Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s first intention was to play football professionally; he didn’t even consider wrestling until 1995. After a shoulder injury, wrestling became his new focus. Despite his wrestling family background, Johnson’s journey wasn’t easy. Recently, he opened up about meeting Vince McMahon for the first time and how McMahon gave him the name “Rocky Maivia” before he started wrestling.
On the ‘PBD Podcast,’ The Final Boss shared his first meeting with Vince McMahon, recalling how he told McMahon he wanted to succeed on his own without using his family’s legacy. He said, “I said, ‘I’d like to do it on my own. I don’t want to be given anything just because my grandfather wrestled for Vince McMahon’s dad in the ’70s [and] my dad wrestled for Vince McMahon [Jr] in the 80s.’
The People’s Champion then shared McMahon’s response: “He said, ‘Ok, got it. So your name is gonna be Rocky Maivia, which is your dad’s first name and your grandfather’s last name. And I went, ‘Uh, that’s not what I was hoping for.”
Finally, he made his in-ring debut as Rocky Maivia at Survivor Series 1996. However, fans booed him at first and chanted “Rocky Sucks.” Soon after, he rebranded as The Rock, becoming a top heel by 1997 and one of WWE’s biggest stars. His famous rivalry with Stone Cold Steve Austin, which took place over three WrestleManias, is still remembered today.
The Rock is currently taking a break from wrestling but plans to return to the ring before WrestleMania 41. His comeback is highly anticipated, especially with the Bloodline storyline heating up.
The Rock shares how he became a heel early in his career
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson talked about how he changed from a good guy to a bad guy early in his career. On the PBD podcast, he shared the problems he faced as a young wrestler trying to figure out who he was.
Johnson remembered that Vince McMahon first told him to be a happy and thankful character, always smiling and thanking the fans. But this soon felt fake and boring. Frustrated with the direction of his character, the 52-year-old again approached McMahon.
He requested, “I said, ‘Okay, I have one request. Can I have the microphone for two minutes? I just want to express myself.’ And he said, ‘Oh boy, I don’t know about that.’ ‘Just give me one minute.’ He said fine. … and within two months I became the hottest bad guy in the company, and then turned into The Rock.”
