The Rock has opened up about the passing of his father.

The Great One has always been honest about the difficult relationship he had with his dad. The late great Rocky Johnson had to go through many hardships in his life from a very young age. It was reflected in the life of The Great One in the form of tough love from his father.

The Hollywood star recently had an interview with Patrick Bet-David of Valuetainment. He talked about things such as his relationship with Vince McMahon, making business deals and more.

When asked about his father’s passing in 2020 and if he was prepared for it, The Rock explained that he wasn’t. He opened up about how they had an argument only weeks before, and the former WWE Champion got emotional discussing how he never even got the chance to say goodbye to his dad:

“No, I wasn’t prepared for it because my dad died suddenly—just like that. An embolism travelled up and ended his life. It happened suddenly; I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. And here’s the thing, and brother this is just…it’s life.

A month before he died, we got into the biggest fight we have ever gotten into. We never had a chance to reconcile that. It was brutal, it was during Christmas time as well. So Christmas was just tainted. I felt like shit, he felt like shit, my mom was involved and admittedly I was angry. Three weeks went by, we didn’t reconcile. He died, and that was it.

You asked me if I was prepared. No one’s ever prepared for that—even if, God forbid, you have a loved one who is transitioning out. You can prepare as best you can for their transition, or in my case, they say goodbye just like that, without saying goodbye. So, I never had a chance to say goodbye and never had the chance to right that thing that I wish I did. So that was tough one.”

• The Rock vs Roman Reigns Prediction: When Will the Match Happen?

I Never Had A Chance: The Rock

The Rock also discussed what the untimely passing of his father taught him. He mentioned how we are always told that anything can happen anytime but you don’t realize the true meaning of it until you experience it firsthand:

“The lesson, though I realized is – we hear this all the time: You never know what’s around the corner. Hug your loved ones, hug your little ones. I do a lot of work with Make-A-Wish, and every time I do, it’s so important. When you leave those meetings with Make-A-Wish, you see these kids who are so strong, you see the parents who are being so strong too. You go home and hug your kids tighter—that’s just what you do.

We hear it all the time: Hug your kids, take care of [and] hug your loved ones. You never know what’s around the corner. But until you go through something like that, that’s when those words really hit home.  And I realized that man, I wish I had a shot just to hug my dad one more time or say, maybe he’s listening now, hug and say ‘It’s all right; we’re good.’ I never had a chance to do that.”

Rocky Johnson had a lengthy wrestling career spanning almost three decades. He started wrestling in 1964 and won championships in many NWA territories as well as in WWF. He passed away on January 15, 2020, at the age of 75.

• Watch: The Rock Meets Make-A-Wish Kids & Gives Presents In Incredible Video

The Rock has revealed how he went from making $150K a year to making $15 million a year in WWE.

The Great One recently had an interview with Patrick Bet-David of Valuetainment. He talked about things such as why he is not running for president, the Donald Trump assassination attempts and more.

During the interview, the former World Champion was asked about his relationship with Vince McMahon. Talking on the subject, he told a story about how the former WWE chairman helped him learn to respect the business. He mentioned that he was making $150K per year in his first contract with the company. When his career took off, the boss called him to renegotiate his deal:

“He wanted to renegotiate my contract about two to three years in. A couple of wrestlers at that time had their own agents, but I chose not to have an agent. He said, ‘Are you going to have an agent? Are you looking for an agent?’ I said ‘I’m not. I’d like to negotiate with you directly. And how we met was with a handshake—and I believe how we’re going to do this is with a handshake.’

Handshakes are very important to me, as I know everybody in this room. So, I always say my handshake is better than anything I ever sign—it’s right here.

So he said, ‘Great, I love that. I respect it. What are you thinking?’ I said, ‘Who’s the highest-paid if you don’t mind me asking. Between us, who’s the highest-paid on the roster?’ He said, ‘Stone Cold Steve Austin.’ I said, ‘Okay. If you don’t mind me asking, what’s his guarantee?’ He said, ‘A million dollars.’ I went, ‘Okay, I want two.’ Oh, I know the balls of that kid [laughs].”

• U.S. Army Reportedly Loses Big On $11 Million Investment In The Rock’s UFL

I Think It Should Be Two: The Rock

After hearing the figure The Rock wanted, McMahon made an unexpected move. He asked the former World Champion to work with one of the company executives to learn the operating costs of the business:

“So he said, ‘Two million?’ I said, ‘Yes,’ ‘Guaranteed?’ I said ‘Yes’ And he said, ‘I’m just curious—where do you get that from? What are you figuring out in your mind?’ I said, ‘Well, I love Steve; I respect him. But if he’s getting a million dollars, where I see myself going is past a million dollars. I think it should be two.’

He went, ‘Okay, I understand that logic.’ He said, ‘Here’s what I want you to do: I’m going to put you in contact with one of our executives. I need you to take a couple of months, if it takes that long—because I was on the road, I need you to understand the business—I need you to understand this side of the business—from top to bottom, all the economics.

I want you to understand that—I want you to understand our cost, overhead. I want you to look at what’s allocated to the [boys]… I want you to take the time and put in the work that you say you’re committed to in the ring. Yes, I expect that from you. But now, I want you to learn the business. Once you learn this business, then you come back to me, and then we’ll talk about the renegotiation.”

• The Rock vs Roman Reigns Prediction: When Will the Match Happen?

Baptism By Fire

The biggest surprise for the People’s Champion came after this, however, when he went back to Vince McMahon. According to The Rock, the former WWE owner offered him a contract worth a lot more than what he was asking:

“[I learned] what the overhead costs are, what the costs are for every venue we go into, what the cost of the venue is, what the state tax is, what the allocation for all the wrestlers is going to be—that percentage of what the gate is that particular night.

