10 Biggest Turning Points For WWE In 1997
6. Rocky Maivia Needs Time Off To Heal A Knee Injury
EFFECT: He comes back as a heel and, effectively, becomes The Rock
Dwayne Johnson went on the mend in early June 1997 after sustaining a knee injury in a non-televised match with Mankind. For two months, Johnson vanished from WWE consciousness, and his unpopular Rocky Maivia persona went with it.
Upon his comeback in August, he was a heel, and began to express himself more authentically, his natural charisma shining through.
Johnson could just as easily have been released after his babyface run flopped. Instead, he was given a new lease on life, and would ultimately carve out a career that nobody could ever parallel. If he doesn't take time off to heal his wound, perhaps the idea of trying something new with him never comes to pass.