The Cold Wire Highlights 3The Cold Wire Highlights 2This ad will end in 1

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the most successful examples of an athlete making their mark on the film industry.

Johnson was a third-generation wrestler and followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.

Unlike his father or grandfather, Dwayne Johnson expanded his career to the silver screen and is now even more famous for his acting career.

From the start of his career in entertainment, Johnson promised to make a name for himself without the connotation of his ancestry, and he has held true to this promise.

Why Is Dwayne Johnson Called “The Rock”?

Dwayne Johnson is called “The Rock” because he was once known in the wrestling ring as Rocky Maivia, which was a combination of his father’s name and his grandfather’s name.

Both Rocky Johnson and Peter Maivia were famous fighters.

Peter Maivia was born in Samoa in the 1930s and began his professional wrestling career in the 1960s in New Zealand.

Maivia would become so popular that he began wrestling in the United States in the 1970s.

After his time in the ring, Maivia began coaching the next generation of wrestlers.

He even trained Rocky Johnson, who went on to marry Peter’s daughter, Ata.

Rocky Johnson began wrestling in 1966 and would go on to join World Wrestling Entertainment in 1983.

Decades later, Dwayne Johnson would go on to induct both his father and his grandfather into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Famous World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler Pat Patterson nicknamed young Rocky Maivia “The Rock,” and the name stuck with Johnson.

Patterson’s nickname ended up being the name with which Dwayne Johnson would go down in wrestling and pop culture history.

Johnson wasn’t fond of his first stage name, which had been given to him by CEO Vincent McMahon.

McMahon wanted to take advantage of the fact that Johnson was the grandson of “High Chief” Peter Maivia and Rocky Johnson.

Dwayne Johnson wanted to create an image for himself that was independent of his famous family members’ statuses.

He wanted to be seen as his own person rather than the kid who only got into professional wrestling through his family ties.

Johnson would end up getting his way when the name Rocky Maivia wasn’t landing with wrestling fans.

That’s when he began to go by the name that most fans know him by today, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Who Owns The Right To Use The Name “The Rock”?

Dwayne Johnson owns the right to use the name “The Rock,” which he had to get the rights to use from World Wrestling Entertainment and Vincent McMahon.

Johnson claims that the process was pretty easy, despite McMahon having a history of being difficult to work with.

When Johnson went to have a conversation with McMahon, his previous boss was understanding when it came to Johnson wanting to change his career after years of wrestling.

Over the course of the conversation, Johnson told McMahon his next big career plan.

Although McMahon had a history of not giving away anything for free, Dwayne Johnson didn’t have to pay to get the rights to his stage name.

Now Dwayne Johnson is able to use his stage name as he pleases.

Since becoming an actor, Dwayne Johnson has become even more famous than he was when he was mainly a wrestler.

Now Johnson owns more than just his name.

He also owns several businesses such as Teremana Tequila, ZOA Energy, The Rock Clock App, and Seven Bucks Productions.

In 2020, the actor released his own brand of tequila called Teremana Tequila.

Despite starting at the height of a global pandemic, Tereamana Tequila sold over 300,000 nine-liter cases of the alcohol in the first six months.

Only a year later, Johnson announced that he will be releasing a clean and healthy energy drink called ZOA Energy.

The energy drink promises to charge your body through natural ingredients such as turmeric, camu camu, and acerola.

Johnson created The Rock Clock App after fans begged for a sample of Johnson’s early rising schedule.

The application not only helps users manage their time, but it also offers advice on reaching their personal fitness goals.

Johnson has springboarded from his initial wrestling career and become a businessman.

When Did Dwayne Johnson Switch From Wrestling To Acting?

Dwayne Johnson went from being mainly a wrestler to being a full-time film actor in 2009.

He was first billed solely as Dwayne Johnson in the credits of Race to Witch Mountain.

Johnson did a seamless job of making the transition from wrestler to film actor.

Dwayne Johnson began wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment in 1993 as Rocky Maivia.

Johnson began going by “The Rock” in 1997 and completely changed his wrestling persona, which proved to be popular with fans.

Thanks to his newfound popularity, Dwayne Johnson immediately began being spotted in the ring more often.

By 1998, The Rock was in 202 matches, and the number had steadily gone down to 185 by 1999.

In 2000, The Rock was featured in 152 matches.

This number drastically dropped the following year, resulting in Johnson only being a part of 91 matches.