I didn’t take three months—I mean, maybe it was just two weeks. It was baptism by fire, and I learned to absorb as much as I could about the business. I went back to Vince, thanked him, gave him a big hug, and said, ‘I understand now. I’d like to match it at a million dollars—what Steve is getting. Thank you for taking me through it.’

We had a great conversation. He said, ‘How much do you think you’re going to make this year?’ I said, ‘Well, if my guarantee is a million, I’ve been averaging about 50% over my guarantee, so maybe 1.5 million.’ He went ‘ok, now that you’ve taken yourself through that, now you understand the business. You’re gonna make $15 million a year.”

Cody Rhodes has opened up about his mindset during the infamous segment with The Rock after his Royal Rumble 2024 victory.

The Undisputed WWE Champion recently had an interview with Inside The Ropes. He discussed things such as how his daughter motivates him to continue working hard, his AEW exit, and more.

When the topic of the build to WrestleMania 40 came up, Cody was asked about comments made by The Rock’s personal writer Brian Gewirtz about his infamous segment with The People’s Champ. Gewirtz had expressed that Rhodes could have looked more enthusiastic while handing his Mania opportunity to The Great One.

The American Nightmare explained that Brian might be right because things were so real that he wasn’t thinking of himself as a performer in the moment:

“He might have a point. He might, only because I didn’t think of myself. The moment was so real—I guess I didn’t think of myself in a performance sense of ‘You’re not smiling or you are smiling,’ and then the Final Boss had whispered something in my ear that was actually really kind and nice, and I did smile.

And then, I think not so much about my face; the thing I remember about it is I wanted to get out of there. I wanted to get out of there. I did want them to have their moment. I wanted to be gone. I didn’t want people to linger on me.”

• Cody Rhodes Shares What The Rock Gave Him On Post-WrestleMania 40 Raw

Cody Rhodes’ Boo Boo Face

The segment in question happened during the February 2 episode of SmackDown, days after Rhodes won the 2024 Royal Rumble.

Due to his expressions, fans started a huge campaign on social media rejecting the idea of The Rock taking his spot. The backlash forced the Hollywood star to change his plans and it put Cody back on the path to finish his story.

Talking about his expressions during the segment, Cody Rhodes explained that he didn’t think the production would focus so much on him. He was just looking to get out of the spotlight as soon as possible:

“It seems like…I would never shade our production team, especially with what Brian Fadem, and Lee Fitting – everyone is doing. I think they might have spent a little too much time focused on me in the first place—and not focused on that potential matchup. Because, yeah, I don’t think I offered up, Brian probably has a point, I don’t think I offered up the best faces for what that should have been.

I certainly wasn’t trying to be a ‘boo-boo’ face—you know, boo boo is famous in the industry when something’s up and you can tell upon somebody’s entrance. But maybe I was like the number one case of it of all time—who knows?

I did not think they would spend so much time on me. I did not think they would be looking at me while I was in the aisle. I just wanted to get back to my bus. I actually didn’t go through gorilla; I walked around it. I didn’t want to see anybody. I just sprinted and got on my bus and just locked the door.”

Cody Rhodes is currently scheduled to defend his Undisputed WWE Championship against Kevin Owens at the Bash In Berlin PPV on August 31. You can check out the betting odds for the show here.

Japanese sensation Giulia was blown away by the reaction she received at NXT Stand & Deliver, which she thought must’ve been for someone else. Speaking to Creators, Giulia recalled the ovation at the NXT event over WrestleMania weekend.

 “I didn’t think they were cheering for me. When I stood up, the whole venue was like, ‘Whoaaaaaa!’ so I thought, ‘Maybe some amazing celebrity has come?’… I was like, ‘There’s no way people would cheer for me this much!’ The scale is different from Japan, and I was just like, ‘Did someone come? Dwayne Johnson?'”

Giulia’s appearance at the event came after months of reports indicating that she would be joining WWE. On the same day of Stand & Deliver, it was reported that the former STARDOM attraction had indeed signed with WWE. Before she makes the move though, Giulia has been competing in Rossy Ogawa’s Marigold promotion and will finish her time competing in Japan later this month.

Giulia In WWE

WWE reportedly intends to bring Giulia in via NXT with plans to push her strong from the very start as “the female face of the brand.” One source has claimed that Giulia’s role in NXT will surpass what Asuka achieved during her tenure which saw the Empress hold the NXT Women’s Title for 510 days.

Aside from her NXT Stand & Deliver appearance, Giulia has been referenced in WWE a handful of times already. This includes NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez claiming that she, not Giulia, is the best in the world after retaining her title over Thea Hail at Great American Bash (Week One.)

WWE’s Female Signings

Should she compete for WWE, Giulia will be part of something of a renaissance with the hiring of female talent. Stephanie Vaquer, who dethroned Giulia as NJPW Strong Women’s Champion, has signed with WWE mere days after appearing at AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door. It has also been reported that DELTA has signed with WWE. The Australian wrestler reportedly impressed during tryouts in Perth over Elimination Chamber weekend in February of this year.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson surprised attendees of D23 with an appearance to reveal the latest trailer for Disney’s Moana 2 animated film. The ‘Final Boss’ of WWE was at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California and danced with others on stage.

After the performance by Johnson, fans saw the newest trailer for Moana 2 which was later shared online. Johnson, as Maui, appears half way during the trailer and delivers quips amid clips of action scenes from the film.

Moana 2 follows on from 2016’s Moana and sees Johnson return as the voice of Maui, a legendary demigod who works alongside Moana (Auli?i Cravalho) to recover a missing relic that she believes will save the people of her island. Much like its predecessor, Moana 2 takes inspiration from Polynesian myths. 

Another Moana Project

Moana 2 won’t be Johnson’s only project related to the popular Disney franchise, as he will also be starring in a live-action remake of the first film. Johnson will reprise his role as Maui, hardly a surprise given that like the demigod, he too is an impressive specimen. Catherine Laga‘aia will portray Moana herself, replacing Cravalho in the role. The live-action Moana will follow a trend of other animated projects brought to life by Disney including The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Cruella. Live-action adaptations of Lilo & Stitch and Hercules are also in the works.

Johnson’s Other D23 Announcement

Dwayne Johnson wasn’t at D23 just to promote Moana 2. During the event, it was confirmed that a Monster Jam project is in the works and that The Rock will be involved.

During the conference, Johnson shared his love for motorsports and monster trucks and said he wants to create something that is “immersive and fun.” A logo was shown for the projects well as some of the trucks that’ll make up Monster Jam.

The anticipation for a potential showdown between The Rock and Roman Reigns has been building for years, but when could it happen?

With rumors and speculations consistently swirling as to when we will finally see the “Biggest Match in WWE History,” we look at the landscape of the company and when WWE may pull the trigger on his monumental clash.

The Rock vs Roman Reigns: WrestleMania 41?

Background on The Rock and Roman Reigns Feud

Roman Reigns, the self-proclaimed Tribal Chief and leader of the Samoan Dynasty, has dominated the main event scene for years.

His reign as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion saw him overcome numerous challengers until his loss to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania XL.

The return of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to WWE earlier this year ignited new tensions for The Bloodline, and The Rock’s unexpected appearance and challenge to Reigns’ claim as the Head of the Table, before the company decided to pivot, means that there is still a story to tell down the line.

Predictions for WrestleMania 41

Will The Rock vs Roman Reigns Happen?

The likelihood of The Rock and Roman Reigns headlining WrestleMania 41 is pretty high, especially as it will be the first-ever WrestleMania on Netflix.

As noted, the match was initially planned for WrestleMania 40, but WWE pivoted due to fan support for Cody Rhodes.

However, the storyline between The Rock and Reigns is far from over, and WrestleMania 41 offers the perfect stage for this blockbuster bout, considering that The Great One has a fantastic working relationship with Netflix and they will be keen to make the first ‘Showcase of the Immortals’ on the streaming platform as massive as possible.

Hopefully we’ll get more of a sense of when this match could take place in the coming months, but ‘Mania 41 would make the perfect battleground for the final Bloodline encounter.

Could Joe Hendry go face-to-face with WWE icons like John Cena and The Rock? The TNA Wrestling star certainly believes so. Speaking with The Wrestling Matt, Hendry shared his belief that he will one day share the ring with the two megastars.

“I believe I will have an in-ring interaction with The Rock. I believe I will have a match with John Cena. If I’d have told you four months ago this is where I’d be right now, no one would have believed me. But I did. My team did.”

During the podcast, Hendry noted that it’s possible his interaction with The Rock will be a ‘guitar off’ between himself and WWE’s Final Boss. The Rock, like Hendry, has hosted several concerts over the years to poke fun at in-ring opponents.

It’s impossible to ignore how popular Hendry has become in a relatively short period of time. 2024 has seen the Scottish star be a focal point of TNA’s crossover with NXT, and is set to return during tonight’s Great American Bash (Week Two) event. Hendry will take on Joe Coffey of Gallus on tonight’s show, in the singles debut for Joe in NXT.

As for John Cena and The Rock, their returns to WWE programming are already etched in stone. The Rock confirmed during the post-WrestleMania RAW that he will be back, but has his sights set on Cody Rhodes. The Great One remains tied to WWE off-screen as part of TKO’s Board of Directors.

Cena will kick off his final year of wrestling later this year ahead of the 16-time WWE World Champion’s retirement in 2025. Hendry has expressed his interest in facing Cena and has vowed to offer John a TNA World Championship match should the viral Scottish star win the gold.

The United States Army reportedly spent a fortune on Dwayne Johnson’s UFL, but it didn’t work out well for the military branch. Military.com reports that the U.S. Army spent $11 million on the UFL with the hope of driving up enlistments. Despite this mammoth effort, the “high-dollar, high-profile deal likely didn’t lead to a single new Army recruit. In fact, the partnership was so poor that it “may possibly have had a negative impact on finding new enlistments” according to internal documents and emails.

The deal between the UFL and the Army was supposed to feature Johnson as a “pseudo brand ambassador” with social media posts by WWE’s Final Boss valued at $1 million each. It’s reported that the Army expected five posts, but Johnson only made two posts. The deal also included UFC players wearing Army branding during games.

In a statement, Laura DeFrancisco, a spokesperson for the Army’s marketing end said “We are in the process of working with the UFL to determine the final cost.” The Army is seeking to regain $6 million of its $11 million payment into the partnership.

The UFL was launched in December 2023 following the merger of the XFL and the USFL. Johnson, alongside business partner Dany Garcia, purchased the XFL in 2020 after Vince McMahon’s attempt to revive the league was snuffed out by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This failed partnership with the Army does not reflect well on Johnson, who has faced a series of business shortfalls in recent years, including Black Adam, a film he’d been closely tied to for years, bombing at the box office, and the cancellation of NBC’s Young Rock. It’s been reported that some in WWE believe Johnson’s return to WWE has been an effort to break a ‘losing streak’ by returning to an industry he knows he will be successful in.

Kofi Kingston was a big fan of The Rock growing up and so getting to have a promo battle with The Great One was like a dream come true for him.

The New Day star recently had an interview with DraftKings. He discussed things such as his WWE title reign, his feud with Randy Orton and more.

During the interview he was asked about the best insult he has received on the mic. Kingston recalled the time the trio went toe to toe with The Rock and said that it was a really cool moment for them:

“We actually got to go toe to toe with the Rock. For me getting insulted by The Rock was really cool because in college before I went to bed every night, I would look at my Rock poster. I would jump and do a jumping elbow into my dormitory bed and pull my sheets up. That’s how I went to bed.

We brought our A game he brought his A game and he’s insulting us. We had these unicorn horns on our heads and they light up. He said that they were llama penises. You get a Rock promo cut on you, as a kid who grew up watching the Rock cut these Rock promos on other people. I’m like ‘Wait now it’s happening to me. Ooh I should be mad but this is really cool.'”

Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

Kofi Kingston was also inquired about any notable backstage interaction with The People’s Champion. The former champion recalled the advice he received from the Rock that he understood later in his career:

“We had done some media together. I remember like being backstage I just asked him. I said ‘Hey you have any advice or whatever’ and he’s like ‘yeah just don’t take yourself too seriously’ He said ‘Don’t worry about like oh you gotta go out there and look strong.’ At the time I had no idea what he was talking about.

I think a lot of people want to be the big tough guy all the time to the point where you’re like ‘Oh well I can’t have someone say something about me and look stupid out there because oh I’m too tough’ versus ‘Hey let this person say something to me so that I can say something to them so that the crowd and the people can be entertained’

We’re all trying to work together to tell a story. So I didn’t really understand that. Then you fast forward to the New Day and here we are again going out as grown men twerking and shaking our hips and gyrating and wearing these like crazy flamboyant colors.”

Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods have recently been involved in a rivalry with Karrion Kross. They are currently not booked for the SummerSlam PPV.

• Kofi Kingston Has An Amazing Outlook On His Infamous Loss To Brock Lesnar (Exclusive)

Both The Rock and Logan Paul have their respective ties to politics, particularly in 2024, and a hypothetical was pitched for the two stars to be on the presidential ticket.

On “The Good Guys” podcast, co-hosts Josh Peck and Ben Soffer pitched the notion of ‘The People’s Champion’ becoming ‘The People’s President.’ Not only that, but what if ‘The Final Boss’ appointed WWE United States Champion Logan Paul as his running mate?

“Do you think if The Rock ran with Logan Paul as his running mate, they would win?

“I think that if The Rock ran with Helen Keller as his running mate, he would win.

“If The Rock ran with anybody, he would win. I think Logan would hurt his chances.

“That’s how much of a shoe in The Rock is by himself. Nobody’s ever asked The Rock for his political affiliations. He is separate of party.

“He is just the quintessential perfect human. He’s perfect.”

Someone who doesn’t think The Rock is perfect is Cody Rhodes as the two stars had quite the confrontation during WrestleMania 40. However, whenever it comes to politics The Rock has decided not to take a side this election year. Back in 2020, The Rock ended up endorsing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, but in an interview earlier this year, expressed his disappointment in doing so. A lot of people have been clamoring for the Final Boss to run for the highest office in the land — and he hasn’t ruled it out.

The connections between wrestling and politics are endless. Logan Paul just had 45th US President and WWE Hall of Famer Donald Trump on his Impaulsive podcast. Meanwhile, former WWE President Linda McMahon was recently named a top donor to Trump.

Please h/t and credit transcription to SEScoops.

WWE fans have turned ‘The People Champion’ into a meme after the WrestleMania 40 documentary.

After a few months of anticipation, WWE has finally released their WrestleMania 40 Behind The Curtain documentary on YouTube. Wrestling fans have been looking forward to the project, as it was set to clarify what led to Cody Rhodes taking on Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

The documentary had several memorable moments and reveals throughout the one-hour special. However, one standout moment was when Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson explained how the company initially built towards himself and Reigns. 

In the documentary, Johnson explained how WWE was silently building towards the feud for several years and that it was the plan for WrestleMania 40. The original matchup changed when some of the WWE fanbase voiced their displeasure because they wanted Rhodes to ‘Finish His Story’ against Reigns at the event. ‘The Rock’ reveals that he went to WWE President Nick Khan and Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque(AKA Triple H) to give the fans what they wanted.

This reveal has caused some WWE fans to be skeptical of Johnson’s re-telling of the events of what happened. Nonetheless, the wrestling community has enjoyed the Hollywood superstar’s appearance in the documentary and has turned him into a meme.

Here are some of the fans’ reaction to ‘The Rock’: 

What’s Next For The Rock?

Although fans enjoyed Johnson’s return to WWE, he revealed after confronting Rhodes on the April 8 episode of Monday Night Raw that he would be off TV for a while.

He is filming the upcoming sports biography The Smashing Machine, which is expected to hit theaters next year. ‘The Rock’ will star as Mark Kerr, who is a former UFC fighter who rose to fame but dealt with issues in his personal life that derailed his career, including an opioid addiction.

The Hollywood superstar also has other movies he is set to star in that makes his return to WWE unclear. That said, the end of the WrestleMania 40 documentary teased that Johnson isn’t done wrestling and that he will be coming back to take on Rhodes. The dream matchup could be what WWE has planned for WrestleMania 41 next year.

Regardless, ‘The Rock’ is still entertaining his fans by becoming the latest meme for the wrestling community. 

Mercedes Mone loves the WWE, but she says they were difficult to deal with when she was offered a role in The Mandalorian.

Speaking on HOT 97 in promotion for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, the former Sasha Banks talked about her time under the Star Wars banner as Koska Reeves, and how WWE wasn’t as enthused with her being in a galaxy far, far away.

“I love WWE but they tried so hard to not make me do the Mandalorian and put me on house shows when I was supposed to film.”

Mercedes noted that WWE would put her on house shows to further complicate her Mandalorian aspirations.

“It was pulling teeth just to get on that show.”

Someone who is familiar with pulling teeth is Mone’s next big rival in AEW, Britt Baker, DMD. Mone secured a solid victory against Stephanie Vacquer on Sunday before Baker walked out to make clear she has her eyes on Mercedes multiple gold.

RELATED: Mercedes Mone Unhappy With Britt Baker Stealing Her Spotlight At Forbidden Door 2024

When WWE Stars Go Hollywood

In the past, WWE garnered a reputation for not being supportive of talent outside the “WWE Universe.” Even back when Batista first got casted as Drax The Destroyer in Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy franchise, WWE didn’t do any promotion for the film despite the fact that “The Animal” made his return for WrestleMania XXX.

Another talent familiar with WWE stonewalling their silver screen aspirations was The Rock. Aside from his WWE film projects, WWE didn’t exactly herald The Rock’s initial rise stardom until he came back into the company fold. On the flip side of that, The Rock had to distance himself a little from his pro wrestling past when he tried his hand at Hollywood.

Circumstances may be greatly different in WWE without Vince McMahon at the helm. With The Rock now on the TKO Board Of Directors and Triple H being more open-minded, Mone and other modern talent could be getting the WWE support from outside ventures.

RELATED: Batista Would Choose Being a WWE Hall of Famer Over James Gunn’s DC Universe

Wrestling fans are far too familiar with how WCW ended as the story’s been told over and over, but according to Brian Gewirtz we all may get a different look tonight when VICE premieres the Who Killed WCW docuseries

Speaking with Eric Bischoff on a bonus episode of “83 Weeks” former WWE Head Writer Brian Gewirtz and Evan Hunsey of Dark Side Of The Ring gave details at how the show came about and what fans can expect from the episodes that will make it differ from what WWE can typically put out that tends to lean towards the company narrative. Gewirtz broke it down for the former WCW President.

“The talent sitting down aren’t told like, ‘Yeah, of course you can curse. Yeah, you can talk about this thing, you can talk about this business thing that normally wouldn’t appear in a WWE program or that kind of thing.’

“I know from watching it that WCW and Turner executives specifically had never really been interview to tell their side of things or tell their story and all these factors, plus the fact that you’re now approaching 23 years since the end of WCW, it seems like if there was ever a time to play off of the 90’s nostalgia plus the relationships that we’ve cultivated and our relationship with VICE, especially Evan and Jason’s, that now would be a great time to do it.

• Who Killed WCW Preview Shares Insight on Infamous Lawn Dart Moment

How Did The Rock Get On Board?

Bischoff asked Gewirtz how The Rock felt about doing a WCW-focused series and ‘The Final Boss’ was all about it.

“He was like, ‘Great, let’s do it. Let’s do it and if we’re going to do it, let’s do it in the exact way that we’re pitching it which is unfiltered and the no bullshit version of the story. He was on board for that. [The Rock said] ‘No I would love to sit down and give the perspective of the WWE during this time,’ even though that is going to be a small part of it.”

“Who Killed WCW” premieres tonight at 10 PM ET on VICETV.

In May 2024, WWE Shop saw notable sales in their apparel category, and we have a full list of top-selling products.

Wrestlenomics reports that CM Punk emerged as a top seller for May 2024, showing his strong connection with fans, even though his injury hiatus. Jey Uso followed closely, which shouldn’t be a huge surprise considering the incredible reception his Yeet entrance has received in recent memory.

Cody Rhodes, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock also featured in the sales rankings, showcasing the appeal of both current and legendary figures in wrestling. Other superstars such as Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, Rey Mysterio, and Liv Morgan also made the top ten list, reflecting a range of interests among the WWE fan base.

Best-Selling Items

When it comes to individual items, the “Men’s Black Jey Uso Yeet T-Shirt” led the pack, staying in the top 10 for 22 days throughout the month. This was followed by the “Men’s Black Return of CM Punk T-Shirt,” which also enjoyed significant daily sales.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s merchandise, particularly the “Stone Cold” Steve Austin & Booker T Rivals T-Shirt and the classic “Stone Cold” Steve Austin 3:16 T-Shirt, remained fan favorites. CM Punk’s “Best In The World” ringer T-shirt and The Rock’s “Final Boss” T-shirt also saw strong sales.

It’s also notable that Liv Morgan topped WWE’s sales charts after her King & Queen of the Ring Women’s World Title win, which landed her the #10 spot for the entire month.

Top-Selling WWE Merchandise for May 2024

Top Superstars:

• CM Punk
• Jey Uso
• Cody Rhodes
• Stone Cold Steve Austin
• The Rock
• Randy Orton
• Roman Reigns
• Bray Wyatt
• Rey Mysterio/Mysterios
• Liv Morgan

Insights and Trends

The data from May 2024 reveals a few key trends. The continued sales of CM Punk’s merchandise underline his lasting impact and popularity. Jey Uso’s rise in the rankings reflects his growing influence and appeal within the WWE universe.

The presence of both legendary figures like Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, alongside current superstars such as Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes, indicates a broad spectrum of fan interests spanning different eras of WWE.

Overall, WWE Shop’s apparel sales for May 2024 highlight the dynamic nature of wrestling fandom and the continued popularity of both past and present WWE superstars.

Best-Selling Items:

• Men’s Black Jey Uso Yeet T-Shirt (Shop)
• Men’s Black Return of CM Punk T-Shirt (Shop)
• Men’s Black “Stone Cold” Steve Austin & Booker T Rivals T-Shirt (Shop)
• Men’s White/Black CM Punk Best In The World Ringer T-Shirt (Shop)
• Men’s White Jey Uso Yeet T-Shirt (Shop)
• Men’s Black The Rock Final Boss T-Shirt (Shop)
• Youth White Jey Uso Yeet T-Shirt (Shop)
• Men’s Black “Stone Cold” Steve Austin 3:16 T-Shirt (Shop)
• Men’s Black Cody Rhodes Smelting Logo Sleeveless Hoodie T-Shirt (Shop)
• Men’s Black Roman Reigns Family Above All T-Shirt (Shop)

Wrestling fans and moviegoers alike have caught their first glimpse of Disney’s Moana 2 starring WWE’s very own Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. 

