Greatest Rock RAW moments

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65. THE PEOPLE'S SELLOUT

November 16, 1998; Lexington, KY

Before becoming "the most electrifying man in sports-entertainment," The Rock endured several years of fan catcalls. The day after winning the WWE title as Survivor Series, he addressed those same fans, as Vince McMahon looked on. Raging about his prior treatment, The Rock ripped into the audience, mocking them for working day after day for minimum wage. Today, he declared, he was the new champion, and railed at the crowd, telling them, "you are all unintelligent pieces of trailer-park trash."

68. MRS. FOLEY'S LITTLE BOY DOES IT!

January 4, 1999; Worcester, MA

Because of his unusual worldview and less-than-traditional appearance -- Mick "Mankind" Foley had been told by many thatn he didn't have the tools to win a world championship. He decided to ring in the new year by embarassing his detractors. Foley headed to the ring, surrounded by members of DX, as he challenged The Rock for the WWE title. The Rock was clearly Vince McMahon's champ, and the owner sent out his Team Corporate to ensure that he would depart with the gold.

With a no-disqualification clause, this contest was punctuated by moments of shocking cruelty. The Rock lifed and hurled the ring steps onto his opponent. Then, as Mankind lay under the stairway, The Rock chucked another set of steps on top of the pile. He then made his way to the announcer's table and swiped a headset, hoping to provide some play-by-play. When Mankind wrested the headset away, his foe delivered the Rock Bottom to him through the announcer's table. Mankind bounced back, and when The Rock came at him with the title belt, he ducked, kicked the champion in the stomach, and executed a DDT on the champion. Seeing The Rock in a vulnerable position, Mankind placed Mr. Socko on his hand, and administered the Mandible Claw. The Rock's ally Ken Shamrock interfered, but was met by Mankind's friend Billy Gunn. More bodies piled into the ring.

With both combatants down, Steve Austin appeared, placed Mankind on The Rock, and watched cheerfully as the ref counted to three -- awarding Foley the title some said he'd never attain.

71. DOWN COMES THE TITANTRON

April 5, 1999; Uniondale, NY

To punish Big Show for saving Stone Cold Steve Austin from a Corporation beatdown the week before, Shane McMahon set up a handicap match pitting The Rock and Triple H against Show. The giant held his own until receiving a low blow from Chyna and a shot to the head with the title belt. An irate Austin came down the ramp and helped Show clear the ring of the Corporation.

To add insult to injury, Shane had a freeze-frame of Austin's "Smokin' Skulls" championship belt around The Rock's waist placed on the TitanTron. Austin and Show responded by pulling the massive screen down to the arena floor, with Austin tearing a hole in it and joining Big Show in the obligatory post-match beerfest.

72. THE CORPORATE CAR GETS CRUSHED

April 19, 1999; Grand Rapids, MI

One week after The Rock hurled Stone Cold Steve Austin and his "Smokin' Skulls" belt off a bridge into the Detroit River, the "Corporate Champ" threw a funeral for Stone Cold, complete with hearse, grave, floral tributes, and eulogy. Austin, however, secured a "3:16" monster truck, and interrupted The Rock's truck into the arena, cracking open a cold one and parking the monster truck on the hood of the hearse. The Rock attacked him, but got plummeled and heaved into the open grave. Austin's celebration was cut short by a shovel across the back from Shane McMahon, who raised the "Smokin' Skulls" belt high as the show ended.

78. THE WALLS BREAK DOWN: "Y2J" ARRIVES

August 9, 1999; Chicago, IL

Fore weeks, WWE fans had been seeing a "Countdown to the Millenium" clock on the TitanTron, counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until something truly big happened. But what? On the night of August 9, 1999, before a deafening crowd at the Allstate Arena, the answer came -- smack in the middle of a promo by The Rock. After the clock reached zero, a new entrance video and music blared, and when the TitanTron blazed with the word "JERICHO," the crowd exploded as new WCW defector Chris Jericho took the spotlight and the mic, and proceeded to rip into The Rock. When The Rock replied that his response to the "Y2J plan" was the "K-Y Jelly plan," in which he would take his his size-13 boot, grease it up, and...well, a classic rivalry was born.

79. ROCK 'N' SOCK RULE

August 30, 1999; Boston, MA

From enemies to partners to champions in one night -- the birth of the "Rock 'n' Sock Connection" was truly memorable. At the behest of Shane McMahon, both The Rock and Mankind had to run a gauntlet in order to challenge WWE Tag Team Champions Undertaker and Big Show. Mankind was forced to endure a handicap match against all three members of the Mean Street Posse, with Shane as special guest referee; and The Rock was slated to battle Undertaker in a No-Holds-Barred match, but Undertaker instead handed the match to Big Show, who proceeded to chokeslam The Rock through the announcer's table.

Mankind later approached The Rock and offered to team up later in the evening, saying that the "dozens and dozens of Mankind's fans" demanded it. The Rock acquiesced, and after Undertaker walked out of the match, the "People's Champ" and the Deranged One landed a double People's Elbow on Show, winning the titles and launching one of the most entertaining teams in WWE history.

81. "THIS IS YOUR LIFE, ROCK"

September 27, 1999; Greensboro, NC

One night earlier, at Unforgiven, Mankind had assaulted his "Rock 'n' Sock Connection"partner during the Six-Pack Challenge for the WWE Championship, won by Triple H. So, to make amends, the Demented One cooked up a surprise party for his pissed-off partner. What ensued was Mick Foley and The Rock at their absolute finest, and one of the most entertaining and highest-rated moments in WWE history.

Armed with balloons and presents, Mankind beckoned The Rock to the ring and first brought out his sixth-grade home economics teacher. The Rock recounted how she never let him make pancakes -- only muffins, and proceeded to tell her to "Take a little walk down Know-Your-Role Boulevard, hang that right on Jabroni Drive, and then proceed to check your Aunt Jemima, no-pancake-havin' ass...directly into the SmackDown Hotel!" Next came The Rock's high-school football coach, who, after being reminded of making The Rock run one wild sprint too many, was similarly sent packing from the ring. The coach was followed by The Great One's high-school sweetheart, who apparently specialized in cutting off The Rock at second base. He laid the smack down on her as well, regallin WWE fans with references to a certain type of "pie" for the first time before throwing her out. A chastened Mankind then offered this apology: "I didn't know your home economics teacher was going to be a bitch. I had no way of knowing that your football coach would be such a jerk. And I had no way of knowing your old girlfriend was such a complete skank."

Mankind then cut straight to the presents -- a "Rock 'n' Sock Connection" jacket, The Rock's very own sock ("Mr. Rocko"), a birthday cake, and a visit from everybody's favorite clown, Yurple. The hilarity finally came to an end -- not before The Rock reminded Mankind that his birthday is actually in May -- when a very angry, sledgehammer-swinding Triple H broke up the festivities.

94. VEHICULAR MAYHEM

February 18, 2002; Chicago, IL

One night after No Way Out and the dramatic WWE debut of the New World Order, Hollywood Hulk Hogan took to the ring, accompanied by a thunderous ovation from the Chicago fans. But, instead of basking in the moment, Hogan took the opportunity to cut a blistering rant on the fans. Hogan told the crowd they could kiss his ass, that he was the man who made WWE what it is today, that there would never, ever be another star the likes of himself, and more. The Rock came out to interrupt Hogan's tirade, armed with some verbal brickbats of his own. He then made the challenge that shook the industry -- The Rock and Hollywood Hulk Hogan, one on one, at Wrestlemania X8. Hogan accepted and shook The Rock's hand, only to receive a thunderous Rock Bottom. But, just as a triumphant Rock walked up the ramp, out came Hogan's nWo cohorts Scott Hall and Kevin Nash to attack him, haul him to the ring and destroy him. The Rock was loaded into an ambulance, but as the ambulance was ready to leave the arena, it was boxed in and hijacked by the nWo. Hogan then took the wheel of a semi and rammed the ambulance three times, leaving a broken Rock inside. The battle of "Icon vs. Icon" was on.

95. HULK STILL RULES

March 18, 2002; Montreal, Quebec

Hollywood Hulk Hogan had been beaten by The Rock the night before at Wrestlemania X8, but the fans had already swung back his way -- in a big way. Hogan had also divorced himself from the New World Order that night, and now he entered the ring at Molson Centere alone -- except for the capacity crowdt that gave him one of the biggest and longest ovations in WWE history. The Hulkster was visibly moved, even rendered speechless by the outpouring of emotion from the fans. Then he was joined by his previous night's adversary, The Rock, who encouraged Hogan to tear away his nWo T-shirt and, once again, embrace the fans who had made him an icon. If Hulkmania had been reborn the night before at Wrestlemania, this was the night it truly started, "runnin' wild" again.

97. THE ROCK RALLIES THE TROOPS

June 17, 2002; Oakland, CA

It was the first RAW after Stone Cold Steve Austin's shocking walkout, and the rumors were thick that Austin was actually in the building. So when Vince McMahon hit the ring and asked for a beer, saying it was for Austin, the crowd was primed to hear the glass breaking and see the Texas Rattlesnake storm down the ramp. Yet when the music hit, it was "The Great One" -- a SmackDown! Superstar who was not scheduled to come back to the WWE for another month due to a movie hiatus -- was the one who stormed the ring and picked up the mic. The Rock proceeded to make like another "Rock" from years past -- legendary football coach Knute Rockne. He gave an impassioned, fiery speech to the fans, and to the Superstars in the back.

"The Rock says this: that very same passion, that very same fire that I have in my eyes is the very same fire that I see every time I walk in the back of that locker room. Every single time I walk into a RAW locker room, every single time I step into a SmackDown! locker room, all those guys are here because they want to be here. Everyone on SmackDown!, all those guys on SmackDown!, they are there because they want to be there. They get in this ring, they bust their ass...you love them for that, and they do it because they love to do it. So The Rock says this: If there is anybody in the back, I swear to God, I honestly mean this, if there's anybody in the back that does not want to be with this company, if there's anyone on SmackDown! that does not want to be with this company, then just like the slogan says, get the 'F' out!"