8 Times The Rock's Wrestling Skills Eclipsed His Promo Abilities

The Rock entered No Way Out in February 2001 ready to regain the WWE Championship that had eluded him since October. His opponent that night in Las Vegas? The same man who took the title away from him at No Mercy four months earlier, Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle. Looking to prove that he had developed into an extraordinary professional wrestler on top of a larger-than-life persona, he tangled with Angle in a match that threatened to steal the show away from Steve Austin and Triple H, who had competed in an instant classic earlier in the evening.

While their match did not quite reach that level, it was a turning point of sorts for The Rock. No longer leaning on the Attitude Era's brawling style to get him through matches, he tangled with Angle in a contest that more closely resembled the traditional bouts that the celebrated amateur star would eventually popularize with Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero.

That was a tremendous test for Rock, who had been a part of some extraordinary wrestling matches but was rarely contained to the ring. What could have meant certain failure for a lesser-talented worker instead was a shining example of his greatness. Wrestling's most electrifying Superstar never missed a beat, working a brilliant match with Angle that had the fans in Sin City guessing who would leave victorious, despite the fact that WrestleMania's promotional items had already advertised Rock vs. Austin.

The finished product was as dramatic a title match as imaginable that saw Rock put Angle away after the Rock Bottom, further strengthening his championship résumé as a result.