Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson is teasing that 2022 could be the year he launches his biggest venture yet. While he’s not ready quite yet to announce what it is, he recently revealed in an interview with CNBC that he’s very excited about it.

“I’ll be entering a new industry I’m passionate about in 2022. 2 1/2 years of organizing around this launch with a smart, hungry, credentialed in the streets team. Could be my biggest yet, and I think you guys are gonna love it,” The Rock Tweeted.

CNBC also posted a clip of the Rock teasing the new venture during a recent interview. In the interview, he said that he’s entering a new industry and this venture could be his biggest one yet.

“As far as for 2022, I’m excited about 2022. I think we have some great partnerships, some great alignments. In the world of movies, we have Black Adam coming out, we have Super Pets coming out.

We have one venture, a new venture, I’m entering into a new industry, I won’t say what it is, but when we do I’ll come back and talk to you guys about it. It could be quite possibly my biggest one yet.”

Watch The Rock’s video message from CNBC here:

Bret Hart was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame on Friday evening, and the ceremony featured a specially recorded video from an old friend of Hart’s — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

The Rock wasn’t the only name from the wrestling world making an appearance for Hart’s big night. Chris Jericho delivered the induction speech for the Hitman. And while Johnson’s video is not yet available online, we do have a screencap.

“Thank you to @therock for making a special appearance to honour @BretHart during our Celebrating Greatness: @CWOFame 2021 broadcast special featuring all of our 2021 Inductees & Honourees!” wrote Canada’s Walk of Fame on Twitter.

The Rock replied with a heartfelt message about Bret Hart’s impact on his career.

“My pleasure,” he wrote. “Bret Hart was a mentor to me when he didn’t have to be and in our wild and intense world of pro wrestling, there weren’t many “mentorship programs” back then. He gave me guidance and I’ll always be grateful. Congrats my friend on your incredible accomplishment.”

Bret Hart closed his speech by saying, “Most of all, thank you to all my fans around the world and across the country. I’m a proud Canadian and thank you for letting me be your hero.”

Bret Hart posted this photo and heartfelt message on Instagram about his induction and the people who paved the way for him:

The Rock & Bret Hart’s 25-Year Friendship

Johnson has always went out of his way to mention the respect he has for Hart. When the Hollywood icon joined WWE as Rocky Maivia in late 1996, Hart was reportedly one of the nicest veterans to the young star. Johnson has shared memories before about how Hart would go out of his way to sit by him on bus trips overseas.

“I’m always happy to shine light on those who impacted my life early in my pro wrestling career. Bret Hart treated me so good, took me under his wing and gave me great advice. Respect the business, save your money and never let those assholes bring you down. The rest is history,” Johnson wrote on Twitter earlier this year.

One famous story was when Hart and Johnson wrestled on Monday Night Raw (March 31, 1997), and Hart refused to beat the rising star even though that was what was originally booked. Both Triple H and Shawn Michaels were reportedly very upset that Hart had the finish changed.

It’s always good to see one of the biggest movie stars in the world remember his roots in professional wrestling and the people who helped him long before he became an icon.

• Dwayne Johnson Shares Who Is On His ‘Wrestling Mount Rushmore’

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

Kurt Angle liked working with Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock so much that he can’t pick a favorite.

Angle made his climb up the WWE ranks rather quickly. The Olympic gold medalist not only had the in-ring chops but he also had quite the personality. That combination and the ability to adapt led to Angle becoming a Hall of Famer.

Angle found himself feuding with the likes of Stone Cold and The Rock. In fact, Angle’s first WWE Title run came off a victory over The Rock at No Mercy back in 2000.

Kurt Angle Not Picking Favorites

During an episode of The Kurt Angle Show, the WWE and TNA Hall of Famer admitted that he can’t choose who he liked working with more.

“That’s tough, they’re both really good. Austin was more intense, more physical. The Rock was more athletic. So, [there was] a huge difference between the two but they were both very effective. I’d have to say it’s a tie. I can’t pick one or the other.”