Moana 2 follows on from 2016’s Moana and sees Johnson return as the voice of Maui, a legendary demigod who works alongside Moana (Auli?i Cravalho) to recover a missing relic that she believes will save the people of her island. Much like its predecessor, Moana 2 takes inspiration from Polynesian myths. 

This week, a teaser trailer for Moana 2 was shared online. Maui appears in the closing moments of the trailer and shows off his shapeshifting abilities, transforming from a shark into a bird and eventually into his human guise. The demigod converses with Moana and teases eating her pet pig and the returning chicken HeiHei (Alan Tudyk.)

The Rock’s Very Different Project

Moana 2 isn’t the only big project in the works for Dwayne Johnson. The Final Boss of WWE is also currently working on The Smashing Machine which will tell the tale of MMA fighter Mark Kerr. Johnson will play Kerr in the film which will delve into his career as well as his personal struggles with substances. 

The Smashing Machine is certainly a change from the norm for Johnson, who typically sticks to family-friendly films (Moana, The Jungle Cruise) or high-end blockbusters like The Fast and the Furious franchise. Currently, there’s no confirmed date for when fans can expect The Smashing Machine in cinemas. 

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson continues to impress outside of the ring as the Final Boss of WWE now has two Guinness World Records to his name. 

Johnson shared the news on Instagram in a video to the tune of Also Sprach Zarathustra, better known to wrestling fans as the theme of Ric Flair. In the video, the Brahma Bull shared that he is now the most followed actor on TikTok with 77.4 million accounts (and counting) following the TKO board member. 

This isn’t the only record that Johnson can lay claim to. In the video, he reveals that he is the most followed man from the United States on TikTok. This accolade puts the WWE megastar ahead of the likes of Will Smith, the Jonas Brothers, Lil Nas X and others. In the caption for his video, Johnson reflected on his World Records and had some tips to remain humble in spite of success. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/reel:C7c7JhkPrNe

What’s To Come? 

Johnson is currently working on The Smashing Machine, a biopic about the life and struggles of Mark Kerr, a pioneer in the world of MMA. The film is being produced by Johnson’s Seven Bucks company and will be distributed by A24. 

In the world of wrestling, The Rock is currently absent but has confirmed that he will be returning. During the post-WrestleMania Raw, The Rock confronted Cody Rhodes and vowed to return to confront the WWE Champion. It is unclear when the Final Boss will be back but it has been reported that there are no major plans for Rhodes until Rock and Roman Reigns return to TV. 

Some of the very top names in WWE were adamantly against the notion that The Rock would win the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania, it has been claimed. 

On the post-Royal Rumble edition of SmackDown, Cody Rhodes teased that he would not be facing Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. This was in spite of the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble winner making clear just days earlier that he intended to challenge the Tribal Chief. Rhodes’ segment on SmackDown also saw The Rock return and strongly suggested that he’d be facing his cousin in Philadelphia. 

• Cody Rhodes: ‘WWE Told Me Of The Rock Vs. Roman Reigns The Day I Won the Royal Rumble’

Against The Rock’s Title Win

For a handful of days after this segment, it appeared that The Rock would face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania while Cody Rhodes would challenge then-World Heavyweight Champion Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins. Even if Rock-Reigns had taken place, it’s unlikely that the Final Boss would’ve been the one to end Reigns’ historic title reign. 

Some of the top names in WWE rejected the idea of The Rock being the one to end the four-year title reign of the Head of the Table, Dave Meltzer reports. WWE’s Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque and Roman Reigns himself were said to be against the idea of The Rock winning. It’s not stated why they were against the idea but it’s possible that they believed having a part-timer ended Reigns’ run as champion would have been poorly received by fans. 

What’s Next? 

With the might of the ‘We Want Cody’ movement, Rhodes was reinserted into the title picture and captured the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40. On the post-WrestleMania Raw, The Rock vowed to return to WWE and confront Rhodes once he is done shooting his latest movie The Smashing Machine. 

Wrestling fans and moviegoers alike have been granted their first look at Dwayne Johnson in the upcoming The Smashing Machine biopic. 

The new film is based on Mark Kerr, a former wrestler and MMA fighter who in addition to his fights in the ring, fought personal demons as well. Johnson will play Kerr in the film while his Jungle Cruise co-star Emily Blunt will portray Keers’ wife Dawn Staples. The film is being produced by Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions and will be distributed by A24. Benny Safdie (Oppenheimer, Uncut Gems) is directing, writing and co-producing. 

The film marks quite the shift for Johnson who is more commonly associated with family-friendly projects such as Moana or action-packed blockbusters like the Fast and the Furious franchise. In January 2024, Johnson told Variety of his desire to stretch his acting chops further. 

“I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past. I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter, that explore a humanity, and explore struggle [and] pain.”

Johnson will have the chance to do just that in the role of Kerr. The MMA fighter, now 55 years old, has faced addiction to painkillers, brought on in part due to the ‘no holds barred’ style of early mixed martial arts competition. The Smashing Machine was released as a documentary in 2002 and expectations are high for the new film that is currently without a release date.

Cody Rhodes made history by winning the Royal Rumble for a second consecutive year back in January. However, what should have been a monumental day had a dark cloud looming over it that we’re just now learning about.

During a Monday appearance on Busted Open Radio, Rhodes reveals that he learned about The Rock interjecting himself into the road to WrestleMania just hours before punching his ticket to Philadelphia.

“I found out the possibility of the Rock versus Roman Reigns the day of the Royal Rumble, and I had to leave that room, head up and make sure no one knew what could possibly happen and probably on one of the more difficult days I’ve ever had in the wrestling business. But also, how can you complain when you’re winning the Royal Rumble, when you’re pointing at the sign, when over 20,000 people in Tampa? It was such a high, such a low.”

Rhodes’ victory in the 30-man match made him the fourth Superstar in history to win back-to-back Rumbles. After the match, he wasted no time in making clear that he planned on challenging Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. However, WWE and The Rock and other plans. 

Despite literally pointing at Reigns as his desired WrestleMania opponent, things were much different on the post-Royal Rumble edition of WWE SmackDown. Rhodes handed over his WrestleMania main event to The Rock in a now-infamous segment that ignited the ‘We Want Cody’ movement. Had it not been for that movement, Cody may not have finished his story at WrestleMania. As it turns out, that movement was totally organic and WWE really did want to go with Rock vs. Reigns at WrestleMania.

In the end, the Great One aligned with the Tribal Chief, joined The Bloodline, evolved into the Final Boss and took the fans on a ride that will be talked about for a long time. Rhodes dethroned Reigns at WrestleMania, is the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion and an eventual match with The Rock is expected.

Here’s Cody Rhodes’ full appearance on Busted Open Radio:

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has shared what The Rock gifted him in the most recent face-to-face confrontation between the two megastars. 

The two met during the post-WrestleMania 40 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw, 24 hours removed from Rhodes capturing his title and ending the 1,316-day run of Roman Reigns. As part of the tense segment, The Rock placed an item in Cody’s hand that was evidently significant to the American Nightmare. 

• The Rock & Cody Rhodes Collide During 4/8 RAW After WrestleMania 40

Fans never got the chance to see exactly what The Rock gave Rhodes during that fateful episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Rhodes shared what the Final Boss gave him.

“I tried to make a positive overture, an olive branch to The Rock and the Seven Bucks team because I have an immense respect for what they’ve done. They set the table so that I can eat at it. He did not feel that that was a positive overture and handed it back to me. That’s the best I can give you.”

Cody was pretty “heart-stricken” by The Rock rejecting what he had previously gifted him. The Undisputed WWE Champion then shared some words of wisdom from Triple H who reminded Rhodes that it’s not all ‘fun and games’ as WWE’s top star.

What’s Next? 

During the very same segment, The Rock vowed that he would return to WWE programming down the line and that he is coming back for Cody Rhodes. A match is expected between the two with the reported current plan for Rock Vs. Rhodes at WWE WrestleMania 41. 

Rhodes’ more immediate future will see him put the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line at the upcoming WWE King And Queen of the Ring PLE. Rhodes will defend against Logan Paul whose United States title won’t be on the line. 

Brian Gewirtz was heavily involved in The Rock’s notorious 2024 return to WWE, and confirms matters were supposed to be a little different between ‘The People’s Champion’ and Cody Rhodes.

Speaking on “The Masked Man Show”, the former head WWE writer talked about the notorious segment on SmackDown where Cody Rhodes relinquished his WWE Undispusted Universal Championship title shot to The Rock. Rhodes stoicly shook hands and hugged The Rock, appearing to putting his story on pause. However, the fans feedback made it become the most disliked video in WWE YouTube video history and an audible was called.

Gewirtz said that all that was supposed to come across quite differently than originally planned.

“Cody, it was supposed to be, in some form, ‘Yeah, f***in’ A! Go get em Rock! You’re going to get your ass kicked, Roman! Let’s do this!’ and this uplifting promo. Instead, he looked like someone shot his dog in the face in the parking lot. Just look at his expression. By the way, someone else, even when the team wins, looks forlorn and upset and despondent. [New York Knicks] Julius Randle [laughs].”

• Brian Gewirtz Supplying The Rock With Ammo Against Cody Rhodes & His ‘Goofy A** Dog’ Pharaoh

Gewirtz didn’t think that demeanor helped matters, but made clear he understood where Rhodes was coming from regarding his feelings on the decision, stating that ‘The American Nightmare’ was one of the realest people he’s ever met. He feels that the fans felt that.

“They felt like ‘he doesn’t mean a word of this. This is being forced for him to say.’ He’s despondent.”

Please credit “The Masked Man” and h/t to Fightful for the transcription.

The Rock is currently away from WWE, but he vowed to return and face Cody Rhodes. The Rock may be on a hiatus, but he continues to generate buzz from Hollywood to wrestling. The TKO Board Member recently released a new video showcasing his MMA training for the film “The Smashing Machine.”

Dwayne Johnson is training intensely for his next film, “The Smashing Machine.” In this role, he will portray MMA fighter Mark Kerr, requiring him to refine his skills. Johnson is dedicated to preparing for this challenging role. He recently posted a video of his training regimen, showing the effort he is putting in to get in shape for the part. As expected, the post garnered significant attention.

The Final Boss wrote on social media that his MMA training has been the hardest journey he’s ever been on, which is quite a statement considering everything that he’s accomplished.

Every day.

Working hard, learning, respecting and being a student of the game during this training camp.

I’m a hard worker, but this is the hardest journey I’ve ever been on.

Thank you for all your amazing support, it means the world to me.

Grateful to grow, humbled by this… pic.twitter.com/BJqbixPKEs

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) May 14, 2024

Fans reacted to The Rock’s post, and many of them were impressed. A fan named Dustin Burham gave Johnson his flowers as he said, “To be doing this at age 52 is insane and awesome.” Another fan commented to say, “Fire on the Rock man.”

Can’t wait to see the movie
MMA is definitely tough

— Amanda ???? (@AmandaJK_) May 14, 2024

One fan named Ramboo said, “Eat Clean and Train Good,” with a heart emoji attached, so fans are very much behind the Brahma Bull.

Japanese mascot Chiitan replied with a video of themselves on a treadmill with a caption reading: “One day, I’ll be able to run at 100 km/h..” Another fan named Calico Jack tweeted back to say, “Wrestling in your undies is wild.”

