The Rock was often the most entertaining performer in the entire wrestling world, but even he had some off nights.
Dwayne The Rock Johnson is currently a gigantic Hollywood movie star, and he hasn’t been a full-time wrestler for nearly two decades. Still, The Great One is always remembered by wrestling fans for his incredible achievements in the ring, especially in the Attitude Era.
Even though The Rock’s popularity was mainly due to his endless charisma, top-notch mic skills, and cheeky catchphrases, his in-ring work was underrated. The 10-time world champion gave fans some outstanding matches at the biggest events of the company. However, like many other great names, The Rock has also delivered some awful matches that are not worth remembering.
10 Rocky Maivia Vs Owen Hart ( RAW, April 28, 1997)
The Rock, who was known as Rocky Maivia in his earlier days, won the Intercontinental Championship. On an episode of RAW, Maivia defended the title against Own Hart.
The match looked good on paper, but it was quite disappointing. Owen Hart carried the match by dominating and putting Maivia in a number of submissions. Also, Maivia didn’t seem to have much chemistry with Owen as a couple of spots looked awkward. Maivia’s lack of in-ring experience was visible in that match. Owen eventually won the match with a roll-up pin.
9 The Rock & Mankind Vs The Holly Cousins (RAW, October 19, 1999)
Besides the world title, The Rock won the Tag Team Titles in his prime. The team of The Rock and Mankind was known as The Rock n Sock Connection, and they won the tag team titles three times.
The duo met The Holly Cousins on an episode of RAW in 1999, putting the twin belts on the line. The match was disappointing because it was basically a two-on-one match. Mankind sat in the ringside and didn’t wrestle. The Rock tried his best, but the numbers game was too much for him. Triple H also pedigreed The Rock at the end, helping The Holly Cousins to win the match.
8 Rocky Maivia Vs Bret Hart (RAW, March 31, 1997)
An encounter between The Rock and Bret Hart might sound like a dream match, but it was nowhere close to it when they actually tussled in a singles match in 1997. The Rock was still in his rookie days, so the timing wasn’t quite right.
Maivia wasn’t simply ready to take on a veteran like Bret Hart at that time. The match was slow-paced and monotonous. Maivia won via disqualification after the heel Hart refused to let go of a submission.
7 Rocky Maivia Vs The Sultan (WrestleMania 13)
WrestleMania 13 was the first WrestleMania of The Rock, and it was under Rocky Maivia’s gimmick. He faced Rikishi’s previous version, The Sultan.
The match was simply one of the worst matches on the card. It lacked energy and intensity for a big stage. In fact, the aftermath of the match was more exciting, as Rocky Johnson showed up to save his son from getting assaulted by Iron Sheik and Sultan.
6 The Rock Vs Goldberg (Backlash 2003)
Goldberg’s first-ever opponent in WWE was none other than The Rock. While it was certainly a dream feud for the fans, the actual encounter was the typical Goldberg match.
Goldberg’s matches are usually substandard. It had a dramatic start when The Rock tried to dodge Goldberg. As expected, there were only signature moves from both men like Rock Bottom, Sharpshooter, People’s Elbow, Spear, and Jackhammer. Due to its slow pace, Goldberg managed to continue for 14 minutes. On the other hand, The Rock was far from his best against an opponent like Goldberg.
5 The Rock Vs Brooklyn Brawler (RAW, February 28, 2000)
Brooklyn Brawler was one of the most well-known jobbers in WWE history. He faced many notable talents of WWE in the 1980s as well as the 1990s.
On an episode of RAW in February 2000, Brooklyn Brawler faced one of the biggest stars at that time, The Rock. It was a squash match, as The Great One laid SmackDown and pinned Bralwer following a Rock Bottom.
4 The Rock Vs Shawn Stasiak (SmackDown, September 13, 2001)
Shawn Stasiak was part of the Invasion storyline in 2001 when he signed for WWE as a former WCW wrestler. To get the approval of Alliance leader Stone Cold Steve Austin, he would go after big stars of WWE and get embarrassed easily.
One such incident happened on an episode of SmackDown in 2001. He confronted The Rock, starting an impromptu match. The Great One pinned Staskias within a couple of seconds following a Rock Bottom. Barely any fan remembers that bout today.
3 The Rock Vs Billy Gunn (SummerSlam, 1999)
The Rock has fought in different gimmick matches throughout his career, but the ‘Kiss My Ass’ match was probably the most forgettable one he had encountered, even though it happened at peak of his career in the Attitude Era.
While The Rock certainly ended Billy Gunn’s singles push with his brutal promo on him after the latter’s King of the Ring win, the match proved why Billy wouldn’t go further. The Great One won the ridiculous ‘Kiss My Ass’ match.
2 The Rock Vs Big Boss Man (Survivor Series 1998)
A match between The Rock and Big Boss Man might sound like a great match on paper in 1998, but it was disastrous when they crossed paths in the Deadly Game tournament’s first-round match at Survivor Series.
The match ended in the blink of an eye, as The Rock stole the victory with a roll-up pin. The duration of the match was just three seconds, placing it among the shortest matches of the Great One’s career.
1 The Rock Vs Erick Rowan (WrestleMania 32)
The Rock’s last WWE match was at the Grandest Stage of Them All in 2016, but it wasn’t grand at all. In fact, The Rock wasn’t even on the card of WrestleMania 32. Hence, it was an impromptu match.
Facing The Wyatt Family’s Erick Rowan, The Rock won the match in six seconds after hitting a Rock Bottom. That match is hardly remembered by the fans today.
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