Angle has long said that working with Austin, he knew he’d be on the receiving end of some stiff strikes. Angle never took it personally either and actually liked that style because he also likes to be snug with his punches.

As for The Rock, Angle has said he will always hold “The Great One” in high regard. Angle has credited The Rock with helping him early in his career.

Today, Angle, Rock, and Austin are all renowned legends of the pro wrestling world. They have even found themselves on plenty of Mount Rushmore lists.

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The Rock has revealed his childhood friendship with the current WWE president Nick Khan and his sister Nahnatchka.

The great one made an Instagram post earlier today. He recalled the time when his grandmother used to promote local wrestling shows every month in Honolulu, Hawaii.

It was the time when The Rock, Nick Khan, and Nahnatchka were all kids. They used to run around the arena and play with each other.

The former world champion went on to become one of the biggest wrestling stars before joining Hollywood and becoming a globally recognizable movie star.

Nick Khan became the WWE president and Nahnatchka has gone on to become a Hollywood producer, currently working on the Young Rock TV series:

The Rock was rumored to make a Survivor Series appearance to set up a WrestleMania match against the current Universal champion Roman Reigns.

However, the rumors turned out to be false. WWE now seems to be building towards a Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns match for the upcoming edition of the Show Of Shows.

A holiday special of Young Rock is set to air this Wednesday, December 15. Season two of the series will officially kick off on Tuesday, March 15 next year.

• The Rock Given “People’s Champion” Award At The People’s Choice Awards

The Rock is now officially the “People’s Champion” after having been given the very specific award at the People’s Choice awards. He was presented the award on Tuesday night but he would not hold onto it for long.

“His achievements are legend. His work ethic is unparalleled. He transcends all demographics. He is impossible not to like and he can sure put down a lot of pancakes,” Amazon’s Jeff Bezos said while introducing the Rock. “But even with all that, the thing that really stands out the most? He’s kind. … You see, kindness is a choice. And what I admire most in Dwayne is his choice to show unwavering kindness to everyone around him.”

After being given the award, Rock then gave it to a teen girl from the Make-A-Wish program.

“I met her earlier. I told her how inspired I was by her story. She is a survivor, she has fought literally for her life,” Rock said. “She has inspired her family, her friends, now you guys here, now the world that is watching.”

Rock told the girl, “you represent everything that it means to be a people’s champion” and presented her with the award.

Footage of the Rock giving away his People’s Champion award can be viewed in the player below:

Wrestling great turned Hollywood kingpin Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says Ric Flair will always be, “The Man.”

Earlier this week, The Rock named his Mount Rushmore of professional wrestling. The People’s Champ named Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and Ric Flair, with The Undertaker, Pat Patterson and Jackie Fargo in a 3-way tie for the 4th and final spot.

Ric Flair’s public image has taken a beating in recent months ever since the Plane Ride from Hell episode of Dark Side of the Ring. The Rock is a well-respected figure, so an endorsement from him goes a long way.

Flair tweeted a photo of himself with a young Rock from 1984 to show his appreciation. He wrote, “There’s no bigger word in the world than the word respect! You looked up to me as a kid, and I continuously look up to you! WOOOOOO!”

The Rock says he’ll always have respect for Ric Flair, who has been one of his heroes for decades. He added that Flair was “The Man” back in 1984 and always will be.

• Becky Lynch Buries “Sad” Ric Flair

The Rock and Ric Flair crossed paths a few times in WWE, including this rare match from the July 29, 2002 episode of WWE Raw:

The Rock recently responded to a Tweet from FITE.TV asking followers to name their Mt. Rushmore of wrestling. He referred to the question as one of his favorite debates.

The Rock named Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and Ric Flair as his top-3 and then he revealed a 3-way tie for the 4th spot between the Undertaker, Pat Patterson, and Jackie Fargo. He also said that on the back of the mountain is him and Dusty Rhodes dropping devastating elbows.

