Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had hundreds of matches over his two decades in the WWE, so picking his best was a monumental task. But in light of The People’s Champ’s recent announcement that he’d “quietly retired” from the squared circle, we figured we’d give it a go.
In some cases, The Rock and his opponent would put on a technical masterclass in the ring. Others were emotional stories that kept the audience hooked from opening to closing bell. In either case, it’s undisputable that the Brahma Bull was one of the best to ever lace up a pair of boots.
A match that was originally billed as “once in a lifetime” actually took place twice in one year. But for our money, the first clash between the two in 2012 was the better one. The Rock and John Cena—both M&F cover mainstays—ticked all the boxes in this enthralling match: both hit their signature moves, kept the crowd entertained, and put on a great story.
Many disagreed with giving Johnson the win in this bout, and even argued it cheapened the quality of the match. We’re not so sure about that, as it was a grand performance by both competitors—especially considering it was The Rock’s first WrestleMania match in eight years.
2 of 10
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The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar — SummerSlam 2002
In 2002, The Rock’s time as wrestling’s biggest star was coming to a close. Vince McMahon and the WWE knew they needed a new star to carry the company and their pick for the next big thing was—well, The Next Big Thing, aka Brock Lesnar.
The back-and-forth match kept fans on their feet, literally and figuratively, and served its purpose as a passing-of-the-torch moment that ended with Lesnar pinning The Rock for the Undisputed Championship.
The Rock vs. Kurt Angle vs. Undertaker — Vengeance 2002
Johnson recently posted a highlight reel of this match on his Instagram, calling it “an epic WWE match.” Epic is right.
Triple threats can either be sloppy or jam-packed with action. Luckily, this one was the latter.
Not only did all three hit their own finishers, but there were also moments that saw their own moves used against them (including a chokeslam by The Rock on the Undertaker).
“It was a very cool, unique & special time in pro wrestling,” The Rock wrote in his Insta post. We couldn’t have said it any better.
4 of 10
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The Rock vs. Triple H — Judgment Day 2000
The Rock had many feuds during his time in the WWE, and perhaps one of the more overlooked was with Triple H. Both had matches dating back to 1998 when they met in a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship, but their rivalry peaked in 2000.
The Judgment Day 2000 Iron Man match—won by the person who accumulates the most pinfalls, submissions, or DQ wins within an hour—was just one example of their great clashes for the WWE (then WWF) Championship. The match itself was fantastic, and the chaotic finish featuring the McMahons, DX, and the Undertaker was the cherry on top.
5 of 10
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The Rock vs. Mankind — Ladder Match, Raw Feb. 15, 1999
Speaking of great Rock rivalries, his feud with Mankind (later his beloved tag-team partner) has to be mentioned. We could’ve gone with the Empty Arena Match, but that was more of an all-out brawl than a wrestling bout.
While this ladder match didn’t feature the high-flying acrobatics typically expected of ladder matches, it’s still worth a watch. Mankind takes some heavy bumps, including a Rock Bottom through a ladder and a chokeslam from the Big Show off one of the rungs.
Of course, The Rock hit Mankind with some even harder shots in another match between the two, but we’ll get to that later.
6 of 10
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Six Man Hell in a Cell — Armageddon 2000
OK, we might get some shtick for including this one, but hear us out for a second.
Was the match a mess at times? Oh yeah. Did Rikishi belong there? Arguably, no. But, it was entertaining as hell and featured some big bumps, spilled blood, and enough near-falls and finishing moves to last an entire pay-per-view. The Rock, of course, was one of the best in that ring. But this match also gets a shout-out because of the promo Johnson cut beforehand, where he imitated every one of his competitors.
The Rock always shined on the mic, and this was one of his top moments in that respect, too.
7 of 10
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The Rock vs. Kurt Angle — No Way Out 2001
There was no way The Rock wasn’t going to face Stone Cold Steve Austin, winner of that year’s Royal Rumble, at WrestleMania X7—and just about everyone knew Johnson was going to walk away the winner of this bout.
That being said, you’d be excused for thinking Angle could’ve pulled this one off. There were plenty of near-falls in a match that mixed technical wrestling with great storytelling.
The talent of both superstars shined through despite a pretty blatant error by referee Earl Hebner, who only gave a two-count for The Rock despite the fact Angle was clearly down for the three.
8 of 10
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The Rock vs. Mankind — I Quit Match, Royal Rumble 1999
Much has been said and written about this match. With Foley’s hands handcuffed behind his back, The Rock proceeds to nail the Hardcore Legend with not one, not two…but 11 unprotected chair shots to the head. Many have called that moment too gruesome, even by the Attitude Era’s standards.
Knowing what we know of the effects of brain trauma on wrestlers, it’s hard to rewatch this match today. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s one of the most entertaining matches not just of Johnson’s career, but in all of the WWE.
9 of 10
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The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan
If you don’t still get goosebumps watching Hogan “hulk up” after kicking out of the Rock Bottom, you might not be human. Both wrestling giants delivered an instant classic in this “Icon vs. Icon” match that, legend has it, had to be rewritten on the spot due to the Canadian crowd siding with bad guy Hogan over The Rock.
The Rock’s facial expressions throughout the bout are part of what made this match so great. At the very beginning, you can see him and Hogan in legitimate awe of the fervent roars of the live audience. And when Hogan kicked out of the first Rock Bottom, Johnson looked as if he’d seen a ghost.
This match could’ve easily landed at our No. 1 spot, but that’s reserved for one of—if not, the—best wrestling rivalry of all time.
10 of 10
WWE Network
The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin — WrestleMania X7 and 15
We’re admittedly cheating a little bit with this one. Both times these two main evented the Show of Shows were legendary, and they constantly rank as one of the best WrestleMania moments of all time. If you were to list Stone Cold’s best matches, these two would also appear at the top of that list. The end of their first WrestleMania clash can be seen here.
The duo’s rivalry defined the Attitude Era, and their clash at WrestleMania X7 is sometimes called the unofficial end of that age. Although their last clash at WrestleMania 19 was also great, it doesn’t come close to the status of the first two editions.
