10 WWE Moments Only The Rock Could Get Away With

6. Surviving Hogan

THE ROCK CM P
WWE

The WrestleMania 18 epic between The Rock and 'Hollywood' Hulk Hogan would likely have been an utter calamity without the cool head of 'The Great One' to accept the circumstances and reshuffle his pack.

Negating the earth-shattering response the returning 'Hulkster' was due to receive, WWE had shaped the match around a confident Rock victory over the cagey heel, but it was clear from the entrances that fans were unlikely to invest in that pitch.

It's actually possible to pinpoint the moment The Rock clocks this, switching everything about his demeanour to that of a heel, in the way he walks, looks and acts whilst beating on the aged Hogan.

Winning as planned, Rock turns himself again by the end, which was also crucial to aid the final sequence in which the two would pair up to fight off Hogan's former friends Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.

Few performers wouldn't have been eaten alive by the power of Hulkamania that night, and even less would have emerged somehow even more refined than they were before. The Rock managed both.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett