5 Photos of The Rock he might prefer you didn't see

#3. The Federation Debut

The Rock in his early WWE days

As we've mentioned, The Rock's incredible career in the public eye really began to take hold when he made his debut in the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWE) at the 1996 Survivor Series.

The pressure was piled on to the youngster straight away. Jim Ross talked up the prospects of this "blue chipper" as he made his way down to the ring to take part in an elimination tag team match at the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden in New York City. Rather than being overly fazed by the huge stage and audience, though, the young athlete seemed to thrive.

He was helped by the booking that night, of course - he was pegged as the hero of the match, turning back a two-on-one advantage to win the bout for his team, pinning Goldust and Crush at the climax.

Despite it all, though, what about that ring gear? We may know the Rock from his simple black trunks and occasional slogan t-shirt and a dripping wet, chiseled physique, the 1996 version was something else indeed. Being the self-deprecating gent he is, Rocky later also cringed at the memory of what he wore in these early days. One thing's for sure, those blue streamers and that floppy haircut certainly aren't missed by The Great One!