The Rock's 12 Most Entertaining Feuds In WWE

Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest names in entertainment, having built his mainstream career from the ground up during the past two decades. Over the years, he's starred in everything from "The Mummy Returns" to "Black Adam," which has afforded him the chance to collaborate with Under Armour, introduce the world to Teremana Tequila, and become the highest-paid actor in Hollywood. Although, to professional wrestling fans, no matter which career path Johnson takes, he'll always be the jabroni-beating, pie-eating, trail-blazing, eyebrow-raising "People's Champion," the Rock.

The Rock made his WWE — then WWF — debut at the 1996 Survivor Series as the plucky Rocky Maivia. The rookie teamed with Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Marc Mero, and the Stalker to defeat Goldust, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Crush, and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. While he put on an impressive showing, it took him some time to find his footing in the WWF, but when he inevitably did, it became apparent that one of the most all-around talented stars in the wrestling game had come into his own. For proof of this, look no further than some of the rivalries he took part in from the late '90s to the early 2010s.

Throughout his entire WWE career, the Rock has stood toe-to-toe with some of the all-time greats. Here are his most entertaining feuds from his time as an active in-ring competitor.

At WrestleMania XIX, the Rock defeated his longtime rival, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, in an unforgettable match. While this certainly made headlines in the aftermath of "The Show of Shows," it's not the only reason WWE took a prominent place in the news cycle. On the following night's episode of "Raw," former World Championship Wrestling juggernaut Goldberg made his debut in the company. To make the biggest splash possible on his first night, he attacked none other than the Rock, spearing him in the center of the ring and kicking off a mini-feud between the two.

Over the next few weeks, Goldberg and the Rock's rivalry would only continue to heat up. Most notably, "The Brahma Bull" hosted one of his famous Rock Concerts on the April 21, 2003 edition of "Raw," where he taunted Goldberg over the microphone. He even brought out Duane Gill, who returned to his iconic Gillberg gimmick — an obvious parody of Goldberg — to get under the skin of Goldberg's hometown crowd in Atlanta, Georgia. Eventually, all of the Rock's prodding led Goldberg to make his way to the ring, where he tore through security and almost got his hands on his first WWE opponent.

For the first and only time, the two legends clashed in a sanctioned match at Backlash 2003. It was a back-and-forth battle that saw the latter walk away victorious thanks to several spears and a jackhammer, though Goldberg wishes he and the Rock got a tad more physical in hindsight. Overall, the Rock-Goldberg rivalry wasn't that long, but between the promos and in-ring moments, their Backlash match, and the fact that it included two men who were on opposite sides during the WWE-WCW Monday Night Wars, it was a fun program all the same.

The first episode of "Raw" after WrestleMania X8 saw one of the most dominant names in the history of professional wrestling make his proper WWE debut: Brock Lesnar. With Paul Heyman at his side, "The Next Big Thing" would tear through everyone from Matt Hardy to Hulk Hogan. He even won the 2002 King of the Ring tournament, steamrolling the competition all the way through. Unsurprisingly, Lesnar wasn't satisfied with victories and random accolades alone. He wanted championship gold, and if he was gonna go after anything, he'd set his sights on the WWE Undisputed Championship.

At the time of Brock Lesnar's ascent to the top of WWE, the Rock was the WWE Undisputed Champion. He won the title at Vengeance 2002 in a highly entertaining triple threat match against then-champion the Undertaker and Kurt Angle, setting himself on a collision course with Lesnar at the following pay-per-view, SummerSlam. When that event finally came, Lesnar surprised everyone by taking "The People's Champion" to task between the ropes. The Rock fought valiantly, but in the end, Lesnar and an intervening Heyman proved too difficult for him to overcome. He lost the title to the rookie and would leave WWE for a time afterward.

The Rock and Brock Lesnar feud didn't last too long, much like the former's program with Goldberg. Nevertheless, what we got in terms of the build-up and the SummerSlam match itself makes their rivalry one that many WWE fans and the men involved are unlikely to ever forget. It's just too bad that the rumored Rock-Lesnar WrestleMania XXX rematch never came to fruition.

The driving force behind the success of the WWF's edgy, risqué Attitude Era was undoubtedly the company's talent roster. Numerous names stepped up their game and hit their stride throughout the late '90s into the early 2000s, creating no shortage of memorable matches, promos, and storylines in the process. Among the likes of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and more were the Rock and the Undertaker — two men who consistently sat at the top of the card during this time period and crossed paths on more than one occasion as a result.

From 1998 to 2002, the Rock and the Undertaker stood across the ring from one another in various settings. Their first notable singles clash came at the 1998 Survivor Series, where the Rock defeated Taker in a semi-finals match during the Deadly Game tournament. The following year, "The Deadman" gained a measure of revenge when he retained his WWF Championship against the Rock at King of the Ring 1999. With the turn of the century, both men would continue to trade victories and take championship gold from one another, with their final match against each other taking place in the previously mentioned triple threat match with Kurt Angle at Vengeance 2002.

Even though they locked horns numerous times, the Rock and the Undertaker didn't have a particularly memorable long-term storyline with each other to sink their teeth into. Nevertheless, in their pursuit of championships and main event spots, they battled quite often in the ring and on the mic. When they did, more often than not, the two larger-than-life personalities put on an entertaining show. Thus, their on-and-off feud has become a highlight of the Attitude Era.

On the August 9, 1999, edition of "Raw," WWF fans finally found out the meaning behind the mysterious countdown clock they'd seen on the Titantron weeks before. The timer coincided with the debut of a former WCW standout named Chris Jericho, who promised everyone watching "Raw is Jericho" that with him around, the WWF would never, ever be the same again. That's all well and good, but he made the bold (and somewhat foolish) decision of making his grand introduction by interrupting the Rock, who had no reservations about laying the verbal smackdown on "Y2J" to kick off his WWF tenure.

Following this segment, "The Great One" and "The Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla" would go back and forth in the ring and during promos. After all, while the Rock was arguably the WWF's best talker during this era, Jericho was no slouch on the mic either. As far as their matches go, both men picked up their share of victories by the time they parted ways. Some of their most enjoyable bouts include their WCW Championship match at No Mercy 2001, their WCW Championship match at Vengeance 2001 — the same event where Jericho also beat "Stone Cold" Steve Austin for the WWF Championship — and their WWF Undisputed Championship match at the 2002 Royal Rumble.

In the modern-day, the Rock and Chris Jericho are both recognized as pro wrestling legends, and for good reason. They both have the gift of gab, they can carry a match, and they have that intangible it-factor that made them impossible to ignore back in the day. No wonder they worked so well together on WWF programming.

The Rock made his in-ring return at WrestleMania XXVIII in the "Once in a Lifetime" match against John Cena, but he wasn't done with WWE just yet. On the 1,000th episode of "Raw" in July of 2013, he announced his intention of once again becoming "The People's Champion." To do it, he'd come face-to-face with one of the most polarizing figures in WWE and professional wrestling as a whole: CM Punk. "The Second City Saint" had fought tooth and nail to become WWE Champion, overcoming the likes of John Cena, Ryback, and more to pull off an over one-year-long title reign.

After some exciting build — most famously, their January 7, 2013 exchange on "Raw" — CM Punk would defend his WWE Championship against the Rock at the 2013 Royal Rumble event. While he initially lost the bout due to supposed interference by the Shield (Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns), Mr. McMahon restarted the match instead of stripping Punk of the title outright because of the Shield's shenanigans. This second chance allowed the Rock to score the pinfall win, become the WWE Champion for the eighth time in his career, and end Punk's remarkable championship reign at 434 days.

CM Punk got his rematch against the Rock at the following pay-per-view, Elimination Chamber, but he couldn't secure the gold. With that, the Punk-Rock feud came to a close. It may have been brief, and the booking decisions may have left much to be desired, but the incredible promos and entertaining matches more than made up for it. It's a shame that their program couldn't go on for a little while longer.

Though he didn't spend much time under the bright lights of WWE that year, the Rock had a memorable 2003. Not only did he have one last match against "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIX, battle Hulk Hogan at No Way Out, and serve as Goldberg's first opponent in a WWE ring at Backlash, but he bravely stood nose-to-nose with WWE's resident superhero, the Hurricane. They first came to blows during a World Heavyweight Championship number one contender battle royal on "Raw" — a match ultimately won by Booker T — before taking their budding feud to the locker room.

It's no exaggeration to say that the Rock and the Hurricane's promos were among the funniest to reach the airwaves in 2003 and the Ruthless Aggression era as a whole. The unlikely rivals bounced perfectly off of one another, with "The Great One" playing up to the Hurricane's wackiness spectacularly. Of course, they didn't chat forever. Come the March 10, 2003 edition of "Raw," it was time for the two stars to lock up. Under no disqualification rules, the Rock and the Hurricane put on a highly engaging showing in the main event that culminated in an unexpected yet welcomed Hurricane victory.

