10 Most Shocking WWE Revelations Ever

1. The Corporate Champion

Undertaker 2
WWE.com

An iconic swerve in an era overspilling with them, The Rock's maiden ascent to the summit of Sports Entertainment came at the climax of the immaculately-scripted Survivor Series 1998 'Deadly Game' tournament.

Vince Russo left a complex legacy during his golden years atop the company's creative team, but The Rock's shocking success at the Thanksgiving supercard that year can comfortably be considered his magnum opus as a Sports Entertainment scribe.

Ostensibly one of Vince McMahon's fiercest enemies alongside fellow monster babyface Stone Cold Steve Austin, 'The Great One' appeared to be leaping over the various traps laid by the boss earlier in the night, with his progress through the 14-man single elimination event surpassing 'The Rattlesnake's shocking semi final exit.

As it transpired, his trajectory was carefully curated by the malevolent CEO himself. With hidden Corporate help in all of his tournament encounters with The Big Boss Man, Ken Shamrock and The Undertaker, Rock took home the title after locking the Sharpshooter on supposed McMahon favourite Mankind in a finale aping the prior year's Montreal Screwjob.

The fix was in yet again, but was this time thankfully little more than an exercise in picture perfect pro wrestling.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett