How Did Dwayne Johnson Get the Name “The Rock” in WWE?

Published 06/23/2021, 9:15 PM EDT

Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson, a WWE Superstar, entrepreneur, and a successful Hollywood actor. However, the story of his rise to fame began when he finally turned heel.

The Rock debuted at WWE under the name Rocky Maivia. This name was a tribute to his father’s and his grandfather’s ring names. However, the Rocky Maivia character did not work with the fans. Nobody was reacting to his work, and ultimately WWE knew it needed a change.

He took some time off, and finally returned to WWE as The Rock. However, he chose an interesting rival to say his name out loud for the first time, Stone Cold Steve Austin.

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In a segment, he told The Texas Rattlesnake that if he accepted his challenge, soon, he would cease to exist.

“Your bottom line will read ‘Has Been, Compliments of The Rock.”

This marked the beginning of one of the greatest feuds in WWE history. It helped the company become wildly successful and establish the dominance of The Attitude Era.

“Much Less Was Scripted Back Then” – The Rock Recalls a Fascinating Story Behind an Iconic Moment With ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin

Will The Rock return to WWE soon?

Currently, there’s no news about his return. Roman Reigns may have indicated about his cousin’s potential return, but there is no news from the company or from the veteran Superstar.

Dwayne Johnson had revealed he is open to returning to the company. Unfortunately, he cannot commit to a long return. He can come back for one event, but that would be it. However, he believes Vince McMahon will try to rope him in for multiple PPVs, and Johnson’s schedule doesn’t enable him to make that a possibility. This is one of the reasons he has been hesitant about coming back to the company.

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However, the popular choice of PPV for his return is WrestleMania. It may not be this year since WWE is planning to make SummerSlam the biggest event of 2021, and targeting a main event with Roman Reigns vs John Cena. Hence, it’s possible this year Cena will return.

REPORTS: WWE Planning Huge John Cena-Roman Reigns Showdown for SummerSlam 2021

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Nevertheless, it’s always been said that Roman Reigns is the best choice on the roster against whom The Brahma Bull should return.

Could it be that WWE is planning to make SummerSlam main event a triple threat match between three of the biggest names of the company?

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Shuvangi is a senior WWE and AEW author at EssentiallySports. She has over 1000 published WWE articles and also has experience in content operations with Forbes. Having completed her undergraduation from Royal Holloway, University of London, Shuvangi is closely aligned to the fitness industry, having amateur skills levels in tennis and basketball while rowing at a regatta level.

How Did Dwayne Johnson Get the Name “The Rock” in WWE?

Will The Rock return to WWE soon?

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