The Rock is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Rock is a 10-time World Champion, and he has headlined multiple WrestleManias. Rock’s full-time wrestling career ended in 2002, as he embarked on a highly successful acting career in Hollywood. Furthermore, Rock had success as both a babyface and a heel. The wrestling bug can’t be stopped, and Rock has returned to WWE several times engaging in high-profile feuds and a WWE Championship reign in 2013 to boot.
The Rock’s most recent WWE run was in the spring of 2024, and the Final Boss character was born. Rock turned heel for the first time in almost two decades and he was once again featured in the main event scene. The most recent matches in the most electrifying man in sports entertainment’s career spanned from 2003-2024, and there was a mixture of vintage Rock and some underwhelming bouts.
10 The Rock Vs. Erick Rowan – WrestleMania 32
Rock Competed In The Shortest Match In WrestleMania History
The Rock appeared at WrestleMania 32 to announce the attendance record at the AT&T Stadium of 101,763. However, the People’s Champion was confronted by the Wyatt Family’s Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, and Erick Rowan.
To the crowd’s surprise, Rock had his wrestling gear under his vest and sweatpants. Rock and Rowan squared off, and Rock executed the Rock Bottom and he set a WrestleMania record of having the quickest matches in the history of WrestleMania by defeating Rowan in just six seconds.
9 The Rock Vs. Goldberg – Backlash 2003
The Great One Was Goldberg’s First Victim
Goldberg defeated The Rock via pinfall
The Rock clashed with Goldberg in the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion’s debut match in a WWE ring in the main event of Backlash 2003. Their match wasn’t the greatest of bouts between two major stars in the wrestling business.
Goldberg was the favorite to win the match as he had just walked through the doors of WWE. This bout turned out to be Rock’s final match in a WWE ring for 11 months, and fans witnessed Goldberg finishing off Rock with a couple of Spears and he followed it up with a devastating Jackhammer.
8 The Rock Vs. Jeff Hardy – Raw (4/7/03)
Rock’s Final Match On Raw To Date
The Rock and Jeff Hardy’s match on Raw in April 2003 was Rock’s most recent match on the red brand. The former WWE Champion dominated the bout but Hardy worked his way back into the match as Rock took his eye off the ball for a moment.
Hardy was no stranger to causing upsets as he infamously beat Triple H for the Intercontinental Championship, and he executed his patented Swanton Bomb on Rock. Rock managed to kick out, and he scored the victory with his trademark Rock Bottom.
7 The Rock & John Cena Vs. The Awesome Truth – Survivor Series 2011
Rock And Cena Momentarily Put Their Differences Aside
On the road to WrestleMania 28, The Rock and John Cena had a speed bump they had to navigate as they became strange bedfellows when they teamed up to face the rebellious Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth) in the main event of Survivor Series 2011. It was a special night for Rock as he competed in Madison Square Garden, which was the venue of his WWE debut, 15 years prior at Survivor Series.
There wasn’t anything special in the match with the heels repeatedly trying to keep at Cena bay. Nevertheless, the 10-time WWE World Champion settled the score by laying the SmackDown on The Miz with the People’s Elbow.
6 The Rock Vs. John Cena – WrestleMania 29
Rock Competed With An Adductor Injury
The Rock and John Cena fought once at WrestleMania 28, but it was supposed to be “Once in a Lifetime.” Inevitably, they locked horns in a rematch at WrestleMania 29 with The Rock’s WWE Championship on the line, and Cena was the winner of the 2013 Royal Rumble match.
Multiple finishers were being hit by both men with a refusal to stay down. The spark wasn’t there like their match a year prior, and there was a sense of inevitably that Cena would get his win back. Rock sustained an adductor injury, and Cena recaptured the WWE Championship with an AA.
5 The Rock ‘N’ Sock Connection Vs. Evolution – WrestleMania 20
Rock’s Final Proper WrestleMania Match For Two Decades
Former three-time WWE Tag Team Champions The Rock and Mick Foley reunited in a bid to put Evolution’s Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton, Ric Flair, and Batista away in a Handicap match at WrestleMania 20. Their handicap match was an underrated match with both sides going back and forth.
This was Rock’s final full WrestleMania match for two decades as his WrestleMania 32 match with Rowan was impromptu. Nevertheless, The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection were unable to get the job done with the Legend Killer seeing off Foley with an RKO out of nowhere to secure the victory for Evolution.
4The Rock Vs. CM Punk – Elimination Chamber 2013
Rock Cemented His Spot In The Main Event Of WrestleMania 29
CM Punk was desperate to main event WrestleMania for the first time in his career, and one of his final chances was to dethrone The Rock in their WWE Championship rematch at Elimination Chamber 2013. The odds were in the Straight Edge Savior’s favor as Rock could drop the WWE Championship if he got counted out or disqualified.
Rock and Punk had a solid encounter, and Punk came close to recapturing the WWE Championship as Rock would have been counted out but the referee was knocked down. The People’s Champion punched his ticket on the final pit stop to WrestleMania 29 by successfully defending the gold with the Rock Bottom.
3 The Rock & Roman Reigns Vs. Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins – WrestleMania 40 Saturday
Bloodline Rules Confirmed
There were massive implications on the outcome of the tag team match featuring “The Final Boss” The Rock and the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns when they squared off with Cody Rhodes and the World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins in the main event of WrestleMania 40 Saturday. This was Rock’s first match in eight years, and his first WrestleMania main event appearance in 11 years.
This match was an intense brawl that spilled onto the outside of the ring. Cody executed the pedigree on Rock, and Rollins planted Reigns with the Pedigree but both men kicked out. Reigns accidentally speared Rock but it proved not to be costly as Reigns speared the American Nightmare, and Rock laid out Cody with the Rock Bottom and followed it up with the People’s Elbow ensuring Bloodline Rules on night two of WrestleMania between Reigns and Cody.
2 The Rock Vs. John Cena – WrestleMania 28
Rock And Cena Had An Epic Encounter
Set up on the Raw after WrestleMania 27, The Rock and John Cena finally went head-to-head in a match dubbed “Once in a Lifetime.” Rock had the hometown support with Mania emanting from SunLife Stadium in Miami, Florida. They hit a home run in an enthralling match that captivated the audience.
Cena executed a couple of AA’s but the People’s Champion refused to stay down. Cena thought he was smart by attempting Rock’s trademark Rock Bottom, but it was to no avail as Rock saw off Cena with the Rock Bottom leaving Cena heartbroken as he sat on the ramp.
1 The Rock Vs. CM Punk – Royal Rumble 2013
Punk’s Dreams Of Headlining WrestleMania Are Shattered
The Rock challenged CM Punk for the WWE Championship in the main event of Royal Rumble 2013 with the winner going on to face John Cena for the gold in the main event of WrestleMania 29. The Rock was seeking his eighth WWE Championship reign, and Punk was 434 days strong into his WWE Title reign.
Rock and Punk had an excellent WWE Championship match, and there was a hilarious moment when Rock attempted the Rock Bottom through the broadcast table but the table gave way. Punk gave it everything, but the People’s Champion clinched the WWE Championship for the eighth time, setting up his rematch with Cena at WrestleMania 29.