Published 17:06 IST, June 16th 2020
The Undertaker thought The Rock wouldn’t last long in WWE after his 'awful’ debut
The Undertaker revealed that Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock’s first gimmick in WWE was “awful” and he believed that The Rock would not last long in WWE.
Dwayne Johnson is arguably one of the most famous superstars WWE has ever produced. ‘The most electrifying superstar in the history of professional wrestling’ changed the business with his incredible promos and his iconic feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin. However, it wasn't always smooth sailing for Dwayne Johnson. Long before he became a global icon, Dwayne Johnson debuted as Rocky Maivia who was hated by Attitude Era fans for his ‘goody two shoes’ character.
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The Rock himself has admitted multiple times that his first gimmick in WWE was a major flop. As it turns out, The Undertaker also didn’t like the Brahma Bull’s first gimmick. While speaking to Gary Vaynerchuk, 'The Dead Man' revealed that The Rock’s first gimmick was “awful” and he believed The Rock would not last long in WWE. The Undertaker said that he had no idea how charismatic The Rock was when he first saw him. He believed that by the time his run with ‘Nation of Domination’ was over, The Rock would be out of the company.
“He came in to Madison Square Garden, and they give him the name of Rocky Maivia. Oh my gosh, it was awful, it was totally, I mean they handcuffed him right out of the get go, right? I remember watching him, and the Garden, they’re merciless.”
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However, after taking a long break from wrestling and making some major changes in his character, Rocky Maivia returned as The Rock. The Attitude Era fans loved The Rock’s new persona and they gave him a smorgasbord of nicknames. The People’s Champion started multiple feuds with superstars like Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin which became iconic and The Rock soon became one of the top superstars in the era.
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Triple H reveals how The Rock created his ‘People’s Elbow’ move
Earlier, while talking to TMZ, Triple H revealed that The Rock created his ‘People’s Elbow’ move solely to make The Undertaker laugh in the ring. According to Triple H, The Rock first used the 'People's Elbow' move during a Six-Man Tag Team match involving The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Mick Foley, and Kane. Triple H revealed that The Undertaker didn’t laugh in the ring, but cracked up backstage when they all were discussing the match.
Image Source: WWE.com
Updated 17:06 IST, June 16th 2020