The Rock Looked Like A WWE Superstar
The Rock Has Always Emphasized Fitness
While everyone knows about The Rock’s wrestling career, there are still some things fans get wrong!
A marketable look is essential for a superstar’s success in the professional wrestling business. One could look back at some of the biggest superstars in WWE, like John Cena, Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, and Bret Hart. All of these legends may have differences regarding their characters, but one thing they have in common is the look of a marketable superstar. If a wrestler doesn’t look like a superstar, it becomes much more difficult to achieve a certain level of stardom.
Although The Rock had a difficult beginning in his wrestling career, he always showed potential in having a successful run in WWE. One of the reasons why he showed potential was his movie star looks, as The Rock is not someone that looks like the average person. Because of this, The Rock went the extra mile to look the part, especially back during the 1990s when having “the look” was more emphasized in WWE.
The Rock’s Career Took Off When He Became “The Corporate Champion”
The Rock Turned Heel In 1998
Although The Rock made his big break when he led The Nation in mid-1998, winning the WWE Championship at Survivor Series 1998 and turning heel to join The Corporation was when his career took off to new heights. It was really the first time The Rock had the opportunity to run the show as a main-event talent, which meant a lot, considering WWE began truly thriving again in 1998.
The Rock’s time as “The Corporate Champion” is looked back on with universal acclaim from fans, as his heel run helped launch him into mainstream stardom. However, there was something noticeable during his run as “The Corporate Champion” regarding his appearance. What came about with this sudden change of look for The Rock, especially during the series of matches he engaged with Mankind in 1999, including the “I Quit” match at the Royal Rumble 1999 PLE..
The Rock Had Cosmetic Surgery In The Late 1990s
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Around this time, The Rock decided to get cosmetic surgery on his pectoral muscles. It was a way to have a more noticeable lean physique, considering that The Rock wrestled without a shirt. Because of the bandages he had stemming from surgery, The Rock wore a tracksuit for a couple of months heading into WrestleMania 15.
There’s an interesting story surrounding The Rock’s decision to go through cosmetic surgery and wrestle while in recovery. Bruce Prichard told the story on his Something To Wrestle With podcast, saying that The Rock had many conversations about the surgery, especially with Vince McMahon. Bruce Prichard explained that The Rock felt strongly about his decision to undergo such treatment for his pectoral muscles and to wrestle while recovering from it, even though it would be months before The Rock could wrestle in his regular attire.
Wrestling in a tracksuit may be unusual, but the fact that The Rock continued to wrestle while recovering and making the best of it is remarkable. It’s also understandable why he didn’t take time off from TV despite his surgery. The Rock was getting a massive push in 1999 when more fans were tuning into WWE programming, and it’s quite the gamble to take time off during a time like this.
But then again, going through cosmetic surgery in the first place while The Rock was becoming increasingly popular was also a gamble. However, considering that some fans can be judgmental over a wrestler’s appearance, The Rock was one step ahead.
The Great One Loves His Versace Shirts
Before there was ever The Rock, there was his grandfather, the true head of the Bloodline, “High Chief” Peter Maivia.
While the tracksuit was a very recognizable time in The Rock’s career, it was far the flashier clothing that he would wear in his career. As he developed more and more momentum, The Rock’s style evolved as well. He began wearing Versace shirts that cost thousands of dollars. It worked perfectly for his various character traits over the years. They even made a return during The Rock’s most recent run in WWE. In the proceeding years, he would wear a lot of athletic attire to the ring, such as track pants, a tank top, and sneakers, but 2024 saw “The Final Boss” emerge, which drew influence in The Rock’s look from the 1990s and his Hollywood Rock era.
While The Rock has been gone from WWE in the last few months, there is no doubt that The Rock will continue to wear these extravagant and flashy looks. “The Final Boss” is the ultimate culmination of every era of The Rock in one. It has been the perfect look for him.
