5 WWE Wrestlers Who Hate The Rock

Summary

The Rock’s absence at WrestleMania 41 sparked controversy.
The Final Boss has had on-screen problems with several of WWE’s biggest stars.

Tensions between TKO board member and some WWE stars stem from his past actions and attempts to influence big matches.

The Rock is the People’s Champion and one of the most beloved wrestlers in WWE history, with millions and millions of his fans following his in-ring career and Hollywood ventures.

The 53-year-old is one of, if not the best, talkers in pro wrestling historyable to rattle his opponents with his famous catchphrases and quick wit. He is always a must-see, which is why his WrestleMania 41 absence was so controversialbecause he was involved in the biggest storyline at the time.

The Rock was put on blast by several WWE names when he skipped the Show of Shows to “keep the spotlight” on John Cena following his heel turn at Elimination Chamber. While most come to admire the legendary Great One, five WWE wrestlers have plenty of issues with him.

CM Punk

5 WWE Wrestlers Who Hate The Rock — Image source: WWE

“Listen up, Dwayne, you bald fraud”, were CM Punk’s words on the RAW after Elimination Chamber as he let loose on the TKO board member. The Best in the World was left reeling after the shenanigans that went down at the February PLE that prevented him from booking his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania.

Punk’s ‘Promo of the Year’ was the closest we’ve come to another pipebomb from the Second City Saint and it blurred the lines between kayfabe and reality. He foreshadowed the sentiments felt around the pro wrestling world after Mania:

“I would love to say all of this to your face, but you have not graced us with your prescence, to do your bulls***, to hit your arm, to pretend that you care about this business that gives you goosebumps.”

The tension between the pair grew years ago during the former’s first stint at the company, when they feuded in 2013. The Brahma Bull returned to WWE and stole the spotlight and a WrestleMania main event, which included dethroning Punk and becoming WWE Champion.

Cody Rhodes

If there’s one WWE star who has felt the wrath of The Rock in recent years, it’s Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare initially handed his WrestleMania 40 main event to the People’s Champion after winning the Royal Rumble.

That was until major fan backlash led to a change of plans and Rhodes reclaimed his Undisputed WWE Championship match against Roman Reigns. The pair were at loggerheads from there on out, with Rock making Rhodes’ life a living hell, including bloodying him in one of the most shocking finishes to an episode of RAW.

Rhodes clashed with Rock in a tag team match on night one of WrestleMania 40, eating the pin but going on to win the world title against Reigns. The pair exchanged words on RAW the night after and teased a title match, which still feels inevitable, especially after the Brahma Bull tried tempting the former AEW star to hand him his soul and become “my champion”.

Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins echoed Cody Rhodes’ sentiments regarding The Rock trying to use his TKO standing to jump the queue and face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. The Visionary had his own problems with Reigns but was eager to ensure Rocky didn’t have any influence on the world title match by becoming Rhodes’ “shield”.

The two-time Money in the Bank winner opined to FOX Sports that it was “pretty gross” seeing Rock try to take what Rhodes had earned (via WrestleTalk):

“It’s just what happens when powerful people exert their power. They just think they do whatever they want and get away with it and that sucks. It just sucks. I don’t know any other way to put it…..But Cody said it best. It’s bulls—-. It feels pretty gross to me.”

Rollins stands for everything that goes against current-day Rock, wanting to work hard for opportunities and earn the right to be a world title contender. He is often viewed as the company’s workhorse, and he’s not afraid to speak his mind about WWE’s past names coming back for a big payday.

Randy Orton

There has been real-life heat between Randy Orton and The Rock that extends back to their time feuding in 2004. There were reports of tension behind the scenes between the duo.

The Viper was just getting started en route to becoming one of WWE’s biggest starswith him and John Cena taking the baton from Attitude Era stars Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The pair locked horns in Rocky’s final match at WrestleMania 20 in a tag match before Dwayne Johnson turned to a Hollywood acting career.

Rock’s return as guest host of WrestleMania 27 didn’t go down well with Orton. He gave his thoughts to ESPN about Johnson viewing himself as an actor rather than a wrestler:

“You see the interviews that The Rock does and he says that he doesn’t want to be known as a wrestler. He doesn’t want to be known as a sports entertainer or a performer with WWE or a WWE superstar. He wants to be known as an actor.”

Orton also explained why Cena was “ten times” the wrestler Rock was, including on the mic, because the Great One “has his stuff written for him”. This was a similar stance given by Cena during his feud with Rock on the Road to WrestleMania 28.

The Apex Predator claimed that Rock spoke to former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis. He said that Vince was upset, but after he spoke to Triple H, the matter was blown over and Rock never approached him.

Triple H (Allegedly)

The Rock and Triple H have often exchanged pleasantries on WWE TV since the company merged with UFC under the TKO umbrella. Both are active members of the board and are two of the most respected names in the professional wrestling business.

That doesn’t mean they hold a solid friendship outside of the ring, and there have been hints of such tension even on screen. After Rock tried taking Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania 40 main event, the drama that ensued reached fever pitch, and viral stories of a power struggle ensued.

Triple H’s first promo, after Rhodes officially announced he’d chosen Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 Kick-Off, was telling. He said that he’d reasserted his authority to book that match while making several digs about his longtime rival trying to do so.

The pair were battling it out to be the face of the company in the late 90s and early 2000s, and such tension may still be intact. Jonathan Coachman, who has worked closely with both, told Sportskeeda in October 2024:

“I don’t care what you watch on TV; I don’t care what you see backstage; I don’t care about, ‘Hey bro, how you doing?’ ‘Yeah, I’m good!’ Triple H and The Rock do not like each other at all.”

There have been calls for a power struggle storyline between Chief Content Officer Triple H and The Rock to be booked amid the stories that have ensued during the Final Boss run. But fans won’t be seeing the King of Kings back in the ring after he retired in 2022 due to health issues.