The Many Faces Of The Rock - Ranked From Worst To Best

The transition from “Rocky Maivia” to “The Rock” remains a masterclass in turning an ailing babyface’s career around. Rock had been off television for four months prior to connecting with the Faarooq-led Nation of Domination, and his heel turn was perfect. The crowd already hated Rocky, and connecting with Faarooq, D’Lo Brown, and Kama cemented his villainous status.

This period saw Maivia jettison his old name all-together, and start referring to himself as “The Rock,” always in third person. He wasn't quite as militant as his stablemates, and instead took-on a flashier, cockier persona. Finally comfortable in his role, Rocky took to insulting everybody but his allies, and nobody, from the audience to poor old Kevin Kelly, was safe.

Now one of WWE’s biggest heels, The Rock became Intercontinental Champion for a second time when Steve Austin forfeited the belt to him. He embarked on a feud with Ken Shamrock for the rest of the year, and in early 1998, he overthrew Faarooq as the Nation’s leader, then spent the next few months feuding with Triple H and D-Generation X.

The Rock turned babyface gradually and naturally. His charisma was really starting to shine through at this point, and the audiences started turning the corner on him. Once a universally rejected babyface, The Rock’s popularity grew organically, and by the time he was feuding with Mark Henry to effectively end the Nation, Rocky was a well-supported face for the first time in his career.