The Rock Touts Success of Red Notice

The Rock’s latest film, Red Notice, has broken the record as the most-watched film on Netflix. The film also stars Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot.

How much of the film’s success can be attributed to the golden egg angle at Survivor Series and on RAW is unclear. The Rock was originally planned to be at Survivor Series to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his debut. He was unable to be there, however, as the 2nd season of Young Rock is currently filming in Australia. This was addressed recently by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“Dwayne’s out of the country and can’t come back. They’re doing a movie and they can’t go back and forth because of quarantine. There was no way he could be at the show tonight,” said Dave Meltzer.

The Rock continues to have immense success in the world of Hollywood.

“The People’s Champion” stars in a new film called, Red Notice. He is joined by Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot. The movie hasn’t even been out a full month and has already broken a record.

The Rock Helps Red Notice Top Netflix Record

Netflix has announced that Red Notice is the most-watched film in the platform’s history. The Rock took to his Twitter account to express his gratitude.

“I also received confirmation (these metrics take time to be verified from the Wall Street folks) that well over 50% (closer to 60%) of all Netflix accounts have viewed RED NOTICE with an INCREDIBLE 92% AUDIENCE SCORE. THANK U GUYS!!”

Cleopatra’s Egg Used On WWE TV

WWE reportedly made an “insane” amount of money for using “Cleopatra’s Egg” at Survivor Series, which was a Red Notice tie-in. Fightful Select reported that WWE could be receiving seven figures for the deal.

At the Survivor Series PPV, the egg went missing. As it turns out, it was Austin Theory who took the prized possession simply because he wanted to take a selfie with it.

Vince McMahon ended up awarding Austin a title opportunity against WWE Champion Big E at a future date. He also ended up slapping Theory on the Nov. 29 episode of Monday Night Raw.

Fightful Select reported that the initial pitch for the movie tie-in was “much worse” and would’ve involved the WWE 24/7 Championship.

The Undertaker has reflected on the time he was forced to call an audible and give The Rock a big moment.

The Rock and The Undertaker are considered to be all-time greats in the wrestling industry. Undertaker stuck with WWE through the rough times and the glory days. He has helped stars such as The Rock develop over the years.

The Undertaker Calls An Audible

The Undertaker appeared on the LOL Network for Kevin Hart’s Cold as Balls show. During his appearance, Undertaker looked back on having The Rock pin him, which went against what was scripted.

“Way back in the day you could tell he was right there on the threshold and we were in a match on Monday Night Raw, bunch of different things going on.

“It got kinda screwed up and I had to audible. I had to change things. I’m the tenured vet there and I remember telling him I said, ‘Alright, kid. It’s your night,’ and he hit me with the Rock Bottom and beat me.

“It was the right thing to do for business. I told Vince [McMahon] I said, ‘Look, we were in trouble time-wise.’ He said, ‘Anytime, I trust you.'”

We’ve heard numerous stories over the years about how Undertaker was viewed as a locker room leader.

He’s had a strong relationship with Vince McMahon for decades and has helped put over the likes of The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Brock Lesnar when they were emerging.

The Undertaker retired from the wrestling business back in 2020. WWE held a “Final Farewell” for “The Deadman” at last year’s Survivor Series PPV.

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Stephanie McMahon says she has many fond memories of working with the Rock. Recently in an interview with Talk Sport, she noted that perhaps her favourite was at WrestleMania 31 when she performed in a segment with both The Rock and Ronda Rousey.

“I have lots of fun memories on screen with The Rock,” McMahon said. “I think I slapped him the hardest I’ve ever slapped him at WrestleMania 31 at Levi’s Stadium. It was a good one, it was a good one. It felt like I laid it in [laughs]. I was almost like ‘oooh, that was a little too hard!’ But then he brought in Ronda Rousey and ultimately she broke my arm and everything so ultimately, he got back at me.”

“Always fun going back and forth doing promos with The Rock. He always won, of course, but that’s alright,” McMahon continued.

