Diamond Dallas Page was destined to face The Rock in 2001, when WWE bought out WCW and started the now infamous “Invasion” angle.
However, The Rock vs DDP never happened, much to the chagrin of many wrestling fans.
Both men were two of the main event talents of the company. The Rock was the cocky yet thoroughly entertaining heel whilst DDP was the fan-favourite everyman who captured their hearts and minds despite joining wrestling as a very late age.
Both were known as “The People’s Champion” in their respective companies, although The Rock’s nickname was originally ironic in the start of his career.
The “People’s Champ vs People’s Champ” seemed an obvious immediate feud for the incoming WCW talent but the idea was nixed by Vince McMahon early.
DDP revealed in an interview with The Angle Podcast why the match was turned down by Vince despite him really wanting to step into the ring with The Rock.
He revealed it was pushed aside due to McMahon wanting to beat down WCW even more and not wanting to glorifying the company he had just destroyed.
“I tell people all the time just don’t think it ink it, burn it into your brain. Write it down, own it.
And every single thing that I’ve ever said, has happened, except for when I came up with the idea of People’s Champion [DDP] versus People’s Champion [The Rock], that’s what should have happened.
And, Vince wanted me in that stalker thing because they wanted to beat WCW, wanted to beat the company down.
I never thought that because, you know, it’s money like we’re gonna draw huge money me and The Rock, you know, but it wasn’t about that it was like, you guys bitch slapped us for at three weeks straight.
Now we’re not gonna, we’re not gonna put you over. And I get it, it was really just business, I took it personally in the beginning, but later on when I removed myself, I realised it wasn’t me. It was whoever that guy was and I was the guy.”
Instead of facing The Rock, DDP was given the gimmick of a stalker and feuded with The Undertaker.
He stalked his wife before revealing himself in a great moment in Raw history, but ended up being embarrassed by losing to The Undertaker’s wife in WWE (not Michelle McCool) and left the company just a couple of years later due to injury.
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