-
The Rock
- Birthdate:
- 1972-05-02
- Birthplace:
- Hayward, California, USA
- Birthname:
- Dwayne Douglas Johnson
- Height:
- 6 feet 5 inches
- Weight:
- 275 lbs
- Debut:
- 1996-03-10
- Championships Held:
- WWE Championship (x8), WCW Championship (x2), Intercontinental Championship (x2), World Tag Team Championship (x5)
- Finisher:
- Rock Bottom, People’s Elbow
- Twitter:
- https://twitter.com/TheRock
- Notable Rivals:
- “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple H, Chris Jericho, John Cena
- Instagram:
- https://www.instagram.com/therock/?hl=en
- Eye Color:
- Brown
- Hair Color:
- None
WrestleMania 40 was a significant event in WWE history, marking the official beginning of a new era, with Cody Rhodes capturing the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship by defeating Roman Reigns. However, the road to this showdown was filled with twists and turns, particularly regarding the involvement of The Rock.
While there were never serious rumblings of discontent regarding The Rock’s return, his claims about revitalizing WWE’s appeal and making it “cool again” reportedly rubbed some people the wrong way.
Did The Rock Make Wrestling Cool Again?
Initially, a match between Roman Reigns and The Rock was being considered for the main event, which would have been a massive draw for both wrestling fans and mainstream audiences alike. However, The Rock surprised everyone by aligning himself with Reigns during the WrestleMania 40 Kickoff Show in February. This unexpected alliance reshaped the landscape of the event, setting the stage for Rhodes to step into the spotlight as Reigns’ challenger.
WWE Shoots Down Rumors Regarding The Rock’s Unprofessionalism at WrestleMania 40
Rumors that The Rock was constantly late on movie sets and for WrestleMania 40 have been refuted. So has a really gross story about his conduct.
Dave Meltzer shared some insights on the Wrestling Observer Radio, explaining how there was some discontent among WWE employees regarding The Rock’s initial creative direction.
“There were definitely people who did not want the Roman Reigns and The Rock match. There was a lot of manipulation going on that a lot of people aren’t aware of.”
A few individuals within the company felt that The Rock was taking undue credit for the resurgence of wrestling’s popularity, particularly given WWE’s successful year leading up to his comeback. While there was acknowledgment of his undeniable impact on viewership and interest in WWE programming, there was also a sense of resentment. Meltzer continued:
“No one can say anything bad about him publicly but there are people who are very resentful of him going like ‘I came back and wrestling is cool’ after WWE had a tremendous year, and the idea that he’s kinda trying to take credit for this resurgence that happened a year before he came back.
Even people who were very negative on him readily admit that when he came in it made the brand more popular, he drove TV ratings to a great degree, he helped drive this WrestleMania to be the biggest two-day WrestleMania there’s been.”
The Rock’s persona leading up to WrestleMania 40 further fueled the debate. Adopting a heel character and dubbing himself “The Final Boss,” he unabashedly took credit for WWE’s success, often gloating about his influence on the product.
Ultimately, while The Rock’s claims may have rubbed some within WWE the wrong way, the consensus remains that his involvement significantly elevated the company’s profile and profitability. His impact on WWE’s success is undeniable, reaffirming his status as one of the most influential figures in the history of professional wrestling.