Ronda Rousey recently addressed whether or not she is still under contract with WWE recently. While streaming video games on her Facebook page, someone asked Rousey if she was still under contract with the company. Rousey explained that she doesn’t really know if she is or not.

“I don’t think I am. But who knows? That’s a question for the lawyers,” Rousey said. She would also say that she still keeps in touch with Stephanie McMahon.

H/T to Post Wrestling for transcriptions of Ronda Rousey’s comments.

Survivor Series last night was the 25th Anniversary of the Rock debuting in WWE. Highlights from his career were played throughout the show. There were also mentions of his movie, Red Notice, currently streaming on Netflix. Some people expected the Rock to appear live but according to comments by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, it was not possible for him to be there.

“Dwayne’s out of the country and can’t come back. They’re doing a movie and they can’t go back and forth because of quarantine. There was no way he could be at the show tonight,” said Dave Meltzer.

“He was never advertised, they never told you, it was something that people built up in their imagination,” Meltzer continued.

“If he was advertised and wasn’t there, it’s one thing but he was absolutely not advertised, that’s the thing. There was never a chance he could be there. They never announced ‘oh, he’s in Europe, he can’t be there’ because they never advertised him in the first place.”

While the Rock wasn’t there, Vince McMahon filmed several scenes involving a golden egg that had been given to him by the Rock. This is related to the movie Red Notice. The angle will continue on tonight’s show with wrestlers from both RAW and Smackdown booked for the show.

The Rock has addressed a possible showdown with Roman Reigns.

It’s no secret that The Rock has his hands full. His Hollywood schedule is quite packed and it leaves him with little to no time as far as an in-ring return is concerned. Many believe that if the stars align, then The Rock vs. Roman Reigns would be the biggest WrestleMania match WWE can pull off.

The Rock Talks Roman Reigns Match

During a chat with Andrew Freund of Dish Nation, The Rock dismissed the idea that a Reigns match is a lock, but he didn’t rule it out for the future (via Alex McCarthy).

“There is no truth to that right now, possibly down the road we will see. We stay very close, myself and Roman Reigns, and I’m very happy and very proud of the work that he’s doing.”

It all continues to improve and grow

The Rock also spoke to Comicbook and said that Roman Reigns continues to knock it out of the park on WWE TV.

“It seems like Roman, you know, I’m very close with Roman obviously, and we talk about this all the time, and I continue to encourage him to keep doing your thing, keep sharpening those skills. I think he’s doing a great job with his promo, his execution, his in-ring work. It all continues to improve and grow.”

“The People’s Champion” also said he loves the whole Bloodline era with Reigns and The Usos. He feels Reigns has taken the ball and run with it since being allowed to turn heel.

“Roman Reigns vs. The Rock at WrestleMania” has long been a topic of discussion and speculation. In fact, each man has commented on this prospective match-up numerous times. Here are some additional coverage of this dream match:

• Roman Reigns Tells John Cena and The Rock To ‘Stay Away’ from WWE

• Paul Heyman Says The Rock Contacted WWE For Roman Reigns WrestleMania Match

• Roman Reigns Believes It Makes Sense For Him To Face The Rock At WrestleMania 39 In Hollywood

• Jim Ross Talks Potential Roman Reigns vs. The Rock Match

Do you think we’ll eventually get to see The Rock vs. Roman Reigns?

Following a tragic incident that led to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson has pledged to never use real guns in any of his movies. On October 21st, Hutchins was fatally wounded on the set of the film “Rust” following the discharge of a gun by actor Alec Baldwin.

The Rock recently spoke to Variety at the premiere of his new film, “Red Notice.”

“First of all, I was heartbroken,” Rock said. “We lost a life. My heart goes out to her family and everybody on set. I’ve known Alec, too, for a very long time.”

“I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can tell you, without an absence of clarity here, that any movie that we have moving forward with Seven Bucks Productions — any movie, any television show, or anything we do or produce — we won’t use real guns at all,” Johnson continued.

