In the world of pro wrestling, one doesn’t need to have a prolonged career to cement himself as a GOAT. For those who doubt that, take a look at the WWE career of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Despite wrestling a full-time superstar for less than a decade, The Great One is one of the GOATs of WWE history. However, WWE legend The Undertaker, during the early WWE days of The Rock, had a whole different opinion. In fact, The Phenom was sure The Great One wouldn’t last long in the company.
In an interview with Gary Vaynerchuk in 2020, The Undertaker went down memory lane and recalled the 1996 debut of The Rock from MSG. The Hall of Famer shared what were his initial thoughts when he saw The Great One making his way into pro wrestling. Well, the first impression Rocky gave to The Phenom might surprise a lot of WWE fans.
The Undertaker felt The Rock will not have a lengthy career in the WWE ring
Speaking to Vaynerchuk, The Undertaker recalled The Rock making his WWE debut under the ring name Rocky Maivia. Stating that the name was awful, the Hall of Famer felt WWE has handcuffed The Great One right out of the get-go. He then mentioned how merciless the MSG crowd can be if they don’t like what they see in the ring.
The Undertaker recalled the live crowd not liking the way The Rock debuted in WWE. Unaware of what he will do in the future, Taker saw that as a shame and thought Rock wouldn’t last long. However, after joining The Nation Of Domination, his career skyrocketed. In fact, by the time Rocky was done with the faction, The Phenom’s perspective had changed. The Undertaker, by then, had started to believe that The Rock was meant to do even greater things.
Both icons have had four one-on-one matches in their legendary WWE careers
Considering the legacy, The Undertaker and The Rock had in WWE, they squared off against each other only four times. And if you ask who has the upper hand, the answer is nobody. In their four one-on-one matches, both men have won two each.
At the 1998 Survivor Series and the 2002 No Way Out match, The Rock emerged victorious. However, The Phenom defeated The Great One at King Of The Ring and a Casket Match on RAW in 1999.
Nevertheless, a fifth match is as tough as it was for The Undertaker to believe The Rock would have such an impactful WWE career. However, fans won’t complain if the two icons ever appear together for a special occasion. Who knows, considering the rumors of The Rock’s return, WWE might book them for the 30th anniversary of RAW next year.
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