The Attitude Era - The Rock

The Rock

Dwayne Johnson, a third-generation wrestler, made his debut at the 1996 Survivor Series as "Rocky Maivia", naming himself after his grandfather Peter Maivia and his father Rocky Johnson. Despite being a babyface with an impressive winning streak and an Intercontinental Championship reign, he was frequently met with loud boos and "Rocky sucks!" chants by the fans. Frustrated by the fans' negative reception, Johnson turned heel by joining the Nation of Domination and renaming himself The Rock, an egotistical jock who referred to himself in third person and called himself "The People's Champion". As a member of the Nation of Domination, The Rock won the Intercontinental title, and his popularity began to catch on with the fans. After the Nation of Domination disbanded, the Rock turned face while battling McMahon and The Corporation in a lengthy feud, but during the 1998 Survivor Series, he turned heel again by winning his first WWF Championship in a controversial screw job against Mankind with the help of McMahon, revealing that he was working with The Corporation all along. The Rock officially joined McMahon's Corporation as the crown jewel of the WWF, abandoning his previous moniker as The People's Champion and declaring himself "The Corporate Champion". As a member of The Corporation, The Rock's persona changed yet again, to an even more villainous and callous attitude, where he would insult the fans on a regular basis, commonly calling them "trailer park trash". The Rock, during this time, was also known for his lavish lifestyle, commonly wearing expensive sunglasses, shoes and shirts. The Rock would go on a lengthy feud with Mankind, which is considered to be one of the best feuds of the Attitude Era. One of these feuds was the infamous "I Quit" match at the 1999 Royal Rumble. Despite being a heel, fans began cheering him for his engaging promos, in-ring ability and his popular catchphrases. His popularity continued to grow, despite attempts to make him the company's top heel, and eventually, he turned face. During this time, he became the only individual to rival Austin in popularity during the Attitude Era, making for perhaps the best "1a, 1b" punch in WWF history. It was during this period that The Rock's popularity garnered him mainstream attention, paving the way for the successful film career he enjoys today.