10 Things You Learn From Watching 1997 On The WWE Network
5. That Knee Injury Was The Best Thing That Could've Happened To Rocky Maivia
Rocky Maivia received a polite reaction at the 1996 Survivor Series in Madison Square Garden. That goodwill didn't last long, a few months later and the holier-than-thou approach of Maivia was grating on most fans. By the time he was defending the WWF Intercontinental Title against The Sultan at WrestleMania 13, Rocky was a hated figure.
A throwback to babyfaces of the past, Maivia was all smiles and high-fives. There was a distinct lack of killer instinct, something an anti-hero like Steve Austin was showing by the bucketload. Fans in '97 didn't dig that, and Rocky was suffering as a result.
Bizarrely, a knee injury in April would prove to be a blessing in disguise for Maivia. Re-dubbed at The Rock when he returned in the Summer, Rocky now had a more slick persona. Speaking in third person, insulting announcers and disregarding the fans for how they treated him, The Rock was a revelation.
This was a better fit for the direction of the company overall, The Rock looked less like an outdated goof and more like a cocksure star. It's strange to think that may not have happened (at least not as quickly) had he not been injured.