The Rock making the decision to leave WWE in 2004 was a huge change for the wrestling business. It was the first time since the start of the Attitude Era that WWE didn’t have Rock and Steve Austin at the top of the card.
WWE losing two iconic superstars was hard, especially since Rock was still in his prime as the biggest star in the wrestling industry.
Rock has revealed more information about what went into his planning to say farewell to wrestling for a new chapter in acting.
The gamble obviously paid off with Rock becoming a massive superstar today, but it was a tougher decision at the time. Find out more about his thinking with some reasons for Rock leaving WWE in 2004.
13 Honored his WWE contract
The Rock made it clear he wasn’t going to leave WWE until his contract expired as a talent. WWE had Rock under contract until 2004 and allowed him to shoot movies at his own pace. Once the contract ended, Rock decided to leave the industry for a while to start his new chapter knowing his wrestling tenure closed the right way.
12 Wanted a new challenge
The Rock is clearly a very driven person that likes to accomplish his goals. Acting was an industry few athletes could ever even make the jump into. Rock believed he could do a great job if the roles were offered to him. The challenge of thriving in a bigger form of entertainment was a motivating factor for Rock.
11 The Mummy Returns changed his life
The Mummy franchise was quite popular when The Rock received a huge role as the Scorpio King character in The Mummy Returns sequel. Brendan Frasier was the star of the franchise, but the hope was that Rock would add another element of star power during his peak in WWE. The movie was a huge success and made Rock realize he could get consistent noteworthy roles.
10 WWE would always welcome him back
The decision to leave WWE didn’t necessarily mean The Rock had to leave the industry forever. Rock knew his importance to WWE and family legacy in the business would always make him a valuable entity. Even if the acting career suffered, Rock could always come back and have new programs after a break. The success saw Rock’s return come later than expected all the way in 2011.
9 Wanted to make his family proud
The Rock is quite open about the factor of making his family proud in everything he does. WWE giving him the chance at wrestling as a third-generation star inspired him to take his family legacy to the next level. A new start in acting gave him the chance to break out on an even bigger level to show more love to his family.
8 It helped the wrestling industry
Many fans thought The Rock leaving WWE would hurt the business since he was such a huge star, but it did the opposite. Rock proved that wrestlers could make the jump to Hollywood. Past stories of talents like Hulk Hogan flopping made it unlikely for the transition to work out. However, Rock’s success helped get opportunities for talents like Batista and John Cena.
7 Couldn't accomplish anything more in wrestling
The Rock left WWE at his peak and a relatively young age due to already accomplishing everything possible. WWE witnessed Rock become the face of the company, have world title reigns, and WrestleMania classics. Rock needed to do something new since there was nothing left for him to prove in WWE.
6 Starring roles came his way
2004 was around the time The Rock started to become a relatively consistent leading actor in movies. Roles in films like The Rundown, Walking Tall and Be Cool showed Rock would get the opportunities to prove his talent. The timing made it the right moment to leave WWE and take advantage of the momentum or it may never come again.
5 Created business relationship with Vince
The Rock and Vince McMahon created a deep bond with the family history and both men making huge money for the other. McMahon received a sweet deal with Rock during his first few films with an executive producer credit. The arrangement made Rock’s departure a less bitter pill to swallow for Vince.
4 The brand split
WWE moving forward with the brand split made it a better place for new stars to get opportunities. However, someone like The Rock didn’t necessarily benefit from having to reside on one show over the other. Rock’s schedule was hard to predict, and the brand split added another variable that made it less ideal for him to continue coming back for WWE programs on different brands each time.
3 Fellow legends retired
WWE was already experiencing a major change with other legends of the Attitude Era retiring. The Rock wasn’t the first retirement as Steve Austin and Mick Foley retired from the ring. Foley made occasional appearances, but he was no longer an active wrestler. Rock was just the next of his era to hang up the boots from the full-time run.
2 Wanted a quiet farewell
The Rock never wanted to have a huge farewell storyline to write him off television. One reason was the desire to eventually come back in the future when it made sense. Rock was allowed to leave without making it a big announcement. Even the last few matches of Rock in the 2010s saw him quietly leaving without providing clarification on a retirement.
1 Put over new stars
The Rock did his best to help put over new stars for WWE in his final appearances before leaving for good in 2004. Brock Lesnar and Goldberg each scored massive victories over Rock to help cement them as top WWE stars. Even Rock’s last 2004 match saw him and Mick Foley losing to Evolution with Randy Orton and Batista benefiting immensely. Most wrestlers want to leave after putting over others, and Rock did just that for ideal closure.
Sources: Wrestling Observer, PW Torch, WWE Network
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGifnqqVqHq4tNhmq6GdXae8pLeMnZycoZSasW7Azmajnpmmmnq1tMRmrqudo6m5qrrGZqCnnKWowbPFjKKlZmpgZYFw