how important the match and win were to him.

In what would be Austin's final bout for two decades, Rock beat him, delivering three Rock Bottoms to finally put The Texas Rattlesnake away. After the bell, he shared a moment with his greatest rival that broke kayfabe, expressing his gratitude to Austin for helping make him the star he became.

It was an incredibly fun match, but it was also an emotion-filled performance by a guy who had become a virtuoso at his profession and was headed for bigger things in Hollywood.

3. Once in a Lifetime (WrestleMania XXVIII)

WWE spent an entire year building the dream match between The Rock and John Cena at WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami.

Needless to say, expectations were high and any failure to match them would have ended in disaster for all involved.

Instead, Rock fed off the fans and delivered what is, at least for now, the last great performance of his career. He hung with Cena, who was at the top of his game and during the hottest string of in-ring performances of his career.

The atmosphere, the match layout and the quality of the bout came together to create an unforgettable night in Miami, even if there were real questions about Rock going over the guy he was expected to pass the torch to.

2. WrestleMania X-Seven vs. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin

Some will forever argue that the Attitude Era ended with the arrival of the Ruthless Aggression Era in June 2002, but the hottest period of wrestling history as we knew it ended on April 1, 2001 at WrestleMania X-Seven.

On that night, in front of 67,925 fans in the Houston Astrodome, two of the biggest stars in pro wrestling history squared off in the second of their trilogy of WrestleMania main events.

The Rock entered the WWE champion while "Stone Cold" Steve Austin arrived as the Royal Rumble winner hellbent on doing whatever it took to regain the title that eluded him upon his comeback from career-threatening neck surgery.

Together, they weaved a masterpiece of dramatic near-falls, classic call-backs and a shocking conclusion involving an Austin heel turn and alliance with Vince McMahon.

The match was brilliant, with a bit of something for everyone, and it remains one of the great main events in 'Mania's four-decade history.

For Rock, it was a reminder of his growth as a performer, from the first "rough around the edges" showdowns with Austin to the top match on the most prestigious card in the sport.

He began as a young star lucky to work with the top guy to someone on the level of Austin.

1. Icon vs. Icon at WrestleMania X8

The Rock and Hulk Hogan.

Two names forever synonymous with professional wrestling.

At WrestleMania X8 in Toronto, they clashed in a match dubbed "Icon vs. Icon," an appropriate tagline for a showdown between two pop-culture phenoms.

The fans inside the SkyDome rode a wave of nostalgia, rooting for the Hulkster who famously dropped the WWE Championship to The Ultimate Warrior in the same stadium 12 years earlier, and the atmosphere was electric.

Rock carried the match, working a style that meshed with Hogan's and executing a layout that ensured the highest quality possible given his opponent's physical limitations at that point.

As he did in Houston a year earlier, The Great One constructed a masterpiece that gave fans everything they wanted, before delivering a Rock Bottom and ending any chance of a Hogan upset.

A huge passing-of-the-torch moment that saw Hogan anoint Rock as the guy in WWE, it remains the most significant of his career.