“We’re going to switch over to rubber guns, and we’re going to take care of it in post,” he said. “We’re not going to worry about the dollars; we won’t worry about what it costs.”

“Any movie we do that Seven Bucks does with any studio, the rule is we’re not going to use real guns. That’s it,” he continued.

In addition to the Rock’s vows, 200 cinematographers have also pledged to never use real guns on set again.

Red Notice will be released on Netflix on November 12th.

Young Rock Christmas Special To Air Next Month

Rock’s NBC series “Young Rock” will have a Christmas special next month. The special is scheduled to air on December 15th. The series follows the Rock during various stages of his life, from adolescence to college. The plot of the show is that the Rock is preparing for a Presidential run in the year 2032 and is telling his life stories to a journalist.

NBC announced news of the special recently.

The Rock making his return at the upcoming Survivor Series PPV to set up a WrestleMania match with Roman Reigns next year is looking less likely by the minute.

Podcaster Andrew Zarian was the first to report that The Rock would be appearing at Survivor Series, which will mark 25 years since his WWE debut in 1996.

To update this situation, The Rock is scheduled to be in Australia at the time of the upcoming show. The Rock could always record a video message to commemorate the occasion, but don’t look for him to be gracing the Barclays Center next month.

The Rock & Roman Reigns

The Rock vs. Roman Reigns has long been talked about as a potential dream match for WWE. There were informal talks about this match taking place at WrestleMania 38, but sources close to the Great One indicate he won’t be wrestling in 2022.

Should this dream match ever happen, it would take place the following year when WrestleMania 39 hits Los Angles.

Roman Reigns is scheduled to face Brock Lesnar later this month at WWE Crown Jewel from Saudi Arabia.

The Rock says that while he doesn’t know anything about politics, he does care about the country and he cares about all his fellow Americans. The great one has been talking about a potential presidential run for a while now. This subject has also been getting a lot of attention from his fans.

The former world champion provided the latest update on his stand during an interview with Vanity Fair. He said that at the end of the day he doesn’t know much about devising a policy but he does care about the people of the country:

“You know, at the end of the day, I don’t know the first thing about politics. I don’t know the first thing about policy. I care deeply about our country. I care about every fucking American who bleeds red, and that’s all of them.

And—there’s no delusion here—I may have some decent leadership qualities, but that doesn’t necessarily make me a great presidential candidate. That’s where I am today,”

Elsewhere, he also gave some idea on his early preparation for the role. The Rock said he has talked to people in politics and done “a small amount of research and analysis to see where this comes from and to see what it could look like in the future.”

Describing the result of his research, the people’s champion said that “indicators are all very positive—in, for example, 2024, and in, for example, 2028.”

The Rock is expected to make a WWE return at Survivor Series. Though his rumored WrestleMania match against Roman Reigns is seeming less likely than before with the company keeping doors open for an alternate match for the head of the table.

Bryan Danielson admits there was a time when he thought The Rock was going to steal his thunder.

WWE fans had enough of Danielson, who was known as Daniel Bryan, being treated as an afterthought. The night after losing the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania back in 2012, Bryan received a huge ovation and for the first time, fans chanted “YES!” in unison.

Fans even chanted “YES!” during one of The Rock’s promos. Speaking to The Miami Herald, Bryan Danielson admitted he was worried that The Rock would take it and run with it as if the catchphrase was his own.

“It was a pretty cool moment. It was interesting because I wasn’t on Raw that night, I was just on the dark match. There was a funny moment where The Rock was out there doing a promo and everybody starts chanting ‘Yes!’ for Daniel Bryan and I said, ‘Oh no,’ because the Rock is so quick-witted. I said, ‘He’s for sure going to turn this around and it’ll become his thing. I’m not gonna have it.’ He came back and said, ‘Hey man, you’re super over out there.’ ‘Oh, yeah, it was really nice.’ He could’ve easily turned it around into a Rock thing and he didn’t, that was very kind of him.”

