SummerSlam 2002 saw Brock Lesnar defeat The Rock for the WWE Undisputed Championship, which was a pivotal moment in the company’s history. It started the era of Brock Lesnar as one of the best wrestlers in WWE history. However, “The Beast Incarnate” is still grateful to The Rock for defeating him and making him look so great in the match. After this, The Rock wanted to take a break from wrestling for a Hollywood project. Then WWE Chairman Vince McMahon wanted someone who could carry the company forward for the next few years and sell shows. Brock Lesnar was the man who filled this spot. But Lesnar did not let this moment go by without thanking “The People’s Champion” for what he did for him.
Brock thanked The Rock in his book
Lesnar revealed this in his book Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination and Survival. The Beast stated that The Rock knew that putting him over was right for business and the Hollywood star was willing to go down for the team, on pay-per-view, in front of all his fans. “He saw my talent I had and knew it would be best for the company if there were no questions in the fans’ minds that I beat him ‘fair and square’,” Lesnar wrote in his book.
He further wrote that, “I don’t know how many other guys Dwayne would have been happy to lose to clean, but he did it for me. He knew I could carry the torch for the company until he got back.”
2002 was the last time the two encountered
Lesnar entered the main event of SummerSlam by winning the King of The Ring tournament. Within six months of his debut, he had defeated big superstars like Booker T, Hulk Hogan, Rob Van Dam and The Hardy Boyz. WWE needed a new champion, and Lesnar fulfilled that by winning the title. In addition, the crowd at New York’s Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum was constantly chanting “Rocky Sucks,” which infuriated The Rock.
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News had already spread that The Rock’s WWE appearances would be limited due to his growing career in Hollywood. When “The Brahma Bull” found himself amidst chants of “Rocky Sucks’, the discomfort was palpable, underscoring the emptiness created by his absence. Though the match at SummerSlam was the first and last encounter between Lesnar and The Rock, it may not be the end of their rivalry. The Rock returned briefly in 2003 but left again in 2004 without Lesnar being involved. However, both wrestlers are still active, and the possibility of a future match between them cannot be ruled out, keeping hopes of the fans alive.
