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John Cena and The Rock have created a legacy in WWE that only a few can match up to. They came, they conquered, but they never left. Even to this day, The Champ and Brahma Bull have two of the biggest fandoms in the pro-wrestling industry, and fans always hope for their surprise return to the squared circle.
During their active WWE careers, John Cena and The Rock worked in notable and entertaining feuds. However, one of the storylines that can be regarded as one of the hottest in the company's history is their rivalry.
The Megastars captured the WWE Universe's attention from the very beginning. Cena and Rocky gave the fans a storyline to remember through raps, personal attacks, and one of the biggest-ever WrestleMania matches.
Given the vastness of the rivalry, it's difficult to remember everything that transpired. Here are five things fans may have forgotten about John Cena and The Rock's feud over time.
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#5. The Rock answered John Cena's tag team call
In 2011, John Cena was originally planned to team up with Zack Ryder, but Awesome Truth (R-Truth and The Miz) attacked Ryder, leaving The Cenation Leader without a partner. When then-interim manager John Laurinaitis asked Cena if he had a partner in mind, The Champ revealed he wanted to team up with his nemesis, The Rock.
The Brahma Bull heard the call, and he felt it came from the heart, but initially, he wouldn't accept it. However, being The People's Champ, The Rock gave the fans what they wanted and partnered with John Cena for an epic showcase of teamwork.
The megastars battled The Miz and R-Truth at Survivor Series 2011, and The Great One secured the victory with a People's Elbow on The A-Lister. However, The Rock resumed the rivalry immediately after the victory and demolished The Champ with a brutal Rock Bottom.
#4. Vince McMahon canceled John Cena's rumored heel turn
Cena and The Rock were both babyfaces when the latter returned to the promotion in 2011. However, WWE writers during that time suggested a heel turn for the Cenation Leader for his upcoming rivalry with Rocky. In fact, there were several golden opportunities for Vince McMahon to capitalize on, with one being fans always longing to see John Cena embrace his dark side.
Unfortunately, Vince McMahon decided against it since The Champ's merchandise was the highest-selling at that point. Furthermore, he didn't want to turn his poster boy into a dark character, given Cena's popularity with Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Otherwise, even Cena was invested in the idea but, of course, he knew if WWE turned him heel once, they couldn't reverse the move in a few segments. It seems that apart from business reasons, The Big Man didn't want to make a decision that could affect the face of the company's impact on the fans.
#3. The Rock changed WrestleMania 27 main event result
The Great One returned to WWE in 2011 and was the host of WrestleMania 27. John Cena went up against The Miz at that year's Show of Shows, and the fans waited in anticipation, hoping that The A-Lister would secure the victory.
Cena and The Miz had a fantastic back-and-forth match, but the bout ended with a double count-out.
As the host, The Rock came out, clearly displeased with the result. He announced that a WrestleMania match could not end in a draw regardless of what the officials said.
The Brahma Bull restarted the match with no time limit, no disqualification, and no count out. Before The Miz could pin Cena, The Rock laid out the 16-time Champ with a Rock Bottom.
The A-Lister took advantage of the situation and pinned a flattened Cena. The Great One truly was all about giving the people what they wanted!
#2. John Cena called out The Rock about his promo skills
During the entire duration of the rivalry, both megastars broke script and leveled up to personal attacks. On one such occasion, The Champ called out The Great One for his promo skills and how he would write his lines on his wrist.
In this heated moment, The Great One appeared visibly agitated, but John Cena walked away with a smirk. In fact, this wasn't the only time Cena brought up The Rock writing his lines on his wrist.
The Champ had returned to the ring for one night as the Dr. of Thuganomics and said: "If you get stuck singing your song tonight, Rock, it's all in the wrist."
#1. Their kayfabe rivalry and real-life heat are connected
The Rock left WWE to pursue an acting career in Hollywood, and his reason was that he had achieved everything in WWE he hoped to. Therefore, it was time for him to move on and find success in another industry, and he chose to be an actor.
In 2008, John Cena appeared on a radio interview where he was asked about The Rock and in answer, The Cenation Leader took shots at The Brahma Bull.
He blasted The Rock for not making time for WWE even though he claimed to love pro-wrestling and that he used pro-wrestling just to have established fame before joining Hollywood.
Reportedly, these comments did not sit well with The Rock, and when he returned in 2011, he immediately set his sights on John Cena. Over time, the rivalry between the megastars became more bitter, and they almost engaged in an actual fight backstage.
Their feud hit the right spot with the fans because real emotions of anger and frustration were extremely clear during their heated promos and segments.
