14. The Rock vs. Mankind - WWE Championship (Survivor Series 1998)
The Rock, circa the summer of 1998, had just completed the climax of his Intercontinental Championship run, losing to Triple H in a classic Ladder match at Summerslam. Then, the WWE turned him into a babyface because the fans were practically begging them to. Despite DX being so popular and Triple H firmly positioned as the #2 babyface in the company behind Steve Austin, the WWE went forward with Rocks change in allegiance from antagonist to fan favorite. He became insanely over, building a legitimate legion of seven figure fans to back-up his cocky, premature claim of the millions earlier in the year. Then came the finals of the Deadly Game WWE Championship tournament. The decision to turn Rock heel on a dime when he was building so much momentum as a babyface was a brilliant move by a creative team that was firing on all cylinders. The night-long story at Survivor Series that saw swerves left and right was one of the pinnacle PPVs of the Attitude Era. The Rock believed he was the top star. Turning heel, at that point, was merely the opportunity to hold the title that stamped him with the company (and Vince McMahons real life and storyline) approval. The title was not a prop back then, despite the frequent title changes. It was the Holy Grail.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
