Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has crossed several hurdles in his life to get to where he is today. Despite coming from the famous Anoa’i family, Johnson has not had it easy when it comes to his career. He found it difficult to win over the crowd during his initial WWE run as Rocky Maivia and he also had a difficult start in Hollywood.
However, The Rock passed the test of life with flying colors and not only became one of the most famous WWE stars of his generation but also one of the highest-paid movie stars in the world. He is continuously trying to outdo himself and become better with each passing day.
On this day, 25 years ago: Rocky Maivia makes his wrestling debut.
Rocky Maivia would go on to become @TheRock.
— 10x world champ
— 2x Intercontinental champ
— 5x Tag Team champ
— 2000 Royal Rumble winner
— WWE’s 6th Triple Crown champ— Boardroom (@boardroom) November 17, 2021
During a recent interview with The Pivot, the legendary WWE Superstar opened up about his life and whether he expected to be where he is today. When asked whether he ever expected to be the megastar he is today, The Rock answered that the goal in his life was to simply never be broke, and he never thought of the superstardom he is enjoying today.
In a clip from the interview that he uploaded on his Instagram handle, The Rock said: “No. My goal wasn’t to be here, in Hollywood, making movies. That was never my goal. To be completely honest, my goal was to not just be broke. I used to tell myself all the time, ‘I cannot be fucking broke.'”
The Rock then goes on to detail how he struggled growing up and how his father, Rocky Johnson, who is a legendary wrestler in his own right, was working hard. He added that his parents even opened a cleaning company just to make ends meet.
The multi-time WWE champion also stated that not getting picked up by the NFL put a chip on his shoulder and made him work harder. However, he established that he never wanted to be a millionaire but simply have “more than seven bucks.”
The Rock also opened up on his relationship with his daughter Ava
Simone Johnson, who goes by the name Ava in WWE, has also been trying to make it big in the promotion, just like her father, The Rock. The Schism member has been particular about not wanting to use her father’s or her family’s legacy to make it big.
Speaking about his relationship with his daughter, Dwayne Johnson recalled that he was so busy during her childhood that he hardly spent any time with her. The WWE legend added that it was pro wrestling that saved their relationship.
on april 1st 2012 at 10 years old i decided i wanted to be a wwe superstar when i grew up.
april 1st 2023 at 21 years old i debuted on wrestlemania weekend. for 10 year old me, this is a win.
— A V A (@avawwe_) April 1, 2023
“I had so much sh*t going on. So, I like to say me and Simone grew up together. We had a relationship where I was always gone, but we tried to keep it together. Now years later, as she becomes a pro wrestler, it’s actually brought us closer together,” he explained. “So, in a way, it’s helped save that relationship too. In many ways, pro wrestling has been my family’s savior.”
The Rock was heavily rumored to be facing Roman Reigns this year at WrestleMania 39. However, that did not come to fruition. It remains to be seen whether the father and daughter will ever team up in the company.