At WrestleMania 18, The Rock and Hollywood Hogan met face-to-face in an unforgettable spectacle. Less than a year later, the two went at it again. This time, instead of the villainous Hollywood Hogan taking on the heroic People’s Champion, it was the heroic Hulk facing the freshly heeled “Hollywood” Rock. Was it another classic, or does it deserve to be forgotten? Draw your conclusions.
Hulk Hogan and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson collide in their rematch at No Way Out 2003—a bout filled with twists, betrayal, and echoes of wrestling’s most infamous screwjob. Photo Credit: WWE.
Hulk Hogan’s Triumphant 2003 WWE Return
Hulk Hogan returns to WWE SmackDown on January 23, 2003, embracing his iconic "Hulkamania" persona after a four-month hiatus. Photo Credit: WWE.
At WrestleMania X8, The Rock and Hollywood Hogan met face-to-face in an iconic clash that captivated over 68,000 fans in Toronto. Less than a year later, the two legends would meet again under very different circumstances.
The path to their rematch began on the January 23, 2003, episode of WWE SmackDown; after four months away following a vicious attack from Brock Lesnar, Hulk Hogan made his triumphant return.
Draped in red and yellow and with his black beard shaven away, leaving only the trademark handlebar mustache, this was the full-on heroic “Hulkamania” Hogan that fans had cherished in his heyday.
Well, with the added handicap of twenty years of wear and tear and countless surgeries.
After soaking in the applause, Hogan told his adoring crowd he had just signed a new contract and was “back, Jack!”
Vince McMahon’s Plans to End Hulkamania
Vince McMahon confronts Hulk Hogan on WWE SmackDown, declaring Hulkamania is dead and setting the stage for their WrestleMania 19 clash. Photo Credit: WWE.
One person who wasn’t enthused by this news was Vincent Kennedy McMahon, who came out to tell Hogan that Hulkamania was dead!
Hogan did not take McMahon’s rudeness kindly and took out the former WWE CEO with a big right, laying the foundations for their match at WrestleMania 19.
However, with one more pay-per-view (now known as premium live events, or PLE for short) scheduled before WrestleMania, Vince started formulating a plan for who Hogan would face at No Way Out.
The Rock Returns as Vince McMahon’s Secret Weapon
The Rock checks in live from Hollywood, accepting Vince McMahon’s challenge to face Hulk Hogan at No Way Out 2003 in a highly anticipated rematch. Photo credit: WWE.Photo Credit: WWE.
But the crowd in attendance at WWE’s premier summer event knew of his upcoming departure for movie stardom and, as such, started to turn on him.
With this in mind, the decision was made to bring him back as a heel, but the process would start subtly.
In his return video segment, The Rock wasn’t an out-and-out villain, but small comments, such as how he was happy that he wasn’t in Philadelphia that night due to the cold, indicated his upcoming turn to the dark side.
With hundreds of amazing Pro Wrestling Stories to dive into, where do you start? Get the inside scoop – join our exclusive community of wrestling fans! Receive 10 hand-picked stories curated just for YOU, exclusive weekly content, and an instant welcome gift when you sign up today!
Hogan and The Rock Clash on SmackDown
Hulk Hogan and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson share the ring on WWE SmackDown on February 20, 2003, just days before their No Way Out rematch. Photo Credit: WWE.
On February 20th, 2003, at the go-home episode of SmackDown before No Way Out broadcasted live from Indiana, The Rock finally returned live and in person.
Despite feuding for the last three weeks, this would be the first and last time the legends would come face to face before their impending rematch bout.
The Rock took a moment to tell Hogan he took offense at being called a “Rock-a-Jabroni” and then began mimicking Hogan’s promo style.
This fired up the Hulkster, and The Rock backed down and offered a handshake.
With an element of mutual respect still left over from their last battle, Hogan accepted the gesture, only to be spit in his face.
The Rock’s turn to the dark side was finally complete.
Hollywood Rock’s New Persona Stuns Fans
Heel Hollywood Rock taunts Hulk Hogan on WWE SmackDown. Photo Credit: WWE.