Only a year later, Dwayne Johnson was only appearing in a little more than a third of the matches he was previously.

He was only in seven World Wrestling Entertainment matches in 2003 and was only in a single match in 2004.

Johnson wouldn’t return to the Wrestling ring for seven years and was in only one match in 2011 to tag team with John Cena.

He was in only one match the following year and then appeared in three more matches in 2013, never to return to the wrestling ring again from that point on.

Dwayne Johnson started acting in 1999 when he appeared on That ’70s Show, where he was credited as The Rock.

Johnson’s first film roles were in The Mummy Returns as the Scorpion King and Doom as Sarge.

By 2010, Dwayne Johnson made a name for himself as a family film actor when he appeared in his second family movie, Tooth Fairy.

Was Dwayne Johnson A Babyface Or A Heel In Wrestling?

Dwayne Johnson was both, having character arcs that allowed him to play both the good guy and the villain during his wrestling performances.

As Johnson’s stage name was changing, so was his in-the-ring personality.

Johnson started his wrestling career as the babyface Rocky Maivia, who was best known for his lineage.

As fans and Johnson shaped his character into The Rock, he began to take on the role of the heel.

Johnson made the public announcement that he would no longer go by Rocky Mavia, and instead, he would be The Rock.

He announced that the change in his alignment was the reason for the name change.

The wrestler was immediately inducted into the Nation of Domination, which helped Johnson and World Wrestling Entertainment as a whole reach a new level of popularity.

Johnson was so popular as a heel that he eventually went on to replace the Nation of Domination’s leader Ron Simmons.

This eventually led to a massive on-stage feud between his team and DX.

After Steve Austin was left with an injury that forced him to leave World Wrestling Entertainment in 1999, Dwayne Johnson became the new face of the company.

As the poster boy, Johnson went back to being a babyface and eventually had a feud with Triple H.

In 2001, fans were not enjoying The Alliance storyline.

Many fans felt that the outcomes were underwhelming, but Johnson was able to spice things up in the ring by turning the story on its head.

However, some of Johnson’s most memorable moments as a professional wrestler came when he was in the role of the heel.

In 2003, Johnson began putting on mini concerts with original songs and guitar for Stone Cold Steve Austin’s feuds.

This brought a whole new meaning to his nickname.

Does Dwayne Johnson Own A Football Team?

No, Dwayne Johnson owns an entire football league called the XFL.

The XFL consists of eight teams from around the United States, including the D.C. Defenders, the Dallas Renegades, the Houston Roughnecks, the Los Angeles Wildcats, the New York Guardians, the Seattle Dragons, the St. Louis Battle Hawks, and the Tampa Bay Vipers.

The minor league was first started by Vincent McMahon in 2000 and was supposed to play a 10-week regular season and a two-week postseason made up of two semi-final games and a championship game in 2020.

However, the 2020 relaunch of the minor league led to the downfall of the league.

The XFL was originally formed to better serve football fans, who wanted affordable games that were fun for the whole family and passionate about football above profits.

This minor league’s games can be seen on major sports channels such as ABC, ESPN, and FOX Sports.

Due to the pandemic, the league was never able to get fully off the ground and went bankrupt before it could really get popular.

In 2020, Dwayne Johnson and his business partner Dany Garcia purchased the league for $15 million.

Johnson and Garcia were able to set up a Research and Development partnership with the National Football League, which hopes to “expand the game of football.”

The two professional football leagues are hoping to explore topics such as international scouting, safety rules, and officiating protocols.

Both Johnson and Garcia have discussed hopefully getting the league back up and running by 2023.

Their goal has been to create a more diverse community of owners and players within the minor league.

Hopefully, the XFL will be able to build itself back up from bankruptcy, despite losing all of its staff to layoffs.

Who Is Dwayne Johnson Married To?

Dwayne Johnson is married to Lauren Hashian, after previously being married to his business partner and manager Dany Garcia.

Johnson asked Garcia to become his manager in 2006, soon after divorcing the professional bodybuilder.

Johnson and Hashian met on the set of The Game Plan in 2006, only a year before his divorce from Garcia.

The couple started dating in 2007, soon after the divorce, and moved in with one another shortly thereafter.

Dwayne Johnson feels incredibly lucky to have fallen in love again and to have found someone who has stood with him through incredibly difficult times.

Lauren Hashian was driving with him in the car when they learned that Paul Walker had passed away.