The fans continued to force their hand and eventually, Danielson got his big moment at WrestleMania 30. He defeated Batista and Randy Orton to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Danielson now competes under the AEW banner. He has said that he won’t be leading the “YES!” chants out of respect for WWE.

John Cena doesn’t believe The Rock owes anyone a return to WWE.

It’s no secret that The Rock has become Hollywood’s biggest star. During his time with WWE, “The People’s Champion” gained immense popularity but few could’ve expected him to explode on the scene the way that he has. It got to the point where some weren’t convinced that he’d ever make a return to WWE.

The Rock ended up returning in 2011 and he served as the WrestleMania 27 host. He ended up facing John Cena at WrestleMania 28 and 29. Along the way, The Rock even captured the WWE Title from CM Punk.

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Cena explained why he won’t be calling his old foe to ask him about returning to WWE.

“He’s earned the right not to be pressured into that choice. I can say he is a fan of the WWE. He is the most electrifying man in sports entertainment. So as a fan do, I want to see one of the greatest performers of all time step back in the WWE ring? Yeah. But in no way am I gonna call him and if I’m gonna talk to him about something, it’s not gonna try to be to get him back in the WWE ring. He needs to come to that conclusion by himself.

“Because then, his performance will be, The Rock, he’ll be the best he can be. So I do hope he comes back, as a fan, and I hope it’s wonderful, and if he chooses not to, he’s earned the right to choose not to.”

Many believe that WWE’s hope is to be able to get The Rock for a WrestleMania showdown with “The Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns. The holdup is whether or not The Rock’s schedule can align with WWE’s.

WWE is hoping to book one of the biggest matches in recent history at either WrestleMania 38 or WrestleMania 39 between The Rock and Roman Reigns.  It’s been reported that WWE has plans for The Rock to appear at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in November to set up the match for the Universal Title. 

Paul Heyman talked about the possibility of such a match in an interview with ITRWrestling.com. Heyman started off by asking who doesn’t want to main event WrestleMania against Reigns and if they say they don’t then they’re lying. 

Heyman put over Reigns as the most dominant WrestleMania main eventer in history. He said Rock is just one of many people who are clamoring to step into the ring with Reigns at any time and especially at WrestleMania. 

Heyman wouldn’t comment on whether The Rock is a member of the table, but would rather leave that up for Reigns. 

“That is not a subject Roman Reigns wishes to address publicly at this time, either in The Rock’s favor or to The Rock’s detriment, because The Rock may not be welcome at our table. Roman Reigns will let you know when it’s appropriate for Roman Reigns to let you know.

If The Rock steps into the ring with Roman Reigns at any time, let alone at WrestleMania, that will be The Rock’s farewell, whether The Rock wants it to be or not.”

Reigns also has another big match already lined up as he’ll defend the WWE Universal Title against John Cena at next Saturday’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event.

The Rock started out in WWE with the ring name “Rocky Maivia” back in the 1996 Survivor Series, and the name was given to him by Vince McMahon as a homage to The Rock’s father Rocky Johnson, and grandfather Peter Maivia. The Rock, along with Emily Blunt, did an interview with WIRED where he stated that he hated the Rocky Maivia nickname and wanted it changed.

One of the questions that was asked to The Rock was “Why Dwayne Johnson is called The Rock?” He responded to the question by saying, “Birth story of ‘The Rock’, is before I do what I do now, many moons ago, I used to throw around 300 pound men for a living, and get my ass 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. 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. Now, what do you think?'”

The Rock reiterated that he hated the name he was given but he had to accept it and do his job. The reason he stated behind his dislike for Rocky Maivia is that he wanted his own identity and didn’t want to have a career just based on his lineage. He, however, did acknowledge that it’s the same name that got him a knock at the door of the industry.

“And as we, he knows me now, and it’s how I speak. I say, I hate it. And I hated the name. I hated it,” The Rock continued. “I hated it because 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. So while I was very proud to come from who I came from, with my dad and grandfather. And my whole family’s in wrestling. I still wanted my own space. And so I said, I hate it. And he said, ‘Okay. Great, well that’s your name.’ And I went, okay. So I embraced it, and I did it.”

