There have been several huge return pops for The Rock over the years because of his movie career that really started to take off in the early 2000s. There was something special about his return on June 17, 2002 on Raw because it wasn't advertised. This was around the time when WWE was burying Steve Austin for walking out on the company (as they should have) and Vince McMahon was doing a promo where he thought maybe Austin was coming back, but he didn't really know. Then The Rock's music hit and it was one of those unforgettable special moments in Oakland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycv46l0uV0I It was a sustained pop. The noise didn't just die when he got there. The chants kept on going. It was one of the most famous promos ever as The Rock was there to tell WWE fans that even though Austin left, he was there for them. Of course Rock haters will point out that a couple years after this he walked out of WWE too, although not in a bitter way.
John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.
