The Rock Respects You, Booker Man & Undertaker's Brush With The Law: Ten Things You May Have Missed In Wrestling This Week

7. The Rock's Regret

By the summer of 2001, it was obvious to pretty much everyone that The Rock would not be in WWE for the long-term and that it would get harder and harder for wrestling to hold onto the budding Hollywood star. 

One of The Rock's last major programmes before heading off to Tinseltown full-time was a feud with Booker T during the WCW/ECW Invasion. 

Shane Helms was revisiting their first major match (at SummerSlam 2001) recently, tweeting out: 

Doing cardio watching @TheRock vs @BookerT5x from @WWE SummerSlam 2001. Two of my favorite opponents and favorite people I’ve worked with in the Biz. I wish these two woulda had more matches together.

That got a response from The Great One himself, who shared that he too wished they would've shared the ring more: 

Thank you, brother. I do too actually. One of my biggest regrets was not having a long run w Book. He was one of my fav workers and the best pure athlete I’ve ever wrestled. Fluid, sharp, believable movements and work style. I always say his moves had a rare swagger. 

Booker heard about the high praise and then spoke about what it meant to him, as well as his memories working with The Rock, on the Hall of Fame podcast: 

"I really appreciate The Rock saying those kind words as far as me being one of the most athletic guys. Me being, pretty much, a damn good worker. I get props like that for a lot of guys like Bret Hart. Bret Hart is one of the guys who says he really enjoyed working with me in WCW and I think he enjoyed working with me because there was chemistry. 

Hearing that coming from The Rock, it means a lot. Him saying that he wished our feud would’ve lasted a whole lot longer. That's reality. It should have. I feel like it could have been a six-month or year 'marriage' with The Rock if done properly. 

I don't know how good it would’ve been though. For me, working with The Rock, it would have gotten better the more times we worked. I don't remember working any house shows with The Rock. That's a rarity. We never got that chance to [work house shows]. That's a match I don't think I've ever looked at. 

The Rock and I never got a chance to become friends. Laugh with each other, break bread with each other. I always thought he was, I wouldn't say untouchable, but he was a WWE guy. For me, coming in from WCW, I gave him that respect because he deserved it. I do think, over time, our chemistry would have been uncanny and we would have had that match that I could look back on and say, 'That was the match'. 

I don't remember a match or moment that I can look back on and say, 'That was my WWE moment' as far as in-ring goes because I became a total entertainer".

The Five-Time WCW Champion is right, as a quick perusal of the records shows that, outside of the SummerSlam bout and a handicap match (Booker teaming with Shane) at the next month's Unforgiven, they didn't really work many other matches together.