Being a third-generation superstar, a lot of expectations were put upon a debuting Rocky Maivia when he first appeared in the Survivor Series of 1996. Although his first appearance was decent enough, it soon fizzled out as he received no response from the fans. But two years later, his career took flight in 1998 after he joined DX.

While talking to The Bill Simmons Podcast, Nick Khan revealed a major story about how Rocky Maivia turned into The Rock. As per Nick Khan Vince McMahon has just two words for The Rock that changed his life.

Khan recalls McMahon’s special message to Dwayne Johnson

WWE’s owner Nick Khan was invited to The Bill Simmons Podcast in an episode titled “The Jets in Despair, a Wide-Open AFC East, and the Big UFC-WWE Merger with Sean Fennessey, Benjamin Solak, and Nick Khan.” While speaking about the merger of WWE-UFC to form TKO Group Holdings, the conversation quickly shifted to The Rock’s emergence as the top guy in WWE.

Trending

“Wyatt 6”: After Erick Rowan’s Signing, Uncle Howdy’s Stable Members Decoded Ahead of Rumored Backlash Debut

May 02, 2024 10:37 AM EDT

Major Botch in CM Punk’s Raw Draft Announcement Spotted, USA Network Issues Response

April 30, 2024 09:00 AM EDT

Triple H Accused of Disrespecting Cody Rhodes’ AEW Tenure by Walking Out During Live Discussion

May 02, 2024 10:07 AM EDT

Was CM Punk’s Kiss to Alundra Blayze Unscripted? Seemingly Awkward Raw Moment Revisited

April 30, 2024 03:55 AM EDT

“Story To Be Told”: Brock Lesnar Tipped To Return Against Cody Rhodes, Here’s When It Could Happen

May 03, 2024 04:29 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest WWE stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Nick Khan said, “Vince said, “Do it. Go, get them”. And it was at that night the ‘Rocky Sucks’ chants that had already started and all of that stuff, where he sort of lit it up, and The Rock took fire.” Vince’s message to the Rock was to go out in the ring and do his stuff and that transferred him to become the superstar we know him as.

Nick Khan was probably referring to the SummerSlam 1998 match of The Rock. Before the match, The Rock worked as a heel and a part of The Nation of Domination stable. But things changed when he faced Triple H in a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. Though The People’s Champion lost the match, the notorious MSG crowd cheered him on.

Despite Receiving $600 Gift From The Rock, Austin Theory Slanders Dwayne Johnson for Leaving Him Red-Faced in Front of 14,000 Fans

Nick Khan further stated how debuting as Rocky Maivia got The Rock no response. He considers it to be even worse than getting booed by the crowd. He went on to narrate how Dwayne Johnson made a bold move to convince Vince McMahon to try things out.

Dwayne Johnson approached Vince McMahon for a chance

Speaking on Johnson’s approach to McMahon to change things up, Khan said that he’d heard both sides of the story. “I’ve heard this story from both individuals involved in this story, individually, from Vince and Dwayne Johnson. And Dwayne and Vince had a conversation at Madison Square Garden, again. Rock was a face and Rock says, ‘Let me go out, let me do my thing. Let me sort of talk like a talk,‘” Khan said.

Khan praised Johnson’s initiative about how he approached McMahon to let him be himself. In the podcast, he later compared The Rock’s gimmick change to that of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s gimmick change in 1996 from The Ring Master.

What do you think about this moment between Johnson and McMahon that gave birth to The Rock?

Watch this story: Every WWE Superstar Who Attacked Vince McMahon