"It's just like Austin" – The Rock's rise compared to that of Stone Cold
Former wrestler Tom Prichard compared The Rock's rise to that of Stone Cold Steve Austin in his latest chat with It's My Wrestling Podcast.
The Rock's meteoric rise to the top was a sight to behold. The Great One was a megastar by the time the Attitude Era came to an end. He later made it big in Hollywood and is one of the biggest celebrities in the world today.
Tom Prichard had nothing but praise for The Rock while speaking with It's My Wrestling Podcast. The former WWE Superstar compared The Rock's rise to that of Stone Cold Steve Austin. He also highlighted how The Rock is incredibly humble and hasn't changed one bit
"It's just like Austin, you knew he was gonna be big. He had the bloodline, he had the talent, this guy was phenomenal. You knew he was going to be a big star. I don't think anybody could have said he's going to be one of the most recognisable faces and names in the world. He's still that same guy. He's a businessman, and he always has been, but he's still that same guy."
Prichard went on to praise The Rock, popularly known as Dwayne Johnson:
The cool thing is he knows how to communicate with people, and he communicates with his fans. He communicates with his colleagues, with his friends, the same genuine way he always has. You looked at him when he came in, he had something. He had a great smile, he had great personality. He was talking like that when he was training. He was a smart a** at training, but in a good way."
The Rock and Stone Cold were the faces of late-90s wrestling
Dwayne Johnson's character of Rocky Maivia was a clear-cut babyface who smiled at the audience and did all the right things. Fans quickly grew tired of him and began booing.
Soon after, Johnson adopted the persona of The Rock, and the rest is history. The Rock was an obnoxious, arrogant heel who was in the business for no one but himself. The character quickly got over with the WWE Universe.
Over the next three years or so, The Rock headlined a long list of major WWE events with the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, and The Undertaker. He and Stone Cold main-evented two WrestleManias. The Rock later became a part-time star and is one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors.