What was Rock's culminating moment as a babyface?

[bmfjules]

Just something I was thinking of - I could google it I know - but it stood out to me that as big a fan as I am, I cannot recall what the Rock's big establishing/culminating moment as a babyface was... I know it had to be some point in 1999 and obviously, but was there a match that MADE him as the top babyface, or did he just assume that role by default once he turned?

When I think of Austin's culminating moment (not when he started getting over, but the moment the company officially strapped the rocket on him) obviously you go to Wrestlemania 14, and with Hogan it's him beating the Iron Sheik or for Goldberg its beating Hogan etc.  Unlike those guys though, Rock was a world champ as a heel prior to turning.

The last match that I can recall where he is still clearly a heel is the rematch with Austin at Backlash 99, then he feuds with HHH and the Ministry, winning some and losing some... and then he randomly faces Billy f'n Gunn at Summerslam. They again built to it by letting him win the Rumble, but then, he loses to HHH at Wrestlemania in the four way deal.

Seems like there may have been a lost opportunity in there somewhere to give Rock a real big solid babyface moment to declare there's a new top badass in town, either that or I am just forgetting something really obvious.

[The Ichi]

I would say either winning the title at Backlash 2000 or beating Hogan at WM 18.

[mrbananagrabber]

Jun 15, 2019 14:53:14 GMT -5 The Ichi said:

I would say either winning the title at Backlash 2000 or beating Hogan at WM 18.

Beating Hogan turned him heel.

[Deleted]

Even though he shared the moment with Austin, Backlash 2000 is the first thing to come to my mind.

And this one has nothing to do with what the thread's asking, but walking into MSG as a heel at SummerSlam '98 and getting face pops during his match with HHH was huge too.

[Venti]

It's kinda tough to say, because it was a slow process. I'd say it started the night he and Shane McMahon turned on each other, and along the way included teaming with Mankind, Steve Austin being gone, winning the Rumble and main eventing Wrestlemania, and I'd say the culmination was beating HHH at Backlash 2000. In the second half of 1999 he spent alot of time in the upper card, doing the tag team, feuding with Billy Gunn, etc.

Once 2000 hit, he was THE top face. No Stone Cold around, HHH as the perfect heel foil, and finally becoming champion again.

Edit: I want to add on to this, to me I think the fact that at Wrestlemania X7 he came out against Austin(in Texas of all places) and still got a really good pop is proof that he was cemented as an untouchable face. It certainly helps that he walked out as the only face in that match.

[The Ichi]

Jun 15, 2019 14:55:21 GMT -5 mrbananagrabber said:

Jun 15, 2019 14:53:14 GMT -5 The Ichi said:

I would say either winning the title at Backlash 2000 or beating Hogan at WM 18.

Beating Hogan turned him heel.

It planted the seed, but he was still face for nearly a year afterwards.

[Venti]

Jun 15, 2019 14:58:00 GMT -5 The Ichi said:

Jun 15, 2019 14:55:21 GMT -5 mrbananagrabber said:

Beating Hogan turned him heel.

It planted the seed, but he was still face for nearly a year afterwards.

To me, that's the match that made him go from hugely popular babyface to an icon.
Hell, they were even calling it "icon vs icon"

[thecrusherwi]

I would say in January of 2000 when he got the entire roster together and threatened to walk out on the McMahon/Helmsley Regime if they didn’t reinstate Mick Foley. In 1999, even though Rock was positioned as a babyface, he was still a selfish asshole. He merely tolerated Foley as Mick attempted to befriend him but still was out for himself. In early 2000, he finally showed his true colors and repeatedly put himself in harms way to help his friend out. It’s when Rock became a true babyface.

[msc]

Backlash 2000 was his coronation.

But him fighting to get Foleys job back was the Exclamation Point that Rock had become a face. They went from bitter enemies to best friends within a year, by degrees. There was that great moment when the Regime had Foley in a 5 on 1 handicap "unless hes got any friends who want punished"... Cue Rock interview an hour in: "Mick Foley, tonight its no longer 5 on 1, it's 5 on 2." Thumbs up, massive crowd roar.

[SirLucas]

Jun 15, 2019 14:53:14 GMT -5 The Ichi said:

I would say either winning the title at Backlash 2000 or beating Hogan at WM 18.

When people tend to forget about WM 18, is that was the end of Rock's full-time run in the WWE.

[Venti]

Jun 15, 2019 16:05:04 GMT -5 SirLucas said:

Jun 15, 2019 14:53:14 GMT -5 The Ichi said:

I would say either winning the title at Backlash 2000 or beating Hogan at WM 18.

When people tend to forget about WM 18, is that was the end of Rock's full-time run in the WWE.

It's insane to me that he was only 29 at WM 18. And he basically had done all there was to do and was cemented as a legend already.

[Deleted]

I cheer every time he leaves the company.

Actual answer, probably Hogan at 18.

[bmfjules]

I'm not arguing Hogan/Rock wasn't a huge moment, but it feels like a much different kind of moment for me than Austin/Michaels or Hogan/Goldberg, meaning moments when it became crystal clear to even the most casual of fans that -insert guy- was now the clear number one guy in the company

The Rock was already long since a made man by the time he faced Hogan. The win probably did take him to a higher level, but the Backlash 2000 match against Hunter is more along the lines of what I was looking for here. But even that feels a little different because, from my POV, Austin went into Wrestlemania 14 as a guy on the cusp of being a main eventer facing the WWE's top main event guy and left the top main event guy. Same for Goldberg/Hogan. The Rock went into Backlash as a bonafide main eventer who was arguably more established than HHH at that point, but, it's still the closest thing I can come up with for a "coronation" type moment for him.

[Fade is a CodyCryBaby]

Going into WrestleMania X7 as one of the two biggest baby faces in the world and being betrayed and defeated by Austin.

[krozor]

The "It's not gonna be five on one, it's gonna five...on TWO!" promo from the Dallas Ten Man Match Raw in 2000. Foley has to take on a combined DX/Radicals, if he loses he's fired, anybody who tags with him is fired too. He resolves to go it alone over the course of the show. Rock shows up later, spends a few minutes doing one of his asshole promos tormenting Kevin Kelly, then suddenly turns on a dime and declares he'll stand with Foley. It's the first genuine, altruistic thing he does since his initial heel turn, with nothing to gain and everything to lose, and the crowd goes nuclear for it.

It's mostly forgotten, but Foley then cuts a brief but terrific promo later in response, noting that he's not asking for The Rock's help but he'd be foolish not to take it. A nice little beat that underlines what's on the line and how The Rock, to this point, hadn't been the kind of person you'd expect to do this for someone.

[thelonewolf527]

Jun 15, 2019 19:14:43 GMT -5 krozor said:

The "It's not gonna be five on one, it's gonna five...on TWO!" promo from the Dallas Ten Man Match Raw in 2000. Foley has to take on a combined DX/Radicals, if he loses he's fired, anybody who tags with him is fired too. He resolves to go it alone over the course of the show. Rock shows up later, spends a few minutes doing one of his asshole promos tormenting Kevin Kelly, then suddenly turns on a dime and declares he'll stand with Foley. It's the first genuine, altruistic thing he does since his initial heel turn, with nothing to gain and everything to lose, and the crowd goes nuclear for it.

It's mostly forgotten, but Foley then cuts a brief but terrific promo later in response, noting that he's not asking for The Rock's help but he'd be foolish not to take it. A nice little beat that underlines what's on the line and how The Rock, to this point, hadn't been the kind of person you'd expect to do this for someone.

Is that the match where Kane returns after being gone for a whole like 4 days and JR makes it sound like it's the biggest return ever?

[bmfjules]

Jun 15, 2019 19:14:43 GMT -5 krozor said:

The "It's not gonna be five on one, it's gonna five...on TWO!" promo from the Dallas Ten Man Match Raw in 2000. Foley has to take on a combined DX/Radicals, if he loses he's fired, anybody who tags with him is fired too. He resolves to go it alone over the course of the show. Rock shows up later, spends a few minutes doing one of his asshole promos tormenting Kevin Kelly, then suddenly turns on a dime and declares he'll stand with Foley. It's the first genuine, altruistic thing he does since his initial heel turn, with nothing to gain and everything to lose, and the crowd goes nuclear for it.

It's mostly forgotten, but Foley then cuts a brief but terrific promo later in response, noting that he's not asking for The Rock's help but he'd be foolish not to take it. A nice little beat that underlines what's on the line and how The Rock, to this point, hadn't been the kind of person you'd expect to do this for someone.

I only half remember this so I'm firing this up on the Network now for my evening wrestling fix.

[Citizen Snips Has Left]

I don't think you cherry-pick two hours of segments from the last 3 years of Raw and get 2 hours as awesome as that Dallas Raw folks are mentioning here.

[bmfjules]

Jun 15, 2019 20:16:36 GMT -5 Citizen Snips Has Left said:

I don't think you cherry-pick two hours of segments from the last 3 years of Raw and get 2 hours as awesome as that Dallas Raw folks are mentioning here.

Halfway through it, not a dead moment so far. Viscera falling on his ass on the wet floor before hitting Bradshaw with a 2x4 had me rolling also.

[Deleted]

Definitely agree that it happened in 2000. He kept his coolness factor but became more of a pure babyface. Not having Russo around anymore probably contributed to the shift.