Whether you’re a pro wrestling fan or not, there’s a chance you know who “The Rock” is. Dwayne Johnson has become an electrifying figure in and out of the ring due to his charisma, savvy social media skills, and intense film choices.
Johnson was born into the Anoa'i wrestling family. His father was Rocky Johnson, the first African American champion in WWE history (along with Tony Atlas). His mother's father was Peter Maivia, also a wrestler.
After playing football for the University of Miami and attempting to join the Canadian Football League, Johnson joined the world of pro wrestling.
Signed by WWE in 1996, Johnson got the name Rocky Maivia, a combination of his father's and grandfather's names. A clean-cut babyface, Johnson's initial run did not have much fanfare, with crowds chanting “Die, Rocky, die" and "Rocky sucks.”
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Johnson knew he had to adapt.
A knee injury around 1997 resulted in a new plan and name that helped him take over the sports entertainment world.
The Rock nickname, explained: The real story behind the WWE star's name
When he returned from injury in 1997, Maivia turned heel and joined The Nation of Domination. He refused to acknowledge the “Rocky Maivia” name and started referring to himself in the third person as “The Rock.”
Per WWE, the name came from his father, Rocky Johnson. In an interview with WIRED, The Rock discussed how the name came to fruition, referencing his history with WWE Hall of Famer and legend the late Pat Patterson.
“I used to throw around 300-pound men for a living and get my a-- kicked. And then my original wrestling name was Rocky Maivia, which was a combination of my dad's first name and my grandfather's last name because both of them were pro wrestlers,” The Rock said. “So my name became Rocky Maivia, and when it was first pitched to me from Vince McMahon, he said, 'I got your name, and I want it to be Rocky Maivia. What do you think?’ I say I hate it.
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"The lineage I had gave me the opportunity to at least knock on the door. I wanted my own identity. I wanted my own space.
"While I was very proud to come from who I came from with my dad and grandfather... I still wanted my own space. So I embraced it, and I did it. That name did not stick.
"And eventually, when I became a bad guy, it got truncated down to The Rock. A guy who was my father figure, Pat Patterson… He said, 'What if we called you The Rock?' I said I loved it. And he goes, ‘Ok, you’re The Rock.'"
That simple name change moved Johnson from a promising young talent to a global entertainment icon.