10 Best Ways Wrestlers Recovered From WWE WrestleMania Defeats

4. The Rock

The Rock Steve Austin Vince McMahon Scorpion King
WWE/Universal

Defeat: WrestleMania X-Seven is memorable for four distinct things: TLC II, the battle between Vince and Shane McMahon, the not-so-small matter of the WWF buying WCW's remnants and a colossal main event between The Rock and Steve Austin.

Austin won, just like he had at 'Mania XV two years before.

Recovery: Even though he didn't have to joust with Austin for the top babyface slot any longer, Dwayne Johnson had other things on his mind. He departed the company for a spell after WrestleMania to film The Scorpion King, and it was clear that Rocky loved the idea of trading wrestling for silver screen.

He has dipped his toe back into the WWE realm several times since (most notably for matches against Hulk Hogan and John Cena), but 2001 marked the true end of Rock's full-time run as 'just a wrestler'. He journeyed to Hollywood, became the biggest crossover success in wrestling history and ended up as film's leading man.

Not a bad rebound, eh?

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.