Following this loss, the Rock and the Hurricane's mini-program came to an end as the former moved on to the likes of Steve Austin, Jeff Hardy, and Goldberg. It may have been short-lived, but it's hard to deny that this rivalry wasn't as entertaining as can be in just about every aspect. Not to mention, the Hurricane's main-event win remains a standout moment in "Raw" history.

Kurt Angle debuted in the WWF in November of 1999 at the Survivor Series event, and in a matter of months, he was already well on his way to the main event scene. It wasn't that shocking since the former Olympian was the total package between the ropes. His natural talent led him to the WWF Intercontinental and European Championships by February of 2000. By the end of the year, he even found himself in the WWF Championship picture and won the gold at No Mercy 2000. In doing so, he kicked his burgeoning feud with the former champ, the Rock, into high gear.

From 2000 to 2002, the Rock and Kurt Angle competed in different environments for numerous reasons, though the majority of their most memorable matches were of the singles variety. Some of the most noteworthy of the bunch are their aforementioned No Mercy 2000 clash, as well as those from No Way Out 2001 and the July 16, 2002 "SmackDown" installment. They also duked it out in multi-man matches, taking part in such classics as the six-man Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon 2000 and their triple threat match with the Undertaker at Vengeance 2002. No matter the match parameters, they always delivered fun promos and backstage segments that showcased both men's exceptional character work.

The Rock and Kurt Angle are WWE legends who each went a long way in making the Attitude Era the success that it was. Their feud was somewhat sporadic, but that didn't make it any less entertaining when they went head-to-head. Their rivalry elevated both of them to new heights, allowing the Rock the chance to further prove himself as a wrestler and giving Angle an opportunity to sharpen his mic skills.

With the WWF partially in the hands of "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, Mr. McMahon made the surprising choice of injecting his empire with a potentially lethal dose of poison in 2002. That poison arrived in the WWF at No Way Out in the form of the New World Order faction — "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall — that had run amuck in WCW from 1996 to 2000. Despite their heel status, WWF fans couldn't help but get excited over the three megastars returning to the company after years away. Meanwhile, there was a lot of intrigue surrounding the dream matches the team's return presented.

Not long after the NWO made its WWF introduction, fans would see the development of one such dream match. Hulk Hogan quickly took aim at "The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment," the Rock, leading to a match between them at WrestleMania X8. Billed as "Icon vs. Icon," and rightfully so, the match had fans on their feet from bell to bell. These two legends stood on opposite sides during the Monday Night Wars, so seeing them finally lock horns on the biggest stage possible was a truly historic moment. After a hard-fought bout, the Rock stood as the victor.

The Rock and Hulk Hogan, who renounced his NWO membership in favor of a return to his iconic "Real American" roots shortly after WrestleMania X8, clashed a handful more times in WWE after their first singles match. While it was never a chore seeing them wrestle, the grandeur of the first chapter of their feud was impossible to top. Who knows if we'll ever see a dream match of this caliber again.

As the Attitude Era started to really heat up, two major factions were making names for themselves in the WWF: the Nation of Domination and D-Generation X. Both stables were jam-packed with talent, but on each side, it was evident that one member outshined those around them. For the Nation, that person was the Rock, and for DX, it was Triple H, and much to no one's surprise, it didn't take long for the two to begin competing against each other in singles competition. They famously battled over the WWF Intercontinental Championship throughout 1998, with their SummerSlam ladder match standing out as a highlight of this string of matches.

In the wake of their 1998 program, the Rock and Triple H went their separate ways, but as they both skyrocketed to the main-event scene, it was inevitable that they'd clash once again. "The Great One" and "The Game" went to war in 1999 and 2000 over the WWF Championship, notably duking it out for the title at WrestleMania 2000 along with Mick Foley and the Big Show in a fatal four-way match and at Backlash 2000 in a singles match. 2001 saw them resume their rivalry, though Triple H's debilitating quad injury in May and the early stages of the Rock's Hollywood career slammed the brakes on everything.

The Rock and Triple H locked up for the final time on the August 19, 2002 episode of "Raw" — a bout that ended in a no-contest. Whether it was for bragging rights or championship gold, the two WWE greats always gave their all against each other. They consistently elevated one another in the ring and on the microphone, supplying fans with unforgettable shows all the while.

