Dwayne Johnson, one of the world’s highest-paid actors, was recently invited to The Joe Rogan Experience. In the episode, The Rock talked about his business venture, the rumors surrounding his presidential candidacy, and his time spent in the wrestling industry.
As everyone knows, he made a smooth transition from the professional wrestling industry to Hollywood after a few years. Even though his physical attributes made him a global celebrity, Vince McMahon saw something else as the actor’s most valuable quality. The Rock discussed the advice that his former boss gave him during one of the segments, saying that McMahon wanted Johnson to understand the pro wrestling industry.
Johnson was about to leave his office when McMahon interrupted, warning him against shaving his face with razor blades while wrestling. Back then, wrestlers used to actually slit their foreheads with razor blades to cause bleeding during matches.
Vince McMahon’s Very First Advice For Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson is a well-known figure in the professional wrestling business. He has won multiple championships during his illustrious career, including those of the WWE, Tag Team, and Intercontinental. However, over the past few years, the actor has been focusing more on his Hollywood career and has only made a few appearances in WWE.
Still, he disclosed specifics from a backstage discussion he had with Vince McMahon, co-founder of the modern WWE, while he was on The Joe Rogan Experience. After The Rock’s second-ever match for the WWE, McMahon sent him to Tennessee for development, telling him he was not ready for the big stage:
“[After my second match] I met with Vince. He said, you’re not ready for WWE, you’re not ready for the big time. I’m going to send you down to Tennessee, and that’s where you’re going to learn how to work. He said, but you’re going to go down there, you learn how to cut your teeth down there, learn how to work, learn the business and when you’re ready, if you’re ready, I’ll bring you up.”
During their meeting, McMahon, who was renowned for his sharp business sense, also gave the actor some other life-changing advice that had a lasting effect on his career.
Vince McMahon Wanted To ‘Protect’ The Black Adam Star
In addition, Dwayne Johnson stated that 78-year-old Vince McMahon stopped him as he was leaving his office and warned The Rock not to use razor blades on his face while wrestling. Take note that at the time, wrestlers used that technique in the ring to sever their foreheads with razor blades. To quote the actor:
“As I’m leaving Vince McMahon’s office, he says, ‘Hey, kid…. don’t go down to Memphis and cut your forehead up with razor blades’. I went, okay got it. Because in wrestling there was a time, that’s how you bled with razor blades. He [McMahon] goes, I want to protect this [The Rock’s face]. All right then! Years later, I’m fu**ing doing this up in WWE.”
Johnson, who started as a WWE wrestler before moving to Hollywood to further his career, views McMahon as a father figure and one of his best business mentors. He once posted the following on social media:
@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
Not only does Johnson acknowledge McMahon as a father figure, but so do Drew McIntyre, Kurt Angle, and John Cena.
Previously, McMahon ran WWE for 40 years as chairman, CEO, and majority shareholder. He is also the owner and creator of Alpha Entertainment, a company he founded in 2017 to oversee the XFL, the American Football League’s 2020 revival.
