The rivalry between John Cena and The Rock did not start in 2013. It was a multi-year narrative that captured the imagination of the WWE Universe.
On the night of April 7, 2013, 80,676 fans packed MetLife Stadium to watch the torch be passed (or snatched). The atmosphere was immediately notable: John Cena entered first to a deafening cascade of boos from the mixed crowd of adults and children, while The Rock received a thunderous pop for the WWE Title defense.
The final minutes of the match revolved around the subversion of expectations. Cena attempted to mock The Rock by mimicking the theatrical setup of the People's Elbow. This hubris nearly cost him the match, mimicking the exact mistake that led to his defeat at WrestleMania XXVIII. However, Cena anticipated The Rock's counter-attack, leading to a rapid sequence of reversed finishers.
The match itself was designed as an old-school, heavy-hitting heavyweight bout, relying heavily on psychological drama, signature maneuvers, and near-falls. The Opening Exchange The rivalry between John Cena and The Rock
The landscape shifted dramatically at the 2013 Royal Rumble:
The Epic Rematch: Analyzing The Rock vs. John Cena at WWE WrestleMania 29
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The match concluded after a sequence of counters where The Rock attempted a fourth Rock Bottom, only for Cena to escape and hit his finisher. Passing the Torch:
John Cena won the 30-man Royal Rumble match to secure a world title shot.
: After a 24-minute "finisher fest" involving multiple Rock Bottoms and Attitude Adjustments (AAs), Cena secured the victory by countering a fourth Rock Bottom attempt into a final, decisive Attitude Adjustment . The atmosphere was immediately notable: John Cena entered
After an incredible sequence of reversed finishers and dramatic kickouts from multiple Rock Bottoms and Attitude Adjustments, Cena finally found the opening he needed. He countered a Rock Bottom attempt into one final, definitive Attitude Adjustment, pinning The Rock to become the new WWE Champion. The Passing of the Torch
Featuring two of the biggest names in entertainment, the match brought immense mainstream attention to WWE.
Cena escaped a Rock Bottom and applied the STF submission hold, which The Rock eventually broke. This hubris nearly cost him the match, mimicking
When the bell rang at MetLife Stadium, the energy was electric. This was the 6th time in WWE history that the same match headlined two consecutive WrestleManias, a testament to the drawing power of these two titans.
At WrestleMania 29, John Cena defeated The Rock in a 24-minute main event to capture the WWE Championship and conclude their "once in a lifetime" feud. The match, which featured significant injuries for The Rock and a post-match endorsement of Cena, served as a symbolic passing of the torch. Watch the full match on the official WWE YouTube channel .