Looking Back At WWE's Ten Best Episodes of Raw Ever
By Ryan Page
The Rock, This is Your Life (Sept 27, 1999)
It is quite possibly the single most entertaining segment in WWE history. Mankind's tribute to The Rock and their partnership ahead of his world title match is still the highest-viewed segment in Raw's illustrious history. It was not beloved backstage, and it may have been responsible for several other segments and matches being cut short as they way overshot their mark. It delivered, though, in a way that nothing else could have. The match later that night for the title was also very good, but this build-up is where the nostalgia lives.
In truth, the rest of the show outside of the main event and the festivities that preceded it were nothing special. Most of the matches that night had non-finishes and DQs, which is a common enough occurrence in the Attitude Era. The show dedicated a lot of time to Triple H, which is also pretty standard for the time. There was the "pay-off" to the referee strike angle, which wasn't very good, and Steve Austin was promised a title match at the upcoming event. There was not a ton of great wrestling, and most of the stories were only advanced marginally, given that there were still several weeks before that show.
The show-stealing and history-making segment was the "this is your life" festivities that Mankind hosted for The Rock's birthday. The skit included people from The Rock's past, all of whom had wronged him unbeknownst to Mankind. They would come to the ring being introduced and talked up to by ManKind as The Rock reacted to each one with body language and facial expressions only. The Rock then launched into his usual hits on each and every one of them, to the fan's delight. Mankind's bis reveal, two jackets, and Yurple the clown singing him happy birthday are made all the funnier by The Rock informing him his birthday wasn't until May. That wasn't even the punchline. Mankind responds by bringing over the cake and letting Rocky know he is aware of that, but every day feels like a birthday when they are together! It was silly fun, never to be replicated, and one of those moments that fans still rewatch to this day.