It's easy to see why McMahon and the WWF were so high on Dwayne Johnson, even in 1996 he was a handsome, well put together young athlete. Looking like a modern-day version of the likes of Pedro Morales, Johnson was turned into Rocky Maivia, instantly becoming a mid-card babyface. There was only one problem, the fans didn't want that. Pretty much from the moment it became clear that the company were interested in pushing Maivia as a holier-than-thou, goody-two-shoes style babyface, the audience turned their backs on the idea. Just months after he had made his debut at the 1996 Survivor Series, becoming the 'Sole Survivor' during his match, Maivia was festooned with chants of 'Die, Rocky, Die' and other such negative responses. The wrestling audience was changing, but Vince McMahon seemed very determined that Rocky Maivia would be a smiling, happy-go-lucky babyface, one who fans could depend on to always do the right thing. Even in '96, folks didn't always want that shoved in their faces, it was false, and they rebelled as a consequence. Eventually, McMahon and his cohorts were forced to change tact with Rocky, and he turned heel, instantly become more accepted.
