When talking about wrestling, it is hard to convey just how big it can be. Yes, across the world it can be a form of entertainment that is doing good with questionable things going on in the background of it. However, when you’re a wrestling fan and you have to explain to a non-fan why it is appealing; that’s possibly the hardest thing to convey. For me, it has been the strange and wonderful parts of the “behind the scenes” of it all; believable rivalries out front that are friends behind the curtain, family nearly killing each other, or work disputes.

One of my favorite moments, as a wrestling fan telling non-wrestling fans something about this piece of entertainment, is “The Rock.” That man that’s older than your dad has more appeal than any other human, so it slightly shocks people when I point how that Dwayne would be nothing without wrestling. You see, Dwayne “The Rock” Douglas Johnson is the son of a man born Wayde Douglas Bowles, who later changed his name to Rocky Johnson. You see, that man you have probably thought about in the shower during a surprising moment that got your little Rocky Maivia going got it from somewhere.

Starting part of his career in his home country of Canada in the early to mid-1960s, Johnson would go on to wrestle for what was then “World Wide Wrestling Federation” (WWWF). Still part of the National Wrestling Alliance and during the days referred to as “the territory days,” Johnson would go on to face four World Championships as well as tag with others in tag team titles too. A short time after his tag and world championship flurries were done, he would go on to wrestle for the World Wrestling Federation; a rebranding of the WWWF to WWF. It was here Johnson came to the status he holds even now.

Yet during his time with the NWA he had formed a second family, following a relationship in the 60s giving him a son, Curtis, and daughter, Wanda. This second family would be with Ata Maivia, daughter of wrestling legend “high chief” Peter Maivia and matriarch of Polynesian Pro Wrestling (PPW) Lia Maivia. Johnson wasn’t joining a small family either, as he was marrying into the Anoa’i wrestling family, formed by Amituana Anoa’i and Peter Maivia being blood brothers. Ata and Rocky would soon go on to have a son on May 2nd, 1972 called Dwayne Douglas Johnson.

Ten years following Dwayne’s birth, with Johnson in the WWF, he would feud with top talent in the company including Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and Adrian Adonis. Tagging with fellow wrestler Tony Atlas he would also feud with his fellow Anoa’i family members Afa and Sika (the Wild Samoans). On November 15th, 1983 Atlas and Johnson would win the World Tag Team Championships from the Samoans, making them the first black tag team in history to hold the titles. They would only hold the titles once losing to Adonis and Dick Murdoch. The next time a black tag team would hold the titles was in 1994 with Men on a Mission.

A year following Atlas and Johnson’s loss of the belts, Johnson left the company and soon retired from actively wrestling. However, Johnson partnered with fellow retired wrestler Pat Patterson in 1991 to train a prospect talent that at the time was still in university. Dwayne, who at the time was studying criminology and physiology in Miami, played defensive tackle for the university’s team, the Miami Hurricanes. Graduating with an undergrad, Dwayne would go on to play as a linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders; meanwhile, continuing training with Patterson and his dad.

Cut from the Stampeders after only two months, both Johnsons and Patterson got the younger a couple of tryouts at the (still at the time) WWF. Dwayne would, of course, go on to wrestle with the company; but first under his own name during the tryouts; both parent’s names as “Rocky Maivia;” then as a development of character and turning heel he’d refer to himself as “The Rock” from August 1997. From here is where the junior would rise to stardom and that history you probably know.

For the elder, he would go on in retirement and making a small appearance for the younger Rocky at Wrestlemania 13 in March of 1997. For a brief spell, Johnson would also go on train other young wrestlers at the now World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)’s developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in 2003. He would also divorce Ata in this year, before appearing once again for WWE alongside their son Dwayne for Rocky’s induction into the company’s Hall of Fame in 2008. On December 20th of 2019, Johnson was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors for the International Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Yesterday it was announced by WWE in a statement that Johnson had passed away at age 75. There was no cause given. Our hearts and condolences go out to his family during this difficult time. 

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.