The Rock's 10 Biggest WWE "What Ifs"
7. This Is Your Life
The legendary segment in which Mick Foley presented his Rock ‘n’ Sock partner with a trip down memory lane has gone down in WWE history as one of the best comedy bits ever devised. Foley and The Rock bounce off each other perfectly, the (often baffled) special guests are used to great effect, and the whole thing is paid off with a genuinely hilarious ending.
At the time, though, the main thing Vince McMahon noticed was just how long it was. Foley and Johnson certainly took liberties with their timings, and had This Is Your Life not turned out a surprise ratings smash, the two would likely have been chewed out by the boss.
Without this bit, WWE may never have tried their hand at further long form comedy, some great (the trial of Eric Bischoff; Vince McMahon’s lie detector test), some regrettable (the rehash of This Is Your Life starring Bayley).
The Rock made it clear that comedy sells, and later superstars like John Cena, Edge, and CM Punk would undeniably take queues from this. Vince is unlikely to allow a segment to sprawl like this again, but it proved that laughs make bucks.