Since an early age, Dwayne The Rock Johnsons life has revolved around sports entertainment. Growing up with fierce competitors on all branches of his family tree, his earliest memories include watching matches with wide-eyed amazement at the famed Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas, and rubbing elbows with future WWE Hall of Famers. As he grew from a shy youngster to a prime athletic specimen, it was clear his natural gifts and the warrior blood of his ancestors would propel him to greatness. Still, few could have envisioned the incredible heights that his epic journey would take him to, and his relentless pursuit to conquer the entertainment world. From the football gridiron, to the WWE canvas, to the silver screens of Hollywood, this is THE WORLD OF THE ROCK.
The Rock heaves his biggest foe, Stone Cold Steve Austin, into a Rock Bottom ( WrestleMania XV , March 28, 1999).
THE ROCK 101
WHAT EVERY FAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DWAYNE THE ROCK JOHNSON
FAMILY
Sports entertainment is a way of life for The Rocks extended family as well. His family tree includes several prominent names such as WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi and WWEs current Top Dog Roman Reigns.
MOVIES
The Most Electrifying Man in all of Entertainment is no exaggeration. With starring roles in nearly 40 movies, The Rock has transcended WWE to etch his name among the Hollywood elite.
RIVALRIES
No stranger to fierce rivalries, The Rock has tangled with Triple H, Mankind, Undertaker, and John Cena on his way to the top. However, no one has tested his mettle like Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Austin/Rock rivalry helped define The Attitude Era in WWE and headlined WrestleMania three times.
NICKNAMES
With many talents comes many nicknames. The Rock is often referred to as The Brahma Bull, The Great One, The Peoples Champion, and The Most Electrifying Man in All of Entertainment.
REIGNS
The Rock is an eight-time WWE Champion, having achieved the fourth most reigns of all time.
LEGACY
The Rock is the first third-generation Superstar in WWE history. Both his father, Rocky Johnson, and his maternal grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, are WWE Hall of Famers.
TRAINING
The Rocks daily fitness regimen is not for jabronis. It takes intense commitment to training and nutrition to have a physique as hard as, well, a rock.
SMACK TALK
The Great One lays the SmackDown both in the ring and on the microphone. His stinging putdowns and legendary catchphrases excite and de light the WWE Universe. Whether competing as an honorable hero or a rule-breaking villain, his undeniable charisma has made The Rock one of WWEs most popular stars.
THE MAIVIA/JOHNSON FAMILY
THE NAMES ANOAI and Johnson are among the most revered in sports entertainment history. The family legacy began in the South Pacific island of American Samoa, where The Rocks grandfather, Peter Maivia, was born in the 1930s. While building a ring resume that would one day land him in the WWE Hall of Fame, Maivia teamed with another future legend, Rocky Johnson, who became his son-in-law and father to his electrifying grandson, Dwayne. For an unprecedented three generations, the men and women of the Maivia/Johnson family have built a legacy in WWE, one that is poised to continue for years to come.
HIGH CHIEF PETER MAIVIA
The High Chief shows off his incredible physique, made more imposing by a canopy of tribal tattoos.
Peter Maivia began competing in the early 1960s. By the turn of the next decade, he had earned a reputation as one of the toughest men to step into the ring. Considered a Samoan High Chief in his home country, The Rocks grandfather chose the name High Chief Peter Maivia as his ring name. In keeping with Samoan traditions, the High Chiefs legs and abdomen were blanketed with tattoos. This impressive body ink indicated his rank and also added to his allure with fans. The Rock later carried on this tradition, displaying similar designs on his arms, shoulders, and chest.
Peter Maivia won championships in the South Pacific and Hawaii before arriving in the U.S. in 1970. Maivia soon earned more accolades, both in singles and tag team competition. He partnered with San Francisco legend Pat Pattersonwho would later help recruit The Rock to WWEto capture the NWA Tag Team Championship. WWE founder Vincent J. McMahon brought Maivia to WWE during the late 1970s. McMahons son, current WWE Chairman Vincent K. McMahon, remembers the High Chief as a tough S.O.B. and someone that was not to be messed with, while being a genuine and likable man away from the ring.