The Rock's 5 Most Savage WWE Promos

Critics of Dwayne Johnson as a wrestler miss the point entirely. We get it - you can rattle off a phone book full of grapplers that are better at the finer points of wrestling technique than "The People's Champ", but that hardly matters. More germane to the heart of professional wrestling is that The Rock is most magnetic and enthralling personality that has ever graced the squared circle. Oh, and he's a much better wrestler than you'll give him credit for.

The Rock turns 48 years old on Saturday, which is quite the stomach punch for those of us who remember him as the next big thing in the industry (hairs turn grey just writing that). With the biggest wrestler-turned-crossover film star celebrating another year on this planet, now's a good a time as any to look back upon Mr. Johnson doing what he does best - verbally flaying rivals with nothing but his biting wit and emphatic delivery.

The Rock has doled out scores of verbal beatdowns over the decades. Here are his five best.

Critics of Dwayne Johnson as a wrestler miss the point entirely. We get it - you can rattle off a phone book full of grapplers that are better at the finer points of wrestling technique than "The People's Champ", but that hardly matters. More germane to the heart of professional wrestling is that The Rock is most magnetic and enthralling personality that has ever graced the squared circle. Oh, and he's a much better wrestler than you'll give him credit for.

The Rock turns 48 years old on Saturday, which is quite the stomach punch for those of us who remember him as the next big thing in the industry (hairs turn grey just writing that). With the biggest wrestler-turned-crossover film star celebrating another year on this planet, now's a good a time as any to look back upon Mr. Johnson doing what he does best - verbally flaying rivals with nothing but his biting wit and emphatic delivery.

The Rock has doled out scores of verbal beatdowns over the decades. Here are his five best.

5. Big Show's Impressive Taunt (1999)

This one's pretty simple, but it just demonstrates how The Rock can mock somebody's core identifiers in a manner that few could ever astutely equal. Case in point, The Big Show and his trademark "raise the arm and growl menacingly" taunt.

While dressing down Big Show with his usual bombastic fervour, Rock called attention to "the most impressive thing" that he'd ever seen Big Show do, and then proceeded to mock the gesture with a rather ghastly take on the growl. If you saw it, you know the noise he made.

5. Big Show's Impressive Taunt (1999)

This one's pretty simple, but it just demonstrates how The Rock can mock somebody's core identifiers in a manner that few could ever astutely equal. Case in point, The Big Show and his trademark "raise the arm and growl menacingly" taunt.

While dressing down Big Show with his usual bombastic fervour, Rock called attention to "the most impressive thing" that he'd ever seen Big Show do, and then proceeded to mock the gesture with a rather ghastly take on the growl. If you saw it, you know the noise he made.

4. Booker Rides The Bus (2001)

The WCW/ECW Alliance was already on shaky ground credibility-wise on the road to the 2001 SummerSlam, and it didn't help matters when The Rock flayed WCW World champion Booker T with relative ease. Counterproductive? Sure. Hilarious? Affirmative.

It began with Rocky commenting on Booker's apparent lack of book smarts, and implying that he might have even ridden on a special type of bus, which is a line that probably wouldn't fly today. Booker got more flustered each time Rock honked the imaginary horn.

4. Booker Rides The Bus (2001)

The WCW/ECW Alliance was already on shaky ground credibility-wise on the road to the 2001 SummerSlam, and it didn't help matters when The Rock flayed WCW World champion Booker T with relative ease. Counterproductive? Sure. Hilarious? Affirmative.

It began with Rocky commenting on Booker's apparent lack of book smarts, and implying that he might have even ridden on a special type of bus, which is a line that probably wouldn't fly today. Booker got more flustered each time Rock honked the imaginary horn.

3. God Unfriended Billy (1999)

If Billy Gunn's 1999 King of the Ring win was meant to elevate "Mr. Ass", his wings would get firmly clipped by summer's end. A rivalry with The Rock culminated at SummerSlam, with Gunn's humiliation and subsequent midcard shunting, but first, this gem of a promo.

The previous month, Rock spoke of a hypothetical scenario in which Gunn, while in prayer, was dressed down by the lord above. God then intoned that a fearful Billy (whose name he couldn't be bothered to know) should go confront The Rock, compounding Gunn's tear-laden apprehension.

3. God Unfriended Billy (1999)

If Billy Gunn's 1999 King of the Ring win was meant to elevate "Mr. Ass", his wings would get firmly clipped by summer's end. A rivalry with The Rock culminated at SummerSlam, with Gunn's humiliation and subsequent midcard shunting, but first, this gem of a promo.

The previous month, Rock spoke of a hypothetical scenario in which Gunn, while in prayer, was dressed down by the lord above. God then intoned that a fearful Billy (whose name he couldn't be bothered to know) should go confront The Rock, compounding Gunn's tear-laden apprehension.

2. NW-Obliterated (2002)

WCW forces tried and failed to put the New World Order in their place, oftentimes looking like absolute patsies as the black and white steamrolled them with ease. It took The Rock under a minute to do what Atlanta's best and brightest could not.

After a benign chance meeting with the Big Three upon their collective WWE return, Rock responded to a slight from Hulk Hogan by verbally ripping all three men new corn-chutes. This included the immortal sounding of the trucker's horn at Kevin "Diesel" Nash, which is still awesome.

2. NW-Obliterated (2002)

WCW forces tried and failed to put the New World Order in their place, oftentimes looking like absolute patsies as the black and white steamrolled them with ease. It took The Rock under a minute to do what Atlanta's best and brightest could not.

After a benign chance meeting with the Big Three upon their collective WWE return, Rock responded to a slight from Hulk Hogan by verbally ripping all three men new corn-chutes. This included the immortal sounding of the trucker's horn at Kevin "Diesel" Nash, which is still awesome.

1. Bizarro World Beatdown

The sheer hatred The Rock earned from Sacramento for mocking the city's basketball woes was something else, but it doesn't really hold a candle to his tirade north of the border. See, Toronto booed The Rock at WrestleMania 18, and a year later, he hadn't forgotten it.

After mocking the fans in attendance for their offering of a cheap pop at the mere mention of their city's name ("He said Toronto, yaaay!"), The Rock made sure to punctuate his remarks with a little rhyme that reminded them of the Maple Leafs' decades of futility. Bet that felt good.

1. Bizarro World Beatdown

The sheer hatred The Rock earned from Sacramento for mocking the city's basketball woes was something else, but it doesn't really hold a candle to his tirade north of the border. See, Toronto booed The Rock at WrestleMania 18, and a year later, he hadn't forgotten it.

After mocking the fans in attendance for their offering of a cheap pop at the mere mention of their city's name ("He said Toronto, yaaay!"), The Rock made sure to punctuate his remarks with a little rhyme that reminded them of the Maple Leafs' decades of futility. Bet that felt good.

1. Bizarro World Beatdown

The sheer hatred The Rock earned from Sacramento for mocking the city's basketball woes was something else, but it doesn't really hold a candle to his tirade north of the border. See, Toronto booed The Rock at WrestleMania 18, and a year later, he hadn't forgotten it.

After mocking the fans in attendance for their offering of a cheap pop at the mere mention of their city's name ("He said Toronto, yaaay!"), The Rock made sure to punctuate his remarks with a little rhyme that reminded them of the Maple Leafs' decades of futility. Bet that felt good.