"It didn't take long" - Ex-WWE talent on Vince McMahon becoming a fan of The Rock
Former WWE announcer Jim Ross recently recalled how Vince McMahon became a massive supporter of The Rock during his early days.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has electrified members of the WWE Universe and movie goers for over two decades. His infectious and charismatic personality is his most profound quality, which makes him successful in whatever he does.
On a recent episode of Grilling JR, Ross opened up about how McMahon quickly took a liking to and supported The Great One on his WWE journey:
"Vince's cost to stay optimistic in the beginning because you know he's had seen these beautiful packages sometimes don't play out but in time Vince became a huge Rock supporter... If you're around him you can feel his enthusiasm and he also had a background being in the family business that he understood things that a lot of guys took time to assimilate. So it didn't take long for Vince to become a Rock fan." [25:46 - 26:30]
The beginning stages of a 3rd generation performer's rise to fame and transition from an unremarkable babyface to a red-hot heel.
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Ever since McMahon became The Brahma Bull's fan, there has been no turning back for him. Even so, The People's Champion and the Billionaire teamed up when he joined The Corporation in 1998 where he defeated Mankind to win the WWF Championship.
JR talks about why people turned on The Rock after his debut
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The Rock is one of the most beloved superstars both inside and outside the ring. However, Johnson didn't receive the same amount of love in the beginning. Fans would constantly boo him and chant "Die Rocky Die'' during his matches.
In the same episode of Grilling JR, Ross opened up about why he thinks people disapproved of The Great One in his early days:
"It might've been a little too much too soon. I think that's what turned the people against The Rock. He didn't do anything character-wise. He didn't change his personality, but he was a rookie green kid handsome, caused a lot of jealousy with men. 18 to 49 that beloved demographic, but I think probably a little too much too soon. I'm not so sure looking back at it if it was the thing to do to have him win that match [32:41 - 33:09]
After receiving a negative reaction, The People's Champion worked hard and created a unique and electrifying character which changed the trajectory of his WWE career for the best.
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