"You got to stop talking about wrestling" - WWE icon reveals advice he got upon leaving the company the first time
Many WWE Superstars have left the company over the years to pursue other ventures. However, none have succeeded as much as The Great One, Dwayne Johnson. The Rock's transition from a wrestler into a Hollywood star has been probably the single most successful move ever made by a wrestler.
The best part about the transition is that The Rock was already a major draw when he left the company the first time. He inadvertently became the last WWE Superstar to wrestle and defeat Stone Cold Steve Austin before the latter's initial retirement, and subsequently put over WCW legend Goldberg. A year later, he tagged alongside Mick Foley to take on Randy Orton, Ric Flair and Batista in a Handicap match at WrestleMania 20, and that was that.
In a sit-down interview with The Pivot Podcast, The Rock touched on one major turning point in his life. He discussed finding himself and retaining his quirks, interests and defining traits while picking up things while living the life of a Hollywood actor.
"I was told at that time (on becoming a lead actor in Hollywood), 'All right, in order for this to happen, here's the biggest stars in the world - Will Smith, George Clooney, Johnny Depp. You look nothing like them. You got to stop talking about wrestling. Stop calling yourself The Rock. You're too big. Go on a diet, get out of the gym,'" he detailed.
Despite following instructions as advised initially, The Rock felt that there was no need to forget the fact that he loved wrestling and that it was "his life." He stated that he wants to go back to WWE when he chooses to. The star also added that working out at the gym was always his "anchor."
The WWE legend wound up firing everybody and hired new people to work for him, and ultimately found his footing.
"One of the most important things we could be in our lives is ourselves. It's so easy to say, 'Just be you, man, be you,' but it's f**king hard! All right? There's perception, there's reality, you want to look a certain way, you want to, show your teeth (laughs)," The Rock said. [53:32 onwards]
WWE Hall of Famer claims The Rock could easily pull-off a 30-minute WrestleMania match today
Speaking on his podcast, The Kurt Angle Show, Kurt Angle weighed in on the possibility of The Rock wrestling at a high level in the main event of WrestleMania today.
The WWE Hall of Famer believes that The Brahma Bull could do it "if he wants to do it," as the latter takes care of his body like no other:
"He really trains hard, and he has been able to keep his body young and active. When you watch him train, he does a lot of not just weight training and stuff, he does a lot of plyometrics and stuff like that. I believe that he could still wrestle. I believe if he wants to do it, he could put in a good 30-minute match at WrestleMania. I don't doubt that for a second. He's able to take care of his body as much as he has lately. I don't see it being a problem for him." (H/T Fightful)
The Rock turns 51 today, Happy birthday 🎈 https://t.co/9cl731gcOX
Last week, on May 2nd, Dwayne Johnson turned 51. Despite much speculation, the dream match between The Rock and Roman Reigns did not happen this year. However, it could happen at some point down the line, as teased by The Rock himself during WrestleMania 39 weekend.
Please credit the original source and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription, if you use any quotes.