One day, I'll be able to run at 100 km/h.pic.twitter.com/sNHsbnxjj8

— ??????Chiitan (@chiitan7407) November 2, 2023

The Smashing Machine

Dwayne Johnson’s upcoming film,”‘The Smashing Machine’ is a drama based on the story of Mark Kerr, an MMA fighter from the no-holds-barred era of the UFC. At the peak of his career, he faces challenges with addiction, winning, love, and friendship in the year 2000.”

The Rock has wanted to play Kerr for years, and this is a real passion project for him. He is making it happen, and then a return to WWE is always a possibility.

The film starring Dwayne Johnson is set to release in 2025. There is already a 2002 documentary about Kerr’s life called “The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr,” directed by John Hyams.

The Rock will have a huge role to play at WWE WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, with reported plans for a showdown with a familiar foe. 

The Brahma Bull made his in-ring return at this year’s WrestleMania which saw the Final Boss victorious in a tag-team match during the Saturday show. The Rock didn’t have the same success the following night, as after a chokeslam by The Undertaker took out the Hollywood star, Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns to become Undisputed WWE Championship. 

With WrestleMania 40 in the background, fans have been left wondering when they’ll next see the Brahma Bull compete. Though he could wrestle earlier than WrestleMania 41, the plan for the April 2025 event is for Rock to face Rhodes, Dave Meltzer reports. It’s unclear at this time if this will be for the Undisputed WWE Championship. 

The Rock facing off with Rhodes is hardly a surprise given what both men have said in 2024. During WWE Elimination Chamber 2024 event, Rhodes dared The Rock to go one-on-one and said he’d be ready anytime. Following Cody’s emotional victory in Philadelphia, The Rock confronted Rhodes on the post-WrestleMania Raw, and vowed to return and come for the American Nightmare. 

With Rock-Rhodes the plan (for the time being) for WrestleMania 41, fans will be left wondering when the long-awaited showdown between The Rock and Roman Reigns will take place. At one point in time, the match was a ‘lock’ for WrestleMania 39 before plans changed. WWE had teased a showdown between the two at this year’s event before the might of the ‘We Want Cody’ movement changed those plans. 

The Rock “Headstrong” On Making Roman Reigns WrestleMania Match Happen 

WrestleMania 41

WWE WrestleMania 41 will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 19 & April 20, the latest in a calendar year for a WrestleMania to take place. After much speculation, and reports that Minneapolis would host the event instead, the show’s date and location was confirmed during the recent Kentucky Derby. 

Austin Theory is already chalking out massive plans for WrestleMania 41. He has not only put The Rock on notice for ‘The Show of Shows’ but also wants to dethrone the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.

Last year, during the September 15 edition of SmackDown, The Rock made his surprise one-off return and things didn’t turn out too well for Theory.

Theory told Lucas Charpiot of Ten Count Media that he believes The Rock interrupted him to be important and famous again. He said that he got better of The Rock but the wrestling legend attacked him as he felt “insecure.” 

“Dwayne showed up, but not to save Pat McAfee. Dwayne showed up because he wanted to be famous again, he wanted to be important in WWE. So who did he interrupt? Austin Theory. Then what happened? I put him in his place. Then I did something that nobody has ever done. I stole his catchphrase, and I hit him with it, and I hit him with it before he could hit me with it. So then what? He got insecure, he started freaking out. He started doing the weird Rock stuff. Then he hit me with an elbow. That’s what happened.”

He eventually stated if ‘The Final Boss’ wants to fight him, he is all set to lock horns with him at WrestleMania 41. He said: 

“So what now? ‘The Final Boss’ wants Austin Theory, and Austin Theory will fight ‘The Final Boss’ at WrestleMania 41. Is that what they want?”

Theory takes a jab at Cody Rhodes

He furthermore took a shot at Cody Rhodes and labeled him “goof.” One half of the WWE Tag Team Champions said that he wants to dethrone ‘The American Nightmare.’ He said:

“I just gotta take this title from this goof [points to picture of Cody Rhodes]? Is that it? I just gotta make a story up? That’s it? Alright, then that’s what I’ll do.”

On this week’s SmackDown, Austin Theory and Grayson Waller successfully defended their tag team titles against The Street Profits in their first televised title defense. 

WWE is set to make a major announcement regarding next year’s WrestleMania and many believe the location of the event will be revealed. 

There were once discussions for The Rock to end the historic championship reign of Roman Reigns, only for the Final Boss to give up the gold. 

Reigns’ 1,316-day run as champion was actually ended by Cody Rhodes at WWE WrestleMania 40: Sunday. The emotional main event saw Rhodes finally ‘finish the story’ two years after making an emphatic return to WWE as part of WrestleMania 38. 

WWE had plans at one point for Rock, not Rhodes, to end the title reign of the Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 40, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports. This idea was hardly kept a secret, with The Rock teasing challenging the Head of the Table during his return on the Day 1 WWE Raw. On the post-Royal Rumble SmackDown, The Rock came face-to-face with his cousin and teased the match. 

Had it not been for the immense ‘We Want Cody’ movement, the Rock-Reigns match would have gone ahead. The Observer adds that the plan was for The Rock to win the title, only to surrender the gold in order to return to Hollywood. With a new WWE Champion, The Rock would have introduced his own People’s Championship that he’d use for public appearances. Instead, the title was presented to the Final Boss at this year’s WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. 

Ending Reigns’ historic run only for the title to be vacated would likely not have gone down well with fans. Instead, the WWE Universe witnessed Cody Rhodes finish his story and defeat Reigns at WrestleMania 40. Reigns hasn’t been seen since WrestleMania while Rock has vowed to return and come for the new Undisputed WWE Champion.