#2.) The Rock from Rocky Maivia
The Rock was always destined for greatness, especially since he was handpicked by Vince McMahon himself. However, he didn’t exactly have the best start when he debuted as Rocky Maivia, a happy, generic babyface wearing streamers and running around. There was no reason to get behind him and fans would eventually begin to chant “Die Rocky Die”.
McMahon, aware of fans’ rejection, knew exactly what he had to do – turn him heel. He went through the process organically and became The Rock, a character that is still considered one of the greatest of all time and a character which Dwayne Johnson still proudly calls his best. Ultimately, this is the very example of what happens when a wrestler is allowed to be themselves. The Rock would go on to become the most electrifying persona in all of sports entertainment and his success outside of WWE is a whole story of its own.
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