In 1998, something magical happened to the career of The Rock. Just around a year earlier, Dwayne Johnson had been hearing chants like, 'Die, Rocky, Die' when appearing as the smiling babyface Rocky Maivia. Reborn as The Rock, the man became an effective heel as part of The Nation Of Domination. Fans suddenly embraced him, and he became 'The People's Champion'. With the 1998 Survivor Series pay-per-view right around the corner, the then-WWF pulled a masterstroke and created their new top heel in an instant. Meeting Mankind in a tournament final to crown a new WWF Heavyweight Champion, The Rock turned his back on the fans and aligned with Vince and Shane McMahon to form The Corporation. Calling for the bell (just as he had done for real to Bret Hart a year earlier at the same event), Vince McMahon revealed that his plan all along was to solidify The Rock as his hand-picked champ. People were outraged that Rocky would turn on them, which only made the situation sweeter. The fact The Rock's turn led to a sterling match at WrestleMania XV against Steve Austin was the icing on the cake.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