The couple pulled their car over and immediately said a prayer for Walker’s daughter.

Once Johnson and Hashian got home, he couldn’t stop himself from sobbing over the loss of his friend.

Lauren Hashian has also stood by her husband’s side as he has fought depression.

Depression has affected multiple generations of his family and even led his mother to attempt suicide, which brought on even more difficult emotions.

Johnson has discussed how he has “battled the beast more than once.”

The couple dated for more than a decade before deciding to get married, despite having to deal with constant rumors about a secret wedding.

Even before their wedding, Johnson would refer to Hashian as his wife because they had been together for so long.

The couple didn’t officially get married until August 19th of 2019.

Johnson and Hashian had a low-key, private wedding on a Hawaiian beach.

In order to keep the wedding as private as possible, the ceremony was completely put together by the venue staff, family members, and close friends.

The picturesque seaside scenery was just as beautiful as the newlyweds.

How Many Kids Does Dwayne Johnson Have?

Dwayne Johnson has three daughters and believes that his role as their father is the most important job that he has ever had in his life.

Johnson is proud to be a father of all daughters and is a firm believer that the bond between a daughter and her father is one of the greatest feelings in the world.

Johnson’s eldest daughter is Simone Alexandra, who he had with his ex-wife and business partner Dany Garcia.

His oldest daughter was born on August 14th of 2001 and is following in her father’s career footsteps.

Simone Alexandra Johnson is the youngest signee to ever land a World Wrestling Entertainment contract, the first-ever Golden Globe Ambassador, and is an IGM model.

She has accompanied her father to many red carpet events ever since she was young.

Simone was set to make her wrestling debut in September of 2020, but she has been having to get knee surgeries.

When Simone Alexandra Johnson isn’t working or recovering from surgeries, she loves hanging out with her friends and traveling the world.

The Rock’s second oldest daughter is young Jasmine Johnson, who was born on December 16th of 2015.

She is the first daughter of Lauren Hashian and Dwayne Johnson.

Jasmine Johnson has made headlines for looking like the popular actress, Zendaya.

The youngest daughter of Dwayne Johnson is Tiana Johnson.

She was born on April 17th of 2018.

Despite seeming like she was just born recently, Tiana Johnson is already four years old.

Although Dwayne Johnson may be outnumbered as the only man in the house, he vastly prefers the home environment that he and his wife have created.

Johnson loves living with a bunch of “strong, bad-*ss women.”

The actor says it’s terrifying being a father of three daughters, but it’s equally as rewarding.

Where Is Dwayne Johnson From?

Born in Hayward, California on May 2nd of 1972, Dwayne Johnson grew up as the only child of wrestling legend Rocky Johnson and Ata Johnson, who was the daughter of wrestling legend Peter Maivia.

Johnson recalls his upbringing being tough because his father was incredibly tough on him, with the actor describing it lightly by saying, “There was a lot of testosterone growing up.”

Johnson was immersed in the world of wrestling from an early age, starting by watching his father fight in the ring.

Dwayne Johnson originally didn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps, so he began playing football.

His football career allowed him to attend the University of Miami, thanks to his large size and athletic talents.

Johnson’s football career ended before it could even begin after he sustained multiple injuries that ended his chances of ever making it to the National Football League or any other professional leagues.

With only about $7 to his name, Johnson decided to turn to World Wrestling Entertainment to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.

His first fight as a professional wrestler was against the Brooklyn Brawler in Texas.

After tag teaming with Bart Sawyer, the World Wrestling Entertainment officially signed Johnson under his rookie name Flex Kavana and quickly had his name changed to Rocky Maivia by CEO Vincent McMahon.

Johnson now owns multiple homes around the United States, including locations such as Virginia; Powder Springs, Georgia; Miami, Florida; and London, England.

Each one of Johnson’s properties is worth millions.

Staying In The Family Business

Dwayne Johnson may have started his entertainment career as the son and grandson of famous wrestlers, but it has been his talent and determination that have allowed him to become the most famous member of his family.

Now that his eldest daughter Simone Alexandra Johnson is following in her father’s footsteps, Johnson has truly maintained and expanded on his family’s legacy and fortune.

He has become so popular that his father and grandfather are best known for being related to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Even as a young man, Johnson knew that there was more to his story than just wrestling.

He is now an award-winning actor and successful business owner.

NEXT: 
How Many Rings Does Aaron Rodgers Have? (2023 Updated)