10 Most Effective Wrestling Babyfaces Of The 21st Century
8. The Rock
The Rock assumed the injured Steve Austin's role as undisputed top babyface in 2000, experiencing as much - if not more - success than the Rattlesnake.
Rock absolutely oozed cool, wrestled the frenzied Attitude Era style as well as anybody, and his call and response act was as fun as it was endless. He had countless catchphrases. He could coast through a fifteen minute segment on his greatest hits alone, but those hits become an anthology. In his pomp, Rock could flog one new t-shirt per week. Everything he said was that iconic.
His flirtation with Hollywood hastened his divorce from wrestling. Fans knew this, and his comebacks in 2002 were rejected as a consequence. This gave rise to his awesome work as Hollywood Rock - a cackling sh*theel of cheap heat so entertaining that he practically turned himself babyface all over again. He was such a master that he was more or less operating a faucet. Manipulating audiences had become that easy for him.
He became the premier cinematic action hero when he eventually left for his longest hiatus yet, but his babyface return promo in 2011 was so astonishing that it indirectly embarrassed every one of his babyface peers. Nobody could touch him. His rivalry with John Cena outstayed its welcome - 'Once In A Lifetime' has become a cruel wrestling joke, much like the Dusty finish - but the record numbers generated by the original match at WrestleMania XXVIII indicate that Rock, even if fleetingly, is completely peerless.