Early Life
Dwayne Johnson was born in Hayward, California, on May 2, 1972. He is the son of professional wrestler Rocky Johnson. His mother’s side also has a rich connection to the wrestling business that links Dwayne to the notorious Anoa’i dynasty, if not through blood than through bond.
Dwayne had a tumultuous upbringing surrounded by violence and crime. By the time he was 17 years old, Dwayne had multiple run-ins with the police and had been suspended from school for fighting with classmates. Fortunately, high school football provided Dwayne with an outlet and a source of aspirations. After playing football for the University of Miami on a scholarship, Dwayne tried his hand at the family business.
Intercontinental Champion
Dwayne began training to be a professional wrestler in 1996, and had his first match at that year’s Survivor Series on November 17, under the ring name Rocky Maivia. The following February, Rocky defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley to become the WWE Intercontinental Champion.
Despite Rocky having immense backstage support from stars like Bret Hart, fans soon grew tired of Rocky’s babyface act. They began to reject him altogether and became increasingly hostile toward him during his matches. This rejection would later fuel one of the most pivotal heel turns in WWE history.
The Nation Of Domination
In August 1997, Rocky turned heel and joined the Nation of Domination alongside Faarooq, D’Lo Brown, and Kama. He lashed out and berated the fans who had rejected him, along with insulting the WWE as a whole. He also dropped his ring name and began referring to himself simply as The Rock.
Ironically enough, it was after The Rock turned his back on the WWE that they began fawning over him. He became so popular, in fact, that WWE decided to turn him babyface again in 1998. He won his first WWE Championship later that year on November 15 at Survivor Series.
The Rise Of The People’s Champion
Over the next few years, The Rock reached unprecedented levels of star power in pro wrestling. He held the WWE universe in the palm of his hand, making them hang off his every word when he was in the ring. Even his wrestling maneuvers became iconic, particularly his notorious “People’s Elbow.” He became so influential, in fact, that WWE named an entire show after one of his catchphrases: Smackdown.
In 1999, The Rock began teaming with his old rival, Mankind. The two of them, dubbed the Rock n’ Sock Connection, became an immensely popular tag team and went on to become three-time WWE Tag Team Champions. The Rock also won the 2000 Royal Rumble and became an eight-time WWE Champion over the course of his wrestling career.
The Rock Goes Hollywood
In the early 2000s, The Rock’s acting career began to take off. He made his film debut in The Mummy Returns (2001) as The Scorpion King and then starred in a spin-off film named after his character. Numerous other acting opportunities would soon follow, catapulting The Rock into the stratosphere and making him a household name.
Unfortunately, The Rock’s success in Hollywood means he has much less time for the WWE. Still, he continues to make time for the WWE and has come back sporadically to feud with stars like Hulk Hogan and John Cena.
