Before becoming an action superstar in Hollywood, Dwayne Johnson made his name in the WWE circuit and went on to become one of the iconic wrestlers of the league. Over the years, The Rock has locked horns with many legendary fighters and has come out on top numerous times to be crowned WWE champion.
Among Johnson’s memorable rivals, another wrestler-turned-actor, John Cena and Philip Jack Brooks, aka CM Punk, have given him a run for his money multiple times. But The Scorpion King actor named WWE legend and mentor Brooklyn Brawler as the toughest opponent he has ever faced to date.
Dwayne Johnson Rates Brooklyn Brawler As His Most Difficult WWE Opponent
It is common knowledge that Dwayne Johnson is a bonafide superstar in Hollywood. The actor, though, became an icon much before his acting career when he stepped into the WWE back in 1996. Over the years, the Black Adam star carved a unique niche for himself and became a cult figure after winning multiple championships by overcoming some of the toughest rivals.
Among his opponents, John Cena and Philip Jack Brooks, aka CM Punk, have given Johnson a run for his money. In fact, the Jumanji 2 actor’s fierce rivalry with CM Punk is one for the record books as reported in an article in The Sportster.
Brooks ignited the fire in 2011 by insinuating that The Rock was a product of Vince MacMahon’s favoritism and scathingly called his arms ‘too short to box with God’. Johnson gave a fitting reply by defeating Punk in 2013 for the WWE title, which was marked by a lot of controversy.
While spectators may think that this was the most challenging rivalry of the DC alum’s career, the actor confessed that it was not so. In a rapid-fire session with ESPN, the celebrity revealed that his toughest opponent was none other than the WWE legend Steve Lombardi, aka Brooklyn Brawler.
Incidentally, it was Lombardi who initiated The Rock into the field after he beat the WWE icon in a fight in Texas in his first ever match. The legend went down memory lane in an interview during The Gathering Wrestling Convention (via Sportskeeda) and revealed the respect that Johnson had for him and for his words of advice. Quoting the actor, he said,
“Later in his book, he wrote: ‘I was blessed enough to have Steve Lombardi in my very first match. He didn’t know that I went in the corner and wrote every word he said down on a napkin and I memorized it.’ We went in the ring and he hit every high spot, every move, everything.”
It is no surprise then that Johnson rates Lombardi as the toughest opponent he has faced judging by the huge influence he has had in his professional sporting career.
Dwayne Johnson’s Rivalry With John Cena Is One For The Books
While Dwayne Johnson may have named Brooklyn Brawler as his most challenging rival, it is well known that his matchups with John Cena inside and outside the WWE ring are legendary. Johnson has spoken candidly about his duels with his fellow DC alum on many occasions in his public appearances.
Both stars who gave the WWE its name and fame were part of some intense duels that led to a rivalry in real life between them. Johnson revealed the inside details of his history with Cena on The Late Show with Jimmy Kimmel and said,
“We had a great rivalry. In the world of wrestling, its fictionalized, its a show, but here’s the thing. Our rivalry was, it was so real. We had real problems with each other”.
The action star also added that this fiery competition between the two celebrities developed later into a mutual respect and admiration for each other and their work. The Rock spoke fondly of his colleague Cena, saying that they were now the best of friends and that he was always rooting for him to win.
