These Are the 5 All-Time WWE SmackDown Moments That Define The Rock

For years, WWE Superstar AJ Styles had a phrase he used to say often regarding SmackDown. The multi-time World Champion frequently called SmackDown "the house that AJ Styles built," a boisterous statement usually met with raucous cheers from the WWE Universe.

But with all due respect to Styles, he's 100% wrong.

Wrestling fans have one man to thank for the creation of SmackDown, and it isn't AJ Styles.

It's The Rock.

And unless you've been living under, ahem, a rock for the last year, you know that SmackDown is making its triumphant return to USA Network this fall. Yes, wrestling fans who have been used to tuning into USA Network on Monday nights for decades will soon be able to catch unbelievable WWE action on the same channel: SmackDown on Friday nights. 

(The blue brand's move to USA Network is happening sooner than you think, so you should probably practice tuning in to USA Network at 8 p.m. ET ASAP).

SmackDown's creation was simple: back in 1999, The Rock (and professional wrestling in general) was so popular that television executives begged WWE to create a second weekly show to complement the long-running Monday Night Raw. And that's exactly what they did: build a second show around one of The Rock's now-famous catchphrases and feature the larger-than-life Superstar on it as much as possible.

It's hard to predict if SmackDown would exist today without The Rock's influence and popularity paving the way for its success.

With that in mind, it's the perfect time to reflect on some of The Rock's defining SmackDown moments. From talking trash to backing it up in the ring, here are some of the greatest Rock moments that SmackDown viewers have been treated to over the years!

The Rock vs. Triple H — August 1999

1999 WWE was a wild time, and seeing high-profile matches between two of the biggest Superstars on the roster was fairly common. You didn't necessarily need to order pay-per-view events to witness WrestleMania-worthy matches — and that's precisely what went down on one of the first episodes of SmackDown in August 1999!

The rivalry between The Rock and Triple H is long and storied. From feuding over the Intercontinental Championship earlier in their careers to fighting over the WWE Title in their primes, the two Superstars were often connected at the hip.

This match is pure WWE Attitude Era chaos at its best, and it ended in one of the craziest ways possible: with special guest referee Shawn Michaels (who was retired at that point) delivering a superkick out of nowhere to The Rock, giving the easy win to Triple H.

Surprisingly enough, this turn of events never led to The Rock and Shawn Michaels settling their differences in the ring, thus robbing the WWE Universe of a legitimate dream match in the process

The Rock Officially Joins The Bloodline — February 2024

Not all of The Rock's best SmackDown moments took place in the late 90s and early 2000s; arguably his most impactful moment ever occurred just a few months ago in February 2024. The WWE Universe remembers it like it was yesterday:

It's when The Rock officially joined The Bloodline ahead of WrestleMania XL.

The impact of this moment was massive: For the first time in nearly 20 years, The Rock embraced his villainous side and turned his back on every fan who had ever chanted along with his catchphrases and cheered him on during his most iconic matches. Aligning himself on-screen with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline in their battle against Cody Rhodes changed the landscape of WrestleMania (and WWE in general), leading to one of the wildest matches in WWE history: The Rock teaming up with his real-life cousin Roman Reigns in a tag match against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.

Although The Rock's involvement at WrestleMania didn't go to plan, we don't think the WWE Universe has seen the last of The Great One. Would it surprise anyone to see The Rock show up on the first episode of SmackDown on USA Network?

The Rock Lays a Verbal SmackDown on Triple H — August 1999

It's hard to pinpoint just one of The Rock's best SmackDown verbal sparring sessions, but this one from one of the first-ever episodes hits all the right notes.

Triple H stood no chance against some of the best weapons in The Rock's arsenal: being called a jabroni, being told what to do with his WWE Championship (it involved Icy Hot), and generally being demoralized in front of the WWE Universe. Call it bully behavior if you must, but in 1999, nobody was hotter on the microphone than The Great One.

Looking back, this microphone battle was pretty lopsided in favor of The Rock, but that doesn't mean it was any less satisfying. 

A Dream Six-Man Tag Match — January 2001

The phrase "dream match" gets thrown around a lot these days, but in 2001, the WWE Universe was treated to a bonafide never-before-seen match on SmackDown. For one night only, The Rock tagged with Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker to take on Kurt Angle, Kane, and Rikishi. (Oh, and Triple H was the special guest referee.)

Talk about star power.

The Rock, Austin, and Undertaker rarely — if ever — were on the same page during their respective careers, but they put aside their laundry list of differences to deliver a truly special performance for the WWE Universe. The match lived up to its lofty expectations — it was like the Super Bowl of wrestling! Every punch, kick, and finishing move seemed to be delivered with extra pep, resulting in one of the most unique and fantastic matches The Rock has ever been a part of.

The Rock vs. Kurt Angle — January 2000

Fans didn't know how good they had it in 2000 when televised SmackDown matches like this one were happening regularly. Nobody had the meteoric rise to fame that Kurt Angle did in 2000 (except for perhaps Logan Paul these past few years, as begrudging that is to admit).

At this point in time, Angle was undefeated in his WWE career, and fans were chomping at the bit to see The Rock chop the Olympic gold medalist down to size. Unfortunately, it didn't work out like The Rock planned, as Angle eventually scored the win by disqualification, keeping his winning streak intact. This match marked the first of many one-on-one matches between the two Superstars — and it all started on SmackDown.