The Rock's Top 10 Greatest Matches of All Time

Not including house shows, The Rock only ever faced The Beast Incarnate once: at Summerslam 2002. After winning that year's King of the Ring tournament, Lesnar was scheduled to face Undisputed Champion The Rock for the title at the greatest show of the summer. The match started off fast, with Lesnar landing brutal hit after brutal hit. The Rock would eventually rally and make it look like he might retain, but the soon-to-be Hollywood superstar was on his way out of the company for a while, and put Lesnar over on his way out in an incredible performance.

As part of his all-too-brief return to wrestling, The Rock faced record-breaking champion CM Punk in a clash of two fan favorites battling for the WWE Championship. With Paul Heyman in his corner, Punk got an early lead, battering The Rock for a long stretch before the Brahma Bull was able to plant Punk through an announce table. After interference by (presumably) the Shield, Punk pinned The Rock before Vince McMahon came out and restarted the match. Rocky was able gain the upper hand and finish Punk once and for all, ending his 434 day title reign and going on to face Rumble winner John Cena for the second Wrestlemania in a row.

The culmination of the ultimately disappointing Invasion storyline, this final match is one of the better things to come out of the angle. The match featured arguably the greatest lineup in Survivor Series history, with the likes of The Rock, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, Kane, Big Show facing off against Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Steve Austin, Booker T, and Shane McMahon. The final 2 men were rivals The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, who continued for 10 minutes after everyone else had been eliminated. The match culminated with a helping hand from Kurt Angle before a massive Rock Bottom put Austin away and ended the WCW Invasion angle for good.

The Rock's tenure as "Corporate Champion" resulted in an incredible feud between the Brahma Bull and Mankind, with their best match being this heated "I Quit" match for the WWE Championship held by Mankind. The match is undoubtedly The Rock's most ruthless showing, with an excess of violence and brutality handed out from both men using a number of different weapons. Eventually, after an excruciating half hour of fighting around the arena, a series of cringe-inducing chair shots caused Mick Foley to seemingly declare that he quit, though it would later be revealed to have been a recording played by Shane McMahon, continuing the feud between the two enemies.

The "Once in a Lifetime" match that eventually became "Twice in a Lifetime." After a massive build-up, this first matchup between these two all-time greats did not disappoint. The match is a collision between two larger-than-life WWE legends, and it's a fitting back-and-forth that feels exactly as large and grand as it should. It's clear the two went all-out to keep fans invested after a lengthy show, and their work pays off in brutal fashion as the men traded offense. After several exciting near-falls, the match came to a surprising close with a Rock Bottom out of nowhere, planting Cena for the three count.

This bout, known as the "Icon vs. Icon" match, saw the Brahma Bull face off against the leader of the nWo on the greatest stage of them all, Wrestlemania. This iconic match saw the two wrestling legends trade offense and a plethora of finishers before The Rock was able to pin Hogan. Afterwards, the men shook hands in a moment of respect before The Rock left. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall soon came out, turning on Hogan before The Rock ran in for the save. The result was a classic Wrestlemania moment after one of the most memorable matches in history.

After WCW was bought by Vince McMahon and integrated into the WWE, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship functioned for a time on its own before being unified into the Undisputed Championship. The last two men to fight for the WCW belt were The Rock and Jericho, who shared a fierce rivalry over much of 2001. This excellent match showcased the talents and athletic ability of both men as they brawled in and out of the ring, including a memorable announce table spot. Eventually, with the help of Stephanie McMahon, Jericho would defeat The Rock with a Breakdown, becoming the new WCW Champion just before the men would eventually team up the following month at Survivor Series.

This triple threat bout for the WWE Undisputed Championship during The Rock's final full-time stretch of wrestling is memorable for perfecting the Triple Threat match formula. The three superstars had impeccable timing in this perfectly paced match that saw crowd incredibly hyped and into the fight throughout. A series of near-falls led to a final Rock Bottom on Kurt Angle, giving The Rock the victory, and an at-the-time record 7th WWE title reign. The Rock's reign would be a short one, but this underrated match deserves to be remembered as one of The Rock's best.

When deciding between this and their 1998 Summerslam match, the Judgement Day Iron Man match for the WWE Championship takes its place as The Rock's best bout against Triple H. The hour-long epic saw two of the era's most towering figures clash in a test of endurance. Shawn Michaels served as guest referee, helping Triple H throughout the match, which also saw interference from the rest of DX, Vince McMahon and a returning Undertaker, who had been out injured for nearly 8 months. The contest did not disappoint, as the men battled back-and-forth for an hour before Triple H won his final point from Undertaker's interference against him, giving him a 6-5 victory.

The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin wrestled in 3 separate Wrestlemanias, but the middle match at Wrestlemania 17, perhaps the greatest Wrestlemania, stands out as their all time best. The bout was for the WWE Championship and featured a last-minute no-DQ stipulation, which led to a long, bloody, and brutal fight between the two rivals. Vince McMahon would make his way to ringside and interfere, eventually resulting in a shocking revelation: that Steve Austin had allied with Vince McMahon. Austin brutalized The Rock with a steel chair and pinned him, celebrating in the ring with McMahon as Wrestlemania came to a close.