The Rock and John Cena’s two-year long feud from 2011 to 2013 was one of the biggest in WWE history, and one that was laced with real-life heat between two of the all-time greats.
The two’s rise to the top of WWE shared many similarities with both starting off as white meat babyfaces before transitioning into trash talking heels, whose elite mic skills led to fans cheering for them on their way to becoming the no.1 guy in the company.
However, The Rock had departed for Hollywood after just six years while Cena had remained loyal to WWE, something he referenced in a 2008 interview when he called The Great One a “sell-out” who claimed to love WWE but never showed up.
Prior to that, the two had maintained a friendly relationship, with The Rock even making light-hearted jokes about Cena’s own movie career (as well as his own) at the 2008 Hall of Fame, where he inducted both his father and grandfather.
As a result, Cena’s comments had caught Rocky off guard and sowed the seeds for an on-screen feud starting in 2011 that fans had been dreaming of for years.
The Rock's WWE return in 2011 ignited their two-year feud
The feud began on the February 14th, 2011 edition of Raw, where The Rock, returning after seven years away, was announced as the host of WrestleMania 27. In his return promo, he called out Cena, lambasting him as a pretender to the likes of him and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
The following week, Cena responded with a rap mocking The Rock’s acting career as well as his claim to be the People’s Champion.
The back and forth went on for weeks, with Cena’s WWE Title match with The Miz becoming a side story as a result. It was slightly unfair on The Miz but he was a complete third wheel despite holding the most coveted title in the industry.
The Rock and John at WrestleMania 27
The two greats finally came face to face on the final Raw before WrestleMania, where they traded barbs before The Miz and his associate Alex Riley attacked them. After fending the pair off, Cena hit the Attitude Adjustment on The Rock.
The Rock returned the favour at WrestleMania, an event dominated by him as host, when he cost Cena the WWE title after dropping him with a Rock Bottom in the main event.
"Once in a Lifetime" was made one year in advance of WrestleMania 28
The very next night on Raw, a match was made between the two. Icon vs Icon. Billed as “Once in a Lifetime.” But with a twist, it would not take place until WrestleMania 28, making it the first time ever a match had been made a year in advance.
Cena had wanted the “biggest match of all time” to be for the WWE title, which helped make up for The Rock’s very part-time schedule as he looked to somehow build a match over 12 months while keeping things interesting and fresh.
Cena’s pursuit of the title saw him win it and lose it numerous times before CM Punk embarked on his 434-day reign from Survivor Series in November 2011. Cena vs Rock, like Rock vs Hogan did not need a championship to feel special anyway.
The Rock and John Cena in 2011
At that same event, Cena and The Rock tagged together against The Miz and his partner, R-Truth. Cena had chosen The Great One as his partner, perhaps a case of keeping your friends close but your enemies closer.
In The Rock’s first WWE match in over seven years, he and Cena defeated The Miz and R-Truth, after which he once again Rock Bottomed his WrestleMania opponent. This kept the feud ticking over as he once again departed for his other ventures.
The feud became personal in the lead up to their main event clash
The full build to their match-up at WrestleMania 28 began the night after Elimination Chamber 2012. Cena addressed The Rock, laughing that he was only showing up next week before outlining the legit beef he had with him.
Cena’s beef mirrored his comments in 2008, that The Rock (or Dwayne as he referred to him as) left the minute he got a taste of Hollywood, and only ever let the fans down. He said he was fighting for everyone who dreamed of becoming and staying a WWE superstar.
The Rock responded the following week, calling him a “kung pow b*tch” and that while Cena was allegedly fighting for everyone in the back, he was fighting for the people. The people who were sick of having Cena shoved down their throats.
The Rock and John Cena in 2011
This was around the time when the “Super Cena” all wins, no losses ultimate good guy gimmick had gotten increasingly stale, particularly amongst the 18-49 fan demographic. Introducing that alongside the heat between the two guys made the storyline feeling more real than anything in years.
The following weeks saw Cena tap into a more heelish and edgier character, with home truths delivered. He legitimately upset The Great One by calling him out for writing his promo notes on his arm.
This breaking of script and blurring of the lines continued with The Rock even making a joke about Cena’s marriage breaking down in a concert performance – his first in nine years. Cena responded with a rap, displaying both men’s unbelievable range of skills.
In his hometown, The Rock prevailed in one of the biggest matches ever
By the time the “Once in a Lifetime” match came around, the tension was palpable between the pair, as well as the crowd in Miami, Florida. With Miami being The Rock’s hometown, a partisan crowd was in place for one of the biggest matches in WWE history.
In what was The Rock’s first singles match in eight long years, himself and Cena viciously went back-and-forth with a series of near falls – Cena performed two Attitude Adjustments, while The Rock hit the Rock Bottom and The People’s Elbow.
In the end, Cena’s mission to end The Rock and also his heelish tendencies throughout the match (tapped into as a result of the one-way fan support) was his downfall. With The Great One lying prone on the mat, he attempted to defeat him with his own move, The People’s Elbow.
The Rock at WrestleMania 28
In a further show of disrespect, he mimicked The Rock’s taking off of his armband and swivelling of his arms before hitting the ropes. As he hit the second rope, he ran into a Rock Bottom and the 1-2-3 pin.
Victory for The Rock had seemed unlikely given his part-time status and was met with a thunderous celebration from his hometown crowd. Cena had been slain, and “Once in a Lifetime” honours had gone to the People’s Champ.
A second match was made but it just was not the same
And that is where the rivalry ended. Or so we thought. With such success emanating from their first match-up, it was decided to run it back a second time at WrestleMania 29. Just this time, without the year-long build, not that it fooled anyone as to what was happening.
The Rock returned in the summer of 2012, announcing he would be challenging for the WWE title at Royal Rumble 2013. At the event, he ended CM Punk’s epic reign for his first WWE title in 11 years, while Cena won the Rumble. What a coincidence.
The decision to put the belt on The Rock as well as his lack of main event booking throughout his 434-day title run set in place Punk’s eventual departure from the company.
The Rock and John Cena at WrestleMania 29
The “Twice in a Lifetime” match did not deliver to the same extent as its predecessor. The outcome seemed obvious with The Rock a part-time performer and the need to even the series. The Great One also tore his abdominal and abductor muscles as well as suffering a hernia during the bout, lessening its quality from the outset.
As expected, Cena won the WWE title and the two men embraced, signifying the respect they know had for one another. It would have been far more interesting if Cena had gone heel at some point in the second title build, but this was never going to happen.
Cena has since followed The Rock to Hollywood, as their relationship has gone full circle
The two men’s off-screen relationship did heal during the process of their rivalry, with Cena going on to follow The Rock into Hollywood. In recent years, he has spoken of his regret of the comments he made in 2008, now knowing the near-impossible task of juggling a movie career with one in the WWE.
The Rock and John Cena later on in life
Their on-screen feud over the two years of 2011-2013 made for unbelievable WWE television, mostly in the first year given the actual beef that existed at the time.
Their matches stand as arguably the two biggest WrestleMania main events in the twenty years since the end of The Attitude Era.