The Rock

Dwayne Douglas Johnson is an American actor, businessman, producer, and former professional wrestler. In the pro-wrestling circuits, he is best known for his time with WWE as The Rock. He is one of the world's highest-grossing and highest-paid actors. In 2024, he was added to TKO's Board of Directors. TKO is the holding company that owns both UFC and WWE. As a long time agent of Endeavour, The Rock represents Endeavour in TKO while also holding deals with WWE.

Early Life

Dwayne Johnson was born on May 2, 1972, in Hayward, California. He had quite a busy childhood, moving around a lot with his family while his father pursued his professional wrestling career. Johnson's background is diverse, with Black Nova Scotian and Irish ancestry on his father's side and Samoan heritage on his mother's. He comes from a wrestling dynasty, with both his father and grandfather being successful in the ring.

Despite a troubled early life, Johnson found purpose and direction through football. Coach Jody Cwik saw his athletic potential and encouraged him to join the team. Football became a turning point for Johnson, helping him focus on goals and achieve success. His dedication led to a full scholarship offer from the University of Miami. While football became his focus, Johnson also participated in track and field and wrestling during his high school years. This well-rounded athletic background and his family's wrestling legacy likely shaped his future path toward becoming a world-renowned entertainer and action hero.

Professional Wrestling Career

WWF

Debut, Intercontinental Champion and Nation of Domination (1996-1998)

Johnson made his debut at Survivor Series as Rocky Maivia. At the event, he became the sole survivor of his team. On RAW, he defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley for the Intercontinental Championship. He successfully defended his Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania against The Sultan. The fans were not happy about his push and rejected him. They chanted "die, Rocky, die" and "Rocky sucks" during his matches.

After losing the title to Owen Hart and suffering an injury, Johnson took some time off. He returned in August 1997 and turned heel. He lashed out at fans who booed him before his injury. Johnson changed his name to The Rock and joined forces with Faarooq, D'Lo Brown, and Kama to create the Nation of Domination.

The Rock began his rivalry with Stone Cold and Ken Shamrock, where he began his second reign as the Intercontinental Champion. After retaining the title at Mania, The Rock overthrew Farooq and became the leader. The stable was called The Nation from now on. The Nation feuded with DX. At SummerSlam, The Rock lost the title to Triple H in a ladder match.

WWF Champion (1998-2000)

At Survivor Series 1998, The Rock won the vacant WWF Championship by aligning with Vince and Shane McMahon. The Rock joined The Corporation and feuded with Mankind for the championship. The Rock lost the title to Mankind on RAW and won it back at Royal Rumble in an "I Quit" match. During an episode of Sunday Night Heat, Mankind won the title. However, at St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House, The Rock won the title back from Mankind in a ladder match. The Rock defended his championship against Stone Cold at WrestleMania XV and lost.

The Rock's popularity continued to grow even as a heel. After WrestleMania, The Rock was fired from The Corporation and started a feud with stablemates Triple H and The Undertaker. At SummerSlam, he defeated Billy Gunn in a kiss my ass match. After SummerSlam, The Rock teamed up with the former rival, Mankind, and formed Rock n Sock Connection.

The team won their first WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating The Undertaker and Big Show. The team performed hilarious skits together, and the highlight was "This Is Your Life". The team won the tag titles three times in two months. At Royal Rumble 2000, The Rock won controversially. The Rock faced Mankind, Big Show, and WWF Champion Triple H at WrestleMania and lost.

World Championships (2000-2002)

At Backlash, he defeated Triple H to win his fourth world championship. After losing the title at Judgement Day, he won the WWF Championship for the fifth time at King of the Ring. At No Mercy, The Rock lost the title to Kurt Angle. He feuded with Rikishi and faced him at Survivor Series where he won. In November, The Rock and the Undertaker defeated Edge and Christian to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. They lost it 4 days later on SmackDown.

In 2001, The Rock continued his feud with Kurt Angle where he captured his sixth WWF Championship at No Way Out. The Rock began his iconic rivalry with Stone Cold, which accumulated at WrestleMania. At WrestleMania XVII, Stone Cold defeated The Rock and aligned with Vince McMahon. They indefinitely suspended the Rock in the storyline to shoot for the movie, Scorpion King.

In July, The Rock returned and joined Team WWF. At SummerSlam, The Rock defeated Booker T to win his first WCW World Heavyweight Championship. At No Mercy, he lost the title to Chris Jericho. On RAW, he defeated Jericho to win his second WCW World Heavyweight Championship. At Vengeance, The Rock lost the title to Jericho. At Royal Rumble, The Rock lost to Jericho to win the Undisputed WWF Championship.

At WrestleMania X8, The Rock defeated Hollywood Hulk Hogan. During the first-ever brand extension, The Rock was the number one pick for SmackDown. At Vengeance, he defeated Kurt Angle and the undertaker to win the Undisputed WWF Championship. At SummerSlam, The Rock dropped the title to Brock Lesnar.

