14 Biggest Pops In WWE History

10. The Rock Hits RAW After Wrestlemania XXVIII

In the Wrestlemania XXVIII main event match proper, billed (disingenuously, with hindsight) Once In A Lifetime, Dwayne €˜The Rock€™ Johnson defeated John Cena after an entire calendar year of build-up and hype. The Miami crowd were on fire throughout the entire half hour bout despite the somewhat lacklustre action, Johnson being clearly winded half way through. Historically, the RAW the night after €˜Mania is a big deal €“ many of the people who€™ve flown in for the big show are still in town and eager to see RAW the next night, and often still buzzing from the weekend€™s events. The night after Wrestlemania XXVIII in 2012 was no exception. The American Airlines Arena was pretty much sold out, with nearly 14,000 people in attendance, and The Rock€™s music opened the show, the Great One coming out triumphant but with humility to congratulate his opponent on a hard fought match. It€™s one of the biggest pops The Rock ever received, even counting his full time career, stemming from a confluence of events: the feelgood moment of the massive match the night before; the crowd in attendance being hyped up before they even entered the building; the iconic €œif ya smellllllll€€ kicking off the show without any warning; and a genuine sense of goodwill towards the most electrifying man in entertainment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RSi87KlwuY Twelve months later The Rock would have outstayed his welcome, having worked a pick n€™ mix selection of dates, casually disposing of record-setting champion CM Punk in an underbooked title fight at the Royal Rumble and taking on Cena at Wrestlemania XXIX in an even slacker take on their previous match €“ but on this night he was untouchable.
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