10 Best Wrestling Matches That Ever Happened In New York City
7. The Rock Vs. Triple H - WWE SummerSlam 1998
It's always impressive (and beneficial) when a single match turns an up-and-coming wrestler into a superstar. It's even better (and rarer) when it happens to both of the men in the match.
Intercontinental Champion The Rock battled Triple H in a two-out-of-three falls match at Fully Loaded, but when the time limit ran out with one fall apiece, The Rock retained his title. It was clear that a rematch between the two men would be necessary, and when a ladder came into play prior to SummerSlam, their blowoff got a stipulation.
The MSG bout was only the third televised ladder match in WWE history, and The Rock and Triple H used everything at their disposal to make it memorable. There were weapons, aisleway brawls, interference, and of course, lots of spots with the ladder. At one point, HHH sent The Rock to the outside, then knocked the ladder into his face with a baseball slide. Rock came away from that exchange with a broken nose, but that only made him angry.
Even though Triple H was supposed to be the babyface, The Rock's fighting spirit turned the crowd as match went on. Chants of "Rocky Sucks!" turned into "Let's Go, Rocky!" as the match stretched longer and longer. Rock hit a Rock Bottom and a People's Elbow, but HHH still managed to pull him off the ladder.
Some flour to the eyes blinded the challenger, but he was still able to climb up the ladder as The Rock did. Some help from Chyna, though - in the form of a low blow - knocked The Rock back down to the canvas and Triple H grabbed the belt.