Hollywood Rock was here. It was the first heel incarnation of the Brahma Bull since 1999.
When asked if The Rock was excited to face Hulk Hogan again on the Something To Wrestle podcast, Bruce Pritchard had this to say:
“I think he was excited about it, but it was business as usual because he was going on to Austin; this was another step in that story.”
Prichard continued, “I’ll tell you what he was excited about: he was excited about being a heel; he was excited about having fun and being able to go out and do his promos and insult people and have fun with that. In that regard, he looked at it as a fun part to be a heel, but it was just another stepping stone to get to WrestleMania, another point in his career, and he was moving on from there.”
Epic Entrance: The Rock at No Way Out 2003
The No Way Out 2003 title card featuring Hulk Hogan and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, showcasing the buildup to their controversial rematch. Photo Credit: WWE.
No Way Out took place in Montreal on February 23rd, 2003.
The Rock debuted a new entrance. A video of a helicopter flying through nighttime Los Angeles, followed by a slowed-down version of The Rock’s theme, let the crowd know that things had changed.
Hogan came out to the familiar notes of Voodoo Child (Slight Return) by Jimi Hendrix.
The Controversial Finish: Montreal Echoes Again
A still from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson’s new Titan Tron entrance at No Way Out 2003, highlighting his Hollywood persona. Photo Credit: WWE.
“If we had taken the traditional Rock entrance, which was ‘If you smell what The Rock is cooking’ and here comes The Rock, in straightforward, the people were used to it,” revealed Pritchard on the Ruthless Aggression WWE network documentary.
“There’s a Pavlov’s Dog reaction to it sometimes, to when that music hits, that video hits, the audience will, conditionally, react a certain way. We wanted to take them on a ride and let them know this guy’s different. This is a different Rock. This one requires the grandiose entrance and more time because The Rock is better than everyone else. So his entrance is going to be longer, better, and bigger than ever.”
The Rematch of Hulk Hogan and The Rock: Breakdown of the Match
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stands tall over Hulk Hogan during their controversial No Way Out 2003 rematch. Photo Credit: WWE.
The match itself was not a display of athletic prowess and endurance. Hogan was nearing 50 years old, suffering a bad back from multiple surgeries, and The Rock naturally had some ring rust from being away for half a year.
The main focus was pure storytelling.
The Rock Mocks Hogan While the Battle Heats Up
Hulk Hogan counters The Rock’s antics at No Way Out 2003. Photo Credit: WWE.
The Rock hits the Rock Bottom early on, pantomimes to the crowd to mock the Hulkster, and even put on his do-rag at one point.
However, the always-resilient Hogan took the blows, and the old warrior endured the young upstart’s mocking and attacks.
It looked like things were going Hogan’s way when, all of a sudden, there were shenanigans.
A Screwjob Finish Rocks the Crowd
Hulk Hogan takes control before chaos erupts in the No Way Out 2003 main event, leading to a dramatic finish. Photo Credit: WWE.
The lights went out, and the arena was plunged into darkness. When the lights came back up, the referee with suspiciously muscular arms was laid out in the ring.
Before you could say “murder in the dark,” Vince McMahon came out, distracting Hogan while the crooked referee handed The Rock a steel chair.
That referee was Montreal native Sylvain Grenier.
Echoes of Montreal: A Controversial Finish
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson delivers a Rock Bottom to Hulk Hogan, winning their No Way Out 2003 rematch in controversial fashion. Photo Credit: WWE.
Rock hit Hogan with the chair, then a Rock Bottom, and picked up the victory.
“Montreal,” confirmed Pritchard. “It was cheap heat; it was an easy finish, having Vince and the referee screw Hogan and all that stuff. It was easy and logical to get us to WrestleMania.”
Hogan/Rock II Aftermath: Setting the Stage for WrestleMania 19
Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon’s rivalry ignites at WrestleMania 19, following the events of No Way Out 2003. Photo Credit: WWE.
In terms of a history-making spectacle, Hogan/Rock II failed to live up to the heights of the original match.
