Dwayne Johnson has a glorious professional wrestling career at hand. Best known for his work in the Hollywood industry, he got the first kick of his career in WWE. The credit for turning Dwayne Johnson into a global megastar goes to former WWE CEO Vince McMahon.
Dwayne Johnson was recently present on Joe Rogan’s podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience. Speaking of his WWE journey, Johnson recalled his debut inside the squared circle. Entering as Rocky Maivia, Dwayne was a part of the team that went all in for a 4 on 4 Survivor Series elimination match.
WWE’s 1996 Survivor Series took place at Madison Square Garden, giving The Rock the best shot at building his career. “I’m throwing you right into the fire. You either gonna f*cking sink or you gonna swim! It’s New York City; it’s up to you,” said DJ, recalling Vince McMahon’s statements.
Hardly an hour before the match, Vince McMahon informed The Rock that he was going to win it all. Unable to believe it, he went ahead with the plan. With Jake Roberts, Marc Mero and The Stalker on his side, Dwayne became the highlight of the night after he pinned Goldust. As a result, he was able to establish a strong first foot in the promotion.
Vince McMahon wanted to protect Dwayne Johnson from the cruelties of the wrestling business
It is now clear that Vince McMahon saw a lot of potential in Dwayne Johnson and helped him achieve stardom. Apart from this, he also wanted to keep Dwayne away from the cruelties of the wrestling business. After his second match in WWE, Vince told him that he wasn’t yet ready for the promotion. “I’m going to send you down to Tennessee, and that’s where you’re going to learn how to work,” Vince would tell The Rock.
@VinceMcMahon was one of my greatest business mentors and a father figure. Not always the relationship one would want with their boss but the convergence of our lives made it to be. We laugh when we get together because we always pick right back up where we left off. #YoungRock https://t.co/qqeJJ4JZDd
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) March 3, 2021
McMahon also promised the Black Adam star that he would get him back to the business when he felt that he was ready for it. However, as Dwayne was about to leave McMahon’s office, Vince gave him some advice. “Hey by the way, don’t go down there and cut your forehead up with razor blades.” Pointing at his face, Dwayne Johnson revealed that Vince was very particular about protecting his face from any cuts.
In a nutshell, Vince McMahon saw what many others couldn’t in Dwayne Johnson. With his consistent hard work and Vince’s trust, The Rock went ahead to become one of the biggest stars inside the WWE ring. This in turn earned him a career outside of the ring and he became the face of Hollywood soon after.