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The Rock is arguably the greatest wrestler and one of the biggest draws of all time. The first third-generation wrestler in WWE history, who was at the forefront alongside Steve Austin, helped the company realize massive success during The Attitude Era.
He has since made his mark in Hollywood as one of the highest-paid actors in the industry. The People's Champ is revered by fans and wrestlers alike. He has proven to be a must-see performer each time he graces the wrestling world with a return to the ring. With the millions and millions of fans all over the world cheering The Great One on, WWE is always guaranteed an increase in the ratings whenever The Rock makes an appearance.
As popular and charismatic as The Rock is, he has faced tough audiences in the past and has received boos even at his peak. This may come as a surprise since The Rock is one of the most beloved WWE Superstars of all time. Here are four occasions when the fans surprisingly turned on The Rock.
#4. The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar - SummerSlam 2002
The Rock and Brock Lesnar collided at SummerSlam 2002, which took place at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Lesnar challenged The Rock for the WWE Undisputed Championship after he won the 2002 King of the Ring tournament.
WWE billed the NCAA Division I All-American as "The Next Big Thing", an unstoppable beast coming into SummerSlam who posed the biggest threat to The Rock's title reign. The Rock was the ultimate babyface who fans were hoping would finally hand Lesnar his first loss in WWE.
The Rock met a chorus of “Rocky sucks” chants from the hyped-up fans who were live to witness this classic encounter. The fans in attendance jeered most of his offense while Lesnar received massive cheers. The boos directed at The Rock were probably because the fans knew he was leaving for Hollywood soon. Still, he achieved the goal of the match as The Rock fervently passed the touch to The Beast Incarnate.
#3. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan - WrestleMania 18
The Rock squared off against Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 18 at the famous SkyDome in Toronto, Canada in what WWE billed as an icon vs. icon match. Hulk Hogan is the most renowned wrestling star globally and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s. He enjoyed considerable mainstream popularity between 1984 and 1993 as the face of WWF, now WWE.
When Hulk Hogan made his big return to WWE in 2002, anticipation was high for an encounter with either of the current top babyfaces in WWE, Austin and The Rock. The Rock did not waste time in challenging Hogan to a match on the biggest stage, WrestleMania.
The Rock came into the match as the babyface and Hogan was the villain. When these two icons locked up to start the match, Hogan gave The Rock a big push and the crowd exploded. Any offense The Rock brought in was met with a chorus of boos to the dismay of The Great One in one of the great WrestleMania matches of all time.
#2. The Rock, John Cena promo - March 5, 2012 episode of RAW
The Rock and John Cena had a storied rivalry that would culminate in two consecutive WrestleMania main events from 2012 to 2013. However, their first encounter had the entire WWE Universe so invested because it was billed as a “once in a lifetime” match. The rivalry leading to Wrestlemania 28 was so intense that the promos both of these two icons cut became a personal affair.
On the March 5 episode of RAW, which took place in Cena’s hometown of Boston, The Rock and Cena engaged in a war of words. The Rock kept saying he was going to “rip Cena’s throat out at WrestleMania” and the fans slowly began cheering for Cena instead. While The Rock was pointing his finger at Cena, the crowd began chanting “tooth fairy” to the now Hollywood star at the delight of the Doctor of Thuganomics. This surprised even Cena himself who had always been booed by his hometown audience.
#1.The Rock's debut as Rocky Maivia
The Rock made his WWE debut as Rocky Maivia at Survivor Series 1996. He was billed as the first third-generation star, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather before him. When The Rock debuted, WWE pushed him heavily despite his lack of wrestling experience. He registered his first victory in a traditional Four-on-Four Survivor Series Elimination match.
WWE was high on The Rock and decided a few months later to put the Intercontinental title on him. During this time, his good-guy persona started getting stale with the fans and they suddenly began chanting "Rocky sucks.”
This huge backlash hit both Rock and WWE hard and they knew something had to be done. As a result, The Rock dropped the Intercontinental Championship. However, this turn of events would prove to be a blessing in disguise as The Rock famously changed his name and shifted the momentum back in his favor with a new character change.
