10 Worst Babyface Backlashes Of All Time
4. It's German For 'The Rocky, The'
Everyone knows the story of the evolution of 'The Blue Chipper' Rocky Maivia, the whitest of white meat babyfaces, into walking charisma machine and human catchphrase The Rock.
The WWF audience of 1996 wasn't impressed with the third generation wrestler's cheesy grin or complete lack of experience, and didn't appreciate having him thrust at them for approval so aggressively: hence the strange chanting in German at every live event and TV taping.
Maivia was pushed hard, despite being greener than Kermit the Frog with a hangover. He debuted in a classic elimination bout at Survivor Series to become the sole survivor, and three months later won the Intercontinental Championship from Hunter Hearst Helmsley, kicking off a competitive backstage rivalry that would help characterise the Attitude Era.
Suffering a knee injury shortly after dropping the title to Owen Hart, Rocky returned as a heel, joining the Nation Of Domination. Not long afterwards, he began cutting promos in the third person, calling himself by the definite article, and adopting the contemptuously arrogant, charismatic jock persona that would make him a megastar.
Today, his star has tragically fallen. Unable to get work elsewhere, the middle-aged has-been occasionally pops up in meaningless segments on RAW or at WrestleMania to scratch together enough cash to keep his Miami condo afloat. It's desperately sad.
Someone should try putting him in a movie.