Today, the world might know him as one of the biggest and most popular film stars in the world, one of the richest actors in history, or one of the highest-grossing actors across the globe, most may remember and love Dwayne Johnson for his in-ring persona as The Rock in the WWE. Widely considered to be the backbone of the brand’s Attitude Era, the star was an integral part of the success of professional wrestling as a whole.
But unlike his acting career, he wasn’t the one who had to trailblaze alone in the sport of professional wrestling as both his father and maternal grandfather were seasoned fighters in the ring for the WWE. In fact, if it wouldn’t have been for the guidance of Rocky Johnson and Peter Maivia, there may have been a Rock in the ring and no Johnson on the big screen.
How Dwayne Johnson Was Made Into The Rock By His Father and Grandfather
The story of Dwayne Johnson is one that’s filled with hopes, aspirations, and an insatiable hunger for success at any outlet he was to become part of. The star was born on May 2nd, 1972, to WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson and Ata Fitisemanu Maivia after Johnson became romantically involved with her while married to his first wife Una Sparks.
Rocky Johnson met Ata Mavia when he was on a tag team on an independent circuit with his son’s maternal grandfather and another WWE Hall of Famer Peter Maivia.
But unlike his father and grandfather, Johnson didn’t dream about becoming a star in the pro wrestling scene. Instead, he initially had the NFL as his first pick to make it big in a sport. Unfortunately, he was unable to make it big in American football, which is the reason why his father struck a deal with the WWF (now WWE) to draft him into the roster of superstars and divas employed by the brand.
When it was time to introduce him to the WWF Universe back in the day, Vince McMahon and Jim Ross encouraged him to take on the ring name of Rocky Maivia, a combination of his father’s and maternal grandfather’s names, which also made it easier to market him with the moniker of the first third-generation superstar in the sport and in the brand. His name was later changed to The Rock because it was hard for others to address his father and him by the same name.
Later, he would go on to headline several main events for pay-per-view shows, including the prestigious WrestleMania, where he once received the help of his father Rocky Johnson in WrestleMania XIII in the ring.
What Is The Legacy of Peter Maivia And Rocky Johnson
When we talk about the all-time greats, we cannot help but talk about how Peter Maivia had a lasting impact on the world of professional wrestling. Known as the Flyinʻ Hawaiian back in the day, the strength and high-flying nature of his wrestling style made him a unique fighter in the sport, while his ‘High Tribal Chief’ made him an instant hit among local and international wrestling circuits.
The wrestler won several championships in New Zealand and Australia in the major professional wrestling labels until he returned to the United States. He was also part of the iconic Anoaʻi family of professional wrestlers.
Dwayne Johnson’s father, Rocky Johnson was an established and revered man in the sport of professional wrestling, who had also trained to be a boxer in the past, even sparring with legends such as Muhammad Ali and Geroge Foreman in their glory days. He transitioned into pro wrestling because he was more interested in this sport. And when he did, he set up records in it, becoming the first Black tag team champion with his partner Tony Atlas in WWE history.
The fighter had also won the NWA Television Championship two times in his career along with becoming the Georgia Heavyweight Championship.