The Rock continued the story behind his name and said that Rocky Maivia didn’t stick and when he turned heel his present ring name, “The Rock” was suggested to him by his father figure Pat Patterson and when it was pitched to him he loved it.

“And that name did not stick. And eventually, when I became a bad guy, it got truncated down to ‘The Rock’. And a guy who was my father figure, and I’ve talk to you (Emily Blunt) many times about him, Pat Patterson. Was a mentor of mine in pro-wrestling. I lost him last year when I lost my dad at the same time – I lost my father and my father figure in the same year. And he said, ‘What if we call you The Rock?’ He’s a French guy, he had a tough French accent. I said, I love it! And he goes, okay, you’re ‘The Rock’. And that was it.”

Related: The Rock Praises Bret Hart, The Hitman Responds

Quotes used in this article are transcribed by the author.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is busy doing media to promote his new movie, Jungle Cruise. During a recent interview, Rock took the time to explain to his co-star, Emily Blunt, how good Bret Hart was to him early in his career.

The Rock Honors Bret Hart

“The t-shirt he’s wearing is a guy who didn’t have to be but he was so good to me when I was a rookie professional wrestler and his name is Bret “the Hitman” Hart, comes from a very famous wrestling family. But at that time, he was world champion and there were a lot of guys in that world at that time in 96, that didn’t necessarily embrace me.”

“Just when I was a rookie coming in because everyone is hungry for their spot and there’s a lot of sharks in the water.”

Blunt then asked Rock why he thinks Bret was nice to him.

“I think because he knew that our families knew each other and knew that I came from a lineage of pro wrestling and that I had a real love and respect for wrestling and he was just a great guy. I always try and give him props where I can,” Rock continued.

Bret’s Reaction

John Cena is just like the majority of fans as they hope that The Rock makes a WWE return in the near future. 

It’s been reported that WWE has plans for The Rock to appear at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in November to set up a rumored match with WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at either WrestleMania 38 or WrestleMania 39. 

Cena recently spoke with ET Tonight and had praise for the fellow WWE Champion. He noted that Rock is a star in his own universe and there’s no one like him and there won’t ever be like him. 

“For him to be gracious enough to return to WWE, it’s own global entertainment phenomenon, that’s great for WWE and it is great for The Rock. As a fan of WWE, I really hope he returns. I think it would be special for everyone.”

In this same article, The Rock was asked if there was anything to tease regarding a potential WWE return and the future WWE Hall of Famer said there’s nothing. 

The Rock is currently promoting his “Jungle Cruise” movie. Cena is back on WWE TV to promote his match with Reigns at SummerSlam. 

We have seen a number of big WWE returns in the past couple of months including names such as John Cena and Edge. Though reports suggest that there is an even bigger return being planned for later this year in form of The Rock.

The Great One hasn’t been seen on WWE TV since the SmackDown 20th anniversary show back in October 2019. His last proper wrestling match was his bout with John Cena during WrestleMania 29 in 2013.

The Rock had a chat with Entertainment Tonight alongside his Jungle Cruise co-star, Emily Blunt on the premiere of their new movie. When asked if he can tease anything about his rumored WWE return, he said “there’s nothing.”

Emily Blunt then chimed in to joke that she is going to be forming a tag team with The People’s Champion: “[It’s] gonna be me and him, and there’s gonna be a big fight.”

• Update On The Rock vs Roman Reigns for WrestleMania 38

WWE is reportedly working on a match between Roman Reigns and The Rock for WrestleMania 38. The Hollywood star is expected to make his return to the company later this year to set up this bout.

While not confirmed, latest reports suggest that the plan is for the former champion to make an appearance at this year’s Survivor Series PPV in November. It will mark the 25th anniversary of his official in-ring debut for the company.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is expected to be at WWE’s Survivor Series pay-per-view in November, according to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Podcast.

