Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock reveals how WWE Chief Vince McMahon did not allow him to change his name in WWE.
Dwayne Johnson is one of the most celebrated personalities in the company of WWE. The Rock, as he is fondly known by the followers of WWE was one of the top wrestlers of WWE at the time he was associated with the company on a full-time basis. The wrestler is currently associated with Hollywood and thus is linked with the company on a part-time basis.
The Rock made his WWE (then WWF) debut in the year 1996. The wrestler owned immense support from the Chief of the company. This support led The Rock to become the poster boy of the company of WWE. The backing from Vince McMahon led The Rock to gain immense popularity all around the world and based on that popularity the wrestler entered the world of celluloid.
But, during his early days, the wrestler was not happy with his name in the company of WWE. This also led The Rock to dislike Vince McMahon. The 50-year-old wrestler in the early days of his wrestling was known as Rocky Maivia. It is the combination of his father’s and grandfather’s names. In a bid to forge his own identity Dwayne felt hesitant to wrestle in the name given to him.
The Rock reveals how Vince McMahon did not allow him to change his name
Last year, the wrestler turned actor spoke on WIRED’s YouTube channel. Speaking on the channel he explained he hated the name that was given to him. He wanted to create his own identity and his own space. One of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, The Rock said that even though he is very proud of his father and his grandfather and the place he comes from but still he wanted his own space.
“I still wanted my own space, so I said ‘I hate it,’ said the wrestler.
The actor with a net worth of $800million also said that the WWE chief revealed his in-ring. The wrestler had no choice but to accept it. Johnson said that he accepted it but that name did not stick. The wrestler, later on, the show revealed that it was WWE hall of fame Pat Patterson who introduced him to his all famous name, ‘The Rock.’
Dwayne said that when he started playing the character of the bad guy it was then he was introduced to the new name that has been with him since then. Rock said that he considered Patterson as his father figure. The wrestler later said that he lost his father and his father figure both at the same time the last year.
The wrestler remembered the conversation between him and Pat and said,
“He said: ‘Why don’t we call you The Rock?’ And I said, ‘I love it.’
“He goes, ‘Okay, you’re The Rock.’ That was it.”
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