Final Feuds (2003-2004)

The Rock returned in 2003 as a heel and defeated Hogan in a rematch at No Way Out. He faced Austin for the third time at WrestleMania and won. This was Austin's last match with the company. The night after WrestleMania, a debuting Goldberg attacked The Rock. At Backlash, Goldberg defeated The Rock.

In 2004, The Rock returned to aid Mick Foley against Evolution. At WrestleMania, Evolution defeated The Rock n Sock Connection in a 2 on 3 handicap match. The Rock made sporadic appearances with the company and left wrestling on a full-time basis due to his acting career.

Independent Circuits

The Rock appeared on Impact Wrestling to induct Ken Shamrock into their Hall of Fame. He appeared at World Xtreme Wrestling to support Tamina Snuka.

Return to WWE and John Cena (2011-2013)

In 2011, The Rock returned to WWE to host the upcoming WrestleMania. He was heavily involved in a storyline featuring John Cena and The Miz. At WrestleMania XXVII, The Miz defeated John Cena to retain his WWE Championship after The Rock hit Cena with a rock bottom. It marked the beginning of their storyline. Cena challenged The Rock to a match at next year's WrestleMania, which The Rock accepted.

At Survivor Series, Cena and The Rock defeated Awesome Truth. After the match, The Rock hit Cena with a rock bottom. At WrestleMania XXVIII, The Rock defeated John Cena. At RAW 1000, The Rock announced his return to Royal Rumble and challenge the WWE Champion. CM Punk turned heel and attacked The Rock. At Royal Rumble, The Rock ended CM Punk's 434-day reign as WWE Champion. He defeated Punk at Elimination Chamber. On RAW, Cena challenged The Rock for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. At WrestleMania XXIX, John Cena defeated The Rock to win the WWE Championship.

Sporadic Appearances (2013-Present)

The Rock has appeared on RAW, SmackDown, Royal Rumble, and WrestleMania throughout the years. Most recently, The Rock returned to WWE on the September 15, 2023 episode of SmackDown. He came to the ring to thunderous pops and layeth the SmackDown on Austin Theory.

Prospective Feud against Roman Reigns (2024)

On the January 1 special episode of Monday Night RAW known as Day 1, there were rumors of a former WWE Champion making a return. On the night, Jinder Mahal came out to reveal himself as the former champion and then went on to give a speech before being interrupted by The Rock. The Brahma Bull layeth the SmackDown on Mahal and then asked for suggestions from fans as to where he should eat. He then asked whether he should sit at The Head of the Table, teasing a feud against the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and his cousin Roman Reigns.

The Rock's Wife

The Rock is married to Lauren Hashian since 2019. Hashian was born on September 8, 1984 in Lynnfield, Massachusetts. Lauren Hashian is a singer, songwriter, and music producer who started young, turning her college dorm into a music studio at 19. Inspired by her drummer father (of Boston fame), she's been involved in music since middle school. Despite her musical talent, she values privacy and focuses on raising her children while her husband, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, navigates the spotlight.

Before Hashian, The Rock was first married to Danny Garcia whom he met in college. They had a daughter, Simone, before amicably divorcing in 2007. Despite the split, they remain friendly and Garcia even manages The Rock's career. Simone has followed in her father's footsteps, signing with WWE to train as a wrestler.

The Rock parents

The Rock's Father

Dwayne Johnson is the son of Rocky Johnson. Born Wayde Douglas Bowles, Johnson was a Canadian professional wrestler who achieved great success both in the ring and as a trainer. He was born in Amherst, Nova Scotia in 1944 and began his wrestling career at the age of 16. Johnson won numerous titles throughout his career, including the Georgia Heavyweight Championship and the World Tag Team Championship (with Tony Atlas, making them the first black champions in WWE history). He was also a trainer for Ohio Valley Wrestling and helped launch the careers of many future stars. Johnson passed away in 2020 at the age of 75.

The Rock's Mother

The Rock's mother is Ata Johnson, the wife of Rocky Johnson. She was born on October 25, 1948, in Hawaii, USA. Just like her husband, Ata too was quite interested in professional wrestling. She is the daughter of Peter Maivia, a legendary professional wrestler. Dwayne Johnson used the first name of his father Rocky and the surname of his maternal grandfather Maivia to create his first wrestling name, Peter Maivia.

The Rock's Family

The Rock is a crucial member of the Anoa'i wrestling family, which is one of the most decorated families in not only WWE, but all of pro-wrestling and combat sports. From the likes of Rikishi and Yokozuna to Roman Reigns and The Usos, The Anoa'i Family has given some of the most talented names to squared circle. Click here to read more about The Rock's family.

The Rock's Net Worth

As per various sources, The Rock is worth around $800 Million as of 2024. Click here to learn about the net worth of The Brahma Bull in detail.

The Rock's Movies and TV Shows

The Rock's Championships and Accomplishments