10 Injuries That Changed WWE History
3. The Rock
Rocky Maivia was on life support when he injured his knee shortly after losing the Intercontinental Title in the spring of 1997.
One of the first cases of fans vociferously rejecting a WWE babyface almost from the off, his smiling Third Generation Samoan persona was a character out of time and a damning indictment of Vince McMahon's fundamental vision of the industry by late 1996.
Showered with 'Rocky Sucks' and 'Die Rocky Die' chants, the future 'Great One' was a lost cause as a face less than a year on from his broadly successful Madison Square Garden debut at November's Survivor Series event.
Repeatedly rejected by audiences, he was barely missed during his time on the shelf, which added intrigue to his August return as a member of the Nation of Domination.
Using the disrespect he'd suffered during his maiden run, Rocky's initial union with Faarooq's heel squad was smartly motivated by his anger at the crowd's prior disinterest.
Labelling himself 'The Rock' instead of the corny father and grandfather-inspired moniker, he quickly shifted focus onto himself, and the magic was almost instantaneous. Within six months, he was usurping Faarooq in The Nation's segments shortly before ousting him as leader altogether.