Dwayne Johnson "The Rock" is one of the most recognized figures in professional wrestling and now in cinema. His legendary career actually began 25 years ago in what is now called WWE. His debut took place at one of the company's most important events: Survivor Series.
The Rock comes from a family of wrestlers. His father was the Canadian wrestler Rocky Johnson and his grandfather was Peter Maivia, from whom he inherited the Samoan tradition.
From them, he not only inherited their skills but also his first name: when he made his debut, The Rock was called Rocky Maivia.
The Distant 90s
The first time The Rock wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) was on November 17, 1996, after a year of training in the United States Wrestling Association/USWA.
His debut was part of the Survivor Series event, which is one of the company's four biggest events of the year.
Although he already had a muscular physique, at that time he had a very different outfit and a striking look.
His first match was in the traditional tag team match, teaming up with Marc Mero, Jake Roberts, and The Stalker (Barry Windham) in a four-on-four elimination match against Crush, Jerry Lawler, Goldust, and Hunter Hearst Helmsley (Triple H).
On that occasion, Rocky Maivia became the star of the night, eliminating Crush and Goldust to secure victory for his team.
When Did He Change His Name to The Rock?
Rocky Maivia started his career as a face, a term used for "good" characters who seek to empathize with the audience.
After winning over the fans, Maivia won his first championship - the Intercontinental Championship - against Hunter Hearst Helmsley (who was not yet called Triple H) in February 1997. He held onto this title until April when he lost it to Owen Hart.
After another loss, this time against Mankind, Rocky Maivia changed from being a face to a heel, which refers to a villainous character, and changed his name to The Rock.
How Many Championships Did The Rock Win in His Career?
The Rock has been an 8-time champion in the WWF/WWE, a 2-time heavyweight champion, a 2-time Intercontinental champion, a 5-time tag team champion, the winner of the 2000 Royal Rumble, and was named Wrestler of the Year once by the prestigious PWI magazine in the 2000s.
Happy 25 years, The Rock!