When Mankind first entered the WWF in 1996, his character was pretty straightforward. He was a madman who loved inflicting pain on his opponents by any means and wasn't averse to taking punishment himself. However, come 1998, he became a more sympathetic presence on "Raw" as he sought the approval of Mr. McMahon. The boss strung Mankind along for a while, but at Survivor Series 1998, he showed his true colors by turning on him, aligning with the Rock, and helping him win the WWF Championship. Naturally, this betrayal kickstarted one of the Attitude Era's most memorable feuds between two of its most notable names.

In the ensuing weeks, Mankind would target the Corporation faction, which McMahon and the Rock led. This resulted in numerous iconic moments between him and the Rock, including Mankind's WWF Championship victory on the December 29 episode of "Raw," their brutal "I Quit" match at the 1999 Royal Rumble event and the empty arena brawl at Halftime Heat 1999. With the dawn of the new millennium, Mankind and the Rock would part ways, though the man behind Mankind, Mick Foley, would battle "The Brahma Bull" a few more times. The last crossed paths as opponents in the aforementioned WrestleMania 2000 WWF Championship fatal four-way.

The Rock and Mankind were perfect rivals, no matter how you look at it. Their matches, promos, and storyline were just too perfect, hence why their feud is so well remembered today. Besides, without it, we likely wouldn't have seen the two team up as the ever-popular Rock N' Sock Connection team after putting their differences aside.

Despite only appearing at the event as the host, the Rock got physical during the main event of WrestleMania XXVII. His interference in the match between John Cena and the Miz resulted in the latter successfully defending his WWE Championship — much to the chagrin of Cena. Understandably heated over the ordeal, Cena met Rock face-to-face on "Raw" the following night, where they announced that they'd meet at WrestleMania XXVIII the following year. Promoted as the "Once in a Lifetime" match, the two megastars would spend the next calendar year building up to their highly-anticipated encounter.

After a string of dueling promos, pre-recorded messages, and some deeply personal digs at one another, the Rock and John Cena stepped between the ropes not at WrestleMania, but at Survivor Series 2011. They formed a fragile alliance to defeat the Miz and R-Truth, building more momentum for their looming one-on-one clash at "The Show of Shows." When that fateful night came, both men gave their all, but it was "The Great One" who stood victorious. Cena spent much of 2012 dwelling on the loss and doubting himself, but lucky for him, come 2013, he'd get a shot at redemption and then some.

At the 2013 Royal Rumble, the Rock won the WWE Championship and John Cena won the Rumble match itself, setting up a WrestleMania 29 rematch (so much for "Once in a Lifetime"). Cena managed to defeat "The Most Electrifying Man in All of Entertainment" and capture the WWE Championship, rounding off their feud on a high note. Overall, Rock and Cena's rivalry represented two eras of WWE going head-to-head, and while the matches were far from classics, the sheer awe seeing them share the ring was just too powerful to ignore.

By the end of 1998, the Rock had become the hottest heel in the WWF next to his on-screen ally, Mr. McMahon. Upon working together at Survivor Series that year, the former "People's Champion" became a rude, despicable villain who wasn't afraid to bend the rules to defend his title and let the fans know just how little he thought of them. Naturally, this made him the perfect foil for the company's top babyface: the beer-drinking, bird-flipping "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who wanted nothing more than to raise Hell by any means necessary, stomp mudholes into his opponents, and win the WWF Championship.

With a few encounters between them already, Austin and Rock brought their feud to the grand stage of WrestleMania XV. This wild no-disqualification match resulted in Austin taking the WWF Championship for his own, though it did little to squash their beef. They'd continue to trade victories throughout 1999 and the back half of 2000, since Austin had to undergo neck surgery late in the previous year. They once again wound up in the WWF Championship picture for WrestleMania X-7 in 2001, and in a shocking turn of events, Austin aligned himself with Mr. McMahon to take down the Rock and become champion.

The face Rock and heel Steve Austin kept their reinvigorated program alive to an extent as 2001 came to a close, but by 2002, it had all but lost its steam. To finish it off in grand fashion, "The Brahma Bull" and "The Texas Rattlesnake" battled one last time in the semi-main event of WrestleMania XIX in 2003. For the first time in their 'Mania trilogy, the Rock won, retiring his rival from active competition and leaving Austin with a special parting message. It was a long, winding road, but the lowest of lows were worth it in the end. The Rock's rivalry with Austin is far and away the most entertaining of his career and, by many estimations, one of the most legendary feuds in pro wrestling history.