Zarian tweeted on Thursday, “Hearing from a Source that The Rock is currently planned to be at this year’s Survivor Series,” Zarian Tweeted.

It was also noted that WWE has tentative plans for Survivor Series to be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The Rock’s 25 Anniversary

This year’s Survivor Series will also be the 25th Anniversary of the Rock’s WWE in-ring debut, in a sense. Technically, The Rock wrestled under his birth name on one episode of Superstars in 1996 before this. He also wrestled 3 Dark matches under the name “Flex Kavana” before the Survivor Series that year. Flex Kavana also wrestled with the USWA throughout 96.

His in-ring WWE debut as Rocky Maivia was at Survivor Series 96, however, when he teamed with Jake Roberts, Marc Mero, and “The Stalker” (Barry Windham). They defeated the team of Jerry Lawler, Crush, Goldust, and Triple H.

Survivor Series is also where The Rock won his first-ever world title. At Survivor Series 98, Rock defeated Mankind in the finals of a tournament to determine a new WWF Champion. Rock would turn heel and align with the Corporation in the process.

The Rock hasn’t wrestled an official match since WrestleMania 32, where he defeated Erik Rowan in an impromptu match that lasted only 6 seconds.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is reportedly on the radar of Space Jam: A New Legacy director Malcolm D. Lee as being a potential leading actor for the franchise as they look towards the future of the series.

The first two films are among some of the most successful ever, with Space Jam: A New Legacy ranking #1 in theaters and bringing in $31 million on opening weekend.

Malcolm D. Lee recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the future of the franchise and how The Rock could be considered as the leading star, meaning that Space Jam may be heading beyond the basketball court.

“Dwayne Johnson would be an interesting choice,” Lee would begin the interview. “It would be different. I’m not exactly sure what his skill set would be, maybe he goes back to wrestling. That might be interesting.”

Space Jam 3 Feat. The Rock?

“I never say never” Lee continued. “It’s all going to be about whether the fans respond to this positively. But I think the bar has been set so high in terms of the first one with this global iconic superstar in Michael Jordan, and now the same global iconic superstar in LeBron James, who transcends sports.”

“Who is that next person to put into that universe?” the Space Jam: A New Legacy director noted; implying that the next megastar in the main role would need to be a huge name, like The Rock.

“And then you’ve got to find a script and story that’s good enough to not repeat what’s been done; but will capture the spirit of it and keep it going” Lee then concluded.

Would you like to see The Rock in Space Jam? Let us know in the comments.

WWE have been hoping to get a WrestleMania main event of The Rock vs Roman Reigns for years, and now it appears as though the contest will be taking place at WrestleMania 38.

In the most recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer would claim that WWE are looking at a potential tag team match including the two megastars just in case they’re unable to get The Rock in a singles match for insurance or worries surrounding health.

With WWE wanting to continue The Bloodline/Family storyline with Reigns and The Usos; The Rock may be teaming with Jey Uso and Roman teaming with Jimmy Uso. The reverse of this has also been considered, depending on which of the Usos is a babyface or heel before the match.

The Rock vs Roman Reigns

WWE do prefer the idea of having The Rock vs Roman Reigns as a singles match on the card, however having Dwayne Johnson on a WrestleMania marquee is better than not having Dwayne Johnson on a WrestleMania marquee. So if the company have to run with a tag team match it is worth it.

Dave Meltzer would also claim that The Rock may be weary of making a return for a singles match. The 49 year old megastar has a strong history with wrestling across his family dynasty and he does not want to look bad in a potential return.

“Obviously the singles match is the preferred match but any involvement of Rock is preferred over him not doing the show” Meltzer wrote in the Observer. “Because at 49, the idea of him coming back would lessen each year because he doesn’t need it, but he always has a soft spot in his heart for wrestling and family but he’s also not going to do it if he’s going to look bad because I don’t think he wants that Undertaker-Goldberg moment.”

Do you think we’ll see The Rock vs Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 38? Let us know in the comments