10 Times WWE Stars Went Corporate

1. The Rock Wins The WWE Title Thanks To The McMahons In 1998

"The McMahon family is proud to present your new Corporate Champion...The Rock!" - Shane McMahon The best example of a wrestler going corporate has to be The Rock at the 1998 Survivor Series event, which was referenced earlier with Mankind. Those two met in the finals of the tournament to crown a new WWE Champion. Rock was getting cheered from the fans for a few months even though he was a heel for most of 1998. Mankind looked like he had the support of evil Vince & Shane McMahon, so the fans weren't as receptive to him as usual. Mankind had the Mandible Claw on The Rock, but Rock was able to fight out of it and hit a Rock Bottom. Rock stared at Vince McMahon at ringside, gave him the People's Eyebrow and then applied the Sharpshooter on Mankind. It was an ode to Montreal from one year earlier as McMahon called for the bell to be rung. Rock won via submission even though Mankind didn't give up. Vince had the WWE Title in his hand, Shane smiled at Rock and the three men embraced as the world was shocked to see that The Rock was a corporate sellout that was handpicked by the McMahons to be the new WWE Champion. Poor Mankind was betrayed too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNoHkI6yrpw The heel turn took place just two years after Rock made his WWE debut and as a 26 year old he was one of the youngest WWE Champs ever, but he proved he was worthy of the honor. Looking back on it, the angle was done incredibly well. It's one of the best heel turns ever because people really didn't see it coming. It also built up a lot of sympathy for Mankind, who would go on to feud with The Rock for months over the WWE Title, which led to one of Raw's best moments with Mankind as WWE Champion. There's no better example of a corporate sellout than when The Rock turned at Survivor Series 1998.