“Rock and Hogan were very disappointing because of what they were following last year at WrestleMania 18 in Toronto,” admitted Jim Ross, who revealed his disappointment in the event on the Grilling J.R. podcast.
“They didn’t come close to taking care of that business, and that’s very, very rare for The Rock. But you can only do so much with a guy that’s all crippled up. And that match right there showed us that our investment that we were making on Hogan was going to be on a part-time basis.”
Backstage Politics: Did Hogan Influence the Ending?
Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon discuss things backstage in 2003. Photo Credit: WWE.
Some theorized the screwjob ending came about so Hogan wouldn’t have to lose clean a second time, but Pritchard assures that this wasn’t the case.
“We were going with Vince and Hulk, and the idea was for Vince to screw Hulk out of this win, and I think a lot of times it’s so easy to play on that BS online and with the dirt sheet writers that, ‘Oh yeah, Hulk is politicking.’ To put that thought right there in people’s heads, it wasn’t because we were going with Vince and Hulk at Mania, which Hulk knew he was going over.”
Prichard continued, “The other thing is we had Rock and Steve Austin, so it didn’t make any sense for Rock to lose there, and it didn’t make any sense for Hulk to lose there because then he’s not overcoming anything. So there was never any debate there; he had the story, he knew where he was going, and that was part of the story.”
Hulk Hogan Reflects on His Painful Victory
Hulk Hogan reflects on his hard-fought match against Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at No Way Out 2003, where he overcame immense physical challenges. Photo Credit: WWE.
One person who was more than happy with how the match went down was Hulk Hogan himself.
“My back has been so bad. Five disks. They tried to burn it in California to get it to slide back, which didn’t work. Tonight, from about 4 PM on, I iced it every twenty minutes. It was the only thing that would take the pain out. As soon as I got in the ring, taking little short bumps from Rock’s punches, I was already testing my back.
“I’m sure it will hurt tomorrow,” Hogan maintained, “but right now, I’m so happy because it doesn’t hurt, and I’ve only had one beer! I’m amazed at how it feels. It might have been I just needed to get in the ring and take a couple of bumps. I might have to just break up some of that calcium. Who knows.
“Everybody saying WrestleMania this, WrestleMania that, McMahon Hogan. Without telling Vince, if I hadn’t made it through this match tonight, there would have been no WrestleMania. But I can now live to fight another day. I’m happy I got through this; it’s unreal.”
Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and the Legacy of Their No Way Out Rematch
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin square off at WrestleMania 19, continuing the storylines set by No Way Out 2003. Photo Credit: WWE.
The rematch between The Rock and Hulk Hogan wasn’t a five-star classic, but it didn’t have to be.
It set up two WrestleMania matches, Hogan vs. Vince, a street fight that was far better than it had any right to be, and Austin/Rock III, the final match of Austin’s full-time career.
And while The Rock hasn’t provided extensive public commentary specifically about this rematch, the match and character work during this period are considered an important part of his evolution into the “Hollywood Rock” character, which some fans believe was the greatest of all of The Rock’s personas, even during his battles with The Hurricane. However, that’s a story for another time! (You can find that story right here).
Pro Wrestling Stories is committed to accurate, unbiased wrestling content rigorously fact-checked and verified by our team of researchers and editors. Any inaccuracies are quickly corrected, with updates timestamped in the article's byline header.
Got a correction, tip, or story idea for Pro Wrestling Stories? Contact us! Learn about our editorial standards here. Ever wanted to learn more about the people behind Pro Wrestling Stories? Meet our team of authors!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy!
Tim Buckler, a senior writer here at Pro Wrestling Stories, has been an author for over a decade, penning articles for sites such as WhatCulture, Screen Rant, Inside The Ropes, and many more, but his heart will always belong to Pro Wrestling Stories. He also presents a pop culture radio show entitled "The Little Telly Upstairs," which airs every Thursday 8-10 pm on Radio Woking, featuring news, views, and music from film, television, comic books, video games and, of course, Pro Wrestling. Follow him @blockbusterman on Twitter for more of his ramblings!
Author: 
