6. The Rock Works Through The Pain At WrestleMania 28 And WrestleMania 29
The Rock vs John Cena feud had its critics, but the numbers spoke for themselves, 1,217,000 pay per view buys made Mania 28 the most bought wrestling event EVER. WWE followed this success up with a rematch at WrestleMania 29. Again, Rock and Cena managed to draw in over a million buys. Did the critical success match the commercial success? Most people didn't think so, but there's no denying Rock vs Cena is an iconic narrative of WWE history. Two genuine blockbuster stars going one on one is entertaining in itself. Ironically, on both occasions, The Rock suffered injuries. The fact he was able to continue and put on long performances was testament to this toughness - especially when you consider the severity of those injuries. The Mania 28 ailment was a grade level 2 of his right hamstring. Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer described it as "painful, especially when you have to stretch or contract the muscle" - which is basically what Rock was having to do for the entire match! At Mania 29, Rock's injury was even more severe. The Great One suffered a hernia, torn adductor and torn abdominal muscle during his match with Cena. He continued to wrestle through the injury, resulting in considerable pain as both muscles eventually ripped off his pelvis. Two of the most famous WWE matches of all time, both marred by major injuries to The Rock.
