Throwback: When ex-UFC star called out Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson for steroid usage by comparing him to 'The Liver King'
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s massive physique and incredible musculature have been an integral part of his personality and professional success. He is known to follow an arduous training routine and diet to maintain his physique. However, many people have suspected that he might be using steroids.
Ex-UFC fighter Chael Sonnen is one of the individuals who do not believe that Johnson’s physique is natural. He compared the former pro-wrestling star to The Liver King AKA Brian Johnson.
The Liver King became an internet sensation in the early 2020s. He urged people to follow "nine ancestral tenets" for healthy living and claimed that his incredibly jacked physique was a result of that.
However, it was later uncovered that the 46-year-old was using steroids, resulting in a massive dip in his popularity.
In a YouTube video, Sonnen implied that ‘The Rock’ is similar to ‘The Liver King’ because he is promoting a certain lifestyle, while denying the role of steroids in his progress. He said:
“Steroids, which is something ‘The Rock’ has denied, his father denied, his uncle has denied, the whole family has denied. It’s one of those things... In all fairness, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal if you weren’t out there telling people about nutrition and telling people about your diet, telling people about your workouts.”
He added:
“As soon as you start doing that and try to influence and motivate and bring people along the journey but you lie to them about the journey, right? I mean, he’s ‘Liver King.’ You’re ‘Liver King’ all over again. It’s the exact same thing”
Watch Sonnen make the statement below [4:36]:
The Rock has denied using steroids to fuel growth
Dwayne Johnson has publicly denied using steroids to achieve the results he desires. While speaking to Josh Horowitz of MTV in 2009, ‘The Rock’ stated that he experimented with steroids as a teenager but did not go back to using them later. He said:
“Me and my buddies tried it back in the day when I was 18 or 19. Didn’t know what we were doing. [H/T Muscle and Fitness]”
The 51-year-old has been questioned on the topic on several occasions. However, he has claimed that being disciplined with his routine is the only reason for his success.